Bklyner - Bklyner

Rogue Brooklyn Building Demolition Stirs Furor and Questions About City Oversight

For years, Hadley and a group of concerned neighbors have complained to city agencies and local politicians about what they asserted were unauthorized demolition, unsafe conditions and trash dumping at the site and a property next door at 1931 Bedford Ave, writes Gabriel Sandoval from THE CITY.

Transportation

Subway Trips Canceled Over Staff Shortages Soar to a Pandemic High

The MTA has turned to overtime to fill some staffing gaps, while riders receive apologetic messages saying, “We’re running as much service as we can with the train crews we have available,” writes THE CITY's Jose Martinez.

Politics

NYC’s $100 Billion Budget Deal May Leave Whopping Deficits for New Mayor, Critics Say

Budget experts, comptrollers and advocates for a range of causes assailed the plan as unsustainable. The next mayor will face billions in budget deficits, writes THE CITY's Greg David.

Education

NYC to pay for summer school taxis for homeless students and those with disabilities after facing criticism from advocates

The announcement comes one week before the summer program is set to launch for most students, writes Chalkbeat's Alex Zimmerman

elections 2021

BOE Woe: City Election Officials Have History of Mess-Ups

A throwback to the days when political parties had total control of New York City’s government, the BOE has again and again dropped the ball at exactly the wrong time, writes THE CITY's Greg Smith.

COVID-19

Opinion: Why We Need Emergency Rental Assistance Program

"We live in a delicate housing ecosystem where one person’s rent payment is another person’s income, which becomes a mortgage payment, a water bill payment, and a property tax payment - it's all connected," explains Sen. Gounardes.

Letter To The Editor

Why do working class neighborhoods face relentless increases in property taxes, while landlords in upscale, politically connected neighborhoods pay far less?

A reader wonders why the property taxes on their Bensonhurst three family are more than Mayor de Blasio pays on his two Park Slope properties combined.

Education

‘It was a roller coaster’: A job running a Brooklyn after-school program transformed into triage during the pandemic

Schools like P.S. 89 have long served as safety nets for parents and students by forging strong bonds with community organizations. But those needs took on a new urgency during the pandemic.

Health

Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center Stops Admitting Patients as Delayed Shutdown Proceeds

The phased shutdown of a hospital serving eastern Brooklyn hit a turning point Wednesday: It marked the first day in more than 90 years that Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center didn’t admit patients to beds.

Education

‘Una gran familia’: How WhatsApp helped a small Brooklyn school remain a big family in the face of isolation and grief

By Christina Veiga, Chalkbeat New York The messages pinged at all hours, pleas from parents frantically trying to keep up with remote learning as the coronavirus pandemic took hold of New York City. A password for Zoom lessons. The third grade class schedule. Trouble logging into an email account. Each

Election 2021

OPINION: For Brooklyn to Come Back, Everyone Must Share in Economic Prosperity

Industry City was a terrible missed opportunity and a mistake we cannot make again. It is easier to destroy than to build - but we won’t bring Brooklyn back by refusing to negotiate new development, argues Robert Cornegy, currently running for Brooklyn Borough President in the upcoming election.

Real Estate

Battle Over Rent Hikes Turns to Who’s Suffered More: Tenants or Landlords?

The Rent Guidelines Board is slated this month to announce its final decision on rent increases for leases beginning in October or later after establishing a range of 0% to 2% for one-year leases.

Election 2021

Who’s the NYC Business Community’s Choice for Mayor?

Business leaders have divided the Democratic candidates for mayor into those they believe embrace business — and those who do not, writes THE CITY's Greg David.

COVID-19

Southern Brooklyn’s Ongoing COVID Suffering Shows Toll of Disinformation and Disconnection

In a city celebrating a vaccine-powered decline in COVID cases, the southern shore of Brooklyn stands out as a landscape of extended suffering and loss.

A New Vision For The BQE

Opinion: The BQE is in a State of Total Crisis — and So are the Local Residents Who, Literally, Need a Breath of Fresh Air

By April Somboun, Candidate for City Council in District 33. We cannot ignore the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) any longer — and we can’t allow the same old elected officials and other special interest groups to dictate what happens in District 33’s backyard. Without question the BQE is in

Education

Opinion: Why Reducing Class Size Is So Fundamental, Especially Right Now

By Gilly Nadel, parent and teacher. Everyone knows New York City public school students deserve better — but what does better mean? I have taught in public and charter schools in Crown Heights, DUMBO, and Bedford-Stuyvesant, and my son has attended Brooklyn public schools his whole life. As both a teacher

Health

Opinions: To Be Resilient, We Need Kingsbrook Hospital

It's good to see New Yorkers encouraged to think about climate resilience for our coastline. But I hope people will think beyond the immediate waterfront. Right now, policymakers in Brooklyn are on the verge of allowing a step that will endanger lives in the case of future floods and extreme

Real Estate

Rent Relief Applications Open in New York June 1: What Tenants and Landlords Need to Know

By Allison Dikanovic, THE CITY. This article was originally published by THE CITY “Cancel Rent” poster inside the advertising frame of a phone booth in Two Bridges on Friday, May 29, 2020. | Hiram Alejandro Durán/THE CITYThis article is adapted from the Rent Update newsletter that focuses on the issues

Education

Opinion: The City’s Engine of Economic Mobility Needs a Kickstart

Brooklyn College. (Photo: Zainab Iqbal/Bklyner)By Council Member Inez Barron, Chair of Committee on Higher Education and Council Member I. Daneek Miller, Chair of Committee on Civil Service and Labor Last Friday, hundreds of Professional Staff Congress (PSC) members from the City University of New York (CUNY) and their

Election 2021

Opinion: It’s Time To Invest In Parks

(Image: Prospect Park Alliance)By Rita Joseph, a teacher running to represent District 40 There are over 1,700 public parks and green spaces in New York City, and they have never been more important than during the COVID pandemic. With much of the city locked down, our parks provided

Business

Brooklyn Restaurant Renaissance is Cooking, Poised to Overtake Manhattan as City’s Food Capital

Kim Meyer waits for customers in her new Cobble Hill restaurant, Kimpanadas. | Hiram Alejandro Durán/THE CITYBy Ann Choi, THE CITY. This article was originally published by THE CITY City restaurants reopened to 100% capacity on May 19, lifting owners’ hopes of a full plate of business — including those bravely

Borough Park

Jewish Neighbors Harassed Outside Temple During Sabbath

This past Saturday, May 22, 2021, at approximately 7:00 pm, a blue Toyota Camry pulled up in front of 4911 16 Avenue (Agudath Israel of Sixteenth Avenue) in Borough Park.According to reports to police, the three men in the car began to yell anti-Jewish statements at four men

COVID-19

Opinion: I’m A Teacher and I Think It’s Time to Reopen the Schools

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter at Phyl’s Academy in Brooklyn on March 23, 2021. (Image: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)By Briget Rein, current UFT employee and a candidate for New York City Council District 39. Throughout this pandemic, I have put my faith in

Election 2021

Opinion: Toba Potosky is the Right Person for Council District 33

Former NY State Senator Velmanette Montgomery (left) with Toba Potosky (right). Courtesy of Sen. Montgomery.By Former NY State Senator Velmanette Montgomery I represented the constituents of the 25th District in the New York State Senate for many years. I served as a teacher and daycare director prior to

environment

Opinion: Pass the Climate and Community Investment Act

Brooklyn Shorefront. Liena Zagare/BklynerBy Senator Andrew Gounardes and the Bay Ridge Environmental Group It’s long past time for bold climate action in New York State. Strong action on climate change will protect southern Brooklyn from natural disasters and rising seas, but also deliver direct benefits to many southern