Brooklyn Today December 12: Times Square Subway Bomber Is a Canarsie Resident
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THE LEDE: Happy Tuesday, Brooklyn! The Times Square subway bomber lives in Canarsie, the Brooklyn Bridge could be getting less crowded, and we share the strange story of ice baseball. Plus, Mario Batali is accused of sexual misconduct, Uber mistakenly charges a customer $18,518, and volcanoes could one day pose a problem for New England. (Yes, you read that correctly.) Finally, a 6-year-old boy makes $11 million, Saudi Arabia allows movie theaters to open this spring, and the Queen is concerned about her safety.
IMPRINT: David Bowie graces the latest cover of GQ Germany.
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The Rundown
~TIMES SQUARE SUBWAY BOMBER IS A CANARSIE RESIDENT: A man inspired by the Islamic State group set off a crude pipe bomb strapped to his body Monday in a crowded subway corridor near Times Square, injuring the man, slightly wounding three others and sending New York commuters fleeing in terror through the smoky passageway. Surveillance cameras captured the man walking casually through the crowded passage when the bomb went off at7:20 a.m. amid a plume of white smoke, which cleared to show the man sprawled on the ground and commuters scattering to get away. Investigators said it was not clear if he set the bomb off intentionally or prematurely. “This was an attempted terrorist attack,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. “Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals.” The suspect, who was identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, was being treated at a hospital for burns to his hands and abdomen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in the ears and headaches. The officials said the suspect lives in Canarsie and came to the U.S. from Bangladesh about seven years ago. (AP via Brooklyn Eagle)
~BROOKLYN BASEBALL BATTLED SPORT’S WINTER DRAUGHT: It used to be that once the trees began changing colors and the last baseballs of the season were thrown, players would strap on skates and head to frozen ponds in Brooklyn parks to play throughout the winter. Ice baseball came from Rochester to Brooklyn in 1861, attracting crowds of tens of thousands in places like Washington Park, Prospect Park, Union Pond in Williamsburg and Capitoline Pond in what is now Bed-Stuy. The rules of the game were practically the same, with a shorter five innings and a painted bright red, slightly softer ball. The first game in the city occurred on Feb. 4, 1861, where the Brooklyn Eagle was there to report 12,000 people in attendance. Eventually as fans and players began to tire of the cold temperatures and slippery conditions, the paper reflected their views, writing in 1865, “If any of the ball clubs want to make fools of themselves, let them go down to Coney Island and play a game on stilts.” The game’s history came to an end shortly before the turn of the century. (via 6sqft)
~PROPOSAL TO EASE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE TRAFFIC ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE: New Yorkers know the scene: a frantic cyclist’s bell getting louder as you dodge tourists taking selfies next to a vendor selling goods under the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge. A new proposal, however, now seeks to alleviate congestion on the bridge’s walkway and bike path. With the help of consulting firm, AECOM, the New York City Department of Transportation is considering creating a separate bike-only entrance to the bridge from Manhattan and has already begun drafting regulations to limit vendors. The proposal comes after an average of 32,453 pedestrians crossed the bridge in 2017, compared to the 14,145 people who traversed the overpass in 2011. Cyclist numbers also increased. “Before it was O.K., it was fun, you’d run into some interesting people,” Njeri Blair, who rides across the bridge multiple times a week, told The New York Times. “But now it’s just a mess. It’s not enough space. And the majority of people don’t even know there’s a bike lane.”(via NYT)
~GOWANUS BOASTS MOST NEW RENTAL CONCESSIONS: Concessions on new rentals in developing parts of Brooklyn continue to rise, and Gowanusholds the crown for the most in the borough. Firm, Miller Samuel found that developers and landlords often still use concessions to rope in renters inCrown Heights, Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Flatbush, Greenpoint, Prospect-Lefferts Garden, and Gowanus. Gowanus’ 65.22 percentage of new rentals with concessions in the third quarter was the highest number with Prospect-Lefferts Gardens in second at 26.19 percent. Scott Avram of the Lightstone Group attributes the high numbers to the two luxury projects at 363 Bond St. and 365 Bond St., which offer free rent for the first few months. But Miller Samuel’s CEO Jonathan Miller noted that many prospective renters would rather a lower base rent. “They’re going to have to rethink pricing,” Miller said, “because otherwise, when you build in higher concessions into your pro forma statement, you’re also taking on more liability in the sense that now you start having renters that, if the concessions were removed, don’t qualify for the apartment.” (via The Real Deal)
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Staff Picks:
LONG READ: “Inside Trump’s Hour-By-Hour Battle For Self-Preservation”(via NYT)
ANOTHER LONG READ: Another one bites the dust. Mario Batali steps away from the restaurant scene following sexual misconduct allegations.
YET ANOTHER LONG READ: A couple adopted a black baby, only to return it for a white child. The husband and wife reflect on their controversial decision. (via NYT)
TRAVEL: Uber mistakenly charges a customer $18,518 for a five-mile ride that lasted 21 minutes. (via The Comeback)
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NATIONAL BULLETIN: President Trump calls for the firing of Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel…Volcanoes could one day pose a problem for New England…And a 6-year-old boy makes $11 million in one year. (via NYT, USA Today and Business Insider)
FOREIGN FLASH: Israeli defense forces destroy a tunnel dug by Hamas between Gaza and Israel…The world’s most northern town in Norway is at risk of being vanishing…And Saudi Arabia allows movie theaters to open in March. (via NYT, USA Today and Deadline)
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ROYAL WATCH: The Queen is worried about her safety. (via Evening Standard)
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BROOKLYN TONIGHT
10:00AM – 7:00PM — Plein Air & More: Paintings by Paul Patous at Daphne Art Gallery. Details.
11:00PM – 6:00PM — Imaginarium at United Photo Industries. Details.
1:30PM — Fashion, Photography, and Early Hip-Hop Culture: A Conversation with Jamel Shabazz at Museum of Modern Art. Details.
2:00PM — Brooklyn Afternoons at the Brooklyn Museum. Details.
6:00PM – 8:00PM — The History of Scotch Whisky at Prospect Heights Brainery. Details.
7:00PM — Andy Goldsworthy: Projects at Museum of Jewish Heritage.Details.
7:00PM — Master Class: On Generating Material at Mark Morris Dance Center.Details.
7:00PM — NYRR Open Run at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Details.
7:00PM — The Brooklyn Nutcracker at Irondale Center. Details.
8:30PM — New Year’s Traditions at Brooklyn Brainery. Details.
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EAGLE SPORTS: “Nets don’t have a lot of time to figure out where new pieces fit” (via NYP)
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MILESTONES
Happy birthday to Tracy Ann Austin, Bob Barker, Mayim Bialik, Jennifer Connelly, Sheila E., Connie Francis, Robert Lindsay, Rey Mysterio Jr., Bob Pettit Jr., Cathy Rigby, Dionne Warwick and Tom Wilkinson!
Brooklyn Boro
View MoreNew York City’s most populous borough, Brooklyn, is home to nearly 2.6 million residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city it would be the fourth largest city in the United States. While Brooklyn has become the epitome of ‘cool and hip’ in recent years, for those that were born here, raised families here and improved communities over the years, Brooklyn has never been ‘uncool’.