The door has closed on October, but some of the news that broke through the month will stay with Brooklynites for weeks or even years to come.
Some New Yorkers have grown tired of waiting for the state to start issuing licenses to sell recreational marijuana after adult use and retail sale of the drug was legalized last year — but their not-quite-legal stores are drawing ire from neighbors. Ten years after Hurricane Sandy, Brooklynites are still living with the damage wrought by the devastating storm — and Downtown Brooklyn residents are asking the Department of Transportation to make some changes to a recent dramatic street makeover. In southern Brooklyn, congressional candidates are sparring over what is arguably the city’s most important election of the year.
Brannan, Gounardes call for crackdown on illegal marijuana dispensaries in midst of legalization ‘purgatory’
New York is in a “legal purgatory” more than a year after it legalized recreational use and sale of marijuana — the state still hasn’t issued any retail licenses to weed stores, but that hasn’t stopped illegal dispensaries from popping up all over the borough — and some local politicians are asking the NYPD to take action. Councilmember Justin Brannan and state Senator Andrew Gounardes are worried the illegal shops could have on the local economy as they sell untaxed, unregulated marijuana.
Street relief: Downtown Brooklynites ask DOT to flip traffic on Bond Street after Schermerhorn redesign
The newly-redesigned Schermerhorn Street features a long-overdue protected bike lane — but some Downtown Brooklyn residents say the conversion of the street to a one-way has led to gridlock in the nabe, and the city’s Department of Transportation is considering a solution.
The new two-way protected bicycle lane made Schermerhorn Street one-way eastbound between Smith Street and Third Avenue — eliminating a vehicle traffic lane. Now, those who live and drive on Schermerhorn Street are having trouble driving north, toward Fulton Street. They have asked – and DOT is considering — making part of Bond Street a one-way northbound, rather than a one-way southbound.
Superstorm Sandy, 10 years later: A look back on the storm, its devastating effects, and the city’s progress
Superstorm Sandy was the most destructive storm to arrive in New York City in recent history — and when the shock of the floods, the power outages, and the rain receded, the real impact of the storm set in.
Ten years later, repairs are ongoing at several public housing developments across the borough — Red Hook Houses still suffers with mold and other structural issues, and an ongoing resiliency project has made life “unbearable” for residents. The New York Aquarium in Coney Island only just fully reopened — and the city is still trying to figure out how to protect vulnerable communities from future storms.
As Sandy anniversary nears, Canarsie celebrates completion of Fresh Creek Coastal Resiliency Project
A decade ago, record-high storm surges and rainfall brought by Superstorm Sandy flooded streets and homes in Canarsie. Just before the ten-year anniversary of the storm, the Mayor’s Office of Storm Recovery cut the ribbon on the Fresh Creek Coastal Resiliency Project, which fortified the nabe’s sewer systems against future floods and reinforced a critical outflow into Fresh Creek.
Rose, Malliotakis lambast each other for missing debates
In New York City’s only swing district, congressional candidates Max Rose and Nicole Malliotakis locked their horns over missed debates — Rose skipped out on a debate hosted by the Dyker Heights Civic Association which earned him the criticism of the incumbent Malliotakis — one of the few Republican lawmakers in Brooklyn. But Rose hit right back when Malliotakis skipped a debate hosted by NY1.
