🌱 Apartment Fire + Pumpkin Patch Pop-Up + Cornbread's Comeback

Hello, hello! I'm back in your inbox this morning with the most important things happening locally. Today we'll cover:

• Tragic realities
• Seasonal pop-ups
• Fast-casual soul food

But first, today's weather:

🌤 Mostly sunny. High: 59 Low: 42.

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Here are the top stories in Brooklyn today:

1. An apartment fire has left two residents in critical condition. Early on Monday, a raging apartment fire broke out in Brooklyn, critically injuring two, an elderly woman and her daughter, who was trying to extinguish the flames. The blaze broke out at about 4:25 a.m. inside the apartment on Berry Street near Broadway in Williamsburg, officials said. It took 106 firefighters an hour and 10 minutes to bring the fire under control. The apartment where the fire started has been completely gutted, and the hallway took some hits as well.

Subscription / New York Daily News

2. Overdose rates are rising in New York City, according to a report released yesterday by the state department. 2021 saw a 14 percent rise in overdose-related fatalities, an increase that coincides with the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, conducted quarterly, also introduced a 7 percent increase in non-heroin-related opioid overdoses, and a 24 percent rise in drug-related emergency room visits. These increasing numbers are not unique to the city, in fact they've been on the up throughout New York State and across the country for the past year. Health Commissioner Mary Bassett has called in a standing order for more naloxone, used to counter the effects of overdose, in peoples' hands to help reduce the number of overdoses that in death.

Spectrum News NY1

3. A new book is shining a spotlight on Brooklyn behind the camera. For decades, the borough has featured prominently on the silver screen, and now Margo Donahue's "Filmed in Brooklyn" has documented this history in book form. Ever the cinephile, Donahue is also the host of the "Book Vs. Movie" podcast which, as you may have guessed, gives a rundown and review on the page-to-film split. Donahue said that in many ways the project was helped, not hindered, by the pandemic — she's had all the time in the world to the watch over 250 movies necessary for the book's research!

PIX11 New York News

4. Domino Park's pop-up pumpkin patch has over 4,000 seasonal stoop-sitters to choose from. For those who can't wait to get their carve on, Greg's Great Pumpkin Patch in Domino Park in Williamsburg is popping up as we near ever closer to mid-autumn and Halloween. Now a city staple, Greg's seasonal offerings have been delighting New York for 20 years now; not always pumpkins, he sometimes swaps out spooky for Santa during the holidays. “We’ve been having just the most amazing time with customers coming in,” he said. “We put together the best-looking pumpkin patch, I’d say anywhere.” If you decide to check it out, you may meet Greg himself!

Time Out

5. A former IHOP franchisee is serving up fast-casual soul. In 2017, Adenah Bayoh opened the first Cornbread Farm to Soul when she noticed that grandma's recipes like fried catfish, fried chicken, grits, and mac n' cheese were in high demand amongst her IHOP customers, but often infrequently available in their area. With co-founder Elzadie Smith, Bayoh decided to bring the Chipotle model to soul food, creating minimally processed dishes made from scratch in a fast-casual restaurant environment. Plate meals with a protein and two sides are roughly $20-$25 and everything is served with cornbread. Dessert? Apple pie or peach cobbler. Cornbread Farms are starting to crop up all around the New Jersey and New York area, and its largest location just opened in Brooklyn.

Restaurant Business Online

From our sponsor:

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Today in (and around) Brooklyn:

• Dumbo Film Festival, Stuart Cinema & Cafe, Today @ 3 p.m. | Details
• [Free!] outdoor movie "Hocus Pocus," Fosun Plaza (FiDi), Today @ 6:30 p.m. | Details
• 📚 Rooftop Readings (all ages!), Ample Hill Creamery, Today @ 7 p.m. | Details
• [Free!] Astronomy on Tap, Pete's Candy Store Williamsburg, Today @ 7 p.m. | Details
• Pink Lotion Comedy Show, Mood Ring, Today @ 8 p.m. | Details

🐝 Brooklyn Buzz:

• 🍜 From Chicago to Brooklyn, Urbanbelly ramen in coming to Williamsburg Market: "We’re restaurateurs not bound by restaurants, and we want to bring our food to where the people are. The Williamsburg market is set to have an amazing roster of talent and we’re thrilled to be able to bring the Urbanbelly legacy to New York,” said Josh Zadikoff, president of Cornerstone Restaurant Group, an investor in the Williamsburg Market. (Brooklyn Paper)
• 'Real Housewives of New York' reps Brooklyn: "Dumbo resident Sai De Silva is joining the rebooted show, the network announced at BravoCon Sunday. She’s a mother of two and is the creative director of Scout the City, a 'passion project blog and quickly evolved into an online lifestyle destination,' according to a press release." (Brooklyn Magazine)
• The arts are ditching the mask mandate: Met Opera, NY Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall are all dropping their audience mask requirement starting Oct. 24, ending policies in place that have carried over since the venues' reopening last year. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)

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Events:

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• Boarding School Admissions Fair (October 24)
• Kids Superhero Yoga Party for Halloween (October 27)
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You're officially in the loop for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Carlie Houser

About me: I'm a recent grad based in Brooklyn, NY. I love to write, run, read, and find new restaurants and venues around the city.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Brooklyn Daily? Contact me at brooklyn@patch.com