Billy Richling is a staff reporter for Bklyner, covering politics, real estate and everything else. He lives in Flatbush, and previously worked for the Times Square Alliance.
News
Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray attend the funeral of NYPD Officer Anastasios Tsakos at the Saint Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church in Greenlawn, NY on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. NYPD Officer Anastasios Tsakos, struck and killed in the line of duty last week in Queens. Michael Appleton/
Greenpoint
Meeker Avenue (Image: Google Maps)The city’s Department of Transportation unveiled plans for a revamp of Meeker Avenue in north Brooklyn last night, including a new two-way bicycle and pedestrian path, dedicated left-turn signals, and other safety improvements. At a virtual meeting [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxbEKkzmKLI]
Election 2021
The district office of recently-expelled Council Member Chaim Deutsch. (Image: Google Maps)The staff of expelled Council Member Chaim Deutsch will be removed from their posts in July, raising concerns that southern Brooklyn constituents may lose needed access to city services. Deutsch, who represented Sheepshead Bay, Brighton Beach and portions
Central Brooklyn
The first formal poll of the Brooklyn Borough President’s race shows Council Members Antonio Reynoso and Robert Cornegy Jr. on top in a tight race where several candidates polled within the margin of error and half of surveyed voters remain undecided. The poll [https://www.studentsfirstny.org/sfnycharter_poll]
Education
The building that houses Urban Dove Charter School in 2019. (Image: Liena Zagare/Bklyner)A 17-year-old student was fatally shot at Midwood’s Urban Dove Charter School [https://urbandove.org/schools/brooklyn] on Thursday afternoon. Police say Devonte Lewis from Canarsie was leaving the school, which is housed at the
Coney Island
A bitter political rivalry between two Coney Island elected officials is making waves in the neighborhood’s City Council contest. On Friday, Council Member Mark Treyger accused Assembly Member Mathylde Frontus’ political club of having repeatedly “smeared” him and a staffer running to replace him. Frontus’ club, meanwhile, says Treyger’
Navy Yards
Lime’s moped showcased at a Brooklyn Navy Yard press event on Friday, April 30th. (Image: Billy Richling)The micromobility company Lime [https://www.li.me/] has launched an electric moped service in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan, adding another two-wheeled transportation option to city streets. Lime rolled out a fleet
News
The Brooklyn Bridge connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan (Image: Tom Coe/Unsplash) As the coronavirus swept across the country last year, stories abounded of New Yorkers fleeing the cramped city en masse [https://nypost.com/2020/12/15/nycs-mass-covid-19-exodus-reportedly-cost-34b-in-income/] for more spacious climes, especially from the wealthy parts of Manhattan [https:
Election 2021
Council Member Antonio Reynoso has picked up an endorsement from Queens State Senator John Liu in his push to become the next Brooklyn Borough President. Liu represents a district that includes neighborhoods like Flushing and Whitestone that are far from Brooklyn. But the backing of the Senator, who was born
Borough Park
Andrew Yang. (Image: Campaign)The heads of several major Hasidic sects in Borough Park jointly endorsed Andrew Yang for mayor yesterday, almost certainly guaranteeing the candidate several thousand votes from the neighborhood. The endorsement ran as an ad [https://hamodia.com/2021/04/28/yang-endorsed-coalition-borough-park-hasidic-activists/] in Yiddish-language newspapers on Wednesday,
Animals
Doris the tortoise.Doris the tortoise is on the loose. A pet African leopard tortoise named Doris has escaped from her family home in Bay Ridge; the creature, which has been owned by neighborhood resident Laura Torres for 22 years, was last seen on 94th Street near Ridge Boulevard. Doris
News
Chaim Deutsch. (Photo: Zainab Iqbal/Bklyner)Southern Brooklyn Council Member Chaim Deutsch has been expelled from the City Council, days after he pleaded guilty to federal tax fraud charges [/brooklyn-council-member-chaim-deutsch-pleads-guilty-to-tax-fraud/]. In a statement [https://twitter.com/NYCSpeakerCoJo/status/1387188575620448261] released Tuesday evening, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson cited the state’