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Tag: Brooklyn

  • MTA worker hit by stray bullet while visiting father: ‘She’s in shock’

    MTA worker hit by stray bullet while visiting father: ‘She’s in shock’

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    A surprise homecoming ended in a horror show for a 34-year-old MTA employee shot by a stray bullet outside the Brooklyn apartment complex where she grew up — a place she’s now “leery” about returning to, her father said Saturday.

    “My daughter comes over here to see me —  I didn’t know she was coming — and she gets shot!” retired MTA track worker Lawrence Doxen said about the Wednesday afternoon shooting at the Sumner Houses.

    His daughter Shanay was about to visit Doxen, 66, when shots were fired at a group of men near a basketball court in the 95-degree heat by the corner of Marcus Garvey Blvd. near Park Ave. around 3:30 p.m.

    A stray bullet tore through Shanay’s upper arm, her father said.

    Doxen had just heard the shots and saw police cruisers out his window when someone began pounding on his door, he recalled.

    “I see the cops out there. Next thing I know, five minutes later I hear Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!” he said.

    At the same time, his daughter’s number popped up on his phone.

    “I grab my phone and I kinda see my daughter’s name coming up here,” he recalled. “I was like, who’s knocking on my door? And I’m like, I’m not answering the door because I just heard the shots! Then the lady downstairs, she was like, ‘Dox Dox, your daughter got shot!’”

    Kerry Burke

    Suspects involved in the shooting of three men and a woman fled in the white Santa Fe Hyundai before crashing into a black Infinity around the corner from the crime scene on Sept. 6, 2023.

    Doxen opened the door to find Shanay and the downstairs neighbor. His daughter was bleeding from her arm.

    Despite her wound “she wanted to see me,” the retired MTA employee said. “She said, ‘I wanted to see my father.’”

    The bullet passed through Shanay’s arm. The young mom, an MTA cleaner, is currently on the mend, her proud dad said.

    “She’s good now. She’s kind of leery because we go to the park a lot,” he said. “She is in shock. That’s what people don’t think about. Trauma, you know?”

    About six shots were fired, neighbors recalled. Three men ages 34, 26 and 21 were struck with shots to the back, stomach and chest, respectively, police said.

    “There were shots and smoky pops,” the witness, a local man who gave his name as Jay, told the Daily News Wednesday. “There was a guy lying on the ground, he was on his back bleeding. His friend was kneeling, holding himself, he was shot in the buttocks. You could see the blood.”

    The man shot in the stomach remained in critical condition Saturday, cops said. The other two men were expected to survive.

    Police believe the gunman, who jumped out of a Hyundai Santa Fe, were targeting the three victims and accidentally hit Shanay with a stray round.

    Infiniti QX60
    As the attackers sped off, they crashed into an Infiniti QX60.

    The gunman jumped back into the car, which sped off and crashed head-on with a black Infiniti QX60 less than two blocks away near the corner of Myrtle and Throop Aves.

    Cops hot on the heels of the suspects arrested three men at the scene after they had run into an area building.

    Ben Foster, 30, who is believed to be the shooter, was charged with attempted murder and weapons possession as well as burglary and tampering with physical evidence. An accomplice, identified as Seven Jones, 23, was charged with burglary and tampering with physical evidence, cops said.

    The arraignments for the two men were pending Saturday.

    Shanay was just getting off of work when she decided to surprise her father with a visit, her dad said. She’ll be on medical leave for a while as she recovers, he said.

    “She can’t work,” he said. “She’s a cleaner. She’s going to have to lift up garbage bags and hopefully there’s no nerve damage and stuff like that. So it’s going to be a while.”

    The emotional scars may take longer, he said.

    “It’s like a process right now. I still think she don’t really know what she really been through,” he said. “That’s what people forget when people get shot. The psychological effect.”

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    Thomas Tracy, Rebecca White

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  • Dealer who sold fatal drugs to

    Dealer who sold fatal drugs to

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    A New York City drug dealer was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for providing “The Wire” actor Michael K. Williams with fentanyl-laced heroin, causing his death.

    Irvin Cartagena, 40, of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams. Cartagena had pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to distribute drugs. As part of a plea deal, Cartagena agreed that some of the drugs he sold resulted in the death of Williams. 

    Williams overdosed in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment in September 2021, a day after purchasing the drugs. Authorities said he bought the heroin from Cartagena on a sidewalk in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood in a deal recorded by a security camera.

    Williams famously portrayed Omar Little, the rogue robber of drug dealers, in HBO’s “The Wire,” which ran from 2002 to 2008. In addition to his work on the critically acclaimed drama, Williams also starred in films and other TV series such as “Boardwalk Empire.” He was nominated for five Emmys throughout his career, including three for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. 

    michael-k-williams-alleged-drug-deal-1.png
    A photo of the alleged drug deal captured on surveillance footage. 

    U.S. Attorney’s Office


    Cartagena faced a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and could have faced up to 40 years behind bars.

    “I am very sorry for my actions,” he said before the sentence was announced. “When we sold the drugs, we never intended for anyone to lose their life.”

    Abrams noted that those who knew Cartagena said that he was “helpful and humble and hard working” when he was not using drugs himself.

    “I’m hopeful that with treatment, … it will help you move forward on a more productive and law-abiding path,” the judge said.

    In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams noted that those who participated in the sale of drugs to Williams already knew that someone else had died from drugs they were peddling. CBS News previously reported that the drug trafficking organization had been identified by authorities and had been operating in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn since August 2020. 

    Prosecutors said Cartagena and others continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin in Manhattan and Brooklyn even after Williams died, although Cartagena eventually fled to Puerto Rico, where he was arrested in February 2022. Three other men were arrested in Manhattan in February 2022. 


    4 arrested in connection to Michael K. Williams’ overdose death

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    In a defense submission prior to sentencing, Cartagena’s lawyer, Sean Maher, said his client was paid for his street sales in heroin to support his own use.

    “In a tragic instant, Mr. Cartagena was the one who handed the small packet of drugs to Mr. Williams — it easily could have been any of the other men who were there or in the vicinity selling the same drugs,” Maher wrote. “Sentencing Mr. Cartagena to double digits of prison time will not bring back the beautiful life that was lost.”

    Prosecutors in a presentence submission had requested a sentence of at least 12 years while the court’s Probation Department had recommended a 20-year term after citing Cartagena’s 14 prior convictions for drug-related crimes, including burglary, robbery and prison escape.

    Abrams, though, said the recommendations were “simply too high.”

    “This sentence, while severe, is sufficient but not greater than necessary,” she said.

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  • Jay-Z-themed library cards spark increase in Brooklyn Public Library memberships | CNN

    Jay-Z-themed library cards spark increase in Brooklyn Public Library memberships | CNN

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    CNN
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    If anyone can make a trip to the library feel like a party, it’s Jay-Z, apparently.

    To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the Brooklyn Public Library and Roc Nation have released 13 limited-edition library cards with artwork from Jay-Z albums. The initiative, which ends later this month, has already resulted in 14,000 new library accounts, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn Public Library told CNN.

    The library cards are tied to a Brooklyn’s Central Library exhibit that explores Jay-Z’s career through rare photos, original recordings, videos and other artifacts.

    “The community’s enthusiastic response to this exhibition is a testament to Jay-Z’s immense impact,” Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library, told CNN.

    The Jay-Z-themed library cards are available for free for New York State residents. New Yorkers can collect all 13 versions – but only one will be activated to a New York Public library account to check out resources, according to a library spokesperson.

    Though some people are trying to sell the limited-edition cards online, a library employee told CNN they represent only a small fraction of the thousands who have signed up for a new card.

    Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter grew up in the Marcy Homes, a public housing complex, in the Brooklyn neighborhood Bedford Stuyvesant, more commonly known as “Bed Stuy” or “the Stuy.” His rise to music fame came in the early ’90s as a performer and later a record label owner and entrepreneur. He became the first billionaire hip-hop artist, selling more than 140 million records and winning 24 Grammy Awards – the most any rapper has received.

    New York City’s other library systems have also released distinct cards for the hip-hop anniversary, as has the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). In collaboration with Universal Music Enterprises, 80,000 MetroCards featuring LL Cool J, Pop Smoke, Rakim and Cam’ron have been made available at various stations on a first come, first serve basis.

    This photo depicts the Blueprint 2 album on a library card.

    “From standing on top of the Empire State Building to grabbing a slice at the corner pizza shop, NYC creates iconic moments that are recognized around the world,” Rakim said in a news release for the collaboration. “It’s an honor to be celebrating the 50th Anniversary on the streets… and now below them… of the city where hip-hop was born.”

    A South Bronx house party in 1973 is credited as the birthplace of hip-hop, when DJ Kool Herc found a way to isolate the percussion and repeat the “break” on the vinyl he was spinning, according to the New York Public Library.

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  • Teen charged with hate crime in New York City stabbing death of O’Shae Sibley

    Teen charged with hate crime in New York City stabbing death of O’Shae Sibley

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    A 17-year-old high school student has been arrested on hate crime charges in connection with last weekend’s stabbing death of a professional dancer during a dispute at a New York City gas station.

    The teen, whose name was not released, was taken into custody Friday on charges of second-degree murder as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon in the slaying of 28-year-old O’Shae Sibley, officials announced in a news conference Saturday.

    In the late-night hours of July 29, Sibley, who is gay, was dancing with friends to a Beyoncé song while pumping gas at a Brooklyn station when he and his friends were confronted by another group, officials said.

    The altercation was captured on security video.

    “Recovered video showed the victim and his friends being confronted by a group of males and being harassed,” NYPD Assistant Police Chief Joe Kenny told reporters Saturday.

    “We can see on the video a heated verbal dispute quickly turns physical,” Kenny said.

    Kenny disclosed that the group demanded that Sibley “stop dancing,” and “called him derogatory names, and used homophobic slurs against him. They also made anti-Black statements, all while demanding that they simply stop dancing.”

    The harassment continued for about four minutes. The suspect then stabbed Sibley once in the chest with a “sharp object.” Sibley fell to the ground as the suspect fled in a Toyota Highlander. 

    O'Shae Sibley memorial
    People gather at a memorial for O’Shae Sibley on Aug. 4, 2023, in New York City. The memorial was held at the Brooklyn gas station where he was murdered last weekend while dancing with friends. A 17-year-old suspect was arrested Aug. 4 in the slaying. 

    Getty Images


    Sibley was rushed to a local hospital, where he died of his wounds in the early morning hours of July 30.

    The suspect, who attends a Brooklyn high school, was “quickly identified” by authorities, Kenny said, and his surrender was “arranged through his attorney.”

    Kenny said the suspect “is being charged solely” at this time, with no immediate plans to charge the others that were in his group.

    In a Facebook Live video earlier this week, Otis Pena said that he was friends with Sibley and witnessed the stabbing. 

    “They killed my brother right in front of me,” he said. 

    “Just pumping gas and listening to ‘Renaissance’ and just having a good time. Y’all killed O’Shae,” Pena said through tears, referring to Beyoncé’s latest album.

    Sibley was a well-known dancer in the ballroom community, which is made up predominantly of LGBTQ+ men of color, CBS New York reports. An outpouring of support for Sibley and his family has been widespread, with Beyoncé herself posting about Sibley’s death on her website.

    “This is a city where you are free to express yourself, and that expression should never end with any form of violence,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Saturday.

    A rally honoring Sibley was held Friday at the Brooklyn gas station where he was stabbed. A memorial and candlelight vigil organized by the LGBTQ+ community was also being held Saturday night.

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  • What’s Listing And What’s Selling Right Now In NYC’s ‘Discerning But Liquid’ Real Estate Market

    What’s Listing And What’s Selling Right Now In NYC’s ‘Discerning But Liquid’ Real Estate Market

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    In its July 2023 Market Update, Midtown-based brokerage Elegran described the Manhattan and Brooklyn markets as “neutral, where neither buyers nor sellers have a significant advantage.” While decreasing supply and a sharp decline in median listing discounts may point toward a seller’s market, a retreating demand and median price per square foot favor buyers.

    Just under 1,000 contracts were signed in Manhattan in June, or a sizable 14% decrease from the month before, while supply decreased by 3% to 7,300 listings, according to the update. Despite a quieting demand, sales above asking price increased 12% from Q1. In Brooklyn, demand similarly shrunk, down 8% with 670 contracts signed, and supply dropped 1% to 3,250 listings.

    As for the future, the report continues, “It remains uncertain which direction the market will shift and whether buyers or sellers will come out on top. Only time will reveal the outcome as we better understand the future market trajectory.”

    What seems all but certain is that the New York City luxury real estate market will continue to remain active with sales and exceptional new listings. Here’s a look at some of the latest $5-million-plus properties hitting or leaving the market

    FOR SALE | SoHo ($5.75 Million)

    Completely renovated by 2022 Architectural Digest 100 firm Ike Kligerman Barkley, this 3,000-square-foot apartment puts a luxury spin on the classic SoHo loft. 10-inch oak flooring runs throughout the two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. Stretching across the length of the sizable great room, a white brick wall is outfitted with sleek wood shelving.

    Massive wood beams run the width of towering ceilings. Some elements lean heavier on the luxurious than the traditional loft space, like a primary suite with a walk-in closet, soaking tub and heated floors. Other highlights include a mirrored wet bar, service elevator and open-concept kitchen complete with custom blue cabinetry, a seated island and top-of-the-line appliances.

    Kirk Eckenrode and Trevor Connolly hold the listing.

    SOLD | Park Slope ($7.2 Million)

    The Park Slope area of Brooklyn has one the highest resale values in the city, according to Jules Garcia, founder of Waterview Advisory Group at Elegran. This is in part due to the neighborhood’s collection of large, historic homes, such as the recently sold property.

    Garcia recently represented the buyers of a Park Slope townhome that sold for $7.2 million. Built just before the turn of the 20th century, the Romanesque Revival townhome blends modern comforts with old-world glamour. This merging of styles is best showcased in the dining area, with its original dado paneling and cabinetry, coffered ceiling and hand-painted wallpaper and the ultramodern kitchen, with sleek white cabinetry, stainless-steel appliances and minimalist lighting. Covering five floors including a basement, the 4,800-square-foot home fits five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Outside, the property includes an array of terraces, patios and garden spaces.

    FOR SALE | Chelsea ($6.5 Million)

    Housed inside Lifesaver Lofts, this 4,000-square-foot loft apartment is located across the street from the Hudson River Greenway and less than a block away from the High Line. This premier positioning paired with the home’s size and exceptional design make it one of the most expensive listings in Chelsea. An expansive great room with 11-foot ceilings fronts the four-bedroom residence, centered by an impressive two-sided fireplace that serves as a subtle partition for an open yet intimate floor plan.

    Restored cast-iron columns and brick walls recall the industrial charm of artist loft studios while high-end finishes like European oak floors, Carrara Gold marble kitchen countertops and wide trim put the home’s prestige on display. Luxury amenities include keyed elevator access, an integrated Sonos sound system and state-of-the-art lighting. Elegran’s Ignacio Cesped holds the listing.

    SOLD | West Village ($7.45 Million)

    After six weeks on the market and a bidding war, this 120-year-old townhome in historic West Village sold for just under the original asking price of $7.5 million. Standing four stories tall, the 3,500-square-foot home features a Federal-style brick facade complete with a quintessential New York City fire escape.

    Inside, the home marries turn-of-the-century charm with contemporary updates. Original oak plank flooring, woodwork and built-in shelves have been thoughtfully preserved. Two working fireplaces showcase ornate detailing and craftsmanship. A pitched roof, beach wood-paneled ceiling and triple exposure make for a rare Hamptons-inspired retreat in the middle of the big city. The home’s rarest amenity can be found outside—an enclosed private garden with an impressive Japanese Maple tree. Jules Garcia represented the buyers in the West Village sale.

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    Spencer Elliott, Contributor

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  • Baltimore investigators searching for suspects in block party mass shooting that killed 2 and injured 28 others | CNN

    Baltimore investigators searching for suspects in block party mass shooting that killed 2 and injured 28 others | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Investigators in Baltimore are searching for multiple suspects in a mass shooting that turned a beloved annual neighborhood block party into chaos early Sunday, killing two people and injuring 28 others, most of whom were teens, officials said.

    The search for the shooters – investigators believe at least two were involved in the incident – is ongoing, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CNN Monday, vowing, “We will not rest until we find those who cowardly decided to shoot up this block party and carry out acts of violence which we know will be illegal guns.”

    Officials are combing through “every single lead, every minute, every second of footage, everything that we have to find out who decided to disrupt this peaceful event in this way,” Scott said on “CNN This Morning.”

    The gunfire erupted early Sunday in the south Baltimore neighborhood of Brooklyn, where community members were enjoying a yearly celebration dubbed Brooklyn Day.

    Aaliyah Gonzalez, 18, whose surname police initially spelled ending with an ‘s,’ and Kylis Fagbemi, 20, were fatally shot, the Baltimore Police Department announced.

    The dozens of surviving victims all sustained gunshot wounds, according to acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley. Five of those injured were adults aged 20 or older and the remaining 23 were teenagers ranging in age from 13 to 19, police said.

    Seven of the wounded remain in hospitals, with four in critical condition and three in stable condition, the mayor noted.

    Investigators are scouring the sprawling crime scene – which spans several blocks – for evidence and are poring over hours of surveillance footage, the police commissioner said. Officials have also urged community members to come forward with any relevant information or video footage that may assist in the investigation.

    A reward for information leading to the capture of the suspects has been raised to $28,000, Worley said at a news conference Monday.

    Police began receiving calls reporting the shooting around 12:30 a.m. Sunday, according to Worley.

    As officers arrived on the scene, they found an 18-year-old woman – later identified as Gonzalez – dead, police said. A 20-year-old identified as Fagbemi was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

    An ice cream truck was parked directly across from where Gonzalez was shot and killed. The truck’s driver, Keith, who declined to give his last name, told CNN he watched her collapse on the stairs as hundreds of people ran for cover.

    Keith said he told his children to lay down on the floor of the truck and wait for the rounds of shooting to stop.

    “I walked over to [Gonzalez], checked her pulse, straightened her out, tried to start doing CPR but she was already dead,” he said.

    Some who suffered gunshot injuries took shelter inside the ice cream truck. On Monday morning, blood was still on the ground near the truck’s parking spot.

    Keith said he could not see where the gunshots were coming from. He said there were no disruptions at the block party before the shooting started.

    He said his two daughters, 13 and 18 years old, are “fine but extremely stressed out.”

    Investigators have yet to determine a motive in the attack and are still figuring out whether the victims were targeted or indiscriminately shot at, the police commissioner said. As officers canvassed the neighborhood during the day Sunday, K-9 units located additional shell casings that had not been found overnight, he said.

    Staff at MedStar Harbor Hospital were expecting a routine overnight shift when they were met with the arrival of several patients with traumatic gunshot wounds, Dr. Hania Habeeb, associate chair of the emergency department, said at a news conference Monday.

    Habeeb said the hospital received 19 patients within an hour, 14 of whom were teenagers. Many of the patients were minors, brought in by family and loved ones who were “appropriately concerned,” she said.

    “We didn’t know if we were safe. We didn’t know if the shooter or shooters were right outside of our hospital doors,” Habeeb said.

    The hospital went on immediate lockdown to ensure safety while staff performed lifesaving procedures to stabilize the victims. Habeeb added 10 patients were transferred to Baltimore trauma centers.

    The attack marks one of the latest acts of gun violence to thrust an American community into grief as they gather in everyday spaces, including parks, schools, shopping malls and grocery stores.

    “This was a reckless, cowardly act of violence that has taken two lives and altered many, many more,” Scott said. “This tragic incident is another glaring, unfortunate example of the deep issues of violence in Baltimore, in Maryland and this country and particularly gun violence and the access to illegal guns.”

    Just three days into the month, it is one of five mass shootings in July and one of 340 mass shootings in the US in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.

    “These weapons come from Virginia, they come from Texas, they come from Florida, they come from Alabama, they come from everywhere in this country,” Scott said.

    “We have to deal with this issue of guns and the flow of illegal guns into the hands of people who should not have them at the national level,” he added.

    The National Rifle Association sued Maryland Gov. Wes Moore after he signed the Gun Safety Act of 2023 and other gun safety measures into law in May, court documents show.

    Members of the Kingdom Life Church pray at the site of a mass shooting in the Brooklyn Homes neighborhood on July 2, 2023.

    The block party was held as an annual celebration of the Brooklyn neighborhood. Scott called on the public to think of the shooting as if it happened in a rural community. “When it happens in Baltimore, Chicago or DC it doesn’t get that same attention,” he said.

    “These Black American lives, children’s lives, matter just as anyone else,” he added.

    Scott described the Brooklyn neighborhood as a working-class community filled with “immense pride.”

    “It is a neighborhood that has had its troubles, but a neighborhood that has seen some folks in that community really determined to see it be successful and see things turn around,” he added.

    There were “at least a couple hundred people” at the event Saturday, Worley said at Monday’s news conference, describing it as “unpermitted,” emphasizing no organizers had filed paperwork with the city.

    Asked about whether police had been appropriately staffed for the event, Worley said the annual celebration happens on a different Saturday each year. In the past, law enforcement was able to discover the date of the event in advance to prepare resources.

    But this year, police did not learn of the event until the day of, Worley said. “As far as I know, no one notified BPD that Brooklyn Day was happening on July 1st.”

    “Unfortunately, we didn’t get there in time to prevent what happened.”

    Mayor Scott said Sunday his office is mobilizing every available resource to assist with the investigation, including distributing information about community-based services available to residents in the Brooklyn Homes area, which he described as a public housing facility.

    Yvonne Booker, a resident of Brooklyn Homes, told CNN affiliate WBAL she’s lived in the area for three decades and feels the gun violence has reached a breaking point.

    “It’s kind of hard for me. I’m a mother. They need to stop. It’s too much. I’ve been to so many funerals in this community,” Booker said.

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  • D.S. & Durga’s Kavi and David Moltz Tune in With Black Tea and Venice Beach Nature Walks

    D.S. & Durga’s Kavi and David Moltz Tune in With Black Tea and Venice Beach Nature Walks

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    “The Pacific itself is so looming and crazy,” says David Moltz, D.S. & Durga’s self-taught perfumer, who grew up in the seaside town of Swampscott, Massachusetts. He first caught a glimpse of that “massive” expanse of water during a band tour through Northern California; years later, a lingering feeling of awe continues southward to Los Angeles. “These long beaches with palm trees and people lifting weights and rollerblading and shit, it’s so different than an East Coast thing,” he adds, speaking for a lot of kids raised on an exported vision of California culture. Pacific Mythic—the latest candle from D.S. & Durga, available only at its new Venice Beach storefront—evokes that outsider’s perspective. Kavi Moltz, the design brain to her husband’s nose, gave the label a jagged cliff and setting sun. As for the fragrance itself, David hewed to nature: “The air is balmy. Flowering plants and palms invite you.”

    The Pacific Mythic candle ($70) is available at the D.S. & Durga shop in LA.

    Courtesy of D.S. & Durga.

    Such was the mood on opening night last month, as party guests spilled onto the sidewalk along Abbot Kinney Boulevard, old friends meeting new. Part of what makes D.S. & Durga so singular in the burgeoning fragrance world is the combination of mom-and-pop charm (the founders indeed have two kids) and an audacious sense of possibility. When scouting locations for their first boutique in 2019, they went straight to Manhattan’s Nolita—a sign of them “wanting to play with the big boys,” says Kavi. A spot in Williamsburg followed, with its fittingly high concentration of shopping bags and tattoos. Venturing all the way west to Abbot Kinney made sense for a third location. “A real LA person loves Venice Beach for what it truly is, in the same way that we all think of the East Village,” says David, alluding to the eccentric characters and young artists that historically have populated both neighborhoods. Jonathan Richman’s 1992 song, “Rooming House on Venice Beach,” comes to mind—something that hasn’t slipped past the music-obsessed founders. “That’s on the playlist for Pacific Mythic!” says David.

    Braided-together references are a through line for D.S. & Durga. If The Doors, 2Pac, and Suicidal Tendencies paint the West Coast soundscape, there’s a similar mix on the visual front, informed by Kavi’s graduate studies at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. (She collaborated with the firm Woods Bagot on the Venice store design.) The ceiling, with its radiating spokes, is an homage to John Lautner’s Elrod House in Palm Springs. Touches of Douglas fir nod to a hillside home by SCI-Arc founding director Ray Kappe, which imprinted in her memory after a visit years back. “Even Gehry’s original house with raw plywood was really inspiring to me,” says Kavi. All the while, David has his nose closer to the ground, avidly sniffing whatever plant matter presents itself. This three-day wellness diary is a testament to staying present, from a phone-free dinner to morning meditation. The perfumer jokingly tosses out a quote from “F. Bueller,” the noted bon vivant who surely would have dangled an ’85 Diesel scent tag from the rearview mirror of a borrowed Ferrari. “‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around…,’” David begins, and the rest is filled in by Matthew Broderick’s imagined voice: “…once in a while you could miss it.”

    Thursday, June 8

    4:45 a.m. David: We took the 7:30 p.m.-er out of the apocalyptic orange skies of New York last night. I failed to sleep on the plane but crushed 30 minutes in the taxi and hit the hay at midnight. Now at 4:45 a.m. the demons of jet lag sing out. 

    I begin the day with my mediation practice. I follow Paramahansa Yogananda’s kriya yoga routine, usually for about 45 minutes. Meditation is a rock-solid reminder of our true nature and the nature of our mind. As K. Scarr once said, “Let’s get connected.”

    5 a.m. Kavi: I do some push-ups in the room as we watch the sun rise along the Hollywood Hills. The Sunset Tower is nowhere near the new store we are in town to open, but I insist on staying here because it strikes the perfect chord of iconic and personal, and because I am loyal. My allegiance has paid off, as last night we arrived to a miniature replica of the hotel rendered in chocolate, and an inexplicable note that says, “Welcome back, Dr. Ahuja.” (The room was booked under my married name, Moltz, and, last I checked, I am not a doctor.) I realize in the clarity of the morning that they must be referring to my mother, the real Dr. Ahuja, since I am still under her phone plan, and in the modern equivalent of the White Pages, my maiden name still follows me. 

    6 a.m. David: Outside I hear local birds chirping. I used to have trouble traveling, and one thing that I always found comforting: Wherever you go, there are always birds that call the place home and sing you sweet songs as a balm.

    I search for a couple cups of black tea with milk. Downstairs I find them. Double bagged. Lil milk. We done. 

    7:15 a.m. David: Outside I putter around the shrubbery of the hotel on Sunset. The flora out here is incredible. I find a bush redolent of thuja cedar that is wonderfully fruity. The ambery underbrush of California pine is very special to me. These are the kinds of observations that find their way into our perfumes. 

    8 a.m. Kavi: Press meetings start at our new storefront in Venice. In the car ride there, we talk about playlists for the opening weekend’s events. I suggest that we christen the space that day by playing only music from New York and California, to represent our travel from east to west. We walk into the store—my first time since it has been completed—and I’m truly floored! We worked with our friends at Woods Bagot, and I’m psyched about the blend of styles and references we achieved here in LA. It’s always nerve-wracking seeing something in person for the first time, so I am relieved. I go to buy some juice to power us through the meetings and ask a few people on our team what they want—I’ll choose for them based on their green tolerance if they give me a number from 1 to 10. My tolerance is a 10: all greens, no fruit, dangerous amount of ginger.

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    Laura Regensdorf

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  • Nusrat Chowdhury confirmed as first Muslim female federal judge in U.S. history

    Nusrat Chowdhury confirmed as first Muslim female federal judge in U.S. history

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    screenshot-2023-06-16-at-1-29-36-pm.png
    File: Nusrat Choudhury testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee at confirmation hearing, Apr. 27, 2022.

    Screenshot Senate Judiciary Committee hearing


    Civil rights lawyer Nusrat Chowdhury has been confirmed by the Senate as the first Muslim female federal judge in U.S. history.

    Confirmed along party lines in a 50-49 vote Thursday, Chowdhury will assume her lifetime appointment in Brooklyn federal court in New York.

    The confirmation drew praise from the American Civil Liberties Union, where she is the legal director of the ACLU of Illinois. Prior to that post, she served from 2008 to 2020 at the national ACLU office, including seven years as deputy director of the ACLU Racial Justice Program.

    In a tweet, the ACLU called her a “trailblazing civil rights lawyer.”

    Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who recommended her, said she makes history as the first Bangladeshi American, as well as the first Muslim American woman, to be a federal judge.

    “Nusrat Choudhury is a shining example of the American Dream,” Schumer said in a statement. “She is the daughter of immigrant parents, a graduate of Columbia, Princeton, and Yale Law School, and has dedicated her career to making sure all people can have their voices heard in court.”

    Sen. Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia, voted against the appointment, citing her support for criminal justice reform. He said in a statement that some of her past statements call into question her ability to be unbiased toward members of law enforcement.

    After finishing law school, Chowdhury clerked in New York City for U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote and 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Barrington Parker Jr.

    She has served on the Presidential Task Force on Building Public Trust in the American Justice System.

    Her appointment was consistent with President Joe Biden’s pledge to emphasize diversity in background, race and gender in his judicial nominations.

    Two years ago, the Senate confirmed the nation’s first federal Muslim judge, Zahid Quraishi, to serve as a district court judge in New Jersey. Quraishi’s first day on the job at a New York law firm was Sept. 11, 2001. He would go on to join the Army’s legal arm and served two deployments in Iraq.

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  • Straphanger douses MTA bus driver with lighter fluid in Brooklyn

    Straphanger douses MTA bus driver with lighter fluid in Brooklyn

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    NYPD cops are seeking a crazed commuter who thrashed an MTA driver and left him drenched in lighter fluid after service was suspended along his Brooklyn bus route, police said Monday.

    The victim was operating a Sheepshead Bay-bound B44 around 6 p.m. Saturday, when a service interruption forced him to pull over and let out passengers on Nostrand Ave. near Empire Blvd. in Crown Heights.

    Cops are hunting this man wanted for the brutal assault on an MTA bus driver in Brooklyn Saturday. (NYPD)

    All passengers disembarked as instructed — save one. When the driver approached his sole remaining passenger to offer assistance, the suspect launched his assault, cops said.

    The man viciously beat the driver before pouring lighter fluid on him and fleeing the bus, according to police.

    Before the madman could make his escape, the driver managed to snap a picture of him.

    The victim was later treated by paramedics, who took him to Kings County Hospital in stable condition, cops said.

    Anyone with information related to the assault can call the NYPD’s anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-8477.

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    Colin Mixson

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  • The Case of the Poison Cheesecake

    The Case of the Poison Cheesecake

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    The Case of the Poison Cheesecake – CBS News


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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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  • NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

    NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

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    A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

    ___

    Target’s Pride collection features ‘tuck-friendly’ swimsuits for adults, not kids

    CLAIM: Target’s Pride collection features a bathing suit for kids that is labeled “tuck-friendly.”

    THE FACTS: The “tuck-friendly” swimsuits are only offered in adult sizes, according to a spokesperson for the company and Target’s website. Kids’ swimsuits in the collection do not feature this label. But the store’s seasonal collection of clothes for Pride month has been the subject of several misleading videos in recent weeks. Many of the posts criticizing Target have also urged people to boycott the company, following similar threats and transphobic commentary from conservative social media personalities towards brands including Bud Light and Nike over promotional campaigns featuring transgender people. Posts criticizing Target shared photos or videos of either a one-piece swimsuit with a bright pink, orange, green and blue colorblock pattern, or black swim bottoms with colorful line stitches. Both feature a circular tag that reads, “Tuck-Friendly Construction,” and “Extra Crotch Coverage.” “Did you know @Target also sells ‘tuck-friendly’ bathing suits for children in the Pride section? Well now you do,” reads one post sharing a photo of the tag on Twitter. The post has received more than 4,000 likes. However, the swimsuits labeled “tuck-friendly” are only in adult sizes, and are not available in kids’ sizes, Kayla Castaneda, a spokesperson for Target, told the AP. Both the colorful one-piece and black swim bottoms seen in the photos and videos online are clearly labeled on Target’s website as adult swimsuits. Both pages list the products as coming in “general adult sizing” and offer adult XS as the smallest size for sale. “The ‘tuck-friendly’ swim suits are for adults only,” Castaneda said. The kids’ swimsuits in the Pride collection are not the same design or construction and do not have the same label, Castaneda confirmed. At a Target in New York City’s downtown Brooklyn neighborhood that the AP visited on Monday, the same adult swimsuits shown on social media featured the “tuck-friendly” tag, while a kids’ black swimskirt for sale instead had a tag reading: “Thoughtfully Fit on Multiple Body Types and Gender Expressions.” The Pride apparel for kids, adults and pets was located together at the front of the store, in an area often used for seasonal or limited-edition collections, and not in the children’s section. After the intense online backlash and some reports of in-store confrontations, Target removed some LGBTQ+-themed products and relocated Pride Month displays to the back of stores in certain Southern locations. Target declined to specify which items it was removing.

    ___

    Video doesn’t show banned books being removed from Florida school, officials say

    CLAIM: Video taken by school staffer shows scores of banned books being removed from a middle school in Broward County, Florida.

    THE FACTS: Officials in the school district say the books are being removed as part of a routine weeding out of old materials that coincides with a library renovation project, not because they were banned. The local teacher’s union and the state education department confirm it is unrelated to any bans and the old books are being replaced with newer ones. The short clip in question shows a woman walking through a school hallway lined with large boxes filled to the brim with books. “The state just came last week and decided which books were appropriate or inappropriate,” the woman says in the clip as she and two other school staffers hold up some of the materials and read off their titles, which range from “Hispanic American, Texas and the Mexican War” to “Black Eagles: African Americans in Aviation.” The video comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis, who launched his campaign for president Wednesday, has controversially championed policies allowing greater censorship, including a law that makes it easier for parents to challenge books and instructional materials in schools. “WATCH THIS VIDEO,” wrote one Twitter user. “A Florida public school staff member, risking her job, documented a glimpse of what’s currently happening at her school.” But county and state education officials maintain the school shown in the video — McNicol Middle School in Hollywood — is actually in the process of refreshing nearly its entire book collection, not getting rid of materials banned or deemed inappropriate. Keyla Concepción, a spokesperson for Broward County Public Schools, said the library collection is being overhauled as the school media center is undergoing a roughly two-year renovation. She said the new books are slated to be in place when the center reopens this summer. John Sullivan, another district spokesperson, added that nearly 90% of the library collection was more than 15 years old and the average date of publication was 1997. “The books in question were not removed at the direction of the state,” he wrote in an email. “It is the national standard that school library specialists review and ‘weed’ books from their collections to ensure the material is current and up-to-date.” Sullivan pointed to collection maintenance standards from the American Library Association as well as a 2000 legal settlement that dealt with educational equity issues within the district, as the primary drivers for the collection update. He added that the district has been assisting dozens of other schools with updating their collections. “Due to the current climate in education across the nation surrounding library media practices, we understand how those not familiar with the weeding of books from school collections may confuse this process,” Sullivan wrote. The staffer who posted the video didn’t respond to messages seeking comment this week, but said in a subsequent post that she was asked to take down the original post after she was provided with the reasons for the book removal. Anna Fusco, president of the Broward Teachers Union, also backed up the district’s explanation. She acknowledged there have been recent efforts by district parents to ban certain books from the school but said this doesn’t appear related. “Those books were purged due to being outdated or worn out,” Fusco wrote in a text message. “Nothing was banned.” State Education Commissioner Manny Diaz dismissed the staffer’s initial video, too. “Broward County has confirmed to me that this is simply an end-of-year book inventory,” he tweeted Monday. “It has nothing to do with vetting any books. This video is completely false and a sad attempt to disrupt our educational environment.” But while the Broward County incident doesn’t appear to be a case of censorship, book bans are a growing concern in DeSantis’ Florida, stressed Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, which is focused on library censorship issues. This week, “The Hill We Climb,” a poem written by Amanda Gorman for President Joe Biden’s inauguration, was placed on a restricted list at a South Florida elementary school after one parent complained. “The entire state of Florida is on our watch list,” said Caldwell-Stone. “We are aware that censorship is occurring. We are deeply concerned about states like Florida.”

    — Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.

    __

    Phones given to US immigrants have limited uses

    CLAIM: The U.S. government gives immigrants who cross the country’s border illegally smartphones with unlimited texting and internet access.

    THE FACTS: Immigration and Customs Enforcement does give some immigrants phones. However, they can only access an app called SmartLink, which is used to monitor immigrants after they cross the border, according to the agency, the company that makes the phones and an immigration expert. The devices, used by ICE since 2018, are not connected to a cellular network and cannot be used to browse the internet, make unauthorized phone calls, or access apps other than SmartLink. Posts sharing the claims generally include a video first tweeted by a reporter for the Washington Examiner, who said it shows migrants boarding a flight from Brownsville, Texas, to Dallas. Even though the reporter’s tweet does not mention smartphones, other posts sharing the video do. “Illegals waiting to fly out of Brownsville to Dallas – paid for by US taxpayers while on their taxpayer paid Galaxy 10 smart phones with unlimited text and internet,” reads one tweet. Immigrants who participate in ICE’s Alternatives to Detention program may receive phones instead of remaining in custody or wearing a tracking device such as an ankle monitor. But these devices have extremely limited uses — not the “unlimited” messaging and web browsing suggested by the posts. A spokesperson for ICE pointed to the agency’s webpage describing the program, which says certain participants are “issued a device capable solely of running the SmartLINK application” if they don’t have a personal phone that supports the app when they enroll. They must return the device if they acquire their own phone, are reassigned to a different technology or are no longer in the program. “SmartLINK is intended for the sole purpose of providing immigration compliance and case management services to ATD participants,” the page states. It goes on to explain that this includes verifying the location from which participants complete scheduled check-ins, reminding participants about court hearings and providing a database of community services. The phones are manufactured by BI Incorporated, an electronic monitoring technologies company. BI is a subsidiary of The GEO Group, a private prison company that runs immigration detention facilities for ICE under other contracts. Monica Hook, a spokesperson for The GEO Group, told the AP that claims about the phones having unlimited messaging and internet are “categorically false.” “BI Mobile is a hand-held communications device that comes with the BI SmartLink application pre-installed,” she wrote in an email. “BI Mobile is not a smartphone and does not have the associated capabilities of traditional, consumer smartphones such as browsing the internet, disabling device settings, and unauthorized calls and texts.” Rebekah Wolf, an expert in immigration detention and border issues who works as a policy counsel at the American Immigration Council, confirmed that these phones are “limited” in their capabilities. “BI controls what phone numbers it can call, so it’s not just a sort of free for all,” she told the AP. “It has to be Wi-Fi enabled because that’s how SmartLink the app works. But it doesn’t have software on it to, like, go to Google Chrome. Like the entire interface of the phone is just the app. So like, yes, you can call in because you can call your ICE officer.” Wolf has been to briefings with BI and the Department of Homeland Security where the use of these phones is discussed. She also works with local case management providers who interact directly with immigrants in the Alternatives to Detention program. More than 257,000 active Alternative to Detention participants were using the SmartLink app at the end of 2022, according to ICE statistics. As of early May 2023, that number had gone down to approximately 224,000. Critics of SmartLink have raised concerns about issues such as privacy and whether the app is necessary for immigrants who have no criminal history, the AP has reported.

    — Associated Press writer Melissa Goldin in New York contributed this report.

    __

    NASA didn’t publish study on snake plants providing life-saving oxygen

    CLAIM: A NASA study found that six to eight snake plants in a room with no airflow is enough for human survival. The agency therefore recommends 15 to 18 plants for an 1,800-square-foot home.

    THE FACTS: The agency did not reach those conclusions or offer such recommendations, a spokesperson confirmed. The claim may be a distortion of a 1989 NASA report focused on whether indoor plants can help clean the air, not sustain human life. Social media users shared a Facebook video advancing the false claim nonetheless. “According to NASA’s Clean Air Study, the Snake Plant is so effective in producing oxygen that if you were locked in a sealed room with no airflow (yikes!), you would be able to survive with just 6-8 plants in it,” text on the video reads. “NASA recommends 15 to 18 medium-to-large size plants for a 1,800 square-foot home for optimum air quality.” But the agency didn’t issue such a study or guidance. “NASA has not made these claims or recommendations,” NASA spokesperson Rob Margetta told The Associated Press in an email. A small team at the agency’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi did publish a report more than three decades ago that looked at common household plants and their ability to remove some household toxins from sealed chambers, Margetta noted. That 1989 report, “ Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement,” was done in conjunction with a landscaping group and focused on plants’ ability to filter out contaminants in such settings. The report did assert that plants — including snake plants, referred to in the report as a mother-in-law’s tongue — can help improve air quality. It didn’t, however, evaluate using them to produce enough oxygen to sustain human life in precarious situations. The “research was focused on sealed areas with limited airflow, not typical residential or commercial spaces,” Margetta added. “Since the study’s publication, its findings have often been misinterpreted or misapplied.” Some subsequent research has cast doubt on plants’ ability to improve air quality in normal indoor environments. And while plants use a process known as photosynthesis to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, they aren’t as efficient as the social media post suggests. “The reality is that the rate at which they do these processes is much lower than what you need to actually support a human,” said Berkley Walker, an assistant professor of plant biochemistry at Michigan State University. Using a generous and general estimate, Walker said, it would likely take leaf area the size of a one-car garage to produce enough oxygen that a human requires in one day. Even then, that’s assuming constant, ideal conditions — such as continuous sunlight. There’s no evidence that snake plants perform at a higher level than other plants, let alone one to support the theory shared online, Walker said.

    — Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in New Jersey contributed this report.

    ___

    Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck

    ___

    Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck

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  • Broadway star Lillias White

    Broadway star Lillias White

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    Broadway star Lillias White – CBS News


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    For Broadway veteran Lillias White, it all began as a child in Brooklyn, N.Y., when relatives encouraged her to dance and sing on her grandmother’s dining room table. The 71-year-old actress, who won a Tony Award for “The Life,” is now starring in the Broadway musical “Hadestown.” She talks with correspondent Mo Rocca about her role models growing up; her relationship with the audience; and setting the standard for singing standards.

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  • Museum-worthy failures

    Museum-worthy failures

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    Museum-worthy failures – CBS News


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    From Ford’s Edsel to bottled water for pets, notorious corporate and marketing missteps are featured in a traveling exhibition, “The Museum of Failure,” now on display in Brooklyn, N.Y. The exhibit’s creator, Swedish psychologist Samuel West, talks with “Sunday Morning” about how these fiascos from the past remind us to embrace taking risks.

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  • New York City Rents Are Going Up – Here’s How To Play It

    New York City Rents Are Going Up – Here’s How To Play It

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    A look at the supply/demand dynamic for Manhattan and Brooklyn rentals suggests that rents are going up.

    Despite worries about oversupply and lower demand in the commercial sector, the opposite dynamic appears to be taking place in the residential sector. The year-over-year change in the number of new rental listings is starting to fall as the market heads into the typically busy summer.

    While the days of 30% and higher rent increases are likely in the past, with current asking rents already approaching their highs, it will not take a big move to push past those highs into record territory.

    For instance, as seen above, the median asking rent in Manhattan is currently only $50 below the record-high, set during the summer of 2022. Even the slightest bit of renter competition will propel rents higher. Looking at the chart below, showing the declining number of new rental listings in Manhattan, it’s clear that things are about to get interesting.

    Brooklyn, too, is experiencing many of the same issues, albeit not as acutely as Manhattan. As seen below, the current median asking rent in Brooklyn is $3,600, 5% below the record high set last summer.

    However, like Manhattan, the level of new rental listings is dropping off.

    Taken together, an uptick in renter demand in Brooklyn could easily power asking rents to new highs.

    Indeed, even breaking down the data into neighborhoods shows that all areas in Manhattan and Brooklyn remain under pressure.

    Last spring, I wrote about how rents sharply increased on a percentage basis due to the pandemic’s whipsaw effect. At that time, the talk was about the surge in rents, which, when viewed against pre-pandemic measures, were up less than 10%. Now, however, the discussion is not necessarily about the rise in rents, but rather the level of rent. In other words, will rents ever go down again?

    Not anytime soon, if the lower amount of supply has anything to say. The following chart looks at how the monthly rental supply for 2023 in Manhattan (blue) and Brooklyn (red) is doing this year compared to the average for each month in previous years (2019-2022). The comparison shows a solidly negative trend that suggests renters today are entering a very landlord-friendly environment. Looking back to the supply/demand dynamics charts earlier, it can be seen that rents tend to fall significantly only after a notable increase in supply. That is certainly not the case today in either Manhattan or Brooklyn.

    With tight supply, renters will be forced to compete to sign leases. That means asking rents should be seen more as a guide than a goal. In reality, a perfectly capable apartment for rent in a perfectly normal neighborhood asking $3,500 per month will likely be swarmed with prospective tenants. In this situation, the final rent could approach $4,000 as participants weigh their options for not going higher than the next person.

    In short, as the Manhattan and Brooklyn rental markets head into the busy summer, all signs point to higher rents in the months to come. With tomorrow’s rents likely higher than today’s, prospective tenants needing to sign leases in the next few months would do well to analyze their local market and weigh whether paying a premium today to secure an apartment might be worthwhile, rather than potentially paying even more in a couple of months. Alternatively, it might be worth comparison-shopping the sales market over the summer, when it is typically quieter, to see if it might be time to buy.

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    John Walkup, Contributor

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  • Corporate volunteerism: ‘Not charity. It’s good business.’

    Corporate volunteerism: ‘Not charity. It’s good business.’

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    NEW YORK (AP) — The one-day volunteering event — where employees give back to their communities by packing boxes of food or cleaning up a park or fundraising — is so ingrained in corporations that it’s long been lampooned by pop culture.

    However, as the national decline of volunteerism deepens, both corporations and nonprofits are looking for something more useful.

    “A leader calling up the nonprofit saying, ‘Hey, I have 20 people that can be over there in an hour. What do you want them to do?’ That’s not helpful,” said Kari Niedfeldt-Thomas, managing director of corporate insights and engagement at Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, which advises companies on sustainability and corporate responsibility issues.

    “What you want is for those volunteers to be part of an ongoing engagement, so those volunteers become embedded in the community,” she said. “They understand better what those participants needs are and they truly are then approaching their volunteerism work not as ‘I’m helping you,” but with a lens of ‘We’re in a partnership about making our community a better place.’ That levels the playing field. It doesn’t make it charity. It makes it a relationship.”

    It’s the kind of relationship that more and more corporations are trying to cultivate with their philanthropy.

    Tech giant Salesforce is a high-profile example of that connection, with its wide range of volunteer programs and funding initiatives that focus on education and workforce development, as well as climate and community resilience.

    Ron C. Smith, Salesforce’s vice president of philanthropy, said giving back has always been in the company’s DNA, along with innovation.

    “You have to be willing to hear what the community you live in — or the community you want to support — is asking for,” Smith said. “We start with the question ‘What can we do?’ or ‘How can we help?’ Then, we align to their strategic plans.”

    The company is part of the Pledge 1% movement, where corporations promise to donate 1% of their equity, time, products and profit. Salesforce often supports nonprofits through several of those donation types, often stacking them as its relationship with the group grows.

    Salesforce’s partnership with The Marcy Lab School, for example, began when some of its employees started volunteering at the New York nonprofit that trains high school graduates to become software engineers in one year at no cost to the students. Then, Salesforce started providing the school access to some of its software and is now looking at hiring some of the school’s graduates.

    Last year, The Marcy Lab School became one of the first grantees of Salesforce’s Catalyst Fund, which provided $100,000 to emerging nonprofits that were led by a person of color and had operating budgets under $2 million annually.

    Reuben Ogbonna, co-founder of The Marcy Lab School, said the Catalyst Fund allowed the nonprofit to nearly double its student body from 30 to 50. Students accepted at the school pay no tuition and receive a free laptop for their studies. Most graduates land jobs at top tech companies as software programmers, with starting salaries over $100,000.

    “What was most interesting about it was that they were making bets on organizations that typically don’t get on the radar of a big funder like Salesforce,” Ogbonna said. “And what I appreciated about Salesforce is that there was this acknowledgment that our organization already had the seeds of competitiveness and impact.”

    Ogbonna said Salesforce hasn’t exhibited the signs of doubt that other major funders have over whether an emerging nonprofit can handle a substantial donation properly. Instead, he says, Salesforce volunteers are helping make Marcy Lab School’s curriculum even stronger.

    Marcy Lab School’s other co-founder Maya Bhattacharjee said that its impressive 16,000 square-foot campus in an 11th-floor loft space in Brooklyn, New York’s Industry City neighborhood, with views of the Statue of Liberty across New York Harbor was “beyond our wildest dreams.”

    But their training program is exactly how they envisioned it. “I always dreamed of building a school that was just filled with a lot of love for students,” Bhattacharjee said. “Teachers are not thinking about students as numbers or test scores or things that needed to be fixed. To have educators around a table working to have programs work for every student is everything I dreamed of.”

    For Enmanuel de la Nuez Carvajal, getting accepted into Marcy Lab School was a dream come true as well. Like a lot of the recent high school graduates who apply to join Marcy Lab School, he felt like he was languishing at LaGuardia Community College. But not everyone was convinced.

    “Some of my friends were a little skeptical,” said the native of the Dominican Republic. “They said it sounds like it’s too good to be true. But I thought I don’t see how this could go wrong.”

    After graduating from Marcy Lab School in 2020, de la Nuez Carvajal was hired by the project management software company Asana, where he is currently a software engineer.

    Those are the kind of results that excite volunteers and keep them engaged to help their communities.

    Naomi Morenzoni, Salesforce’s vice president of philanthropy strategy, said the company is an outlier in terms of volunteering, with about 87% of its workforce donating time each year. According to Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose, the average volunteer participation rate through company-sponsored initiatives was 17% in 2022.

    “There’s a sea change that’s happened,” Morenzoni said. “We see that 50% of job seekers won’t take a job if a company doesn’t align with their values. All of that is driving value both for the company and for the community. The two are completely interconnected now.”

    Salesforce sees its philanthropy program – which provides employees seven days of paid leave to volunteer and a company match for donations up to a $5,000 total each year – as a tool for recruitment and retention.

    Morenzoni said Salesforce’s internal surveys show that 91% of its volunteering employees feel more engaged in their regular jobs.

    “This is good for us,” she said. “This is good for our communities. It’s not charity. It’s good business.”

    Not everyone agrees. In February, Strive Asset Management President Anson Frericks wrote a letter to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff urging him to “stop using your business as a ‘platform for social change’ and focus on serving your customers alone.” Frericks claimed five groups of activist investors who have reportedly purchased stakes in Salesforce “smell blood in the water.”

    However, after Salesforce reported better-than-expected financial results in March, several activist investors, including Elliott Investment Management, supported the company’s recent business moves.

    Though Salesforce declined comment on the investors’ complaints, officials said the company’s commitment to volunteerism will continue.

    “I can’t speak to what the investors are looking for,” Smith said. “But I know we’re going to continue doing the good work that Salesforce has committed to. And we’re going to make sure that we bring our employees and partners and everyone else along with us – including our investors – so they can see the good work that’s happening.” ____

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Distress In New York City Real Estate: The Silver Lining

    Distress In New York City Real Estate: The Silver Lining

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    Although the Federal Reserve voted to raise rates another .25% at its second meeting of the year, there was a silver lining in the announcement.

    In his opening statement, Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated significant rate hikes may not be needed going forward, which will bring much needed relief and stability to the commercial real estate market.

    Investors were bracing for a .50% bump following Powell’s congressional testimony several weeks earlier during which he implied a larger rate increase might be warranted in response to stronger than expected economic indicators, especially in the labor market. Additionally, the annual inflation rate for February was 6%, still higher than the Fed’s 2% target, but below the peak of 9.1% in June.

    Cause and Effect

    The Fed’s revised Summary of Economic Projections released in tandem with the rate announcement left the projected median fed funds rate at 5.1% at the end of 2023, meaning the central bank is close to reaching its terminal rate since the new fed funds target range is between 4.75% and 5.00%. If this holds, only modest increases may be on the horizon.

    Addressing the banking crisis, Powell stressed that all deposits are safe and that the banking system is sound and resilient with strong capital and liquidity. Silicon Valley Bank was an “outlier” in which management exposed the bank to significant liquidity and interest-rate risk without hedging it. As a result, the bank was vulnerable to a rapid and massive bank run by a large, concentrated group of connected depositors.

    Mortgage Resets and Mortgage Maturities: Why Real Estate Type Matters

    Fortunately, the economic fundamentals of New York City have been on the rise despite inflation, interest rate hikes and bank closures. However, mortgage maturities and mortgage resets in this environment will affect each asset class differently.

    As outlined below, stronger asset classes should be able to withstand the headwinds facing the industry, while owners of weaker asset classes may need to make harder decisions moving forward.

    Stronger Asset Classes

    • Predominantly residential rental free market properties, small and large, are usually considered an inflation hedge, so we expect the top line to grow somewhat with or higher than inflation in the long run. In addition the perpetual supply constraint in New York City almost guarantees long-term growth in this sub-segment of multifamily.
    • Affordable housing, specifically Project Based Section 8 properties and buildings that can lend themselves to affordable preservation execution will remain in demand. These assets are attractive because they offer allowable budget based increases, or OCAF (operating costs for Project Based Section 8), coupled with the ability to receive a tax abatement and/or subsidies. In addition, private equity, Mission Driven Capital has moved into this space in the past decade with interest accelerating since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Weaker Asset Classes

    • Office buildings, primarily Class B and C office buildings in transition, which may be partially vacant, will be challenged. We examined options for these assets in a previous Forbes article. However, some Class A office assets are now beginning to suffer from the short-term effects of mortgage resets and maturities combined with higher vacancy rates and lower values as well. The New York City Metro area (New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania), will see approximately $15.7 billion of loan maturities on office buildings by year end 2024, according to a Goldman Sachs analysis based on data from Trepp.
    • Condominium projects in the middle of construction may be at risk. The spike in interest rates has led to much slower sellouts and lower pricing. As a result, construction loans, which are usually floating rate, increase the immediate carrying costs in addition to the challenge to pay them down (through the sale of units) or refinance out of them. In Brooklyn, a New York City borough with a population of 2.6 million, condo sales in 4Q22 fell 19.2% year-over-year to 846, according to Douglas Elliman. During the same period, listing inventory fell 12.5% to 977 units, which is only a 3.5 month supply, compared to a 12 month supply in 4Q18.
    • Predominantly rent stabilized property valuations have suffered as a result of higher borrowing costs as well as the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) of 2019, which prevents adequate rent increases for stabilized units. Therefore, mortgage resets and maturities will strongly affect this sub-segment of the multifamily market, a topic we explored in detail in a previous Forbes article. Most vulnerable are the approximately 795 rent stabilized buildings with 41,000 units acquired between 2016 to 2019 before HSTPA was passed, according to an Ariel’s analysis of sales of buildings with over 10 units. The fundamentals for these assets have changed drastically not only because of market conditions but because of HSTPA.

    Near Term vs. Long Term

    Our Capital Services team has been fielding calls from clients concerned about the bank closures and reaching out to lenders. It’s reassuring that the recent turmoil in the banking sector isn’t the result of sour commercial real estate loans or questionable underwriting, but macro issues that are working their way through the economy.

    What we have seen is a few select banks stepping up and filling the void left by Signature Bank. “Long-term, we believe other lenders will take market share, mostly in the safer multifamily asset class (regulated or not),” said Matt Dzbanek, Senior Director of Ariel’s Capital Services Group. “However, in the short-term, valuations and cost will suffer. We remain very bullish on New York City’s fundamentals and always have different financing options even in this tougher environment.”

    Dzbanek said he remains optimistic, noting that most lenders he’s working with are moving through deals at a diligent pace. “We’re getting deals done,” he said. “We’re in the middle of a closing as we speak and signing multiple term sheets every week. So, as of now, the biggest thing we’re seeing is maybe proceeds pulled back a little bit or maybe a higher rate. But so far, lenders still have a good appetite for New York City real estate.”

    Dzbanek’s pipeline is a healthy balance between both acquisition and refinance opportunities. In this climate he is advising clients to run a process and identify multiple lenders for each project to mitigate risk. “When there is uncertainty in the market, it’s even more important for borrowers to be exposed to as many options and banking relationships as possible,” he said.

    While there will be volatility in the short-term, this crisis will firm up a new bedrock for New York City commercial real estate lending. We believe that this period will be an opportunity for new lenders to step up and gain market share and increase their presence in New York City.

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  • Ex-Goldman Sachs banker, Roger Ng, gets 10-year sentence in 1MDB fraud

    Ex-Goldman Sachs banker, Roger Ng, gets 10-year sentence in 1MDB fraud

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    A former Goldman Sachs banker was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for his role in looting a Malaysian development fund of billions of dollars used to finance lavish parties, a superyacht, premium real estate and even the 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

    Roger Ng was convicted last April by a U.S. District Court jury in Brooklyn, but he continues to deny charges that he conspired to launder money and violated two anti-bribery laws.

    Prosecutors said Ng and his co-conspirators helped the Malaysian fund, known as 1MDB, raise $6.5 billion through bond sales — only to participate in a scheme that siphoned off more than two-thirds of the money, some of which went to pay bribes and kickbacks.

    Plea for mercy

    Reading from a prepared statement, Ng pleaded for mercy from U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie.

    “I’m embarrassed. I’m ashamed,” he told the judge.

    “I don’t want to live in resentment,” he said. “I want to redeem myself.”

    The judge admonished Ng: “The only explanation for your conduct is greed.”

    Former Goldman Banker Roger Ng Fraud Trial
    Roger Ng, a former banker for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., departs from federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. 

    Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images


    Ng had hoped that he would avoid prison time and be allowed to return to Malaysia, where he faces a separate prosecution. His lawyers argued that incarceration would worsen his “serious mental health condition.”

    Ng was extradited to the United States in 2019 after spending six months in custody in Malaysia. He has been under house arrest for the past four years.

    Federal prosecutors had asked Brodie for a 15-year sentence.

    “Single largest heist in the history of the world”

    His lawyers acknowledged the looting was “perhaps the single largest heist in the history of the world.” But they failed to convince the jury that Ng was the fall guy for two other people charged in the $4.5 billion scheme.

    One of them, Tim Leissner, Ng’s former boss at Goldman Sachs, pleaded guilty in 2018 to bribing government officials in Malaysia and Abu Dhabi. He was ordered to pay $43.7 million and became a key government witness during Ng’s two-month trial.

    The third man, the Malaysian financier known as “Jho Low,” remains an international fugitive.

    Ng was allowed to leave the courthouse and will surrender to authorities in two months, unless the judge grants his request to remain released on bail while he appeals.

    The judge declined to issue a fine, and would consider a forfeiture amount in the coming days. That amount could be anything up to $35 million.

    Former Goldman Banker Roger Ng Fraud Trial
    Tim Leissner, former chairman of Southeast Asia for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., center, departs from federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022. Ng is accused of conspiring to violate U.S. anti-money-laundering law in a scheme to loot billions from the Malaysian fund known as 1MDB. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Bloomberg


    Only Goldman banker to stand trial

    Ng, who oversaw investment banking in Malaysia for his firm, was the only Goldman Sachs banker to stand trial. He said Leissner implicated him to gain leniency during his own sentencing. Leissner has not yet been sentenced.

    In 2020, Goldman Sachs acknowledged its role in the embezzlement scheme and paid more than $2.3 billion as part of a plea deal with the U.S. government. The firm had previously reached a $3.9 billion settlement with the government of Malaysia.

    The U.S. government said the theft of so much money harmed the people of Malaysia.

    The fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, was set up in 2009 by Prime Minister Najib Razak to promote economic development.

    The financial scandal helped topple his government during the country’s 2018 elections. A Malaysian court would later find him guilty of abusing his power and committing other crimes connected to the massive embezzlement. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

    But Najib was acquitted last week of tampering with an audit to cover up wrongdoing.

    Illegal attempt to lobby U.S. Department of Justice

    The scandal touched on several figures in the U.S.

    A top fundraiser for former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, Elliott Broidy, was charged with running an illegal lobbying campaign on Jho Low’s behalf to get the Justice Department to drop its investigation into 1MDB’s looting. Broidy pleaded guilty, but was pardoned by Trump, so was never sentenced.

    A member of the hip-hop group the Fugees, Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, was also charged with being part of a conspiracy to help Low make illegal campaign contributions. Michel says he is innocent.

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  • Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson arrested on fraud charges

    Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson arrested on fraud charges

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    Carlos Watson, the founder of the troubled digital start-up Ozy Media, was arrested Thursday on federal fraud charges as part of what prosecutors say was a scheme to prop up the financially struggling company. 

    Federal agents arrested Watson at a Manhattan hotel after two of the company’s top executives pleaded guilty this month to fraud charges, including Ozy’s then-chief operating officer, Samir Rao, who allegedly impersonated a YouTube executive during a pitch to Goldman Sachs, a potential investor.

    Ozy, which was founded in 2013, had touted “being ahead of the curve” and “never [telling] a story that another national or international publication has already covered.” But the company hemorrhaged millions of dollars before it shut down amid revelations of possibly deceptive business practices.

    The indictment unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn accuses Watson of conspiring to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, as well as identity theft for his role in the impersonation of several media executives.

    Ozy advertised itself as a progressive digital platform, but it imploded under insurmountable debt, forcing it to rely on high-interest loans and to more aggressively court investors. It had also faced scrutiny about the size of its audience, with Watson claiming in 2021 that it had 25 million subscribers to its newsletters — more than the New York Times.

    In a parallel civil case, the Securities and Exchange Commission also charged Watson and the company with defrauding investors of about $50 million “through repeated misrepresentations concerning the company’s basic financial condition, business relationships, and fundraising efforts.”

    For instance, Watson and others “routinely and purposely presented prospective investors with false financial information that grossly inflated Ozy Media’s annual revenue by at least 100%,” the SEC said.

    Guilty pleas 

    The SEC said Rao and Ozy’s former chief of staff, Suzee Han, have “agreed to resolve the charges against them,” as they did separately with U.S. prosecutors.

    Rao pleaded guilty in federal court this week, while Han did so last week. The guilty pleas and arrest were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

    “I am deeply disappointed by the events of today,” Watson’s attorney, Lanny Breuer, said after the arrest. “We were engaged, I thought, in a good faith and constructive dialogue with the government. And given the government’s claims of promoting such dialogue in general, I simply do not understand the dramatic decision to arrest Carlos this morning.”

    Impersonating a bank executive

    Scrutiny of the company deepened after the New York Times reported in October 2021 that an Ozy official had masqueraded as a YouTube executive in a failed attempt to get Goldman Sachs to infuse money into the struggling enterprise. 

    Shortly after, Ozy said it was shutting down.

    “As alleged, Carlos Watson is a con man whose business strategy was based on outright deceit and fraud,” said Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Brooklyn-based Eastern District of New York. “He ran Ozy as a criminal organization rather than as a reputable media company.”

    Michael J. Driscoll, the assistant director-in-charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said Watson “repeatedly attempted to entice both investors and lenders through a series of deliberate deceptions and fabrications.”

    Maximum sentence

    Authorities say Watson and his business partners, between 2018 and 2021, attempted to defraud investors and lenders of “tens of millions of dollars through fraudulent misrepresentations and omissions” about the company’s debts and other key financial information.

    On multiple occasions, the U.S. attorney’s office said, Watson and his colleagues pretended to be other media executives to cover up earlier misrepresentations.

    If convicted, Watson faces at least two years in prison, with a maximum of 37 years, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

    The SEC’s civil complaint, also filed in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, accuses Watson and the company of violating anti-fraud provisions of federal securities laws.

    “We allege that over the course of several years, the defendants raised approximately $50 million from victim investors on the basis of fraudulent documents and repeated misrepresentations, including, at least in one case, falsely impersonating a potential business partner during a meeting with an investment bank,” said Gurbir Grewal, the SEC’s director of enforcement.

    The agency, whose regulatory responsibilities include protecting investors, accused Ozy officials of “routinely and purposely” presenting potential investors with dubious financial information, including falsely claiming that the company’s revenues were at least twice what they actually were.

    In addition, the SEC said, Watson and Rao also sought investments by allegedly telling prospective investors that they were securing money from high-profile companies and investors.

    In one case, the SEC and federal prosecutors contend, Watson and Rao launched a ruse that had Rao impersonating a YouTube executive to convince a prospective investor that Ozy was getting licensing revenue from the online video-sharing behemoth.

    When the potential investor discovered the alleged ploy, Watson asserted that Rao was suffering from a “mental health crisis,” the SEC said.

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  • The New Safe Haven: Brooklyn As A Magnet For Big Money

    The New Safe Haven: Brooklyn As A Magnet For Big Money

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    For the past two decades Brooklyn has developed and emerged as a super borough; an alternative for institutional capital in New York City, and in some metrics, topping the undefeated borough of Manhattan.

    The following major factors have contributed to this trend:

    • No longer second class. Brooklyn has become the first choice for residents, businesses and investors.
    • Size. The borough accounts for 23% of New York City’s land area and includes 31% of the city’s population, resulting in a densely populated 39,438 residents per square mile.
    • Diversity of products and locations. Brooklyn offers quality assets available for institutional investment. For example: multifamily, office and development assets located Downtown; industrial/warehouse in Red Hook and East New York; development in newly rezoned, up and coming areas like Gowanus and previously rezoned neighborhoods like Williamsburg; and affordable housing-driven locations in multiple neighborhoods. This diversity attracts different buckets of institutional capital such as: opportunistic, core, core plus and mission driven.

    Brooklyn Investment Sales 2017-2022

    Brooklyn Saw Record Dollar Volume and Nearly Half of NYC’s Transactions in 2022

    The desirability of Brooklyn as a destination for capital was evident in last year’s numbers when total investment sales exceeded $10 billion for the first time ever, surpassing the previous record of $9.19 billion from 2015, which is a remarkable milestone, highlighted in Ariel’s 2022 Brooklyn Year-End Commercial Real Estate Trends. The borough also accounted for 45% of New York City’s 2,716 transactions, and 25% of the city’s $38.4 billion in dollar volume.

    Brooklyn Investment Sales Volume 2022 vs 2021

    My partner Sean Kelly noted that Brooklyn “finished the year with 16 transactions of $100+ million, nearly doubling the nine from 2021. Building off 2021, which saw rents and vacancy rates return to pre-pandemic levels, many investors reemerged from the sidelines and helped Brooklyn achieve its best year to date.”

    The significant $100+ million transactions included:

    • Avanath Capital Management’s $314.5 million purchase of the fully free market multifamily building at 38 6th Ave & 535 Carlton Ave, which was the California-based investment firm’s first purchase in New York City.
    • The second largest sale in Brooklyn was A&E’s $248.7 million purchase of the Lefrak South BK Multifamily Portfolio consisting of 14 buildings with over 75% of the units rent stabilized.
    • Additionally, KKR purchased for $190 million 80 Dekalb Ave in Fort Greene, a mixed-use, elevator building with a 25-year 421a tax exemption that began in FY 2010-2011.

    Multifamily Market Recorded the Most Transactions Ever

    These large deals contributed to Brooklyn’s multifamily market having its strongest year to date in 2022, finishing with 807 transactions, the most ever recorded in the borough. This represents a 29% increase from 2021’s 624 transactions. Dollar volume ended the year at $5.3 billion, also an all-time high, and up 10% from 2021. Excluding the Starrett City Portfolio partial interest sale in August 2021 for $1.3 billion, the year-over-year dollar volume would have increased by 33%. The average price per square foot for multifamily reached $459, a 23% increase compared to 2021 and the highest average ever recorded in the borough.

    However, like the rest of the city, the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) of 2019 changed investor behavior last year, prompting institutional investors and other buyers to bypass rent stabilized buildings in favor of free market multifamily assets, including smaller buildings.

    “Although the borough saw many sizable deals, small multifamily buildings with fewer than six units actually accounted for over 50% of the multifamily transactions in the borough last year, and 93% of the multifamily sales traded for $10 million or less,” said Director Stephen Vorvolakos. “Our team has had a tremendous amount of success with smaller properties and receive multiple offers as soon as we go to market with these buildings. We don’t see this momentum slowing down anytime soon unless the laws governing rent stabilized buildings change.”

    The Carlyle Group is one example of institutional capital that has been pursuing buildings with 10 units or less and last year refinanced a loan for 39 properties in Brooklyn and Queens for $500 million.

    Development Market Remained Strong Despite Expiring Tax Abatement Program

    Brooklyn’s development market remained strong, recording over $1.6 billion in sales across 166 transactions, with most of these deals allowing developers to build rental housing. Brooklyn saw 38 development transactions of $10 million or more, a 31% increase from 2021, and the average price per buildable square foot rose 10% to $278 in 2022 compared to the previous year.

    “This substantial development activity is no surprise because every day we talk about the perpetual shortage of housing in New York City, which is driving up rents,” Kelly said. “Higher rents have somewhat offset the increase in labor and material costs, so pricing has remained pretty stable.”

    Williamsburg continued to be the hot spot for development with 33 transactions totaling $325 million accounting for 19% of sales in Brooklyn last year. In Gowanus, which was rezoned for residential use in late 2021, transaction volume saw a strong uptick with eight transactions, doubling its total from 2020 & 2021 combined. Madison Realty Capital’s purchase of 350-355 Hicks Street in Cobble Hill for $142 million was the largest development site sale in Brooklyn since 2019. The next two highest sales were in Flatbush and Brighton Beach, an indication that developers are spreading their projects throughout the borough.

    Politics also played a role in investor decisions in the development market last year. The New York State Legislature allowed the 421a/Affordable New York tax abatement to expire on June 15th, which caused a burst of sales activity in the months before as developers rushed to get their shovels in the ground before the deadline.

    We’re hopeful that a successor program to 421a will be introduced as both Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams are advocating for incentives to encourage new housing development. The governor also has proposed extending the deadline to obtain a TCO for 421a projects by four years to 2030. Under the current program, developers are required to finish construction by June 2026 to receive the property tax break.

    “Without an extension, it’s going to be very, very difficult for the larger projects to complete their projects in three years, although it will be achievable for the smaller to mid-sized projects,” Kelly said. “So, I think there’s going to be a lot of transactional volume in the capital markets, financing the construction for rental projects and we’ll see some sales as well. We’re actually just hitting the market with a site in Gowanus that will allow for the construction of 140 units.”

    Industrial/Warehouse/Storage Sales Jumped 76%

    The industrial/warehouse market continued to thrive in Brooklyn during the post pandemic era as more retailers shifted into the online space. Dollar volume totaled $1.3 billion, a 76% increase year-over-year, the highest amount ever recorded in Brooklyn, while transactions were flat at 99. The $492 per gross square foot average is a Brooklyn record, surpassing 2021 of $425 by 14%, which was the previous high.

    The rise in dollar volume can be attributed to the $332 million sale of 640 Columbia Street in Red Hook and the $228.5 million sale of 554 & 578 Cozine Avenue in East New York, both in the first half of 2022. Both properties are fully leased to Amazon and are the two largest industrial/warehouse sales ever in Brooklyn. In addition to the Columbia Street sale, Red Hook saw six transactions totaling $70 million in 2022.

    What to Expect in the Balance of 2023

    Brooklyn today provides a growing and significant alternative to any type of institutional capital. We believe that 2023 will be another strong year for the borough and are already aware of several assets slated to close from affordable housing complexes to opportunistic development sites. In a way, Brooklyn offers everything available in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens in one borough. The institutional narrative is strong.

    To read the full Brooklyn 2022 Year-End Commercial Real Estate Trends report, please click HERE. Please see my podcast about the Brooklyn market below.

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    Shimon Shkury, Contributor

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  • The 14th Annual Juneteenth NY Celebration 2023 ‘Kaleidoscope of Black Culture’ Returns to Brooklyn, NY, June 16-June 18

    The 14th Annual Juneteenth NY Celebration 2023 ‘Kaleidoscope of Black Culture’ Returns to Brooklyn, NY, June 16-June 18

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    WABC-TV, the #1 Station in New York and the Most Watched Local Station in the Country, Is a Proud Media Partner of the Juneteenth NY Celebration. New York City’s Premier Three-Day Annual Celebration Showcasing the Abundant History and Impact of African-Americans Returns to the Epicenter of Black Culture and Community with Exciting New Events For 2023

    Press Release
    –

    Feb 23, 2023 08:00 EST


    NEW YORK, February 23, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    The 14th Annual Juneteenth NY Celebration – one of New York City’s premier and largest annual events commemorating a now federally-recognized holiday – returns for an exciting three-day celebration, kicking off virtual and in-person on Friday, June 16, through June 18 from the epicenter of Black culture and community in Brooklyn, NY.

    The Juneteenth NY Celebration was created to empower the Black community as well as advance the economic and cultural arts in underserved areas to champion small, Black-owned businesses. By showcasing Black creativity, ingenuity, and innovations, the Juneteenth NY Celebration’s array of events push forward a positive and present-day Black history narrative. With this year’s theme “Kaleidoscope of Black Culture”, the weekend will feature the best in Black culture and community with live performances, exhibitions, authentic local cuisine, wellness and other family fun activities, including The Celebration of Black Kings Awards Dinner and Reception and the highly anticipated Juneteenth NYC Parade. Over the past 14 years, Juneteenth NY has grown and expanded exponentially from a local gathering to a nationally recognized event with this year’s attendees expected to reach over 37,000+.

    In honor of Black History Month and celebrating freedoms for all worldwide, the Juneteenth holiday promotes unity and builds self-esteem through reflection, education, and acknowledgment of African-American achievements. In 2021, historic and bipartisan legislation passed establishing Juneteenth as the newest Federal holiday, showcasing the power and progress of the work that continues to move African American history forward. Juneteenth NY Celebration encourages people of all races, nationalities, and ethnicities to join together to support and participate in Juneteenth celebrations locally and across the country – a true testament of resilience and humanity. 

    “We are beyond excited to bring the Juneteenth NY Celebration back bigger and better than ever in its 14th year as New York’s premier event for the city to come together and celebrate our rich Black history that is embedded in the very fabric of this country. We are proud to continue the Juneteenth NY tradition and celebration as the largest gathering of Black people dedicated to elevating one another, providing a space for creativity, culture, and Black excellence,” said Juneteenth NY’s pioneer and visionary CEO/Founder, Athenia Rodney. “Recently we have witnessed an attack on Black history and African-American studies, but with events like Juneteenth NY Celebration, we can educate, uplift, and enlighten people everywhere and truly champion change by bringing Black history past, present and future to the forefront. Juneteenth NY is a safe space for our community, shifting the narrative and creating change that will have a lasting generational impact nationally and globally.”

    “WABC is a proud media sponsor of the Juneteenth NY Celebration, which recognizes the contributions of African-Americans and the power and strength of the human spirit,” said Marilu Galvez, President and GM of WABC-TV. The WABC station-wide media partnership includes Juneteenth NY coverage on linear, digital, and social platforms.

    The 14th Annual Juneteenth NY Celebration will be held (rain or shine). All events with the exception of The Celebration of Black Kings Awards Dinner and Reception are free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged. To learn more, please visit https://www.juneteenthny.com/.

    The Celebration of Black Kings Awards Dinner tickets are $125. Proceeds will go toward the Destiny Helpers Outreach Inc (https://destinyhelpersoutreach.org/the-miss-brownsville-teen-pageant).

    Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juneteenthny/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juneteenthny; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuneteenthNewYork

    For those interested in sponsoring Juneteenth NYC, please email sponsorship@sinclairsocial.com. 

     About Juneteenth
    Juneteenth – also known as “Juneteenth Independence Day” or “Freedom Day” – is a holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in Galveston, Texas, and, more generally, the emancipation of African-American slaves throughout the Confederate South. The state official celebration is generally celebrated on June 19th and is now recognized as a national holiday. Juneteenth symbolically serves as a reference point from which to measure and appreciate the progress and contributions made by African-Americans to society.

    About Juneteenth NY Celebration
    Now in its 14th year, the Juneteenth NY Celebration is one of the longest-running events commemorating Juneteenth and the preeminent celebration of the holiday in the Tri-State area. Located in Brooklyn, the first Juneteenth NY Celebration was held in East New York and hosted by George Walker Jr. in 2009 with Umoja Events entrusted to carry on the Celebration in 2011. The Celebration was designed to celebrate and empower the Black community. Each year features a theme that seeks to educate the Black community on its history while also changing the narrative of the devastating impact of slavery.

    About WABC-TV New York
    WABC-TV has been the leader in local news and entertainment programming in the New York City area for more than 61 years. Producing more than 45 hours of live, local news and weather each week, Channel 7 “Eyewitness News” is the most-watched local news in New York and the United States. WABC-TV also produces “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” weekdays at 9:00 a.m., which is seen in more than 200 markets across the U.S. Quality news and programming, cutting-edge technology and ongoing community outreach are the hallmarks of excellence that have consistently kept WABC-TV New York’s No. 1 station and the most-watched television station in the nation. 
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/abc7ny; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abc7ny/; Facebook: ABC7NYhttps://www.facebook.com/ABC7NY/

    Source: JuneteenthNY

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