Tag: Brooklyn

Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner outline security measures for J’Ouvert and West Indian American Day Parade • Brooklyn Paper

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Caribbean Americans celebrated their culture as they paraded up Eastern Parkway at the West Indian Day Parade. File Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

At a press conference at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch outlined the NYPD’s security measures for one of the city’s largest annual events, J’Ouvert and the West Indian American Day Parade on Aug. 29.

Mayor Eric Adams held a security briefing ahead of J’Ouvert and the West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

The vibrant traditions draw hundreds of thousands of spectators every year. While Adams and Tisch announced that, at this time, there were no known specific, credible threats to the J’Ouvert Festival or the West Indian American Day Parade, both emphasized that thousands of NYPD officers would be out in full force to ensure “safe, secure, and peaceful celebrations.”

“There is nothing like Carnival,” Adams said. “We’re excited about the music, the energy, the fashion, and fun that is associated with it. And this community knows how to throw on a great party, and we want to make sure that everyone can enjoy it in a very safe way.”

“This will be the largest police deployment of the year, even bigger than our deployments for New Year’s Eve in Times Square, even bigger than our deployments for July 4,” Tisch noted.

NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch shared the security and safety measures the NYPD put in place for J’Ouvert and the West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Spectator access to J’Ouvert, the pre-dawn celebration marking the start of Carnival, will begin at 2 a.m. — four hours before the event kicks off at 6 a.m.

Tisch announced that there will be 13 security checkpoints along Empire Boulevard and Nostrand Avenue, where all spectators will be screened with handheld metal detectors by NYPD personnel before entering the viewing areas. Street closures in the area will begin at 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31, and will remain in effect until 11 a.m. on Monday.

Flatbush Avenue will be closed from Grand Army Plaza to Empire Boulevard. Empire will be closed from Flatbush across to Nostrand; Nostrand Avenue will be closed from Empire Boulevard down to Rutland Road.

Some of the security measures for the West Indian American Day Parade, which kicks off at 11 a.m. at Rochester Avenue and Eastern Parkway, include the NYPD’s Emergency Services, Counterterrorism, Bomb Squad, canine units, and field intelligence officers. Additionally, helicopters and drones will surveil the parade route, assisting NYPD officers on the ground. The Joint Operations Center will monitor fixed and mobile cameras along the route and surrounding areas, while intelligence teams will monitor social media for potential threats.

“Response units will be deployed to investigate any reports in real time,” Tisch said. “As always, there will be assets that you will see and others that you will not see. While cops will be out there to keep you safe, we ask everyone to stay alert. If you see something suspicious or something doesn’t feel right, tell a uniformed officer or call 911.”

Past celebrations, however, have been marred by violence. Last year, a gunman opened fire along the parade route, killing one person and wounding four others.

Tisch announced that this year, the NYPD will install two rows of barricades, as opposed to just one, along the parade route.

“Spectators may not jump barricades to join performers or marchers, and any unauthorized individuals on the route will be removed and may be subject to arrest,” Tisch warned.

The commissioner also urged spectators to use public transportation due to street closures, which will begin at 6 a.m. when Eastern Parkway will be shut down between Ralph Avenue and Utica Avenue, as well as the surrounding side streets. Rockaway Parkway, Buffalo Avenue, East New York Avenue, Portal Street, Rochester Avenue, and Union Street will also be closed. At approximately 10:30 a.m., Eastern Parkway will be fully closed from Utica down to Grand Army Plaza. All northbound and southbound streets feeding into the Parkway will also be closed.

Tisch and Adams further announced the deployment of 2,500 police officers to keep New Yorkers safe over the Labor Day weekend.

Building on the mayor’s effort to take guns off New York City streets and combat gang violence, the NYPD has identified parks where gang violence occurs.

“Those parks will have 24/7 police presence,” Tisch announced. “2,500 uniformed members of service who are going to be walking foot posts, both on our streets and importantly, in our parks.”

When asked about the mayor’s announcement to deploy 1,000 additional NYPD officers to patrol the Bronx, Adams wouldn’t provide any details on which areas of the Bronx the officers would be policing.

Mayor Eric Adams held a security briefing ahead of J’Ouvert and the West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

“If we tell you where they’re located, then the bad guys will know where [the cops] are located. That’s the purpose of not broadcasting exactly how we’re going to implement our enforcement,” Adams said. “They’re going to be doing foot patrol. They’re going to be on the ground, interacting with the public, addressing quality of life issues, making sure our parks are safe.”

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By Gabriele Holtermann

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August 29, 2025
Courtyard Gardens in New York City: Our Favorite Backyards in Manhattan and Brooklyn

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This week, we’re revisiting some of our all-time favorite stories about gardening in New York City. Cultivating plants in the Big Apple comes with challenges—yards tend to be small and shady, and privacy is rare—but if you have the patience, these urban gardens can produce some big-time magic. Behold…

Courtyard gardens, enclosed on all sides by walls or fences, can transform a cramped space into an oasis. They preserve privacy while welcoming sunlight. And they can make even the smallest townhouse feel larger. We’ve collected 10 of our favorites from New York City, the unofficial epicenter for courtyard gardens.

Boxwood + Brick in Upper East Side

Above: Columnar boxwoods and brick walls lend this Upper East Side garden, designed by Lili Herrera, an elegant and somewhat formal look. Photograph courtesy of Fawn Galli, from True Blue: A Jolt of Color Enlivens a Manhattan Townhouse Garden.

Balcony Views in Flatbush

Above: When garden designer Brook Klausing first saw his clients’ townhouse backyard in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood, it looked bleak: a chain-link fence, an old concrete patio, and a patch of hard-packed dirt. No more. Photograph courtesy of Brook Landscape, from Garden Designer Visit: Brook Klausing Elevates a Brooklyn Backyard.

Sustainable Design in Bed-Stuy

Above: Lauren Snyder and Keith Burns’s Brooklyn townhouse has a rainwater reclamation system (on the roof), a compost tumbler, and permeable hardscaping. Photograph by Jonathan Hokklo, from Sustainable Solutions: A Modern Garden for a Historic Townhouse in Brooklyn.

A Bamboo Grove in Greenwich Village

Above: An airy hedge of bamboo provides screening at the garden’s perimeter while a pared-down palette of green and white focuses the eye on the center of the space. “The white limestone is like a canvas. When the sun is directly overhead, you can see the shadows of the bamboo and other plants starkly against it,” says designer Julie Farris. Photograph by Matthew Williams, from Before & After: From ‘Fishbowl’ Townhouse Garden to Private Oasis.

Wisteria + Steel in Upper West Side

Above: “We essentially built the garden around the wisteria,”says Devin O’Neill (O’Neill Rose Architects), of the tree on the left. It’s the only plant they kept from the original backyard. The walls are made from sheets of corten steel, the same type of metal favored by artist Richard Serra. Photograph by Michael Moran, from A New York Story: The Stunning Revival of a Landmarked Townhouse with an Intriguing History.

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August 28, 2025
The Case of the Poison Cheesecake

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Viktoria Nasyrova is accused of using cheesecake as a murder weapon. Her motive was to steal the identity of Olga, who looks a lot like her. “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant reports.

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August 27, 2025
Rental Garden Makeovers: 10 Best Budget Ideas for an Outdoor Space – Gardenista

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This week, we’re revisiting some of our all-time favorite stories about gardening in New York City. Cultivating plants in the Big Apple comes with challenges—yards tend to be small and shady, and privacy is rare—but if you have the patience, these urban gardens can produce some big-time magic. Behold…

Most renters, especially if they’re not planning a long stay, prefer not to spend too much time or money fixing up someone else’s property. But what if they still want a nice outdoor space? We asked Brooklyn-based garden designer Brook Klausing for recommendations for finessing a space that you don’t own. Not only has he done it for clients of his company, Brook Landscape, he also has plenty of personal experience, having fixed up several rental gardens for himself.

To start, Brook suggests, figure out what your goal is and how much time you’re willing to commit. Maybe you only have a year’s lease, and just want a weekend project. Or maybe you plan to be there a few years, and you’d love to spend the summer playing in the garden because you enjoy the process. Either way, don’t get overly enthusiastic and embark on something you won’t finish. Assess your own ambition and organize a project that’s right for you.

His other directive: Go big. “Don’t get distracted at the nursery and pick up a lot of random small things just because they’re cute,” he advises. Better to start with strong moves to organize the space.

Read on for 10 more rental garden tips from Brook:

Photography courtesy of Brook Klausing except where noted.

1. Accentuate the positive.

Above: Take note of what’s great about the space and find a way to accentuate it. With judicious editing, Brook created focal points in a backyard garden.

“If there’s a great view or a tree you’re really into (even if it’s in your neighbor’s yard), clear out any weeds or shrubs that are in the way and position your seating and enhancements to maximize the sight lines.” By the same token, identify what you don’t love in the space and remove or, if that’s not possible, downplay the distraction. (See below for suggestions on dealing with ugly walls and fences.)

2. Prune boldly.

Above: A smoke bush (at L) is a visual focal point in a backyard garden designed by Brook Landscapes.

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August 26, 2025
Tiny Gardens: 66 Square Feet for Alpine Strawberries in NYC – Gardenista

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This week, we’re revisiting some of our all-time favorite stories about gardening in New York City. Cultivating plants in the Big Apple comes with challenges—yards tend to be small and shady, and privacy is rare—but if you have the patience, these urban gardens can produce some big-time magic. Behold…

October…strawberries? That would have surprised me, too, before I grew them myself on a tiny terrace in New York City.

Several years ago I bought two strawberry plants at GRDN, a pretty garden shop in Brooklyn. The cultivar name was Fern, and, said the label, these were “everbearing” strawberries. That sounded good. Standard strawberries will bear fruit in early summer only. But as a gardener with space issues, I ask a lot from a single plant. More is more.

I had never grown strawberries before and it sounded hard. Talk of mounding, and rows, and straw, and runners, and renovating…? All I had was some small pots, a lot of sun, a small terrace, and the desire to grow my own. Turns out that’s all you need to enjoy fresh berries till hard frost.

I put the plants in full sun on my terrace edge, and a month later I was eating the first ripe fruit. Soon, the plants made new flowers, and about four weeks later, more strawberries. And so it went, till the pots froze and snow fell. And they returned in the spring, with no extra protection. They weren’t kidding about the everbearing.

Soon I was picking handfuls. And in high summer the plants sent out runners—long, tender feelers with a tuft of leaves at the tip, searching for new land to occupy. Wherever they touched down they set down roots. I dug them up and potted these offspring in even smaller 6-inch pots.

Within a year I had a small strawberry farm, blooming into November. Eventually the reproduction by runners got so out of hand that I was sending the extras to friends, by mail. The parent plants do get tired after a few years, but by then their offspring have risen to the challenge. Life lesson?

Read on for step-by-step instructions to make a strawberry shrub cocktail called the Ingrid Bergman:

Photography by Marie Viljoen for Gardenista.

Above: Is there a more appealing summer arrangement?

Above: My 66-square-foot terrace.

Above: Because of space constraints, I housed the strawberries in terra-cotta pots no more than 8 inches in diameter.

Above: Sweet harvest.

Above: The Fern strawberry plants bloomed into November.

Above: When we moved from a sunny top floor in Brooklyn to a shadier parlor-level Harlem with just four hours of direct sun, Fern languished. I sent the sulking survivors to sunnier gardens. But the surprise performer was the other strawberry I had been growing all this time, an Alpine cultivar called Ruegen.

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August 25, 2025
Group of six beat man with iron stick, steal $800 in Brooklyn robbery: NYPD | amNewYork

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Surveillance images released by the NYPD on Aug. 21 show three of six suspects wanted in connection with the July 4 robbery in Brooklyn

Photo by NYPD/Crimestoppers

Six people are wanted in connection with a robbery last month in Brooklyn in which a 50-year-old man was beaten with an iron stick and had about $800 stolen, the NYPD said Thursday.

The incident occurred on Friday, July 4, at approximately 4:30 a.m. in front of 827 59th Street, a residential building on the border of Borough Park and Sunset Park.

Officers from the 66th Precinct allege that the suspects struck the victim multiple times with an iron stick, causing pain and swelling, and took his wallet containing about $800.

EMS transported the 50-year-old to Maimonides Medical Center in stable condition after the violent robbery.

The six suspects were last seen fleeing in a dark-colored Mercedes-Benz SUV westbound on 59th Street toward 8th Avenue, according to authorities.

Police released surveillance images of the group on Thursday, Aug. 21, and are asking the public for help identifying them.

The first suspect is a light-complexioned male last seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black slippers with white socks, and carrying a black backpack. The second is a light-complexioned male with black hair, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, and black sneakers.

Surveillance images released by the NYPD on Aug. 21 show the other three suspects wanted in connection with the July 4 robberyPhoto by NYPD/Crimestoppers

The third suspect is a light-complexioned female, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts, and white sneakers. The fourth is a light-complexioned male, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts, and white sneakers.

The fifth suspect is a light-complexioned male with a heavy build who wears glasses. He was last seen wearing a black shirt over a gray t-shirt, black shorts, and white sneakers. The sixth is a light-complexioned male, last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, and white sneakers.

The 66th Precinct, covering Borough Park and Kensington has recorded 63 robberies so far this year, down from 74 during the same period last year. The nearby 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park has seen 59 robberies this year, a decline of more than 50% from 122 at the same time in 2024, per the latest NYPD data.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or on X @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.

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Adam Daly

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August 21, 2025
Corwin Green and Damon Arrington: An Interview With the Founders of Verrru Design

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In this week’s installment of Quick Takes, we present a pair of Brooklyn academics with a flair for garden design, Corwin Green and Damon Arrington, partners in life and business. Corwin teaches communication design and social design at Pratt Institute, School of Visual Arts, and Parsons School of Design. Damon teaches landscape design at Cornell, New York Botanic Garden, and Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The pair’s four-year-old firm, Verru Design, recently showed up on our radar when we spotted the naturalistic plantings they did for a charming townhouse garden (see Brooklyn Backyard Visit: A Fruitful Collab Between an Architect and Landscape Designers). Their M.O.: “We embed ourselves in communities, research their attributes and ecologies, and then actualize design projects.” The up-and-comers even have a podcast, Tree, Shrub, Flower, launched a few months ago, that spotlights the deep roots they have in their New York community. “Our guests are our friends and collaborators, who happen to have Tony Awards, and Emmys and are incredible creatives, whether it be a landscape expert or a leading actor on Broadway.”

Below, Corwin and Damon share the garden book they both assign to their students, the reason they like to plant when the moon is waxing, and more.

Photography courtesy of Verru Design.

Above: Damon and Corwin in their garden. Their next design? “We are working on a new project in New Canaan, CT, where we will be installing a pool. We’re excited to work on a larger scale—we could never fit a pool in our Brooklyn backyard projects!”

Your first garden memory:

Corwin: My first memory was in my grandma’s backyard in Waynesboro, Georgia. During summer visits, my siblings and I were tasked with picking figs from her trees, which she would use for desserts and preserves, and to instill a work ethic. As a kid, I didn’t like figs or the idea of working during often hot vacations. Even though I still haven’t developed a taste for them, I appreciate learning the practice of fruit picking.

Damon: I grew up on a dairy farm on southwest Virginia. My mother had greenhouses growing up and she kept my crib under the impatiens flats. My first memories of gardening were the smell of vermiculite and the sound of loud fans humming throughout the moisture-filled plastic rooms.

Garden-related book you return to time and again:

Planting in a Post-Wild World. We recommend it to students in our classes. It is the quintessential book for learning how to create ‘plant communities’. They teach you how to create landscapes that are layered.

Instagram account that inspires you:

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design @mcldllc. His photos are always top-notch and the gardens he design are very much in our style of wild and lush, appropriately vegetated. He deals a lot with slopes, and we are currently working on a project where the client’s backyard has something like a 20 percent slope, so we’ve been watching how he crafts staircases and retaining walls into the landscapes.

Describe in three words your garden aesthetic.

To steal the words of Laura Fenton from her feature [on our project] in Gardenista last week…”low-key wild.”

Plant the makes you swoon:

Above: A cloud of blooming Calamintha nepeta on a patio lined with teak tiles.

Calamintha nepeta. The compact foliage looks good in containers and along pathways and produces a nice show into fall. It has a consistent presence in perennial gardens and a quiet charm that hits you with amazing aromas.

Plant that makes you want to run the other way:

Bamboo. We’ve had jobs where we had to extract bamboo from containers and the roots are really gnarly. We are literally scared of bamboo.

Favorite go-to plant:

Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina). For unexpected texture, the staghorn sumac has always delighted our clients. And its fall color is absolutely stunning. The seed heads that form are striking in the winter, so its seasonal interest is abundant. Sometimes we choose plants specifically for their winter interest.

Hardest gardening lesson you’ve learned:

Sun conditions. Understanding your garden at both solstices is of crucial importance. In the northeast the summer solstice sun is at a 72-degree angle, the winter solstice is at a staggering 27-degree angle. Mapping this on-site analysis is the most important step in your initial steps. We recently did a pinup at NYBG where the students had to show us the extent of the summer/winter sun in plan view, an integral step for young designers to learn.

Gardening or design trend that needs to go:

Above: Verru designed the louvered fence made from locally sourced cedar in this Brooklyn backyard.

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November 3, 2024
Brooklyn Backyard Visit: Pea Gravel Stars in the Transformation of an Urban Garden by Verru Design

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Post-renovation, the back yard was filled with debris, including shards of concrete. “Instead of dumping the stuff, we used what was there to create what I call an urban berm,” says Arrington. The berm was built on shards of concrete that were covered with a little landscape fabric, and topped with about two feet of soil, which was brought in for the entire yard. “When we pop elevations into a garden, the shadows change, the way we can see the plants inside changes. If you’re in the hot tub and you’re looking at a berm, it’s like the plants are surrounding you. That sense of privacy is something we wanted to create,” says Arrington.

3. Focus on local materials.

With the naturalistic aesthetic, hot tub, and gravel as their starting points, Arrington and Green leaned into local materials and native plants. Arrington notes that because the rock steps, pea gravel, and cedar are all locally sourced, they are more sustainable—and just feel right. “The colors are already a part of the landscape,” he says.

4. A small garden needs curves.

Sarah Jefferys Architecture Brooklyn Backyard

To create the wild, rambling feeling their clients desired, curves were essential, says Green. Using cedar shakes to edge the beds allowed them to perfect each swooping bed design. “The curves are informal, but still there is an art to creating and finessing them to feel natural, ” says Green, who describes how one of them would look down from the deck while the other placed the edging.

5. Rethink the privacy fence.

Not all fences are created equal. “The first day we stood back there, it was so hot and the air was really stagnant,” says Green of the existing fence. To get better air circulation in the garden, Arrington and Green proposed a louvered design. Crafted from rough cedar, it provides natural texture and will become grayer over time. Because privacy was still a concern, they designed the angle and span between louvers to be on the tighter side; relaxing the span would bring even more air in.

Caption: The bed at the base of the stairs is the sunniest spot in the garden, the amsonia turns golden yellow in fall. Photo courtesy of Verru Design.

6. Select a strong color theme.

A pale blush color theme holds the plant palette together in this garden. Designed to bloom throughout the year, Arrington and Green included Magnolia virginiana, which blooms a a silky white-almost blush color in spring; Geranium Biokovo, which is really light blush on the inside; and ‘Limelight’ hydrangea, which turns a twinge of blush at the end of the season.

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October 30, 2024
37-year-old construction worker struck and killed by van in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn: police

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BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, Brooklyn (WABC) — An investigation is underway after a construction worker was struck and killed by a white van in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Police say the 37-year-old victim was killed after being struck by a Ford Transit that was traveling westbound on Myrtle Avenue between Walworth and Sandford streets in Bedford-Stuyvesant just before 2 p.m.

Eyewitness News obtained surveillance video showing the moments leading up to the crash.

Video shows the white van drive through the intersection and plow into the worker, apparently pinning him to another car.

The victim was seen wearing reflective gear, standing behind traffic cones and holding a flag to direct traffic away from a construction site at the location.

Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to save the worker’s life. He was taken to Woodhull Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

Witnesses say the white van was going too fast and was trying to pass a truck without the space or right of way to do so.

“He was going so fast, he lifted him up with his side mirror and wedged him between this truck, and when he hit the other car on the other side, he came to a sudden stop and the momentum threw the flagger forward and where he rolled up under the box truck and expired,” said witness Michael Matson.

Police sources told Eyewitness News that the driver involved in the incident has been taken into custody.

No charges have been filed against the driver so far.

The investigation is ongoing.

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October 29, 2024
Authorities launch ‘interagency operation’ at federal jail in New York housing Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

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NEW YORK — Investigators from various federal agencies launched an “interagency operation” on Monday at the troubled lockup in New York City where Sean “Diddy” Combs is being held.

The investigators from the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department’s inspector general’s office and other law enforcement agencies had descended on the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on Monday, the Bureau of Prisons said in statement to The Associated Press.

The law enforcement operation is “designed to achieve our shared goal of maintaining a safe environment for both our employees and the incarcerated individuals housed at MDC Brooklyn,” the agency said. Prison officials declined to provide specific details about the operation Monday morning.

But the move comes as the jail has faced increasing scrutiny over horrific conditions, rampant violence and multiple deaths and amid a push by the Justice Department and Bureau of Prisons to fix problems at the jail and hold perpetrators accountable.

Last month, federal prosecutors charged nine inmates in connection with a spate of attacks from April to August at the Metropolitan Detention Center, the only federal jail in New York City. The allegations made public last month detailed serious safety and security issues at the jail, including charges after two inmates were stabbed to death and another was speared in the spine with a makeshift icepick. A correctional officer was also charged with shooting at a car during an unauthorized high-speed chase.

The criminal charges offered a window into violence and dysfunction that has plagued the jail, which houses about 1,200 people, including Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed FTX cryptocurrency exchange.

In a statement on Monday, the Bureau of Prisons said its operation in Brooklyn was pre-planned and that there is “no active threat.”

The agency said it wouldn’t provide additional details about what exactly investigators were doing there on Monday until the operation is complete “in an effort to maintain the safety and security of all personnel inside the facility and the integrity of this operation.”

The facility, in an industrial area on the Brooklyn waterfront, has about 1,200 detainees, down from more than 1,600 in January. It’s used mainly for post-arrest detention for people awaiting trial in federal courts in Manhattan or Brooklyn. Other inmates are there to serve short sentences following convictions.

Those held at the Brooklyn jail have long complained about rampant violence, dreadful conditions, severe staffing shortages and the widespread smuggling of drugs and other contraband, some of it facilitated by employees. At the same time, they say they’ve been subject to frequent lockdowns and have been barred from leaving their cells for visits, calls, showers or exercise.

Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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October 28, 2024
Fatal shooting in Brooklyn Park leaves one dead, police investigating

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NEXT Weather: 6 p.m. forecast for Saturday, October 12, 2024

NEXT Weather: 6 p.m. forecast for Saturday, October 12, 2024

03:06

BROOKLYN PARK — Police in Brooklyn Park are investigating after a man died from a gunshot overnight.

The shooting took place around 4:30 Saturday morning near the 7900 block of Lee Ave North. Police responded to shooting call. When they arrived they found a man with life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Police started life-saving measures, but ultimately the man died at the scene.

Police are investigating the shooting.

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October 12, 2024
End of an Era: Goodbye, Rubin!

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The entrance to the Rubin Museum of Art at 150 West 17th Street in New York City on October 4, 2024—two days before the museum closes for good. Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Following a two-decade run as the only American museum dedicated entirely to Himalayan art, the Rubin Museum, as we know it, will shutter for good tomorrow, October 6. The institution announced the decision to close in January, at which time it also detailed plans to shift to a decentralized “museum without walls” model. The Rubin will retain some of its collection—an assemblage of nearly 4,000 objects spanning fifteen centuries—and will focus on organizing traveling exhibitions, enriching its grant program, and developing educational resources. What remains will, in theory, carry forward the museum’s mission in a lighter, more nimble format. Its final exhibition, “Reimagine: Himalayan Art Now,” is on view now. If you can make it before the museum closes tomorrow, you’ll find paintings, sculptures, sound installations, videos and performance art by over thirty contemporary artists from the Himalayan region.

Husband-and-wife philanthropists Donald and Shelley Rubin purchased the Rubin Museum building at 150 West 17th Street, a former Barneys department store, in 1998 for $22 million. The building’s tranquil, domed skylight and sweeping spaces would offer a seamless backdrop for the Rubins’ world-class collection. Transforming the 70,000-square-foot space into a haven for Tibetan art was ambitious, if improbable, even for a pair of deep-pocketed collectors. Though the Rubins oversaw extensive renovations, the couple retained as many original details as possible—including the building’s iconic spiral staircase, which became a centerpiece of the museum’s 25,000 square feet of exhibition space. Six years later, in 2004, the Rubin opened and swiftly became a model for culturally immersive museum design. It also eventually became a focus in the ongoing controversy around repatriating stolen artifacts.

Provenance disputes are nothing new in art, but they have been particularly acute for the Rubin, which repatriated two pieces to Nepal in 2022. The museum faced increased scrutiny earlier this year when, in March, activists renewed calls for the museum to take accountability “for decades of violent exploitation of our sacred ancestral objects.” The Tibetan-led campaign Our Ancestors Say No (OASN) has demanded the repatriation of allegedly stolen sacred artifacts, many displayed in the institution’s popular Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room. Following the Rubin Museum’s closure, over 100 works from the Shrine Room will find a new home at the Brooklyn Museum, via a loan dubbed “another thrilling example of New York City museum collaboration,” by Brooklyn Museum director Anne Pasternak in a statement. Pasternak also pointed out that the Shrine Room has been “a renowned and beloved cultural experience for people around the world” since its opening in 2015. The art and ritual objects will be on loan to the Brooklyn Museum for at least six years, beginning in June of 2025.

For twenty years, the Rubin was praised for thought-provoking exhibitions and its unique approaches to Himalayan art. The museum’s Mandala Lab was celebrated for its interactive, multi-sensory space designed to create immersive, emotionally resonant experiences for visitors. The “Gateway to Himalayan Art” exhibition, on view since 2021, likewise received accolades for its ability to introduce audiences to the complexities and depth of Himalayan artistic traditions. Through these exhibitions and more, the Rubin Museum of Art became more than just a repository for artifacts. If it’s possible to look past the museum’s controversies, the Rubin’s legacy is as a cultural hub for engaging deeply with the spiritual and philosophical underpinnings of Himalayan art, making its closure all the more poignant. While The Rubin is framing its closure as a reimagining of what a museum can be—“more art, accessible to more people, in more places,” as its executive director Jorrit Britschgi put it—the closure of its Chelsea location feels like a loss.

The Rubin Museum of Art’s Final Days: In Photos

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

Arno Reyes Baetz for Observer

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October 5, 2024
The Merz House in Brooklyn Heights: Nishiel Patel Reconfigures and Re-beautifies the Landmark Home’s Backyard

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A couple months ago, I wrote a story for Remodelista about a modernist landmark Brooklyn Heights townhouse restored by Starling Architecture. The post focused on the sophisticated midcentury-style kitchen, but I was equally enamored with the verdant backyard, cleverly laid out as multiple outdoor “rooms.”

The goal, says landscape designer Nishiel Patel, the mastermind behind the exterior overhaul, was to forge a better connection between the inside and outside. “Previously overgrown with non-native shrubs, the garden acted as a barrier between the two ‘living rooms’ (interior and exterior), discouraging use of the garden completely,” she explains. In addition, the path from the home to the rear pergola (the main living space in the backyard) was awkward, requiring “two sharp turns to even enter the garden.”

Her solution: “We designed the garden to re-orient the home and the exterior deck [the rear pergola] towards a central and usable verdant courtyard, unlocking new views and connections between the two.”

Here’s how Nishiel reset the landscape design on the right path.

Photography by Adrian Gaut, styling by Glen Proebstel, courtesy of Starling Architecture.

Above: “The facade of the house is landmarked, including the integrated large plant beds and entry stairs, so we treaded lightly,” explains Nishiel. “We did, however, add a Hollywood juniper and two Japanese maples to the front with a shrubby understory of rugosa rose and ‘Pee Wee’ oakleaf hydrangeas. The junipers and maples were selected for their twisted and gracefully open forms, respectively, as a contrast to the monolithic cube form of the house. Both trees are commonly found in the neighborhood which, over time, will make them feel as if they’ve always been there.”

Above: Nishiel redirected the path from the interior living room to the exterior living room (the raised deck with pergola in the rear) so that it was more straightforward and easily accessible. In the middle, she added a fire pit area with Adirondack chairs (left) and a hot/cold plunge station (right).

Above: “While the garden’s primary exposure is from the south, the light is filtered through two existing and large honey locust trees on the adjacent street. Naturally, the light is dappled, and the pockets of more direct and intense light change throughout the day. So we chose to create a matrix of plants that do well in the shade (oakleaf hydrangea, Pennsylvania sedge, Japanese anemone, Actaea, and Brunnera), and then a lot of perennials that prefer varying levels of direct sun (Amsonia hubrichtii, Sesleria autumnalis, Echinacea pallida, Echinacea ‘White Swan’, Martagon lilies, Verbascum, and Penstemon), with the goal of letting nature take over at some point. The plants will do well if they find themselves in a location that allows it!”

Above: The cedar hot tub is from Northern Lights with the all-electric pumps, and the cold plunge is the Cold Stoic from Renu Therapy. “Both are intentionally recessed into the new deck so that they appear almost like pure shapes carved into the deck rather than stand-alone objects. This meant that we needed to excavate and retain the earth below by almost four feet to maintain airflow around them and provide subgrade drainage (in the form of a dry well) when the pools needed to be drained. We took advantage of the space below to also hide the hot tub equipment and provided a secret hatch in the deck for access below.”

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October 1, 2024
Here’s Where Diddy Is Reportedly Being Held After His Indictment & What’s Expected To Happen Next In Court

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More details have been reported about where Diddy is being held after his indictment for sex trafficking racketeering and other charges.

RELATED: BREAKING: Diddy Has Been Arrested & Taken Into Federal Custody In New York

Here’s Where Diddy Is Reportedly Being Held

According to an exclusive report published by TMZ on Tuesday, September 17, Diddy is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. The outlet notes that the center is a federal jail. Meanwhile, CNN adds that it features a special housing unit “used to house inmates who require additional protection…”

RELATED: Wayment! Diddy’s FBI Arrest Has R. Kelly Trending On Social Media & Here’s Why

TMZ also notes that MDC has reportedly housed other celebrity inmates such as R. Kelly, Fetty Wap, and Ghislaine Maxwell.

More Details About MDC Brooklyn

Per TMZ, MDC is “notorious for its brutal, sometimes fatal, conditions.” In June, a 37-year-old inmate named Uriel Whyte was reportedly stabbed to death on the premises, per Spectrum News NY1. Whyte was reportedly awaiting trial for murder.

“The COs [correction officers] is the one that brings in the phones, the drugs, you know, the razors, the scalpels and stuff like that,” one detainee named Robert told the outlet at the time. “Some of the COs in here are gang members.”

Another inmate expanded on the alleged weapons and violence inside the facility.

“One guy was stabbed in the eye with a makeshift knife,” a detainee named Eli explained. “And these knives… are six, nine inches long sometimes, you know, homemade with materials from the steel walls. It’s very violent. There’s stabbings, there’s stabbings at least a couple times a week.”

Per The Independent, at least four inmates have reportedly committed suicide at the facility in the last three years. Furthermore, Spectrum News NY1 adds that footage of the inside of the Metropolitan Detention Center “show cockroaches on the food, broken light fixtures and mold in the shower.”

Here’s What’s Expected To Happen In Court On Wednesday, September 18

As The Shade Room previously reported, Diddy was arrested and taken into federal custody on the evening of September 16.

RELATED: Aubrey O’Day Speaks Out Following Diddy’s Arrest & Federal Indictment

The following day, it was revealed that the 54-year-old was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, per The Shade Room. Additionally, footage surfaced of the music mogul minutes before he was placed in handcuffs.

On Tuesday, a 14-page federal indictment against Diddy was released to the public, per The Shade Room. The indictment highlighted the music mogul’s decades-long alleged actions of “abus[ing], threaten[ing], and coerc[ing] women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”

RELATED: Here’s Everything You Need To Know About The 14-Page Federal Indictment Against Sean “Diddy” Combs (LIVE UPDATES)

On Tuesday, Diddy also appeared in a Manhattan court and pled not guilty to his charges. Additionally, his defense lawyers advocated for the 54-year-old to be released on a $50 million bond. However, the prosecution cited Diddy’s alleged coercion of witnesses and potential flight risk as a means to keep him in custody, per The Shade Room.

The judge ultimately remanded Diddy to custody, prompting the mogul’s lawyer to share his plans to appeal the decision.

According to The Independent, Diddy is expected to appear in court today at 3:30 p.m. for the appeal request. If it is denied, the 54-year-old will reportedly return to MDC, where he will likely “remain… until trial.”

RELATED: UPDATE: Attorneys For Dawn Richard, Cassie And Lil Rod Reportedly Issue Statements Amid Diddy’s Federal Indictment

What Do You Think Roomies?

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Jadriena Solomon

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September 18, 2024
Police fatally shoot man in Flatbush, Brooklyn who allegedly flashed knife during questioning

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FLATBUSH, Brooklyn (WABC) —
Tensions boiled after officers fatally shot a man inside his East 21st Street apartment in Flatbush on Friday evening.

One officer was struck in the head after bottles were hurled at them.

Police sauy they were serving a warrant on a suspect wanted for multiple homicides after being tipped off about his whereabouts.

Investigators say officers were allowed into the apartment, and that is when they saw Vilmond Jean Baptiste, 38, hiding in the bathtub, fully dressed with his knife.

“The members from the warrant squad gave numerous commands to the male. They gave commands to get out of the tub, to show his hands, and then they realized that he was armed with a knife and then they gave him numerous commands to drop the knife,” said NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey.

The sergeant tried to deploy his taser, but the taser did not work. That is when the suspect came out of the bathroom with a knife and almost attempted to stab the sergeant.

Police officials say at least three officers discharged their firearms, striking Baptiste.

They say Baptiste is a strong person of interest in two separate homicides that resulted in the death of three people, including a stabbing in July where a 54-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man were both stabbed to death. Investigators say he is also the suspect in the fatal stabbing of a 66-year-old in Flatlands back in August.

“His M.O. seems to be he begins to date older women and then they allow him to reside in his house to use narcotics. The relationship was romantic in nature,” said NYPD Chief Kenney.

That victim was identified as Claudette Jones. She was found with multiple stab wounds inside her kitchen.

ALSO READ | Exclusive: Father outraged after 5-year-old girl left in van for 3 hours in Queens

CeFaan Kim has the exclusive interview with the child’s father.

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September 13, 2024
Man wanted in stabbings shot and killed by officers in Brooklyn after flashing knife: Police

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A man who was wanted in connection with multiple deadly stabbings was shot and killed by officers in Brooklyn after he flashed a knife while they were executing a search warrant, according to police.

The deadly incident started just before 5:30 p.m. Friday inside a Flatbush apartment on East 21 Street near Flatbush Avenue, police said at a press conference. As detectives searched a home, they found the suspect, 38-year-old Vilmond Jean Baptiste, hiding in the bathtub.

Officers told him multiple times to get out of the tub and show his hands, but they soon realized he was holding a knife, police said. A sergeant at the scene tried to use a stun gun to subdue Baptiste, but it did not work.

Soon after, Baptiste jumped out of the tub and came at the officers, at least three of whom fired shots. It was not immediately clear how many shots were fired.

Baptiste was subdued after being shot and was taken to the hospital, where he died, police said. The officers at the scene were also taken to the hospital to be evaluated.

After Baptiste was brought outside, bottles were thrown at the officers at the scene, according to police. One of those officers was hit in the head and taken to the hospital.

Baptiste had been wanted by police in connection to multiple deadly stabbings in Brooklyn from over the summer: A 54-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man were found stabbed to in July, and a 66-year-old woman was found stabbed to death in August, police said. It wasn’t clear what role Baptiste may have had in the killings, but police called him a strong person of interest in both incidents.

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Tom Shea

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September 13, 2024
Sinkhole nearly swallows SUV after Brooklyn water main break

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A water main break led to a dramatic scene in Brooklyn overnight, with vehicles trapped on a flooded street and one nearly swallowed by a sinkhole.

Fire officials responded to a call about the main break on Bay 37th Street and Cropsey Avenue in Bath Beach around 3:45 a.m. Monday.

They shut off the water and declared the incident closed within an hour.

No injuries were reported.

It’s not clear what caused the main break, but the water spawned a sinkhole. The immediate vicinity may be closed to facilitate repairs.

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NBC New York Staff

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September 9, 2024
These 2 Contestants on Netflix’s Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE Claim Dallas Ties

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Say what you will about Texas, but the state has undeniably produced some formidable talent. That’s well documented — even more so now that Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE has dropped on Netflix…

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Simone Carter

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September 6, 2024
How to watch the New York Caribbean Carnival on Labor Day

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CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (WABC) — The New York Caribbean Carnival, one of the city’s biggest summer festivals, culminates with a parade and celebration streamed live on ABC7 New York on Labor Day, Sept. 2.

It’s the nation’s largest Caribbean cultural festival attracting more than a million jubilant participants and spectators.

The seven-hour event starts at 11:00 a.m. in Crown Heights, Brooklyn on Labor Day.

The parade features steel-pan and calypso bands in elaborate costumes that march down Eastern Parkway from Utica Avenue to a reviewing stand at Grand Army Plaza.

Eyewitness News reporter Phil Taitt is honored to serve as one of the parade’s grand marshals.

ABC7 New York will provide streaming coverage of the parade starting at noon at abc7ny.com, our mobile and connected TV apps, as well as our YouTube channel.

New York’s weekend-long Caribbean Carnival dates back to the 1920s when it’s believed to have started in Harlem before moving to Brooklyn in the mid-1960s where it continues to draw millions of people each year.

Click here for more information about the New York Caribbean Carnival.

WATCH the 2023 New York Caribbean Carnival parade

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August 29, 2024
A Movable Garden: Saying Goodbye to a Brooklyn Backyard – Gardenista

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All week, we’re republishing some of our favorite Garden Visits that have a personal connection to our writers. No public gardens here, no vast estates, no professionally designed landscapes—just the backyards, vegetable patches, and flower beds that remind our writers of home. This story by contributor Marie Viljoen is from August 2018.

Our 1,000-square-foot backyard garden in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Carroll Gardens is now in its third summer. But by the end of September we must move, and I must decide what plants come with us when we go. This will be our fourth move with a garden in tow. The nature of rental real estate is such that you can’t plan too far in advance, generally signing a lease within 30 days of the move date. So while we are actively looking, we do not yet know where we are going to live. Will the new garden space be sunny or shady? Big or tiny? In-ground or on a rooftop? I have plants to fit every scenario. Way too many plants. And no plant will be left behind.

To make lemonade out of this batch of lemons (actually, I like lemons), I am planning to throw an August plant adoption party for the pots and plants that don’t make the cut. There will be botanical cocktails, there will be fond farewells. I won’t cry.

Here’s a visit to the summer garden. It looks a lot different from when we moved in.

Photography by Marie Viljoen.

Above: I began growing airy, annual Nicotiana mutabilis—one of the ornamental tobaccos—in our Harlem garden, using it for seasonal height and also in the hopes of luring hummingbirds (it worked).

Beyond it, the side borders and vegetable garden are rambunctious. Quite apart from gardening for pleasure (and therapy), I grow some more unusual edible plants experimentally, for the first-hand experience I need when advising others to cultivate them. How does common milkweed behave? What about nettles? Are ramps impossible to cultivate? Can you grow your own fiddleheads? (You will find the answers in Forage, Harvest, Feast, my wild foods cookbook.)

Above: The potted area of the garden enjoys (suffers?) an extreme combination of intense sun and deep shade.

It took me at least a year to figure it all out. These pots see about six hours of sun a day from late spring to late summer (none in fall and winter) and the mix that thrives right now includes pineapples lilies (Eucomis species), calamintha, dahlias, lilies, and flowering tobacco.

Above: Pineapple lilies have won my heart. While they are slow to start, by high summer they are in bloom, and their juicy flower spikes stay attractive through fall.

That’s a very good return on investment. Pollinators love them. In five hours of summer sun this collection of pots includes perilla, purple basil (which appreciates some relief from hot sun), and stalwart begonias. Last winter some of the potted pineapple lily bulbs rotted, despite being technically hardy here (USDA zone 7b). Pots are extreme environments and the freeze-thaw cycle in them is far more brutal than for the same plants in-ground, just a few yards away. The bulbs stored in the fridge’s crisper drawer were fine. Left in their pots, a chilly basement would be ideal.

Above: Lilium ‘White Butterflies’ is $15 per bulb at the Lily Garden.

Lilies have bloomed in all my New York gardens. They take well to containers, and different types offer a sequence of bloom from late spring to late summer.

Above: In winter these pots look barren (even if a perennial is lurking beneath their topping of mulch). But by summer they resemble the hedgerow I intended, a place rich with foliage, flowers and the bustling lives of beneficial insects, as well as their prey.

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August 27, 2024