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Early Days: Grand Street Opens Third Child Care Center in Sunset Park

BQE Admin on February 12, 2026

The Sunset Park West Child and Family Center aims to address a shortage of child care providers in the neighborhood, with beautiful murals and holistic services to boot.

Kids line up to sing a welcome song at the opening of the Sunset Park West Child and Family Center on Friday.

By Jack Delaney | jdelaney@queensledger.com

SUNSET PARK — Above the laundromat on the corner of 52nd Street, the toddlers were settling in for naptime. But for the adults, the celebrations had just begun — there was a ribbon to cut. 

On Friday, February 10, Grand Street Settlement formally opened the Sunset Park West Child and Family Center, its third Head Start program in the neighborhood. The new hub, which began operating in January, provides free early childhood education to almost 100 children, along with initiatives for parents such as career services.

Stephanie Armilla, a lifelong Sunset Parker, said she and her son are already seeing the benefits.

Before the center opened, Armilla had been forced to stop working to take care of her two-year-old son. “I was scared. I was like, there’s no daycare,” she recalled. “That’s not even an option.”

Eventually, Armilla started bringing him to her family’s business on 49th Street and Fifth Avenue. But when two women came by to explain about a new space only a few blocks away with holistic services and an early start date, Armilla was thrilled: “Green flag, green flag,” she remembers thinking.

It’s only been a couple weeks, but Armilla has noticed promising signs. “I feel like his speech is improving — he converses more with me now, and with other people who say ‘Hi’ and ‘Goodbye,’” she said. “I just love my son coming here, honestly.”

Brooklyn reps join Grand Street staff to cut the ribbon, accompanied by local mom Stephanie Armilla (second from left) and Atiba Edwards (second from right) of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

Friday’s event kicked off with a brief song from a bashful choir of kids (“Hello to my friends / How are you today?”), before lawmakers, staff, and residents spoke about the importance of this milestone.

“The center is more than a building,” said state Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, a former child care provider herself. “It’s a solution in a neighborhood that has long been a child care desert.” 

That might even be an understatement. Policymakers define a desert as an area with at least three children under age five per available child care slot. Yet parts of Sunset Park have 10 kids for every vacancy, according to the Office of Children and Family Services, an especially severe shortage.

“We know that Sunset Park does not have enough center-based options, so that’s what we decided to do,” said Robert Cordero, CEO of Grand Street Settlement, a 110-year-old nonprofit that serves over 1,000 families throughout NYC. 

“I was a Head Start kid. I know that this works,” added Cordero. “This model is our North Star. It’s the most effective program that the federal government has ever done, by any measure.”

Willing Chin-Ma, Grand Street’s COO, highlighted the “hard work, long hours, and late nights” that had made this opening possible. There were landlords Dave and Mike Podolski, two “New York characters” who believed in the mission. There was an expensive renovation during a year that saw federal money dry up. And there was Melanie Ma, the center’s coordinator, who picked up a crucial permit right before Christmas so that the center could launch in January. (“That is commitment,” said Chin-Ma.)

Equally important, Cordero and Chin-Ma noted, was lawmakers’ support. The Brooklyn reps in attendance — City Council Member Alexa Aviles, state Sen. Andrew Goundardes, Rep. Dan Goldman, and Mitaynes — all received “Friendly Heart” awards, inspired by a page from a children’s book that Grand Street published for the occasion. 

Robert Cordero, CEO of Grand Street Settlement, said that the Head Start program should be the city’s “North Star” as it looks to expand child care coverage.

Weeks after Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul announced a major expansion of universal childcare in New York City, Mitaynes in particular argued that raising taxes on the rich to fund health care for all remains vital.

Yet child care centers are pivotal, too. “In today’s context, where there is so much vitriol, and a federal government that is quite frankly fighting against us,” said Aviles, “it is places like this where people will feel safe and dignified.  They know they’re going to be the most precious thing in the world here.”

One element Armilla has appreciated, apart from a staff that “has been nothing but loving,” is the center’s multilingual approach, offering Spanish, English, and Chinese. 

“My son is half Jamaican and half Mexican, so the diversity even in the murals is like — he feels included,” said Armilla. “I feel that my son is seen here. As a child, that’s very important.”

To learn more about enrollment at the Sunset Park West Child and Family Center and other sites throughout Brooklyn, visit grandsettlement.org.

CB1 Votes “Yes” On Monitor Point, Breaking With Land Use Committee

BQE Admin on February 12, 2026

The vote came at the end of a chaotic meeting that pitted local environmentalist against unions and housing advocates over the fate of Greenpoint’s last undeveloped waterfront land. 

By COLE SINANIAN | news@queensledger.com 

GREENPOINT — Brooklyn Community Board 1 voted Tuesday night to recommend the approval of Monitor Point, the proposed mixed-use development immediately north of Bushwick Inlet that’s stirred controversy over its scale and proximity to the half-built Bushwick Inlet Park. 

The proposal — a partnership between the Gotham Organization and the MTA — would add 3,000 new residents in three high-rise residential towers, the tallest of which would stand over 600ft. Most residents would be paying market-rate rent, while Gotham has committed to 40% of the 1,150 units being affordable at 40-80% Area Media Income, an income bracket of about $45,000 to $90,000. Of these 460 affordable units, 200 will be concentrated in the east building, which will be 100% affordable. 

CB1’s recommendation marks the beginning of the project’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), a standardized process that guides development throughout the city. The recommendation includes conditions, like increasing the amount of parks funding from $300,000 to $600,000 annually, and that a “healthy majority” of the project’s apartments are affordable. 

The board’s vote marks a break from its land use committee, which voted unanimously last week to reject the project unless developers committed to at least 75% affordable housing. Community board recommendations are not binding, but the borough president, to whom the project goes next, is expected to follow the board’s recommendation. 

“The board kind of sets the stage,” said Stephen Chesler, who sits on CB1 and is the Vice President of Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park. “The borough president, and especially our city council member, have to answer to the people.” 

Gotham’s plans for the project —  located at 40 and 56 Quay Street — also include museum, retail, and public waterfront space, and would require a rezoning from medium to high-density. 

The project has garnered criticism from local environmentalists and open space advocates who’ve argued that the towers would privatize Bushwick Inlet for the buildings’ mostly high-earning residents and wreak environmental havoc on a rare and sensitive ecosystem that’s the last of Brooklyn’s undeveloped waterfront land. Critics have also raised concerns that the population bump could contribute to the area’s ongoing gentrification. 

Labor unions and several housing organizations, however, have supported the project on the grounds that it would bring necessary affordable housing to the neighborhood. 

Marissa Bohk holds a sign she made advocating against the Monitor Point development at Tuesday’s meeting.

Tuesday’s meeting took place at the Swinging Sixties Center on Ainslie Street. Among the room’s “no”  crowd — many of whom held signs and sat together in the center of the room — rumors circulated that the project’s supporters were not from the neighborhood and had come to stir the pot on Gotham’s behalf. 

During the meeting, City councilmember Lincoln Restler held firm on his opposition to the Monitor Point towers unless developers could guarantee a “healthy majority” of their apartments would be affordable, a position he had previously stated at a January 20 hearing at the Polish Slavic Center. He also urged that Bushwick Inlet Park must be completed before any new towers can be built. 

“I am grateful to the members of our land use community for voting unanimously for more affordable housing, and for getting us on a path to fully funding Bushwick Inlet Park,” Restler said

He continued: “If, if, if this administration is able to actually put us on a pathway to building Bushwick Inlet Park, which has been promised to us for 20 years, then I think we have to have a real conversation. But until then, my position for four years has been that I’m not there on this project.”

Union members from Local 79 and the SEIU 32BJ building maintenance workers union sat together, booing those who spoke against the project, and cheering those who supported it. 

“You don’t build anything union!” yelled a man seated towards the back as Restler spoke. 

Both Local 79 — which represents construction workers — and the SEIU 32BJ building maintenance workers union have partnerships with the Gotham Organization. In a prior written statement to the Brooklyn Star, a Gotham spokesperson clarified that “all Gotham-owned buildings are staffed by 32BJ members.” 

During the meeting’s public testimony portion right before the vote, Local 79 union member and North Brooklyn resident Eddie Burgos said he supported the project for the waterfront access , affordable housing, and jobs it provided.

“Not only is it providing affordable housing, it’s providing union jobs for local residents like myself,” Burgos said. 

At a table in between the union members and environmental activists, several women wearing matching black t-shirts chatted in Spanish before the meeting. They had come with the United Neighbors organization (UNO), a tenant group supported by the housing organization, St. Nick’s Alliance. 

One, an older woman named Luz, explained in Spanish that this was her fourth meeting, and that she supported Monitor Point because the development would bring housing to her and her neighbors. Another woman, who held a bright green sign that read “Support affordable housing! Vote yes on Monitor Point,” said her friends had invited her to the meeting, nodding towards Luz. 

Ronaldo Guzman, the Deputy Director of Community Preservation at St. Nick’s, brought three of the women, including Luz, up to the podium during the public testimony portion of the meeting.  

“For the people of Greenpoint, please meet your neighbors,” Guzman said. “This is one of the few projects that is going to secure 40%, low income housing for our community,” he continued. “What is the use of a park if our community cannot even enjoy it?’

It was close to 9pm by the time the vote took place, by which point Guzman and the group from UNO had already left, as well as many of the Local 79 and SEIU 32BJ members. 

Several members of the public who spoke at the meeting began by stating their connections to the neighborhood. Scot Fraser, a longtime Greenpoint resident who also sits on Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park’s Board of Directors, evoked the displacement brought by the area’s 2005 rezoning in his testimony. 

“At our rallies in the 80s and 90s, we were a community united, locked away from our waterfront by fences, by pollution, by closed factories, by dumps and by parking lots,” Fraser said. “Now, after our rezoning, we are being walled-off by the golden handcuffs of high-rise towers.”

Home Care Workers Rally in Downtown Brooklyn After Major Ruling

BQE Admin on February 11, 2026

When it rains, it pours: after years of relative deadlock, home care workers are gaining ground at both the state and city levels as they protest rampant wage theft and round-the-clock shifts.

Thursday’s rally outside the Department of Labor’s offices on Hanson Place was the third in Brooklyn since last fall, and the first since the New York State Supreme Court ordered the DOL to reopen hundreds of wage theft cases.

By Jack Delaney | jdelaney@queensledger.com

DOWNTOWN — They’re not going away without a fight.

On Thursday, February 5, nearly two hundred home care workers — overwhelmingly older women of color — rallied with former Comptroller Brad Lander outside the New York State Department of Labor’s (DOL) offices in Downtown Brooklyn, demanding that it reimburse them for widespread wage theft.

For years, community advocates and lawmakers, including now-Mayor Zohran Mamdani, have pressed the state to crack down on labor abuses by home care companies. At an event last October, speakers singled out the Chinese-American Planning Council for subjecting aides to grueling hours. Last week’s protest focused on two of the city’s largest agencies, Royal Care and ABI Health Care, which workers accuse of withholding a combined $25 million.

Dellanira Soto is one of them. Soto worked with Royal Care for 14 years, logging 24-shifts that left her with lasting health issues such as tachycardia. Like many attendants, she was forced to travel outside the country to receive affordable care — yet the company not only refused to cover the cost, she alleged through a translator, but continued to systematically underpay her.

Under state law, home care companies may pay their employees for only 11 hours of a day-long shift if they are given breaks to sleep and eat. But many workers claim they were frequently denied these, a practice Soto noted was also the case at other companies she’s worked for.

“This is our blood, sweat, and tears in these wages,” said Soto.

Lawmakers and advocates have focused their efforts on the DOL, which they say has refused to hold companies accountable.

“What good is the Department of Labor finding that they stole wages, if they don’t enforce the law?” said Lander, swaddled in winter gear, who as comptroller listed Royal Care and ABI among the city’s worst employers from 2020 to 2022.

Dellanira Soto says she was denied almost $200,000 in wages by Royal Care, a prominent home care agency.

Yet though the allegations span decades, the campaign has only gained ground relatively recently.

In 2022, home care workers who were part of 1199SEIU — the largest health care union in New York — received word that it had negotiated a $30 million settlement for 120,000 of its members. It seemed like a victory, but the workers were livid: when parceled out, that amounted to less than two days of backpay despite years of 24-hour shifts. (During a closed-door meeting in 2019, a union representative estimated that the stolen wages may total a staggering $6 billion.)

But the tide may be turning. This January, the New York Supreme Court ruled that the DOL must reopen more than 100 wage theft cases, dismissing the agency’s argument that the workers in question had already been compensated under the 1199SEIU deal.

“What’s changing now is how the campaign has grown. What isn’t changing is that we still have [Governor Kathy] Hochul siding with the insurance companies and home care agencies, and not paying the workers,” said Anne Kochman of the Ain’t I a Woman Campaign, the grassroots group behind the rally. “But we’re growing in power and strength. We had some good legal decisions, and we’ll continue to organize.”

While the movement is seeing progress at the state level, it’s also making inroads within city government. On February 18, the City Council will be holding a hearing for the “No More 24 Bill,” sponsored by Council Member Chris Marte, which would ban insurance companies from assigning 24-hour shifts. The legislation had stalled under former Speaker Adrienne Adams, but her successor, Julie Menin, has signaled she may allow it to move forward.

As the rally — the third since last fall — drew to a close, the attendees marched back and forth, ensconced in puffy winter jackets. Their parting message was a warning to the DOL, if anyone inside the austere building could hear: “We’ll be back.”

The Star has contacted Royal Care, ABI, and the DOL, and will update this story with their responses.

Conquer Kids Named Official Youth Pickleball Program of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team

BQE Admin on February 9, 2026

Conquer Kids has been announced as the Official Youth Pickleball Program of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team (BKPT), powered by JOOLA, marking a significant moment for both the sport of pickleball and youth athletics throughout New York City.

This collaboration is the first time a Major League Pickleball team (MLP presented by DoorDash) in New York City has formally backed a youth development program, establishing a new benchmark for community-driven growth in America’s fastest-growing sport.

With more than one million students enrolled across the New York City Department of Education public school system, Conquer Kids and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team are united by an ambitious and inclusive goal: placing a pickleball paddle in the hands of every NYC public school student.

The initiative officially kicked off on February 4th in schools throughout the boroughs and is designed to continue expanding. Pickleball will initially roll out at several schools, including PS 307 in DUMBO, East Side Community School in the East Village, PS 239 in Ridgewood, Queens, Allen-Stevenson School on the Upper East Side, PS 9, PS 28X, and PS 12X in the Bronx.

“This partnership is truly one of a kind and comes at a critical time for the sport,” said Louis Long, Co-Founder of Conquer Kids. “Pickleball’s growth has been explosive, but accessibility is what makes that growth meaningful. Working alongside the Brooklyn Pickleball Team and JOOLA allows us to make sure kids in all five boroughs can learn the game, play it, and develop a lasting passion for pickleball.”

Conquer Kids currently serves students from second grade through high school across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx through in-school instruction, after-school enrichment, and community-based programs. Plans are already underway to expand into Staten Island later this year, completing a citywide footprint.

Conquer Co-Founder Matthew Lee highlighted the broader vision driving the program. “This effort goes beyond simply introducing pickleball to kids,” Lee said. “We’re building a long-term, sustainable pipeline for the sport’s future. From elementary school through high school and into collegiate opportunities, we’re establishing clear pathways for participation, leadership, and lifelong involvement.”

The partnership is bolstered by one of professional pickleball’s most recognizable franchises and ownership groups, Major League Pickleball’s Brooklyn Pickleball Team. “Any sport that wants to grow responsibly has to invest in youth development,” said Adam Behnke of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team. “By supporting kids early—especially in a city as diverse and vibrant as New York—we’re doing more than expanding pickleball. We’re fostering community, creating opportunity, and inspiring the next generation to see themselves in the game.”

“This collaboration highlights what can happen when professional teams commit directly to youth programs,” added Kris Mayor. “Conquer Kids is delivering meaningful, on-the-ground impact, and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team’s involvement sends a clear signal about the future of pickleball—one rooted in inclusivity, education, and community-first growth.”

As the Official Youth Program of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team powered by JOOLA, Conquer Kids will work closely with BKPT on youth clinics, school-based activations, community events, and player engagement initiatives, helping connect professional pickleball with the next generation of athletes.

Together, Conquer Kids and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team are doing more than growing the sport—they are laying the foundation for its future in classrooms, gyms, and playgrounds across all five boroughs of New York City.

Conquer (CNQR) is a New York City–based pickleball community and events platform designed for busy people looking for an easy way to show up and play. Through organized open play, leagues, clinics, and events, Conquer delivers competitive, social, and well-executed experiences for players of all ages and skill levels, offering flexible drop-in options and one-off games through its mobile app.

Conquer also operates Conquer Kids, the Official Youth Program of the Brooklyn Pickleball Team powered by JOOLA. Conquer Kids is dedicated to introducing pickleball through school partnerships and community-centered programming. Together, Conquer activates underutilized city spaces and makes pickleball one of the most accessible sports to play in New York City.

To learn more about Conquer or to bring Conquer Kids to your school, visit conquerpickleball.com/kids and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

The Brooklyn Pickleball Team (BKPT) is Brooklyn’s premier Major League Pickleball franchise. The ownership group includes Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton, Rip Hamilton, Shawn Marion, Odell Beckham Jr., Cliff Avril, Mesut Ozil, and Tara and Hunter Fieri.

The franchise captured its first-ever MLP Championship on November 5, 2023, in Dallas while competing as the DC Pickleball Team (DCPT). The current roster features Rachel Rohrabacher, former Division I tennis standout at the University of South Carolina, MLP Champion, and top-four ranked pickleball player; Dekel Bar, former professional tennis player and world No. 6 ranked pickleball athlete; Riley Newman, world No. 7 ranked pickleball player and champion; Jackie Kawamoto, former Division I tennis player at the University of Dayton and key contributor to the 2023 Championship team; Hannah Blatt, former professional Canadian squash player and emerging pickleball talent; and Pat Smith, Men’s Conference Player of the Year at UMKC and former professional tennis player.

For additional information about the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, visit brooklynpickleballteam.com and follow the team on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and the Team Shop.

Founded in 2021, Major League Pickleball (MLP presented by DoorDash) is the leading coed, team-based professional pickleball league, featuring more than 100 elite athletes across 22 teams, high-profile owners, and some of the most energetic live events in the sport. In 2024, MLP merged with the PPA Tour under the newly established United Pickleball Association (UPA), uniting the top professional pickleball organizations under one umbrella. Visit the official website and follow MLP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for more information.

Red Hook Gallery Highlights “Alternative Visions” for the BMT

BQE Admin on February 5, 2026

Victoria Alexander, director of Voices of the Waterfront, opens the show at Compere Collective’s gallery on Van Brunt.

By Jack Delaney | jdelaney@queensledger.com

RED HOOK —  Last fall, the city pushed ahead with its plan to transform the vast dockyards south of Brooklyn Bridge Park into condos and a modernized port. Now students from Pratt, partnering with local organizations, have come up with their own alternate visions for the site.

Not everyone agrees they’re the right ones.

On Friday, January 30, the Compére Collective’s gallery on Van Brunt St filled with urban designers, architects, and residents eager to see the fruits of their labor.

The “BMT Alternative Visions Exhibit” builds on past collaborations between Resilient Red Hook, a coalition of the neighborhood’s business and nonprofit leaders, and Pratt’s School of Architecture.

The semester-long project was divided across four studios, which settled on three main proposals: creating floating structures that can adapt to rising sea levels; establishing a new agency to handle maritime matters; and integrating community spaces, such as parks, into the port.

In 2024, the city’s real estate arm — New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) — took over the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT), a 122-acre site, through a trade with the Port Authority. Throughout 2025, Red Hook residents complained that the outcomes of the public engagement process felt predetermined, arguing that the EDC had already decided upon a plan that includes 6000 units of housing.

The new exhibit offered a foil to that experience. In a nod to the EDC’s workshops, visitors walked in to find a scaled-down model of Red Hook, albeit without the trays of plastic condo towers. Toward the front of the room, a station displayed another community-generated proposal for the BMT from Jim Tampakis of the City Club, who believes the dockyards should be reserved for maritime uses.

“We came to the conclusion very early on that we shouldn’t try to find a better housing solution for the port,” said Deborah Gans, a Pratt professor and the founder of a Red Hook-based architecture firm. “We should not do housing in the port.”

But given the political imperative to add housing across the city, Gans and her class decided to imagine creative ways it could be implemented. “There’s no such thing as just housing. That’s part of New York City’s problem. It’s housing plus community, housing plus resilience, housing plus economy,” said Gans. “So the students each proposed the plus: one has these carbon sequestering devices that take pollution from the port and tunnel and use it for algae farms, to feed people on the second floor.”

Another team tackled Pier 7, on the BMT’s north end. In their design, Christian Zoeller and Kaitlyn Lee envision flood walls surrounding a maritime trade school, with a green roof and workshops for local artists on the second floor. Elsewhere, projects ranging from stormwater drainage to art and industrial spaces stressed the importance of maintaining a “working waterfront.”

A new proposal from the City Club of NY would go all-in on restoring Red Hook’s port. (Graphic via Resilient Red Hook)

“We thought about what a future workforce would be,” said Professor Bethany Bigham. “We thought about what it would take to actually preserve the built fabric itself, and why it has been allowed to be unprotected for so many decades.”

The event drew an eclectic crowd. Matias Kalwill, part of a group looking to revive the former site of Red Hook’s Revolutionary-era Fort Defiance as a park, made an appearance, as did local power couple Sharon and Randy Gordon. Also present was Joe Leone, an environmental activist in Greenpoint raising money to convert a boat on Newtown Creek into a community hub.

Amid the celebrations, some reactions were mixed. “This is the kind of thing that we’ve been trying to stop urban planners from doing since, like, the 90s,” one resident noted quietly, pointing out a distinct lack of boats in most of the renderings. “These are obviously not maritime people.”

The subtle but palpable disjoint cut both ways. “It’s rare to work on a project like this that’s living and boiling and breathing,” shared one student, who designed modular housing that would use existing warehouses and industrial shops as its base. “It was amazing hearing their perspectives, but it sometimes seemed like they weren’t honest with themselves. Like, is it that you don’t want this specific thing in the neighborhood, or you don’t want development at all?”

Yet John Leyva, a tenants’ rights advocate from the nearby Columbia Street Waterfront District, echoed the sentiments of many residents who were thrilled with the exhibit.

Leyva and two neighbors sued the EDC in December for allegedly violating New York’s Open Meetings Law. In that context, the crowded gallery room — filled with dialogue about the neighborhood’s future — represented progress.

“This is what we were waiting for. [The EDC] was scared that the community would come up with great ideas, with the help of Pratt,” he said. “And we still haven’t given up.”

“BMT Alternative Visions” will be on display at 351 Van Brunt St through February 20.

Stop the Chop: Brooklynites Blast Rising Helicopter Noise Pollution

BQE Admin on February 5, 2026

Residents across the city have complained about the proliferation of “unnecessary” trips. (Photo: Wikimedia)

By Jaysa Dold | news@queensledger.com

Tina Allen, a Park Sloper, was speaking with a friend recently about a wedding they’d attended in the neighborhood. It hadn’t gone well.

“The vows were completely ruined because of the helicopter traffic,” Allen explained. “The wedding was kind of a bust and you couldn’t hear the vows. When it’s a problem, it’s such a big problem.”

Backlash in Brooklyn against noise pollution from helicopters has been growing since last year. But local lawmakers and residents have now escalated their fight — advocating for an all-out ban on commuter and tourist helicopter flights over the city, as the helicopter industry pushes back against legislative attempts to regulate its activity.

New York City has three heliports that are available for public use: one apiece on East 34th Street, West 30th Street, and in Downtown Manhattan. Privately owned companies can use these heliports to transport those who can afford their services. One of the most prolific of these companies is BLADE, which offers commuter flights — as cheap as $195 and lasting as little as five minutes — from helipads to JFK Airport, six days a week.

Another major source of helicopter noise comes from sightseeing. Within the city, sightseeing flights can only take off from the Downtown Manhattan heliport and are prohibited from flying over land, but tours operated out of New Jersey and elsewhere in New York State do not have that restriction.

Neighborhoods in the flight paths between heliports and popular destinations like JFK have the highest numbers of helicopter noise complaints in the city, according to the New York City Council and NYC Open Data.

But for many in Northwest Brooklyn, a surge in helicopter traffic last year during the Ryder Cup, a weekend-long men’s golf tournament hosted in Farmingdale, New York, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Residents described a constant din throughout the weekend as helicopters ferried spectators over Brooklyn en route to the competition.

In response to community outrage, Assemblymember Jo Ann Simon, Rep. Dan Goldman, State Sen. Andrew Gourdanes, and Council Members Lincoln Restler and Shahana Hanif wrote a letter to the Hudson River Park Trust and New York City Economic Development Corporation, urging it to ban nonessential flights from city heliports.

“The helicopters were flying so low that community members could see the passengers taking selfies, with some hovering for 20+ minutes above residential buildings, making a quick commuter trip into a tourist flight,” the lawmakers wrote. “The companies are breaking the rules, and catering to a small number of ultra-rich people at the expense of everyone else’s health and quality of life.”

The entrance to the W 30th St heliport. The City Council passed a partial ban on helicopter flights last year, but it faces a fierce legal challenge from the industry. (Photo: Jaysa Dold)

The City Council passed a bill in April that would ban flights exceeding a certain noise threshold, but the law is already being met with a lawsuit that claims the legislation infringes upon federal authority.

Jed Dunlap, 49, has been piloting commercial helicopters for ten years, four of which have been in the New York City Metro area. He currently flies sightseeing tours out of New Jersey. Dunlap says those in the industry are not oblivious to the noise problem, and that they attempt to limit the impact on residents.

“We are aware of it and we do try to mitigate it to the greatest extent possible,” said Dunlap. “We are bound by certain constraints like altitude and route, but within that we do try to be good neighbors.”

Dunlap says that while the Federal Aviation Administration provides suggested routes and regulations, he works within the framework provided by the FAA to cause as little disruption as possible to the people below. This includes flying at a higher altitude whenever feasible and taking different routes in and out of the city to avoid traveling over the same neighborhood multiple times in one flight.

The FAA categorizes helicopter noise into three stages, with stage one the loudest and stage three the quietest. The City Council’s measure, which takes effect in late 2029, would restrict any helicopters with noise emissions above a certain level from using heliports. The bill comes alongside resolutions supporting a nationwide transition to electric helicopters and calling for greater transparency around helicopter operations and emissions. 

Yet residents and lawmakers alike say they feel anything short of a complete ban of nonessential helicopter activity is insufficient.

In addition to disruption from noise pollution, residents have growing safety concerns following a fatal helicopter crash in April 2025, when a sightseeing helicopter broke apart mid-flight and crashed into the Hudson River, killing the pilot and five tourists on board.

“We’re increasingly hearing a lot of people in Brooklyn saying, ‘I’m really freaked out,’” said Kenneth Lay, a board member with the anti-helicopter advocacy organization, Stop the Chop.“‘These helicopters – the same kind of helicopter as the one that crashed – are going right over my house, super low. What if one crashed?’”

Lay, 39, travels to community board meetings throughout the city to educate residents about helicopter noise. He became involved with Stop the Chop after experiencing disruption firsthand at his home in Carroll Gardens. Stop the Chop is a grassroots organization that advocates for a ban of all nonessential flights over the city and works alongside lawmakers to push for change.

“Tourism helicopter flights and jaunts to JFK or the Hamptons for the top 0.1% wealthiest New Yorkers create needless pollution and negatively impacts the quality of life of neighborhoods across New York City,” said Council Member Restler, who sponsored a bill that would ban all non-essential flights. “We will keep pushing for its adoption in the new year.”

For some, the issue is urgent. Boerum Hill resident Gina Briggs suffers from mild hyperacusis, an auditory disorder that can cause even everyday sounds to be extremely uncomfortable. Briggs lives in a common flight path and says she feels that banning all nonessential flights is the only real and fair solution.

“They’re not flying a heart so somebody can live,” says Briggs. “It’s basically for someone’s ego. So this guy can feel like he’s important, just like the other hundreds of people who were on the helicopters. That’s the thing that’s so offensive.” 

Bushwick Community Board Signals Interest in “Cease and Desist” Zones

BQE Admin on February 5, 2026

Members of Community Board 4’s Economic & Development and Housing & Land Committees discuss “cease and desist” zones at a meeting on Tuesday, January 27.

By Jacqueline Cardenas | news@queensledger.com

BUSHWICK — Brooklyn Community Board 4 members are likely to support a bill that would expand “cease and desist” zones across Kings County.

The bill makes it illegal for real estate agents and brokers to aggressively solicit homeowners in an attempt to get them to sell their property.

“This includes by phone contact, in-person contact, stopping you on the street, leaving any fliers or mailers in your mailbox or at your doorstep,” said Isaiah Pecou, the Legislative Research Assistant for Assembly Member Stefani Zinerman during Tuesday night’s community meeting. “Any form of real estate solicitation would be illegal should this piece of legislation pass.”

Pecou attended the community meeting to garner support from its members to sign off on a letter of recommendation on the bill, to which many said they would approve once they read over the fine print.

Cease and desist zones were first established in New York City in 1989 and covered the entire County of Queens, according to the New York State Senate website. The zones were later renewed or expanded in 2017 for parts of Queens and the Bronx, and in 2020 for parts of Brooklyn.

Anne Guiney, the Economic and Development (EDC) and Housing and Land Committee (HLU) Chairperson, said she remembers the way community members in East New York “fought pretty hard” to get the cease and desist zones expanded in Brooklyn.

“I mean, we would hear stories of people rolling up with a literal duffel bag full of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash,” Guiney said. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I would turn into like Bugs Bunny with like dollar signs in my eyes if I saw that.”

The consequences for violating a cease and desist zone can range from “a small reprimand” by the Department of State, to a fine of $1,000, to a potential revocation of your real estate license, Pecou said.

Local lawmakers — including Roxanne Persaud, Julia Salazar, and Kevin Parker — are pushing to expand the zones across Brooklyn.

Robert Camacho, chairperson for Brooklyn Community Board Four, asked Pecou how people who are renters instead of homeowners could be incentivized to support this bill even though they may not be as impacted by solicitors.

“Their philosophy may be, well we don’t care,” Camacho said, referring to some renters who make up the Bushwick community.

“As a renter, I will jump in and say that I think it’s really important to have people who have lived in this neighborhood for decades and owned their houses, they should get to make that choice in peace and quiet, and slowly and deliberately, and not with some jerk pounding on their door all day long,” Guiney responded.

“There’s absolutely no downside to renters,” Pecou said, responding to Camacho’s question.

“All this does is say that the owner of homes can no longer be harassed, they can no longer be constantly solicited, and you can’t show up with briefcases and bags of cash at people’s doors and say: ‘I’ll buy your house right now,’ which by the way, is usually for way less than what it’s worth,” he said.

There is not yet concrete data of how many total people have recently violated the cease and desist law, but Pecou said that “anecdotally” he has heard there has been a “decrease in the number of solicitations that people received” though “not a complete stoppage.”

There is currently a public registry website where Kings County residents can search which properties are currently under a cease and desist zone. If a homeowner would like to opt-in to be a part of a cease and desist zone they can do so here.

The caveat is that if a person puts their home up for sale even if they already enlisted themselves on the registry and a real estate agent tries to solicit them, it would not violate the cease and desist law if it were to pass, Pecou said.

The committee did not have enough members present in order for it to officially vote on whether they should approve a letter of recommendation for the cease and desist legislation.

The community board will gather the few concerns some members raised, such as wanting a deeper read at the bill, and then present the bill information during the full board meeting on February 18 at 6 p.m. at the Hope Gardens Tenant Association, 195 Linden St.

Despite the lack of quorum at Tuesday night’s meeting, Guiney said it sounded like board members were “generally in favor” of the bill.

The Ultimate Guide to Brooklyn Auto Leases

webadmin on February 5, 2026

Contributed by: Dan Rose

Walking into your first car lease feels a bit like learning a new language while someone tries to sell you something expensive. The terminology is unfamiliar, the math seems intentionally confusing, and everyone at the table appears to know more than you do. I’ve watched countless Brooklyn residents sign lease agreements they didn’t fully understand, only to discover months later that small oversights cost them real money.

The good news is that leasing mistakes are entirely avoidable. Most stem from the same handful of misconceptions that first-timers carry into the process. Once you understand where people typically stumble, you can sidestep those pitfalls and walk away with terms that actually make sense for your situation. Brooklyn drivers deserve better than learning these lessons the hard way.

Focusing Only on the Monthly Payment

This is the single most common error I see, and dealerships know exactly how to exploit it. When a salesperson asks what monthly payment you’re comfortable with, they’re not doing you a favor. They’re gathering information to structure a deal that hits your number while potentially costing you more overall.

A lease payment can be manipulated in countless ways. Extending the term from 36 to 48 months drops the monthly figure but means you’re paying longer. Rolling fees into the capitalized cost hides them from plain view. Accepting a higher money factor while celebrating a lower payment means you’re financing depreciation at unfavorable rates.

The sophisticated approach focuses on the total cost of the lease, not just what leaves your bank account each month. Calculate the sum of all payments plus any upfront costs, then compare that figure across different offers. Two leases with identical monthly payments can differ by thousands of dollars when you examine the complete picture.

  • Total Cost Calculation: Multiply your monthly payment by the lease term, add all fees and down payments, then compare this figure across competing offers.
  • Term Length Awareness: Shorter leases often align better with warranty coverage and prevent you from paying for a vehicle beyond its optimal maintenance window.
  • Fee Transparency Request: Ask for an itemized breakdown of every charge included in your lease before discussing monthly figures.

Underestimating Your Actual Mileage Needs

Brooklyn presents a unique driving challenge. You might not commute far daily, but weekend trips to visit family on Long Island, summer drives to the Jersey Shore, and the occasional road trip add up faster than most people anticipate. Standard lease allowances have tightened in recent years, with many manufacturers now defaulting to 10,000 annual miles rather than the 12,000 that used to be standard.

Overage penalties typically range from fifteen to twenty-five cents per mile. That sounds manageable until you realize that exceeding your limit by 5,000 miles over a three-year lease translates to $750 to $1,250 due at turn-in. I’ve seen drivers face overage bills that exceeded several monthly payments combined.

The solution is honest self-assessment before signing anything. Pull your odometer readings from past registration renewals or insurance documents. Track your driving for a few weeks if you’re uncertain. Building adequate mileage into your lease upfront costs far less than paying penalties at the end.

Ignoring the Residual Value Entirely

Most first-time leasers never even ask about residual value, which is remarkable given how directly it affects their payment. The residual represents what the leasing company expects your vehicle to be worth at lease end, expressed as a percentage of MSRP. A higher residual means you’re financing less depreciation, which translates to lower monthly payments.

Different vehicles hold value at dramatically different rates. A model with a 58% residual after 36 months will lease far more affordably than a comparable vehicle with a 48% residual, even if their sticker prices are identical. This explains why certain brands consistently offer attractive lease deals while others struggle to compete.

Residual values are typically set by the manufacturer’s financing arm and aren’t directly negotiable. However, understanding residuals helps you make smarter vehicle choices and recognize when a lease deal is genuinely competitive versus merely adequate.

  • Research Before Shopping: Look up residual percentages for vehicles you’re considering to understand which models lease most favorably.
  • Trim Level Comparison: Higher trim levels sometimes carry worse residuals than base models, making the upgraded version disproportionately expensive to lease.
  • Brand Patterns Recognition: Some manufacturers consistently support their leases with strong residuals, making their vehicles perennial lease favorites.

Skipping the Pre-Approval Step

Many first-time leasers assume they need to complete the entire process at a single dealership in a single visit. This mindset puts you at a significant disadvantage. Walking in without knowing your credit score, the rates you should qualify for, or competing offers from other sources means accepting whatever terms get placed in front of you.

Getting pre-qualified for a lease works similarly to mortgage pre-approval. It establishes your creditworthiness, gives you baseline terms to compare against, and signals to any dealer that you’re an informed consumer who won’t accept inflated rates. The money factor offered to someone with excellent credit differs substantially from what’s offered to someone with fair credit, and knowing where you stand prevents surprises.

Working with established leasing specialists like VIP Auto Lease Brooklyn simplifies this considerably. Their team evaluates each client’s financial profile and driving needs before recommending specific vehicles or terms. That consultative approach means you’re not walking in blind, and you’re working with professionals who secure competitive rates across dozens of manufacturers rather than a single dealership pushing whatever sits on their lot.

Neglecting End-of-Lease Planning

The lease signing feels like the finish line, but experienced leasers know it’s actually the starting point of a three-year relationship. How you maintain the vehicle, document its condition, and plan for lease-end all affect your ultimate costs.

Photograph your vehicle thoroughly at delivery, noting any existing imperfections. Keep maintenance records organized and accessible. Understand your leasing company’s wear-and-tear guidelines so you can address minor issues before inspection rather than facing disposition charges. Some drivers find value in purchasing wear protection packages, particularly for vehicles that will see heavy family use or frequent city parking.

As your lease approaches its final months, you’ll face a choice between returning the vehicle, purchasing it at the predetermined buyout price, or transitioning into a new lease. Each option carries different financial implications, and the right answer depends on the vehicle’s actual market value, your driving needs, and current lease offers available on new models.

  • Documentation Discipline: Create a file for your lease that includes delivery photos, all maintenance receipts, and a copy of your agreement’s wear guidelines.
  • Inspection Preparation: Schedule a pre-inspection several weeks before lease end to identify any items that might trigger charges and address them proactively.
  • Buyout Evaluation: Compare your lease’s purchase option price against the vehicle’s actual market value to determine whether buying makes financial sense.

Why Local Expertise Matters

Brooklyn’s leasing market operates differently than suburban or rural markets. Parking considerations, insurance costs, and driving patterns all influence which vehicles and terms make sense for Kings County residents. A leasing company that understands these nuances provides better guidance than a generic national platform or a dealership primarily serving different demographics.

The best leasing experiences I’ve observed share common elements. Clear communication from the start. Realistic assessments of what each client actually needs. Transparent pricing without hidden fees or last-minute surprises. These qualities matter far more than flashy advertising or aggressive promises.

First-time leasers especially benefit from working with specialists who take time to explain each component of the agreement. Understanding what you’re signing prevents regret later. Asking questions isn’t a sign of inexperience; it’s evidence of smart consumer behavior.

Your first lease sets the template for how you’ll approach vehicle financing for years to come. Getting it right means lower costs, better-matched vehicles, and confidence that grows with each subsequent lease cycle. The learning curve exists, but it’s far less steep when you avoid the mistakes that trip up so many Brooklyn drivers walking this path for the first time.

Contributed by: Dan Rose, A Senior Auto Leasing Consultant.

Ready to Lease with Confidence?
Whether you’re a first-time leaser or looking to improve on past experiences, VIP Auto Lease Brooklyn offers personalized guidance and competitive zero-down options throughout Kings County. Visit https://viplease.com/ to connect with their team and explore your options today.

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VIP Auto Lease, 2912 Avenue X Suite 2, Brooklyn, NY 11235, (347) 384-6631

Red Storm Rise up to #22, Host #3 Huskies on Friday

BQE Admin on February 5, 2026

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

St. John’s moved up to #22 on Monday’s AP college basketball rankings as the Red Storm picked up their 7th consecutive BIG EAST win. Since falling to the Friars Pitino’s squad has shifted into gear, making sure they keep a foot in the spotlight as the conference schedule nears its midway point.

St. John’s started with a program-best #5 preseason ranking, but fell out of the Top-25 following a loss to Kentucky in December. They made their return as the final team on the AP leaderboard last week, moving up three more spots after beating Butler last week. The Johnnies now rank ahead of undefeated Miami (OH), Louisville, and Tennessee, sitting just behind the Arkansas Razorbacks, who eliminated them in last year’s NCAA tournament.

On Friday comes the biggest test of the season when Dan Hurley and the #3 UConn Huskies head to Madison Square Garden. It’s the first of two matchups this year between the BIG EAST’s best and the visitors will be salivating for a taste of revenge after last year’s sweep.

The Huskies haven’t dropped out of the top-10 this season, still perfect in conference play. Their lone loss came five games into the season against Arizona, who was ranked #4 at the time and now sits as the top-ranked team in the nation, 22-0 in .

Friday’s game is a huge hurdle for the Red Storm, who have gone 0-3 against ranked opponents this year. Those losses came to #15 Alabama early in the season before falling to #15 Iowa State and #21 Baylor during the Players Era Festival in November.

The Huskies will be the first taste of Top-10 opposition this season for St. John’s, although they took on Michigan in preseason when the Wolverines were ranked #7 (Michigan has since gone 20-1, overtaking UConn for the #2 ranking this week).

They’ve been a brand new team as of late, but if the Red Storm hope to defend their BIG EAST regular season or tournament championships, they’re going to have to find a way past the Huskies.

Nets Battle Jazz in Salt Lake as Trade Deadline Looms

BQE Admin on February 5, 2026

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The Nets travelled out West last week for a trio of matchups to finish off a lackluster January. After going 7-4 in December, Brooklyn lost 14 of their first 16 games in 2026. They were able to break a 7-game losing streak in Salt Lake City, but a dry January saw Brooklyn back near the Eastern Conference basement.

It wasn’t a flashy affair in Utah, as the Nets and Jazz each entered with 34 losses. Lauri Markkanen didn’t suit up for the hosts after playing on back-to-back nights earlier in the week. Michael Porter Jr. missed the game for personal reasons after scoring 38 in his return to Denver the night before. 

Still, the game was an entertaining one as the Jazz kept within reach. The arena was full for the Friday night matchup despite the two bottom-dwelling teams featured. Part of the draw was Nets rookie Egor Dëmin, making his return to the Beehive State after starring as a freshman at BYU.

Dëmin put together his best professional performance in Utah’s capitol. He set career highs with 25 points and 10 rebounds to record his 1st double-double, also setting an NBA rookie record with 34 consecutive games with a made three pointer.

The Russian rookie was phenomenal from start to finish, hitting 6 threes, keeping the ball moving, crashing the boards, and even throwing down a delightful dunk. While his 3-pointer streak came to an end on Sunday in Detroit, he has shown tremendous potential as a young sharpshooter who can contribute in all aspects of the game.

Dëmin wasn’t the only Nets rookie to showcase their skills last Friday. Making his 6th NBA start was Danny Wolf, who came up with 14 points and 5 boards. Starting for the 2nd time in his career was Nolan Traoré, who brought great energy despite his shot not quite falling (6 assists and 2 blocks).

The other Nets to score in double figures were Cam Thomas with 21 and Day’ron Sharpe with 16. Thomas provided 14 straight points for Brooklyn to help them seize control, also finishing with 4 assists. Sharpe pulled down 9 rebounds, including a game-high 3 offensive boards.

Jazz youngsters also showed off for the home crowd, led by third-year guard Keyonte George’s 26 points and 7 assists. Fellow third-year Brice Sensabaugh added 18 off the bench, second-years Kyle Filipowski and Isaiah Collier scored 14 and 10, respectively, and prized rookie Ace Bailey scored 12 with a pair of rebounds and steals.

Still, despite a wealth of young talent, the Jazz have had a hard time breaking out of mediocrity. This year it’s in part due to Walker Kessler’s season ending surgery, but even with their many lottery picks they sit well out of reach of the Western Conference play-in.

Finishing with the worst record in the league guarantees a draft pick no lower than 5th overall, and the three worst teams will each have a 14% chance of picking 1st overall. Following Monday’s games, Brooklyn’s record sat at 13-35, level with Washington and ahead of only the Pacers (13-37), Pelicans (13-39), and Kings (12-39).

While they’re not likely to ensure a top-5 pick, the trajectory of Brooklyn’s rookies and arsenal of future selections makes the future quite promising. Perhaps the most interesting moments of the Nets season will come this week with the NBA’s trade deadline.

All moves will be final at 3pm on Thursday, February 5, and it may include some high profile names like Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden. The Nets have some valuable players to offer in Michael Porter Jr., Nic Claxton, Day’ron Sharpe, and Cam Thomas, as well as a NBA-best 10 tradable 1st round picks. 

Should the Nets sell at the deadline they are sure to remain in contention for a top pick, but even if they use their assets to make a splash they’ll be in a great position moving forward.

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