Bklyner’s Top 10 Stories of 2019
This year we’ve seen it all: from Jewish Delis run by Muslims to new community programs, from new developments to horrific crimes. These are the top 10 stories you cared about most in 2019:
10. Legendary L&B Spumoni Gardens Announces New Location in DUMBO
The beloved Italian eatery in Bensonhurst announced this summer the opening of a second location after 80 years of business.
9. Shooting Threat At Bay Academy Junior High, 11-Year-Old In Custody
An Instagram post announcing a shooting threat with the caption, “Can’t wait for tomorrow shooting. Bay Academy kids watch out,” sent local parents into a panic. They weren’t notified until after they dropped off their kids.
8. Woodland’s Liquor License Suspended
“Drunken, belligerent patrons” disrupting local businesses resulted in an Emergency Order of Suspension back in June. More than 200 calls were made to the 78th precinct with complaints about the venue’s customers.
7. A Pastrami Better Than Katz’s? David’s Brisket House Owner Opens Pastrami Masters
In an unlikely change of hands, a Jewish Deli fell into the ownership of Muslims. After successfully running David’s Brisket House and Deli in Bed-Stuy, one of the owners, Fuad Hassan, ventured out to open his own pastrami shop in East Williamsburg in the former Lebanese joint, Wafa’s Express.
6. Muslim Community Patrol & Services Is Here To Stay
As hate crimes increased in the past years, community members took safety into their own hands. Muslims in Sunset Park formed a new community patrol to serve both Muslim and non-Muslim people in light of anti-muslim sentiments, modeled on the controversial Shomrim private security force that patrols the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn. It is the first security force that welcomes believers from any ethnic background.
5. Sheepshead Bay Is Not the Next High-Rise Hipster Haven
Developers tried to make Sheepshead Bay the “next neighborhood” for young professionals to flock to, however, new high rises sit empty, while the neighborhood begs for better infrastructure.
4. Serious Injuries For School Aide In Cunningham Middle School Lunch Incident
A school aide suffered more than one incident working at Cunningham middle school. In March, Maria Ivaliotis, was in the cafeteria during the 4th-period lunch, when an incident between two of about 500 students attempting to eat, resulted in Ivaliotis being knocked to the ground. She suffered a head injury that has landed her in the intensive care unit.
3. ‘Drive And Shut Your Mouth, N*****,’ Man Says To MTA Driver Before Spitting On Him
A white man on a B68 bus got upset at the MTA driver for asking him to pay his fare. He proceeded to shout the n-word and then spit at the bus driver.
2. Lincoln High School Students Terrorize Businesses and Residents on Brighton Beach Block
Massive groups of students wreak chaos and intimidate the residents and storekeepers on one Neptune Avenue block between Ocean Parkway and Brighton 3rd Street. The teens block entryways, dance on Dunkin’ Donuts tables, play dice games, and harass residents and store owners to the point commerce is interrupted and residents say it has become unsafe to leave their apartments.
1. FBI Arrests Doctor Who Had Sex with 14-Year-Old Boy
Dr. Aaron Weinreb, the director of gynecology and a practicing gynecologist at the NY Community Hospital, was arrested for having sex with a 14-year-old boy. The FBI cracked down on the doctor through a series of text messages, where the doctor explicitly spoke about his desires and intentions.