Around Brooklyn: TV celebrity broker chosen to market Brooklyn Point

November 20, 2020 Editorial Staff

Shell Bank Creek in Gerritsen Beach. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

Share this:

TV celebrity broker chosen to market Brooklyn Point

Ryan Serhant, a celebrity real estate broker famous for his TV roles and marketing students, has been chosen by Extell Development to handle marketing and sales at the firm’s 458-unit Brooklyn Point. Gary Barnett, Extell’s founder and chairman, said he chose Serhant to lead the sales team because of the broker’s “tremendous following” on social media. The Brooklyn Point project, which has a 25-year tax abatement, is the first in the borough for Barnett, whose Extell development firm dates back to the early 1990s, according to The Real Deal.

New tea room has 20 types of tea

Brooklyn High Low, which recently opened on Vanderbilt Avenue, features a chandelier made of teacups, old champagne buckets holding plants, velvet lounge chairs and more eclectic décor. Diners can choose from more than 20 teas, from lavender earl grey blends to green tea jasmine. Brooklyn High Low also serves scones and an assortment of finger sandwiches such as cucumber and dill cream cheese; ham, Dijon and fig spread; egg salad; chicken curry and apple salad; smoked salmon and scallion cream cheese, according to Time Out New York.

Levin’s rent bill signed into law

City Councilmember Stephen Levin (D-Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Greenpoint, Vinegar Hill, Williamsburg) last week saw Mayor Bill de Blasio sign his legislation (Intro. 2080-A) increasing access to online rental assistance into law. The measure requires the Department of Social Services to provide clients online access to their CityFHEPS rental assistance application. This will help clients track their application status and serve as a way for New Yorkers to get help if they have questions about the application process.

Cornegy speaks out against gun violence

Councilmember Robert Cornegy (D-Bedford Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) recently joined with anti-violence advocates and neighborhood residents to speak out against gun violence in the wake of a shooting that left a 70-year-old senior injured in Bed-Stuy on Tuesday afternoon. “Today in our community we witnessed yet another horrific shooting, adding to painful gun violence that traumatizes, injures, and kills far too many. My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the victim of this crime,” he said.

Velazquez introduces sea level bill

Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-Brooklyn) has introduced a bill, entitled The National Sea Level Risk Analysis Act (H.R. 8750) to help coastal communities address present and future flooding risks and develop innovative and science-based solutions to combat the climate crisis. The bill would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to collect and centralize data on flood risks across the nation. By identifying flood risks, the database, entitled the National Coastal Data Information System, would help coastal communities prepare for future natural disasters. “Our city has already suffered the consequences of rising sea levels and flooding,” said Velázquez, “If we don’t take this threat seriously and implement bold climate solutions, it will only get worse.”

MTA to hold hearings on fares, tolls

The MTA announced that a virtual public hearing process, which begins the biennial review of fare and toll policy, will begin Tuesday, Dec. 1. At the MTA’s November board meeting, the agency outlined proposed fare and toll adjustments, which are options to be considered. All proposals will be reviewed by the MTA Board and are subject to extensive public input ahead of an expected final vote on fares in January and tolls in February. The MTA’s Financial Plan assumes fare/toll increases every other year that yield a 4 percent increase in revenue, the equivalent of 2 percent per year. Under the proposed options, revenue yields could increase by up to 4 percent for fares and up to 8 percent for tolls.

‘Grab and Go’ Thanksgiving in Red Hook

On Wednesday, Good Shepherd Services (GSS) adapted its annual Thanksgiving celebration to follow COVID-19 restrictions by hosting its first ever “Grab and Go Thanksgiving Community Celebration” to support the families of the Red Hook Beacon Community Center this holiday season. In addition to distributing nearly 100 meals, GSS provided attendees with gift cards donated by Food Bazar. This event, which marks the 29th annual Thanksgiving gathering GSS has held in Red Hook, was possible thanks to support from The Graham Company, SpringBoard and the P.S. 15 PTA.

Group attacks, stomps on victim in Brownsville

A group of at least 10 people attacked and stomped on a man in Brownsville, a video released by the NYPD shows. Police said the victim, a 38-year-old man, was attacked on Oct. 31 at 9:30 p.m. in front of 16 Stone Ave. The video shows people swarming around the victim, punching and kicking him. Police said the victim suffered a large laceration to the face. He was rushed to Brookdale Hospital in stable condition, according to CBS New York.

Prospect Heights building nears topping out

Construction is nearing the topping-out point at 18 Sixth Ave. in Prospect Heights, a 49-story residential skyscraper. The building, designed by Perkins Eastman and developed by the Brodsky Organization and Greenland Forest City Partners, is slated to contain 858 rental units, 258 of which will be devoted to affordable housing. The building will be the tallest building in the 22-acre Pacific Park overall development. The building sits directly to the east of Barclays Center, according to New York YIMBY. Recent photos show the glass curtain wall making substantial progress on the eastern side.

How Catholic schools are staying open

Superintendent of Catholic Schools of Brooklyn and Queens Dr. Thomas Chadzutko explained on the PIX11 Morning News the safety protocols schools in his diocese are taking to keep students and staff safe as New York City public schools have closed. First, he said, children who are coming in are screened and given temperature checks. The schools are “deep cleaned” and are cleaned on a daily basis. Teachers and principals continuously monitor all situations. All Brooklyn and Queens Catholic elementary schools and high schools are open, although those in Staten Island, which has been declared a yellow zone, are closed. Some parents are enrolling students in Catholic schools because public schools have gone all-remote.

Cop car hits woman waiting for bus

A 71-year-old woman was struck by a police vehicle in Brooklyn on Thursday morning while waiting for a bus. She was struck at Fountain and Wortman avenues around 9:30 a.m. and suffered minor injuries, and was later treated and released from Jamaica Hospital. The cops were responding to a domestic violence incident when they lost control of their vehicle and jumped the curb, police said. The incident is being reviewed by the NYPD, according to ABC News.

North Brooklyn group to deliver 400 meals

A North Brooklyn community organization, the North Brooklyn Angels, plans to bring 400 meals to people in need this Thanksgiving. The Angels plan to distribute the meals through a combination of deliveries to homebound seniors in Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Bushwick as well as grab-and-go service at the Brooklyn Expo Center in Greenpoint. In addition to the hot meals, during the week before Thanksgiving, the group plans to distribute 1,000 frozen turkeys to local families and more than 1,000 meals at its regular food distribution sites, according to published reports.

Driver slams into front porch

A hit-and-run driver slammed into a front porch on Friday morning on Rochester Avenue. Police say the incident happened around 2 a.m., and there were no reports of anyone being injured. The driver ran off soon afterward, and there may have been a passenger as well, according to CBS News.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.