Mamdani Creates Deed Theft Office

BQE Admin on May 1, 2026

City Council Member Chi Osse was arrested last week at a deed theft protest in Bed-Stuy. (Photo via @chiosse)

Mayor Mamdani this week created a new office to regulate deed theft, after a Brooklyn rep was violently arrested and “slammed on the ground” last Wednesday at a housing protest in Bed-Stuy.

Council Member Chi Ossé, who represents Bed-Stuy and parts of Crown Heights, was one of four people arrested outside the home of Carmella Charrington, a local who is fighting eviction from her Jefferson Ave brownstone.

In footage posted on social media by Ossé’s staff, the 28-year-old — a DSA-affiliated rising star who became the youngest member ever elected to the city council in 2021 — can be seen speaking heatedly with a police officer outside the front gate, before another cop wrenches him face-down against the sidewalk.

Ossé was one of four protesters arrested, and he was released from the local precinct after being charged with two counts of disorderly conduct and one count of obstructing governmental administration. The second-term lawmaker promised to file a misconduct report, noting that he felt “dizzy” and had sustained mild head injuries.

A spokesperson for the NYPD claimed that they had given multiple warnings to clear the area, and that Ossé had resisted arrest. Meanwhile, state Attorney General Letitia James said she was “deeply disturbed” by the video, and North Brooklyn rep Lincoln Restler called the police officers’ conduct “outrageous.”

Deed theft occurs when scammers transfer a property to themselves without the owner’s knowledge or consent, typically through forged signatures or tricks that target older residents. The practice has come under scrutiny in recent years, with state-level complaints skyrocketing by 240% from 2023 to 2025.

Although James’ office determined that Charrington’s case was one of a dispute between heirs, rather than textbook deed theft, Ossé’s arrest has drawn increased attention to scams that often target Black and Brown New Yorkers. The problem is particularly dire in Brooklyn, which accounted for 1,500 of the 3,500 instances of deed theft recorded citywide between 2021 and 2023, making it the most impacted borough by far.

“When my grandmother was sick before she passed, she had a stroke, there were still people knocking on her door in Crown Heights asking her to sell her home,” Ossé told reporters. “We are seeing the displacement day in and day out here in Bed-Stuy — you can see the changing of the neighborhood, and a huge reason for that is because of deed theft.”

Last Friday, only two days after Ossé’s arrest, Mayor Mamdani formally established the first-ever Mayor’s Office of Deed Theft Prevention, and appointed Peter White as its inaugural director.

White, an attorney with Access Justice Brooklyn, has long worked on deed theft and foreclosure cases. The nonprofit’s head hailed him as “a brilliant lawyer and advocate,” and fellow experts largely applauded the appointment.

Scott Kohanowski, the general counsel at the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, singled out a clear priority for the newly-created office: “Just more transparency,” he told the Star. “So many of these scammers and speculators are shielded with our LLC laws, so it’s really hard to identify who the actors are. One thing I’d like to see is this new entity and the AG’s office having access to that information, so they can start connecting the dots.”

SCHWARTZ: I Believe I Have the Perfect Relationship with My Neighbor

BQE Admin on May 1, 2026

Kimmy and her neighbor-slash-landlady, Lillian, in the show “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”

By Lana Schwartz | lana.schwartz925@gmail.com

Becoming friends — true friends — with your neighbors in New York City is as elusive as finding a rent stabilized apartment. The fantasy is that you can socialize without leaving your apartment. The reality typically is that, at best, you don’t have anything in common with your neighbors except your address. At worst, you hate them. They’re loud, they have bad taste in music, and usually both at the same time. Worst of all, they could be doing that while simultaneously paying less money in rent than you.

No wall, floor, or ceiling has ever been thick enough for me to consider any direct neighbor as anything but annoying, quite frankly, if I’m considering them at all. Phone numbers have only been offered so I can send pleas to “please turn the music down, it’s 5 a.m.”

Yet recently I have found a more satisfying relationship with a neighbor, one that I believe is perfect.

I believe the key to this affection for my neighbor is that he lives in the building next to mine, rather than in my building. We have all of the neighborly camaraderie without any of the contempt familiarity can breed.

Our interactions go as follows: When I see him, I say “hi.” He says “hi” back. Though one time he did say that I’m “always walking around places,” which is an accurate summation of what I’m usually doing.

He is an older man, though I have no idea how old and I will probably never find out. How long has he lived in Greenpoint? Does he still like living here? These are all questions I don’t have. The simple, uncomplicated wave of recognition we share is more than enough for me. I even look forward to it. There is no expectation or intimation of small talk. It is a relief to know I can walk by and wave without having to say I’m “good” or talk about what the weather is doing. There are no hopes of deepening our relationship, and by the same token, no disappointments.

Still, I’d be upset if he wasn’t there anymore. I’d like to think he feels the same, and that, if needed, he could provide an accurate description of me to any real-life Law & Order: SVU detectives should I become a victim of an unspeakable crime. But there wouldn’t be an unfillable hole in the other person’s life if one of us was gone; and in New York City, where people are always arriving and leaving, there’s more than enough people with whom you share actual relationships with to miss. I wouldn’t want to add to my neighbor’s burden (whatever that burden may be, but like I said, he is older, so I imagine there are burdens).

Wave to the people who live on your block. You may get lucky and wind up with the kind of relationship like I have with my neighbor, though there are no guarantees. What we have takes no care, no maintenance, and therefore might be impossible to replicate.

COBB: A Paean to Puebla

BQE Admin on May 1, 2026

Generations of migrants to Brooklyn have come from the town of Chinantla in Puebla.(Photo via economia.gob.mx)

Brooklyn’s Mexican community has significant historical ties to its central region, thanks to a chance encounter over 80 years ago.

GEOFFREY COBB | gcobb91839@Aol.com

Author, “Greenpoint Brooklyn’s Forgotten Past

We are again ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday commemorating the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Ask most Mexicans living in New York City what part of Mexico they come from, and they will answer Puebla, a region located in central Mexico.

One of Mexico’s smaller states in geographic size, Puebla, though ranks fifth in population with over six million inhabitants. More than one million people from Puebla live in the United States, most of them in New York City neighborhoods including heavy concentrations in Sunset Park, Corona and Elmhurst.

According to estimates from the Pew Research Center and the Mexican Migration Project, approximately 70% of Mexicans in New York have roots in Puebla. Estimates claim that at least 200,000 People from Puebla live in the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area, making Puebla the main state of origin for Mexicans in the Northeastern United States. The migration has been so extensive that it now represents one-sixth of the population of Puebla.

Like most Mexican immigrants, Poblanos are hard working. Many work in restaurants, construction and retail. Many of the Poblanos working in our city send a large portion of their earnings back home. In 2023 alone, migrants from Puebla sent more than $2.4 billion in remittances to their home state, according to data from the Bank of Mexico, and most of that money came from New York.

Many towns in Puebla have a long and deep connection to New York City, perhaps none more than the small town of Chinantla, whose migration started more than eighty years ago, when Pedro Simón and his brother, Fermín, hitched a ride to New York City with an Italian American tourist they met in Mexico City. The man not only took them all the way to Times Square but even put them up in a hotel and got them jobs mopping floors at a restaurant. The day they decided to stay in the city, they left their hotel feeling celebratory, only to be showered by confetti in Times Square. It was V-E Day.

Decades later, the brothers returned to Chinantla, where they built big houses. Since the Simon brothers first arrived here, generations of migrants from Chinantla have come to New York City. Money from the United States has helped revitalize the town. Funds from migrants built the town’s schools and rebuilt its church, financed and designed its potable water system and illuminated its streets. Second and even third-generation New Yorkers keep their connection to the town. Teen-age girls from Brooklyn compete every year in the annual beauty pageant to be Senorita Chinantla, and often win.

Though the Simon brothers might have been the first Poblano migrants to New York City, they certainly were not the last. In the 1960s there were few economic opportunities in Puebla creating a second wave of Poblanos, many of them from the same small Puebla villages. At the end of the 1960s, when there was a lot of work in manufacturing and in the restaurant industry, the weekly income of the immigrants ranged from U.S.$50 to $80, considerably more than they would earn back home. New York Poblanos encouraged their friends and families in Mexico to migrate and within ten years, there were 6,000 New York Poblanos, and by 1980, 25,000. The 1982 and 1994 economic crises, as well as the 1985 earthquake, sparked a mass migration to New York. Within the United States, tougher anti-immigrant laws in California pushed Poblanos to seek safe haven with friends and family in the northeast.

The Puebla state government has so many of its citizens living in the United States that it created the concept of Casas Puebla in several U.S. cities with large numbers of Poblanos. A Casa Puebla advises Poblanos on immigration policy, consular matters, and customs. In addition, it also tells Poblanos of their rights as residents in the United States and strengthens their bonds with their families in Mexico. The first Casa Puebla in the United States began helping Poblanos New York City in May 1999.

One of the clearest indicators of the size of the Poblano community in New York City are the many restaurants and food trucks owned by Poblanos. Former New York chef and television host Anthony Bourdain worked with so many Poblanos, including his sous chef Eddie Perez, that he filmed one of his episodes entitled “Where the Cooks are from” in Puebla. One of the best Poblano eateries is Tulcingo del Valle, which is located on tenth Avenue in Manhattan and is famous for its tacos. Another great Poblano spot is Aquí en Bella Puebla on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, which serves delicious Mole sauces, for which Puebla is famous.

The Zaragosa Deli across from Manhattan’s Stuyvesant town has created an army of devoted fans with its blue-plate daily specials, which might include egg-filled albondigas in Chile sauce, pork ribs and verdólagas (purslane) in salsa verde, smothered chile relleno, or its signature dish potato and chorizo enchiladas. In Greenpoint, a Poblano family owns Acapulco, which has been serving up tasty Poblano dishes for decades.

Poblanos are a huge presence in New York City and Poblano culture is an integral part of the cultural mosaic that is New York City.

Bushwick Bar Hosts NYC’s First ‘LooksMaxxing’ Party

BQE Admin on May 1, 2026

Abby Nazziola (center) used his “looksmaxxing” performance to comment on the fragile nature of performative masculinity. Photos by Carol Chen.

A satirical drag show at Bushwick’s Talon Bar brought a diverse group together to lampoon a bizarre Internet subculture.

BY CAROL CHEN

BUSHWICK — The viral Instagram flyer promised New York City’s first — and perhaps last — looksmaxxing drag king contest. Last Friday night, the basement of Talon bar in Bushwick filled up with queer regulars, algorithmically curious strangers, a few attendees who had never been to a drag show, and at least one self-identified looksmaxxer who had driven in from Woodside.

The event was organized by Sarah Rescigno and Emily Herman, a couple whose party-throwing instincts led them toward an unusual subject: the growing online phenomenon of looksmaxxing Popular among young men, looksmmaxxing involves optimizing one’s physical appearance through extreme means, from structured fitness regimens to facial bone reshaping and, in some cases, methamphetamine microdosing for its supposed fat-burning properties.

The catalyst was Clavicular, a 20-year-old content creator who has become the internet’s most visible, and most polarizing, ambassador of the looksmaxxing world. Known for his streams, his controversial statements, and a recent drug overdose that briefly made national news, he has become a kind of funhouse mirror for anxieties about masculinity, body image, and the internet’s influence on young men.

The viral “looksmaxxing” trend was popularized by the controversial 20-year-old content creator, Clavicular. Photos by Carol Chen

Rescigno said the mainstream notoriety of looksmaxxing coupled with its distinctively queer undertones inspired her to put on the event: “My mom knows who Clavicular is now. It still has this niche appeal of feeling like you’re in an in group, but it’s becoming mainstream. And I thought it was perfect for a gay event — he’s this very flamboyant cisgender heterosexual man. It’s a very interesting thing to examine the gender performance.”

The post announcing the party — including a contest where drag kings compete to out-Clavicular each other — accumulated around 11,000 likes on Instagram and more than 160 RSVPs on Partiful.

The night opened with a performance by drag king Hugh Mann Race, a Brooklyn-based performer who took the stage in a black shirt and heavy contour, dancing and stripping to the Village People’s “Macho Man” to warm up the crowd. Then the contest itself began: five drag king competitors, each riffing on looksmaxxing culture to varying degrees.

The performance that drew the loudest reaction was that of Abby Nazziola, who wore a white wife-beater, red shorts, and elaborate prosthetic makeup that extended his jawline and accentuated his cheekbones into the chiseled, angular silhouette that looksmaxxers aspire to. He punched himself in the face with a hammer and flexed for the crowd to music, all while holding a muppet in hand.

When asked about the elements of his performance, Nazziola said: “I wanted to show the inherent transness of looksmaxxing. The foundation of it is fear of being ‘not man enough.’ I wanted to show that all of this is hurting more than helping, and how ridiculous these men look and sound.”

To Nazziola, the puppet represents the vulnerable inner child of those who use ultra-masculinity as cover: “I’m sure they see puppets as emasculating and childish, so I know they wouldn’t be happy with this depiction,” Nazziola said.

“There’s no room for being yourself in this sphere,” he added in a text message after the event Nazziola said over text after the event. “If these men really looked inside, they could find self-acceptance elsewhere. I think we as queer people know this very well.”

That parallel between the trans experience and the looksmaxxing community was constantly brought up throughout the night. Hugh Mann Race, who is trans, described watching young men pursue extreme physical transformation as genuinely sad. “I had to struggle to love my body,” he said backstage. “Being trans and being fat are the best things that could have happened to me. It was so sad to watch men hitting their faces with hammers when they don’t need it.”

Kax Petkovich, another contest participant, said that his experience mirrored that of Clavicular: “He’s been taking testosterone since he was 14. So am I.” However, Petkovich, argued that drag king culture offers a different model of masculinity: one arrived at through self-discovery rather than self-punishment. “Most drag kings are trans men or queer women — people who’ve been on the brunt of the worst of men, who then reclaim masculinity for themselves. It’s coming from a place of finding yourself.”

Murray Rosenbaum, 28, a public school teacher who stumbled onto the event while looking for things to do nearby, offered a perspective that hovered between the satirists and Rodrigues. His students, middle schoolers, have picked up looksmaxxing vocabulary and habits. “They would do the ‘mewing’ (during class), dragging their finger down their face to press their jaw in, to tell me they can’t answer a question.”

He said the event helped him make more sense of this cultural trend but also deepened his worry for the kids that he teaches, who are immersed in this culture. “Listening to Clavicular’s statements, it’s clear he struggles with happiness. He’s quoted saying men aren’t meant to be happy. He’s accepted this ideology of ‘I’m meant to suffer”.

At the end of the contest, the crowd voted by applause. Nazziola won. The MC Lauren Corcoran concluded the night with: “We want to make it very clear that we are not here to support Clavicular. We are here, in fact, to make f–ing fun of it.”

JJ: “How to Save Sinking 2026 Mets”

BQE Admin on April 29, 2026

New York, New York

By John Jastremski

sports@queensledger.com

A week ago on Sports Nite on SNY, I was asked if the 12 game losing streak was going to be rock bottom for the 2026 Mets. I hesitated and wondered, because with the way the team was playing and performing, in theory of course it could get worse.

This past weekend, my feelings were affirmed. The Mets were swept 3 straight by the Colorado Rockies, not exactly the 98 Yankees or 2025 Dodgers.

The Mets in a doubleheader on Sunday scored 1 run in 18 innings of baseball to fall double digit games under the .500 mark.

Yes, after Sunday’s game. All bets were off when it comes to the job security of Mets manager Carlos Mendoza especially with the shocking firing of Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Saturday night.

As of Tuesday morning, the Mets have not made a managerial change and the pipe dream of Alex Cora in the Mets dugout in 2026 seems exactly that.

After all, if you were paid 7.5 million dollars to do nothing the rest of the year, you’d probably prefer that as opposed to coming in and taking over a baseball team midseason.

So, history is without a doubt not on the side of the 2026 Mets. No team in the history of baseball has lost 12 consecutive games and has made the postseason.

The start for the 2026 Mets rivals some of the worst teams in the history of the franchise including the infamous 1962 Inaugural Mets.

I won’t sugar coat, on April 28th, the season does not exactly look promising. So, let’s be glass half full for a second. There is a lot of baseball left to be played. How do the Mets turn their season around? I’ll give you three keys.

Can the team remember how to hit the ball out of the ballpark?

If you want to score runs, you have to hit some home runs. The long ball has been non existent for this group, that has to change.

Can the 2 best starters on the team go deeper into games?

On a team that has been dreadful, I know it’s tough to nitpick Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean. I think both guys are tremendous pitchers, but they have to take their game to another level to help out the rest of the group. Both starters need to give the team more length. 5 inning starts are simply not enough.

Can the team be more fundamentally sound?

The entire offseason all I heard about was run prevention, run prevention, run prevention! The Mets made massive changes to the roster because they wanted to become more athletic, better defensively and more fundamentally sound.

A month in. The defense has been suspect, the mental mistakes have been off the charts and the brand of baseball has been atrocious.

Carlos Mendoza is fighting to save his job, he must tighten up the ship on so many different levels or he will be working somewhere else in 2027.

OK 2026 Mets. Nowhere to go, but up right?

You can listen to my podcast New York, New York on Spotify/Apple Podcasts every Sunday/Thursday & following every Knicks playoff game. You can watch me on Sports Nite nightly following Mets Postgame on SNY.

Flatbushite Celebrates 100th Birthday

BQE Admin on April 23, 2026

Families members from across the country joined Ivory Lee Burns for her 100th birthday party in April. (Photo: Tina Shuford)

By Jack Delaney | jdelaney@queensledger.com

FLATBUSH — Last weekend, a longtime Flatbush resident rang in her 100th birthday with a party that drew dozens of family members from hours away.

“I enjoyed it from beginning to end,” says Ivory Lee Burns, the guest of honor. “I’m just laying right here thinking about it. Everything came out so beautiful.”

Burns moved to Brooklyn in her 30s from Far Rockaway, though she was born in South Carolina. When you ask her where, exactly, she laughs: “Now you’re asking me to go way way back.”

Burns worked for decades as a cleaner, getting to the job at 9 a.m. and leaving at 5 p.m. to return home to her eight kids. She credits three forces with shaping her century on this planet: work, parenting, and God.

“I lived a long life by tending to my business and working and taking care of my family and coming home and feeding my kids and going to sleep and, God bless me, getting up the next morning to do the same thing all over again,” explains Burns.

“I think it keeps you together,” she says of that routine. “You don’t have to work yourself to death, it just keeps your mind together.”

Four of Burns’ children have passed away, but her grandchildren — including Tina Shuford — were in attendance for the big event on Saturday.

Shuford remembers spending summers in Flatbush with her grandmother when she was growing up. Now based in Hempstead, Long Island, where she founded the local advocacy group All the Way 100 Percent, Shuford believes those early months molded her for the better.

“I love everything about my grandmother,” Shuford says. “She disciplined me very well, and even to this day she disciplines me. I’ve always had a mouth, but I learned how to use it wisely. I know how to use it another way to be strong, to show people and educate them within our communities.”

The oldest Brooklynite on record was Susannah Mushat Jones, a 117-year old resident of East New York who lived from 1899 to 2016. Incredibly, she was the last American born in the 19th century.

Could Burns give her a run for her money?

“I ain’t going anywhere til the good Lord gets ready for me,” said Burns. “He brought me here, and he’s going to take me when he’s ready.”

Liberty Lock Up Big 3, Sign Satou Sabally

BQE Admin on April 23, 2026

3x All-Star joins loaded roster in hunt for a 2nd NY ring

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

“It’s always been a dream, playing here. I’ve always wanted to come home,” said Satou Sabally in her introductory press conference last Friday morning. “New York fans are tough on you and I love that and embrace it but they’re also so welcoming.”

The three-time WNBA All-Star is one of the newest members of the NY Liberty, who have hit the ground running in free agency. So far she is enjoying her time back in the city she was born in, looking forward to the season’s tip-off next month.

Satou Sabally

Sabally spent 2025 in Phoenix where she helped bring a loaded Mercury team to the WNBA Finals. She was dominant on both sides of the ball, just as she was in Dallas the six seasons prior. She was named an All-Star for the third time as she led Phoenix in scoring in the regular season and playoffs.

Sabally and superstar teammate Alyssa Thomas overcame a Game 1 loss to the Liberty in last year’s opening round to win in three games. They went on to do the same in four games against the championship-favorite Minnesota Lynx before ultimately being swept by the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals.

Sabrina Ionescu

The Liberty announced the return of their star trio later on Friday. Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, and Jonquel Jones will all be back in seafoam green this year, as expected.

Ionescu may be returning to a primary ball-handling role this year. The 2020 first overall pick is now a four-time All-Star, also named to the All-WNBA 2nd Team last year.

Breanna Stewart

Breanna Stewart was a vital piece of the Liberty’s quest to repeat as champions last year. The 9-year superstar has dominated on both ends of the court, leading New York in points, blocks, and steals per game. She went to her 7th All-Star game, also earning All-WNBA 2nd Defensive Team honors last season.

Jonquel Jones

2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones is staying for 2026, looking to bounce back from a season where she wasn’t quite as dominant as others. The Bahamanian missed some time last year (as did Ionescu, Stewart, and plenty of others) but still tallied 12 double-doubles. Her physicality in the paint will be vital this year, especially with the addition of Sabally to the frontcourt.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is coming back to New York after missing the 2025 season with a meniscus tear. A sharpshooting wing and defensive force, Laney-Hamilton is bringing an unmatchable intensity back to the Liberty lineup.

Preseason training camp is underway in Brooklyn, with the first of two tune-up games tipping off this weekend. New York will host the Indiana Fever on Saturday, the 25 at 3pm at the Barclays Center. Then after heading up for a second preseason game in Connecticut, they open the regular season against the Sun on May 8 in Brooklyn.

OP-ED: Brooklynites Need Relief from Swipe Fees

BQE Admin on April 22, 2026

Should Congress pass the Credit Card Competition Act? (Photo: Wikimedia)

By Pastor Sharmaine Byrd | news@queensledger.com

Make no mistake about it, rising costs are squeezing regular New Yorkers every single day. I hear about it from friends, family, my congregation and see it with my own two eyes daily. But one place we could see real relief is if Congress provides a solution for the fees baked into our credit card system.

Every time a New Yorker pays or donates with a credit card, that transaction incurs a fee for the merchant or organization that is set by Visa and Mastercard who dominate the payments industry. Those swipe fees amount to billions each year. While many businesses are forced to raise prices to cover costs, these fees come directly from the donation my church receives. That means we send a portion of every dollar we receive back to these massive credit card companies.

Passing the Credit Card Competition Act would change this by bringing more competition into the system and helping lower these costs. More competition means a fairer marketplace. But what it really means is more funds to continue giving back to our community and growing our ministry.

Encouraging competition would also drive down fees and lower costs for consumers and small businesses. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and that’s why this bill has bipartisan support. New Yorkers should urge Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to back this commonsense reform. And as Minority Leader, Sen. Schumer is in a unique position to bring members of his caucus together and move this bill forward.

New York’s small businesses, consumers, and our faith community deserve a system that is working for them, not against them. It’s time for Congress to act and pass the CCCA.

Sharmaine Byrd is a pastor at the Greater Mt. Carmel Cathedral and Worship Center in Crown Heights.

Blackbird’s Cinco de Mayo party to feature $5 Margaritas and Live Music

BQE Admin on April 21, 2026

Fresh off its recognition as one of the borough’s top dining destinations, Blackbird Restaurant & Bar, located at 42 Hotel in Williamsburg, is channeling that momentum into what may be its most anticipated event of the season: a Cinco de Mayo celebration that aims to capture the spirit of Williamsburg itself—vibrant, communal, and unmistakably stylish.

Scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, from 4 to 9 p.m., the event will feature live entertainment and $5 margaritas, a combination that is expected to draw a cross-section of the neighborhood—from longtime residents to the newer wave of creatives and visitors who have helped redefine the area’s social fabric. In a neighborhood where dining often doubles as performance, Blackbird appears poised to deliver both.

The evening, however, is not solely about spectacle. At its core remains the kitchen that earned the restaurant its recent accolade as a Top Restaurant in Brooklyn. Chef Jerry, whose menu leans into elevated comfort with deliberate precision, will continue to spotlight signature dishes that have quietly built Blackbird’s reputation. The oxtail mac and cheese, deeply savory and slow-braised, anchors the menu with a richness that feels both indulgent and familiar. The salmon and grits offers a more refined counterpoint, while the sliders and lobster bisque maintain their standing as reliable crowd favorites.

“For us, it’s always about balance,” Chef Jerry said in a recent conversation. “You want the energy of a night like Cinco de Mayo, but you also want every plate that leaves the kitchen to hold up on its own. That’s what people remember.”

That philosophy extends beyond the food. Under the direction of General Manager Maurice, Blackbird has steadily evolved into a multifaceted space—equally suited for a casual night out or a carefully curated private event. The restaurant regularly hosts small weddings, engagement parties, and bridal showers, a reflection of its ability to feel both intimate and expansive at once.

“There’s a rhythm to this neighborhood,” Maurice noted. “People want experiences, not just meals. Cinco de Mayo gives us a chance to lean into that—music, cocktails, the full atmosphere—while still delivering the quality we’ve become known for.”

Williamsburg has no shortage of places competing for attention, particularly on nights tied to cultural celebrations. Yet Blackbird’s approach—grounded in strong culinary identity and elevated by a sense of occasion—suggests it is not simply following the trend, but shaping it in its own way.

As spring settles in and the neighborhood’s social calendar begins to fill, Blackbird’s Cinco de Mayo gathering stands out less as a one-night event and more as a reflection of what the restaurant has become: a place where food, community, and celebration intersect with intention.

Blackbird is located inside 42 Hotel at 428 S 5th St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They can be reached at info@blackbirdbklyn.com.

US Open Cup Brings Record-Setting Crowd to Westchester County’s Memorial Field

BQE Admin on April 20, 2026

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

It was a perfect night for a match at the Stadium at Memorial Field in Mount Vernon, just a handful of minutes beyond the NYC border. For the first time ever, USL Division 1 club Westchester SC took on Major League Soccer’s New York City FC.

A crowd of 5,145 packed into Memorial Field, a humble stadium that seats 3,500 in the grandstand. For a club averaging 2,500 fans, it was a shot in the arm that could set up the club for tremendous growth this season and beyond. The club said the turnout marked a record attendance for a sports event in Westchester county.

It was a great atmosphere in Westchester as “traveling” NYC fans sang for all 90 minutes. Photos by Noah Zimmerman

“We would not have had a night like this without the US Open Cup. We recognize that NYCFC coming here is what drew this crowd, but for a club that’s just starting out that’s exactly what we needed,” said Ari Kwitkin-Close, Westchester SC’s chief revenue officer. “This was an opportunity to showcase our community club and who we are to this community and to the world.”

The crowd was buzzing and the “traveling” NYC fans kept their energy up in the away end from well before kickoff until almost an hour after the final whistle. The grandstand was packed with passionate fans and across the field food trucks and stands saw some of their longest lines ever.

“The atmosphere was great,” commented NYC manager Pascal Jansen postgame. “It was great for the fans to see their local club play against us. I hope they enjoyed themselves.”

On the pitch NYC showed their class as a top-division team. They were in steady control for most of the match, opening the scoring through Augstin Ojeda in the 14th minute. Westchester were up to the task as they found an equalizer less than 10 minutes later. Daniel Burko lashed in a loose ball to even the score at 1-1, sending the local fans into a frenzy.

A few minutes later, a tough penalty decision from the referee gave the visitors a foothold. Talles Magno scored the first of his three goals from the penalty spot in the 25th minute and increased the lead to 3-1 in the 36th. Spanish youngster Arnau Farnós put a fourth goal into the net before halftime, and Magno finished his hat trick in the 71st minute, their lone second half goal.

Westchester pulled one more goal back through Brecc Evans, but didn’t have time for more as it finished 5-2. Still, it was a valiant effort, and a better one than some MLS clubs have gotten against New York this season (NYC defeated Orlando 5-0 in March).

Tayvon Gray got the captain’s armband for the Open Cup battle.

After falling in the Open Cup, focus turns back to the USL League 1 season and upcoming USL Cup for Westchester. They sit in the league’s top-7 after six matches played, rapidly climbing with wins over Corpus Christi and Sarasota.

“Now the biggest thing is continuing this momentum with the crowd to support our guys on the field,” said Kwitkin-Close. “League play we’re on a heater so we have to keep that going.”

Disappointment in Flushing

Following Tuesday’s victory in Westchester, the Boys in Blue returned to Queens for a weekend contest against Charlotte FC. In their return to league play, the NYC offense looked toothless and tame despite decent buildup play.

Even with 22 total shots (7 on goal) and 42 touches inside Charlotte’s penalty area, New York only registered three significant chances. Coming to the rescue multiple times was Kristijan Kahlina, making six saves in the winning effort.

NYC will look to bounce back from three defeats in their last four league matches (the fourth being a 1-1 draw) with a midweek match vs Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium and a Saturday clash in Montreal. They continue their Open Cup run against the rival Red Bulls next Wednesday.

New York, New York

3x All-Star joins loaded roster in hunt for a 2nd NY ring

Disappointment in Flushing

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