Brooklyn Today November 30: Rare, Polio-Like Disease Hits Two Kids in NYC

The Lede

Happy Friday! A strange disease hits New York City, a historic Sheepshead Bay church is destroyed by a fire, and we take a stroll down Marcy Avenue. Plus, the Prospect Park rapist is arrested, we go inside a special holiday workshop, and commercial rents are up in many Brooklyn shopping districts. Finally, a restaurateur ends his no-tipping policy, we recommend the best old-school Italian restaurants in the city, and a food and beer festival is coming to Sunset Park.

Imprint

Actress Emily Blunt poses with a dozen dogs on the January cover of Harper’s Bazaar UK.

The Rundown

RARE, POLIO-LIKE DISEASE HITS TWO KIDS IN NYC

Children with paralyzed arms or legs, muscle weakness or slurred speech: A rare disease that resembles polio and affects mostly kids has spread to New York City, the CDC confirmed. Two cases of Acute Flaccid Myelitis are the first to be identified in the city. In addition, CDC confirmed six cases in New Jersey. CDC is investigating hundreds of cases across 31 states and DC, with 116 confirmed as of this week. The number of reports has been growing since 2014, when it first hit CDC’s radar. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

HISTORIC SHEEPSHEAD BAY CHURCH GUTTED BY EARLY MORNING BLAZE

An early morning fire destroyed a historic Sheepshead Bay church — the second time in 11 years that the building has gone up in flames. First responders said that although the massive blaze went to three alarms almost immediately, no injuries were reported. “My kids were confirmed here, my grandchildren were baptized here, my brother was the organist — it’s been a big part of my life and now it’s gone,” Lorraine Howard said. “We were just here last weekend with my two granddaughters, cleaning and getting it ready for the holidays. It has so many memories and now it’s gone. Where will we go to church now?” (via Brooklyn Eagle)

TAKE A STROLL ON MARCY AVENUE, PART TWO

A Montrose Morris mansion and a NYCHA project where Jay-Z grew up. You can find both on Marcy Avenue. This historic road runs through the heart of Bed-Stuy and zigs and zags through the south end of Williamsburg. It was named after 19th-century politician William Learned Marcy, according to Leonard Benardo and Jennifer Weiss’ book “Brooklyn by Name.” Marcy was a U.S. Senator from New York, the state’s Governor and the U.S. Secretary of State under Franklin Pierce. Marcy Avenue is an excellent route for an autumn walk. We’ve split our story into two sections. This is Part Two. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

QUEENS MAN ARRESTED FOR RAPE NEAR PROSPECT PARK

A Queens man was arrested on Wednesday for sexually assaulting and choking a woman nearby Prospect Park. Mowngly Lucas — who was released on his own recognizance by Brooklyn Criminal Court Judge Claudia Daniels-DePeyster for a June robbery case — allegedly attacked a 59-year-old woman from behind and put her in a chokehold near Parade Place and Parkside Avenue. Police charged Lucas with two counts of rape, robbery, strangulation, burglary, sexual abuse and unlawful imprisonment. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

BROOKLYN’S OWN ‘GEPPETTO’ CREATES HOLIDAY MAGIC

Camouflaged within the industrial streets of East Flatbush stands a workshop where Lou Nasti, engineer of the holidays, creates Christmas fairy tales. A troupe of synthetic mythical creatures, an elephant and two old skeletons, guard the main entrance. The interior of the 15,000-square-foot factory looks like any other workshop: carpentry and machinery areas are displayed along with rooms for painting, costume and set-up. But, down a blue-lit entranceway vitalized by harp-melodies and behind a door that reads “Welcome to my world,” there lies a very special kind of workshop. (via Brooklyn Eagle)

COMMERCIAL RENTS UP IN MANY BROOKLYN SHOPPING DISTRICTS

Brooklyn has become a healthy market for retail stores, with average asking rents on ground-floor spaces up in seven of 16 shopping districts. Commercial rents have been rising where more apartments are being built. However, asking rents are dropping in older neighborhoods where rents had risen during the past decade. One of the most active shopping districts was North Fourth Street in Williamsburg, where retail rents rose 34 percent. Along North Sixth Street, rents went up 8 percent. However, rents fell 11 percent, to $351 per square foot, on Bedford Avenue between Grand and North Eighth streets. (New York Post via Brooklyn Eagle)

BROOKLYN RESTAURANT OWNER TO END NO-TIPPING POLICY

Restaurateur Andrew Tarlow, owner of Brooklyn dining spots Roman’s, Diner, and Marlow & Sons, will end his no-tipping policy on Dec. 17. Tarlow’s original decision to forego tipping was part of the “anti-gratuity movement,” meant to close the pay gap between employees who can accept tips, like waiters, and those who can’t, like cooks. Tarlow said he had to raise the price of many dishes in order to pay employees higher hourly wages. “It’s become impossible to ignore that removing tips has created new challenges that we are unable to solve, chiefly that prices have hit a peak that the market cannot bear,” he said. (Eater via Brooklyn Eagle)

BROOKLYN FOOD AND BEER FESTIVAL TO OFFER BEST FROM THE BOROUGH

Brooklynites looking for a sampling of the best food and beer the borough has to offer will be heading to the Dime Best of Brooklyn Food and Beer Festival at Industry City in Sunset Park on Jan. 26. The festival will feature three different two-hour tasting sessions. Among the breweries being represented are Brooklyn Brewery, Sixpoint Brewery, Coney Island Brewing and Braven Brewing Company. Participating restaurants include Table 187 Coal Oven Pizza, Empanada Papa, Oaxaca Taqueria, Moe’s Flavors, Mozzarepas, Clean Meals Brooklyn and Little Chef Little Kitchen. (Brooklyn Daily via Brooklyn Eagle)