Robert Guskind, founder of Gowanus Lounge, 1958-2009

Update 2010.01.03: Corrected all links to the old Gowanus Lounge domain to the new memorial domain.


Update 2009.03.20: A memorial is planned for April 4.
Update 2009.03.14: Finally wrote my memorial post.
Update 2009.03.11: The official, authorized, and epic obituary for Bob, written lovingly by his family and friends, was published online today. Please read In Memoriam, Robert Guskind on Gowanus Lounge.
Updates 2009.03.06:

  • It’s been all I can do just to keep up with the flood of online remembrances and other reports in response to Bob’s death. As of mid-day, there are over 60. Reading everyone’s posts brings back my own memories of Bob, which I hope to post over the weekend.
  • Changed the link for the Brooklyn Paper.

I just learned, from Windsor Terrace Alliance and Brownstoner, that Robert “Bob” Guskind, founder of Gowanus Lounge, was found dead in his home yesterday, March 4, 2009.

He was a colleague, and a friend. I’m stunned, and can’t write anything else right now. See Links below for others’ coverage of this terrible loss.

Robert Guskind, speaking at the second Brooklyn Blogfest in May 2007.
Robert Guskind, Gowanus Lounge


Robert Guskind speaking at the first Brooklyn Blogade, at Vox Pop in Flatbush, in June 2007.

Robert Guskind, Gowanus Lounge

Related content

My Flickr photos of Bob

Links

His work and words

His last video, 2009-03-01
Bob’s videos on YouTube
Bob’s Flickr photos
A Walk Around the Blog episode featuring Bob talking about development in Carroll Gardens
Bob on the Brian Lehrer show, WNYC, 2007-09-20
Reporter Roundtable and Brooklyn Review archival footage from Brooklyn Independent Television
Bob wrote 29 stories for Underground Voices Magazine

News reports

Brooklyn Paper, 2009-03-05 (The text of this article has been edited from its original content.)
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 2009-03-05
New York Magazine (Warning: Intrusive advertising)
New York Post

Personal remembrances

One post per site. I’ve done my best to keep this list up-to-date. If I’ve overlooked your post, please let me know.

Bob and Miss Heather were good friends.
New York Sh*tty

In alphabetical order

  1. 1 Stop Over in Brooklyn
  2. 66 Square Feet
  3. The Albany Project
  4. Art in Brooklyn
  5. Atlantic Yards Report
  6. Bad Advice
  7. Bay Ridge Journal
  8. Bed-Stuy Banana
  9. Bed-Stuy Blog
  10. Best View in Brooklyn
  11. The Bowery Boys: New York City History
  12. BRIC Community Media
  13. Brooklyn 11211
  14. Brooklyn Born
  15. Brooklyn Heights Blog
  16. Brooklyn Junction
  17. Brooklyn Optimist
  18. Brooklyn Paper
  19. Brooklyn Ron
  20. Brooklyn Streets, Carroll Gardens
  21. Brooklynometry
  22. Brownstoner
  23. Bumpershine
  24. California Greening
  25. Carroll Gardens petition (scroll down past the petition itself)
  26. Clinton Hill Blog
  27. Cobble Hill Blog
  28. Crazy Stable
  29. Curbed (Bob worked at Curbed until this past January)
  30. Dalton Rooney (last paragraph)
  31. Deep in the Heart of Brooklyn
  32. Deluxa
  33. Destination Red Hook
  34. Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn
  35. Dope on the Slope
  36. Dumbo NYC
  37. Eat It (opening paragraph to a restaurant review)
  38. Englishman in New York
  39. Flatbush Gardener
  40. Flatbush Vegan
  41. Free Williamsburg
  42. Fort Greene-Clinton Hill, The Local, New York Times
  43. Glamorous Life of the Theatre
  44. Gothamist
  45. Green Brooklyn
  46. Gorilla Face
  47. Huffington Post
  48. I Love Franklin Ave.
  49. I’m not saying, I’m just sayin
  50. IMBY
  51. Keep Left NYC
  52. Kinetic Carnival
  53. Liberty on 10th Street
  54. Living the American Green
  55. lornagrl
  56. Lost City
  57. Lost in the Ozone
  58. McBrooklyn
  59. Make No Assumptions …
  60. mrjabba
  61. Nathan Kensinger Photography
  62. Neighborhood Threat
  63. Neighbors Allied for Good Growth (NAG)
  64. No Land Grab
  65. Not Another F*cking Blog
  66. The “Not-So-Rough” Guide
  67. Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn
  68. Pardon Me For Asking
  69. Pistols and Popcorn
  70. Plasticblog
  71. Pretty in the City
  72. Queens Cr*p
  73. Reclaimed Home
  74. Self-Absorbed Boomer
  75. Space at my moving pace
  76. Street Level
  77. Sunset-Park.com
  78. Triada Samaras Art
  79. Vanishing New York
  80. Washington Square Park

[goo.gl]

11 thoughts on “Robert Guskind, founder of Gowanus Lounge, 1958-2009

  1. Very sad.

    I can’t believe the cavalier tone of the Brooklyn Paper’s obituary.

    They could have covered the same facts with a good deal less cuteness.

    Death isn’t cute.

  2. Anonymous coward: You’re right. It’s not an obituary. It was an editorial. My mistake on that.

    “making increasingly erratic Web postings over the past few months”

    They’ve already cleaned up the more egregious text:

    “The NYPD offered no reports of any suicides near Guskind’s home” has been changed to deaths.

    formerly jovial journo” has dropped the “formerly”.

    They made the changes. I wasn’t over-reacting.

  3. I’m SHOCKED. Really shocked. Bob was, in my opinion, one of the hardest working bloggers I’ve ever known. He was so friendly and so supportive of bloggers from underblogged parts of Brooklyn. RIP, Bob.

  4. Xris, thanks for being vigilant regarding the changes made on the article. I noticed them, but I didn’t have my head together enough to document it. The part that annoys me the most (and makes the BP sound like the Post) is the “jovial journo.” Ridiculous example of reporting.

  5. I was also horrified by the Brooklyn Paper’s piece on his death. First they send out an email blast about it, then the disrespectful tone, then the editor snippily sticking up for their story on any blog that dare criticize their coverage. . . I’m disgusted.

  6. The Brooklyn Paper also changed a sentence that claimed that Guskind had chosen to pull the Gowanus Lounge site down.

    Actually, it was just a technical problem. The site may be up in a day or two.

  7. Xris,

    Thanks for your work today. Both for your kind words about a great Brooklyn advocate and journalist, and also for calling out yellow journalism for what it is.

  8. This is a tremendous loss. Not only for his family and friends, but for anybody that cares about Brooklyn. GL was an essential resource. He will be missed by many, many people, most of whom never met him in the flesh. RIP

  9. I’ve been lucky to work closely with Bob and help him run this website before he passed. I am certainly happy for all of us that the archives are back up!
    Rest in Peace Bob, bless you for your friendship. I will miss you everyday.

  10. I stumbled on this piece on Huffington Post this morning and wound up spending an hour or so meandering around this fine fellows life. What a tribute to blogs that this man is permanently affixed to the heart of his matter.

    I spent about six weeks in Brooklyn back in the 60's, 8 th avenue & Flatbush, with a school teacher I had met in San Francisco circa Summer Of Love, she took me home and I was made welcome in the neighborhood. I didn't last long but that wasn't Brooklyns fault. Rest in Peace Robert.

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