Jan. 28, 2025 By Lauren Rapp The award-winning Clarendon Library in East Flatbush officially reopened Monday after extensive renovations. An unveiling ceremony drew a crowd of local elected officials, library leaders and smiling students from P.S. 361 East Flatbush Early Childhood School to celebrate the library’s 100-year history and the upgrades, which were finished…
Jan. 28, 2025 By Lauren Rapp A giant, rare and notoriously stinky flower bloomed at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden over the weekend, drawing hundreds to smell something “putrid.” The Amorphophallus gigas, known as the “corpse flower,” bloomed for just three days, prompting residents to brave frigid temperatures for a chance to see and smell…
Jan. 27, 2025 By Bill Parry Queens mourns the loss of its longtime voice in letters. Larry Penner, a mass transit expert, transportation advocate, and historian, died in hospice care on Jan. 16 after a year-long battle against pancreatic cancer. He was 71. Although he lived much of his life in Great Neck,…
Jan. 27, 2025 By Kirstyn Brendlen Four early childcare centers in Brooklyn are facing abrupt closures after the city decided not to renew their leases, citing low enrollment and an oversaturation of low-cost childcare centers in the area. But local politicians and providers say the city’s data is wrong — and that the Department…
Jan. 27, 2025 By Adam Daly A popular Park Slope restaurant was defaced with anti-Israel graffiti over the weekend, prompting an outpouring of support from elected officials and the community. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force said it is investigating the incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, Jan. 26, at Miriam,…
Jan. 27, 2025 By Lauren Rapp On Saturday, State Sen. Stephen Chan was sworn in to represent southern Brooklyn’s 17th Senate District, becoming the first Asian-American Republican to hold the state Senate seat. At the New Utrecht High School auditorium in Bensonhurst, Chan was joined by family, friends, and elected officials to celebrate his…
Jan. 27, 2025 By Joseph Packer For years, Coney Island has been left behind. As much of Brooklyn and New York City experienced a renaissance, Coney Island has remained stagnant. Part of this is because the city and state have not invested here and in doing so allowed our beloved community to fall by…
Jan. 27, 2025 By Anna Bradley-Smith A newly constructed 17-story apartment tower on Gowanus’ Fourth Avenue, made possible by the neighborhood’s recent rezoning, has officially launched an affordable housing lottery for eligible renters. The Douglass Street Apartments building, which replaces a BP gas station, will have a total of 188 apartments and climbs to…
Jan. 27, 2025 By Robert Pearl On a chilly afternoon on Jan. 15, 2025, the Coalition for Better Communities gathered with elected officials and community leaders to announce the closure of the controversial migrant shelter at Floyd Bennett Field. The event drew supporters from Brooklyn and Queens, as advocates highlighted the collaborative effort behind…
Jan. 27, 2025 By Lloyd Mitchell Firefighters tackled a heavy blaze in a four-story building under construction in Bed-Stuy that spread to a neighboring, occupied building on Friday morning. Crews encountered a thick column of smoke while en route to 153 Tompkins Ave. shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 24. Upon arrival, they found…