Community Corner
🌱 Coney Island Menorah Destroyed + Bivalent Booster Rates Low
The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Brooklyn.
Hello again, everybody. It's Thursday in Brooklyn and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening in town. Today's issue includes updates on:
- Acts of antisemitism continue to plague the city—the latest victim was a Coney Island menorah
- Bivalent vaccine rates among New Yorkers is low, but they're on the rise in one Brooklyn neighborhood
- Meet the politicians trying to lift the ban on e-bikes in Prospect Park
But first, today's weather:
🌤 Partly sunny. High: 47 Low: 35.
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Here are the top stories in Brooklyn today:
1. Amid wave of global antisemitic attacks, a menorah in Coney Island was destroyed this week. According to several reports from U.S.-based watchdog group StopAntisemitism, similar incidents have occurred elsewhere in New York State, as well as in Beverly Hills, Berlin, as well as in Rockland, Maine, and Temuco, Chile. The wave of antisemitic attacks this year in New York City—from vandalism to violent physical encounters—is far worse than last year: 20 incidents were reported in November 2021 to this year's 45 for the same month. According to data, Jewish New Yorkers were the most targeted group, accounting for 60 percent of all hate crimes that occurred.
2. Prospect Heights is showing a relatively higher bivalent vaccine rate, whilst the rest of New York City is lagging on getting boosted against Covid-19. Only 12 percent of New Yorkers have received the latest bivalent booster shot, a newer version of the vaccine that protects against a wider variety of virus variants like Delta and Omicron. In Brooklyn's Prospect Heights, booster rates are rising relatively higher than the city average—closer to 26 percent of residents. Covid-19 cases have been on the rise since Thanksgiving, but despite warnings from the CDC and Mayor Eric Adams to get boosted and mask up, data shows that the majority of New Yorkers aren't taking heed of that advice. At this time last year, the city saw one of the largest Covid spikes to date with the arrival of the highly contagious Omicron variant. What the extent of this year's holiday surge will be is still up in the air.
3. A handful of Brooklyn politicians are urging the city to allow electric bikes in Prospect Park. Currently, e-bikes are classified along with SUVs or trucks, and thus not allowed in the park. On December 20, Brooklyn council members Shahana Hanif, Rita Joseph, and Crystal Hudson (all of districts that include portions of Prospect Park) penned a letter to NYC Parks Commissioner urging the parks department to work with Prospect Park Alliance to establish a policy that permits e-bike users. They argue that e-bikes, although motor vehicles, to do not pose the same threat to pedestrians as four and six thousand ton autos. "E-bikes make moving around our city more accessible to more people, while also reducing vehicle usage by replacing car trips," said Kathy Park Price, Brooklyn organizer at Transportation Alternatives.
4. Serena Williams could become a new owner of the Brooklyn Nets, as her husband Alexis Ohanian bids for his share of the team he loves. Ohanian has expressed that his adoration for the Brooklyn NBA team could be enough to convince him the buy a part of the New York side in the future. On the whole, the league has had its share of celebrity owners, including Michael Jordan (Charlotte Hornets) and Shaquille O'Neill (Los Angeles Lakers). Alexis Ohanian is the co-founder of the major social media application Reddit, and therefore, has a lot of experience in running big organizations. But all that business talk comes second to Ohanian's straight-up love for the Nets.
Today in Brooklyn:
- Free Admission Thursdays, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Today @ 1 p.m. | Details
- Karaoke Thursdays, Bellyful Restaurant & Bar, Today @ 5 p.m. | Details
- UnWhine Thursdays, Savvy Bistro & Bar, Today @ 6 p.m. | Details
- Jazz Dialogue, Ornithology Jazz Club, Today @ 6:30 p.m. | Details
- Patti Smith & Her Band, Brooklyn Steele, Today @ 8 p.m. | Details
🐝 Brooklyn Buzz:
- Forget Times Square, it's all about midnights in Brooklyn this New Years. At the link, check out Brooklyn Paper's picks for the best places in Brooklyn to welcome 2023. (Brooklyn Paper)
- Looking to buy NYC real estate in 2023? Curbed has some insight into what homebuyers can expect in the new year. Get informed at the link. (Curbed)
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That's it for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with 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
