Cold, Crime and Construction — Hometown Headlines (1/4)

Selfie Central, Via the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Selfie Central, Via the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Hey Dumbo, hope you’re keeping warm in this frigid weather! If you’re off from work or school today, we hope you’ll curl up with some Hometown Headlines, our bi-weekly local news roundup.

To begin with, if you’re inside today, you’re not the only one. Even “Selfie-Central,” that prime pic-snapping stretch of Washington Street near Water Street that so perfectly frames the Manhattan Bridge, is deserted due to today’s wild blizzard and freezing temperatures.

And it’s not just the snow that’s obstructing the view. The community group Save the View lost its appeal against Brooklyn Bridge Park and the developer Troll Brothers. The original lawsuit, concerns the construction of 1Hotel, which blocks the view of a part of the Brooklyn Bridge that is not legally protected.

But not all construction in the neighborhood meets opposition. Some is welcome, such as repairs on the stretch of the BQE under the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. But, a rift in priorities at the Department of Transportation has pitted the BQE against the planned BQX.

In the meantime, if today’s weather has you dreaming of a white Christmas, but you’re not sure what to do with your tree post-Holiday, you can participate in NYC Parks’ “Treecycle” Mulch-Fest! Parks across the city will offer mulch in exchange for your Christmas Tree! Residents of Dumbo and Brooklyn Heights can drop their trees at 99 Adams Street until January 7th! 

While the holidays sometimes inspire good vibes, it seems seasonal merriment hasn’t quelled hate in Brooklyn. On December 26, a Muslim woman wearing a hijab was a attacked by three pre-teen girls at the Panera Bread at 345 Adams Street. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

That was just one in a slew of recent crimes in Brooklyn heights: A man was attacked on an A Train at Jay Street, and during an afternoon robbery on Dean Street last week, a man was attacked with a hammer as his assailant and an accomplice nabbed the victim’s cell phone.