Brooklyn Today : 7 Hospitals to Repay 200 Rape Survivors for Illegal Bills

The Lede

Happy Monday! Hospitals repay rape survivors, Shirley Chisholm is immortalized in Prospect Park, and we reminisce about the G train. Plus, Lyft invests $100 million in Citi Bike, an Afghan food stand is all the rage in Fort Greene, and we recommend the best hot chocolates in the borough. Finally, a new sign could soon be replacing the Watchtower emblem, and we share the best hot pot restaurants in the city.

Imprint

Actress Margot Robbie lounges in water on the most recent cover of Porter Magazine.

The Rundown

SEVEN HOSPITALS TO REPAY 200 RAPE SURVIVORS FOR ILLEGAL BILLS

More than a half dozen hospitals throughout the city are expected to refund rape survivors who were billed for their rape kits, prosecutors announced on Thursday. At least 200 sexual assault survivors were illegally sent bills from seven hospitals requesting payments from $46 to $3,000. The settlement is a part of the attorney general’s ongoing statewide investigation, which launched in 2017 after the Brooklyn Hospital Medical Center came under fire for billing a rape survivor several times for her forensic rape exam. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM STATUE TO BE CONSTRUCTED AT PROSPECT PARK, CITY ANNOUNCES

“If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” These powerful words came from former Brooklyn U.S. Rep. Shirley Anita Chisholm — and thanks to SheBuiltNYC, Chisholm’s presence is expected to forever stand at the entrance of Prospect Park in the form of a statue. In June, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen and First Lady Chirlane McCray announced a campaign to construct more monuments of historical women figures across the city. Currently, there are over 90 statutes across the five boroughs and only five are of women. Chisholm’s will be the first statue of a woman of color in Brooklyn. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

CITY SAYS LYFT PLANS TO INVEST $100 MILLION IN CITI BIKE EXPANSION

New York City has reached an agreement with Lyft, the new owner of Citi Bike’s parent company, to “dramatically expand” the Citi Bike bike-share program. Under the agreement, Lyft will invest $100 million to improve the system and double its service area, the Mayor’s Office announced Thursday. Still, don’t expect an immediate expansion to far-flung areas of the city like Coney Island and Flatlands. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

OPINION: WHEN THE G TRAIN WAS REALLY A BROOKLYN-QUEENS LOCAL

The G train, which recently gained more prominence in anticipation of next year’s L-train shutdown, is often thought of as the quintessential Brooklyn train. It unites trendy, avant-garde Brooklyn neighborhoods like Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Bed-Stuy with established, brownstone borough neighborhoods like Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Park Slope. Nineteen of its 21 stops are in Brooklyn, and the other two in Queens. In a 2016 New York Times article, Williamsburg copywriter Cory Tallman said, “Pride isn’t the best word, but there is something to be said about, ‘It’s the Brooklyn train.’” (via Brooklyn Eagle)

QUEENS MAN FINDS NICHE WITH AFGHAN FOOD STAND AT SMORGASBURG

First-generation Afghan-American Mohibullah Rahmati, who was born in Queens, and still lives there, has found a niche in the city’s food truck world – selling traditional Afghan food. Working from a former mail truck in Manhattan, and from a stand at Smorgasburg in Fort Greene, Rahmati’s specialty is mantu, a type of beef dumpling. The New York Times says the dumplings are served with “garlicky yogurt, oddly punchy and soothing at once, and a rubble of split peas in a rich korma of tomato paste and onions caramelized to a near burn.” (NYT via Brooklyn Eagle)

HERE ARE BROOKLYN’S TOP 5 HOT CHOCOLATES

Many people think of hot chocolate as something made with a powder bought in the supermarket. If you’re a hot chocolate aficionado, however, you’ll head for cafes that are especially known for the sweet treat. Recently, Bklyner profiled five hot chocolate emporiums in North Brooklyn. They include Davey’s Ice Cream, Toby’s Estate, Cacao Market, Cafe Grumpy and Mast Brothers. (Bklyner via Brooklyn Eagle)