Ana Lucia Murillo

Our Streets, Our Stories – Doctors, New Moms, Amazon Employees, And Other Neighbors Share Their COVID-19 Stories in Local Oral History Archive

Brooklyn Public Library, Courtesy of BPLDuring this unprecedented time, the Brooklyn Public Library [https://www.bklynlibrary.org/] is asking residents to contribute to its local oral history archive, Our Streets, Our Stories [https://ourstreetsourstories.tumblr.com/], by sharing their experiences about living through the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic has already

COVID-19

Immigrant Workers and the Nonprofits That Serve Them Are in Overdrive

Members of the WJP women’s committee sewing face masks. Courtesy of WJP.The Day Laborer Workforce Initiative held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon calling for city, state, and federal officials to grant relief and protection for immigrant workers and the nonprofits that serve them across the city. “Before‌

Borough Park

Brooklyn is in Danger of Being Dramatically Undercounted in Yet Another Census

Census 2020 Graphic. Via the U.S. Census Bureau.Brooklyn was undercounted in the 2010 census, and it’s in danger of being undercounted again. Brooklyn in general, and the neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic are already lagging behind the rest of the country in their responses. Only 38%

Bensonhurst

Domestic Workers Help Others Even As They Face An Uncertain Future Themselves

Members of the WJP women’s committee sewing face masks. Courtesy of WJP.Analilia Leon is a domestic worker who lives in Bensonhurst. About five or six weeks ago, as the coronavirus pandemic began to shut down New York City, Leon’s employer told her to stay home as a

COVID-19

“Take Care of Your Grown-Ups,” Says One Brooklyn Principal

P.S. 282. Courtesy of Amy Rodriguez.School has changed completely over the past month as classrooms have shut across the city and learning has moved online. New York City public schools will now be closed through the end of the school year at least, with no guarantee that they’

COVID-19

Artists Find Ways To Help During PPE Shortage

Materials for face shields. Courtesy of ArtCube Nation.Big companies across Brooklyn are shifting to making face shields and other medical equipment to help with the shortages at NYC hospitals. Yesterday, Mayor Bill De Blasio applauded their efforts, which he said will greatly reduce the shortage in the city within

Bensonhurst

Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn Mourns Loss Of Two Priests, Tries To Lift Congregants’ Spirits

St. Athanasius Church in Bensonhurst. Courtesy of St. Athanasius.The past few weeks have been difficult for everyone. The coronavirus has infected tens of thousands of New Yorkers [/briefing-4-7/] so far, thousands of whom have died. For the Catholic community in Brooklyn, the coronavirus pandemic hit at a particularly important

Central Brooklyn

Teaching Special Ed and English-Language-Learning Students Remotely Presents Special Challenges

Adjusting to the remote learning environment has been a particular struggle for students who are just learning English, live in low-income households and are in special education classrooms. “They need a lot of help. This online learning doesn’t allow for that on any level. So it’s very difficult,

affordable housing

10 Truly Affordable Housing Lotteries Open in Brooklyn

710 Grand Street. Photo from Google Maps.While we often discuss if affordable housing is actually affordable, [/affordable-housing-who-can-really-afford-this/] here are a few new truly affordable Brooklyn housing lotteries currently open for applications. 755 and 765 Bedford Avenue Apartments [https://a806-housingconnect.nyc.gov/nyclottery/AdvertisementPdf/993.pdf], Bedford-Stuyvesant * The building includes

Business

Where To Get Fresh Produce During COVID-19

Photo via Local Roots CSAWith an order to stay at home [/new-york-state-will-go-on-pause-sunday-night-what-that-means/] as much as possible, some New Yorkers are turning to CSA’s to get fresh produce without leaving their apartment. CSA’s, short for community supported agriculture, bring produce from local farms straight to you. With long grocery

Business

Main Street As We Know It May Never Recover From Coronavirus

8th Avenue in Sunset Park’s Chinatown before the pandemic struck. Ana Lucia Murillo/Bklyner“Longterm, we could see the complete collapse of our small business infrastructure that has supported our neighborhoods for generations,” Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce [https://www.ibrooklyn.com/] President and CEO Randy Peers said in a

COVID-19

Looking for Info on Coronavirus in Spanish?

Photo of 5th Avenue in Sunset Park. Ana Lucia Murillo.As coronavirus continues to spread rapidly through New York, like their neighbors, Latinos in Brooklyn are reminding each other to stay home and stay safe via Facebook groups, and sharing opinions and information about the virus via social media. Facebook

COVID-19

As Coronavirus Spreads, Can The City Protect Its Inmates?

By now, many New Yorkers are doing their best to social distance to keep from getting coronavirus. But how do you do that if you’re behind bars? Cramped quarters means sickness spreads quickly in prisons, jails and detention centers. Yesterday an officer at Rikers Island tested positive for coronavirus,

Arts & Culture

A Bookstore For Us

Businesses across the city are closing their doors as coronavirus spreads, with all non-essential businesses expected to shut down. But bookstores are essential to many of us, and two Latina-owned bookstores in Brooklyn are finding ways to connect with their customers through bike deliveries and their online sales. Cafe con

COVID-19

Germs, Viruses, And Other Books

“Do not lick this book!” is the title of a children’s book by Ben-Barak. That’s good advice for all of us as the COVID-19 outbreak spreads in our region, as is washing our hands, staying away from large gatherings, and using hand sanitizer. That book is part of

Central Brooklyn

Planned to Take Citi Bike To Work? You Are Not Alone, And It Is A Problem

Photo: Compliments of the city’s website.If you’ve taken Citi Bike into Manhattan this week, you may have had trouble finding a place to dock your bike. The NYC Department of Transportation has seen at least a 50% increase in Citi Bikes going over the East River bridges

Coney Island

“Keep Our People from this Deadly Virus,” Assembly Staffer Fired Over Racist Coronavirus Remarks

Assemblywoman Frontus’ office at 8525 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn. Image via Google Maps.SOUTHERN BROOKLYN — New York State Assemblywoman Mathylde Frontus fired her receptionist on Wednesday for making racist remarks about Chinese New Yorkers related to coronavirus. As the number of confirmed coronavirus [/briefly-noted-second-coronavirus-case-pedestrian-death-protest-and-more/] cases in the New York area

brownsville

Crime Blotter: Bank Robbery, Pizza Man Assaulted, and Man Pushed onto Subway Tracks

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — Wednesday, February 26, just after 3:30 p.m. a man entered Chase Bank at 975 Bedford Avenue and handed a note to a teller. The teller did as the note said, and the suspect left the bank with $1,000. No injuries were reported. Investigation is ongoing. Surveillance

East New York

7-Year-Old Boy Killed, Mother Injured After Being Struck by SUV in East New York

The intersection where the accident occurred has a four-way crosswalk. Photo via Google Maps.EAST NEW YORK — A young boy and his mother were struck by an SUV this morning in East New York. This morning, around 8:15 a.m., 7-year-old Payson Lott and his 39-year-old mother were struck

Announcements

Fears of Coronavirus Bring Business Down in Sunset Park Chinatown

Businesses on Sunset Park’s 8th Avenue are open and welcoming customers. Ana Lucia Murillo/Bklyner.SUNSET PARK — Sunset Park’s Chinatown’s main stretch along 8th Avenue in Brooklyn is typically bustling with shoppers and diners. But in the past month, local businesses say traffic has been slower than

Central Brooklyn

Crime Blotter: Robberies at Gunpoint, Stolen E-Bikes and Cellphones

CYPRESS HILLS — Police are looking for four people they suspect of being involved in a string of robberies over the past two weeks in Cypress Hills. Cops compiled surveillance footage from the vicinity of each incident into the video below. https://bklyner.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/bklyner/wp-content/uploads/2020/

News

Blotter: A Stabbed Pizza Deliveryman, A Stolen Bible, Park Slope-Carroll Gardens Burglar and more

Police have released additional footage of suspects in various recent robberies, and are looking for help from the public. PARK SLOPE/CARROLL GARDENS — Police are asking for help identifying a man who they suspect may have robbed at least six homes across Park Slope and Carroll Gardens this winter. Police

Central Brooklyn

Public Charge Rule Takes Effect Today, Some Helpful Info

By Zainab Iqbal/BklynerThe federal public charge rule takes effect today, February 24, 2020. The rule will make it harder for people who have used public benefits in the past to get their green cards going forward. “This rule I think is going to radically transform who gets to get

brownsville

Man Shot In Brownsville Friday Morning

BROWNSVILLE — On Friday, February 21, 2020, just after 10:00 a.m. police got a 911 call about a man shot in front of 183 Herzl Street. When they got to the location, police found a 38-year-old man unconscious and unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his torso. He was

Arts & Culture

“SalviYorkers”: The Story Of Salvadorans In New York City

The cover of “SalviYorkers” displays a photo of Geronima Campos, a Salvadoran woman who lived in New York. Courtesy of Carmen Molina-Tamacas.They’ve filled jobs in media [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7L0LhEd0GI] and construction [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/13/business/economy/salvadoran-immigrant-workers.html] , here in