ASYLUM SEEKERS IN LIMBO
Also: Sunset Park’s Jimmy Fallon, movie studio building spree, transforming Brooklyn Marine Terminal, reforming broker fees, clean air legislation, bilingual Shakespeare performance, and more!
There is no dedicated news coverage of Sunset Park — but Sunset Park makes news. This FREE weekly(ish) digest curates all the headlines from all the sources that touch our neighborhood, which is one of the most vibrant in Brooklyn.
In this issue
Caught between China and the US, asylum seekers live in limbo in New York City
Sunset Park’s Jimmy Fallon celebrates decade as ‘Tonight Show’ host
New York is on a studio building spree to grab a bigger slice of L.A.'s Hollywood pie
City takes ownership of Brooklyn Marine Terminal, planning modern mixed-use transformation
Office owners and brokers tout recovery
Elected officials dish out top eats in District Dining Guide
I was accepted to Yale. Here's everything I included in my successful Ivy League application.
There's a proposal to reform broker fees
The Best Chinese restaurants in NYC
Man wanted for allegedly sexually abusing 9-year-old girl
How a Sunset Park hospital is working to represent the growing Asian population
Free bilingual Shakespeare performance comes to Sunset Park
NYC Pride cancels two of flagship events
Headstone unveiled for NYPD detective slain a century ago
Rockaway ferry reservations open this week for summer
Opinion: Clean air legislation offers a road to justice for New York
Opinion: Set sail for federal ferry funding
CALENDAR
Caught between China and the US, asylum seekers live in limbo in New York City
By CNN: A simple act of walking into a mosque with his wife and two children in New York City is what made the past six months of struggle worth it for Ye Chengxiang – even if not everyone is celebrating his arrival. “It’s only been over two months here, but we can feel the spirit of freedom, inclusiveness, and equality,” he said over a bowl of noodles. It was his only day off from working 12-hour shifts at a Chinese restaurant in New York City. The slim former restaurant owner left China last October. The ruling Communist Party’s crackdown on his Hui Muslim ethnic group and growing restrictions on personal life gave his family no choice, he says. “When I was in China, I had a pent-up feeling in my heart,” he said of living as a Muslim in China, where his children were banned from entering a mosque. Ye and his wife drained $40,000 of their life savings and illegally crossed the United States’ southern border in December after an exhausting weeks-long journey that saw the family take a hazardous boat journey from Colombia to the edge of the Darien Gap, a mountainous rainforest region that connects South and Central America. His anxieties melted away as Ye crossed into the US, which he described as entering a warm embrace. “I felt like I was home, and that feeling was very real,” he said. … On downtown Flushing’s Main Street, people hand out fliers offering help, for a fee, for the undocumented to secure drivers’ licenses. Alongside the street vendors hawking vegetables, undocumented migrants walk into buildings with employment agencies offering restaurant and sales jobs. This is what draws Chinese migrants toward enclaves like Flushing and Sunset Park, where immigrant networks, legal service centers, job markets and nonprofits form a vital support system. … READ MORE
Sunset Park’s Jimmy Fallon celebrates decade as ‘Tonight Show’ host
By BROOKLYN REPORTER: Comedian, actor, singer, musician and talk show host Jimmy Fallon, who was born on 47th Street between Fourth and Fifth avenues in Bay Ridge (now known as Sunset Park), is celebrating his 10th anniversary at the helm of NBC’s “The Tonight Show.” The program, which airs Monday to Friday at 11:30 p.m., was formerly hosted by Jay Leno. Jimmy and his older sister Gloria lived only a short while in Brooklyn. Their father got a job at the IBM plant in upstate Kingston, so their parents relocated to nearby Saugerties, where the young Fallons attended grammar school and high school. Before taking over “The Tonight Show” on Feb. 17, 2014, Jimmy was a cast member of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” … READ MORE
New York is on a studio building spree to grab a bigger slice of L.A.'s Hollywood pie
By LOS ANGELES TIMES: Pat Swinney Kaufman may have enough ceremonial shovels in her office to start her own small construction firm. As commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, based above the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan, Kaufman helped break ground on a number of new studios and soundstages to accommodate the TV and movie producers shooting in the region. … Doug Steiner, who opened Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1999 and recently broke ground on a 15-acre location in the Sunset Park neighborhood in Brooklyn, believes some of the newcomers will face challenges. Steiner's soundstages provided homes for Amazon's hit "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as well as movies including "The Joker." “There is an explosion of proposed new studios both nationally and globally," Steiner said. "People who have never done it have no idea what they are getting into, and it’ll be a disaster for most of them.” … READ MORE
City takes ownership of Brooklyn Marine Terminal, planning modern mixed-use transformation
By AMNY: New York City is taking control of Sunset Park’s Brooklyn Marine Terminal, with plans to radically transform the Brooklyn waterfront. Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced plans to turn the Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a cutting-edge maritime port and dynamic mixed-use community hub — a project, they say, will usher in a new era for the area. “For 20 years, skeptics thought this deal couldn’t get done, but our administration prioritized the ‘Harbor of the Future’ and now we have the potential to create thousands of new jobs, generate billions in economic impact, and build a vibrant mixed-use neighborhood and modern maritime port focused on getting trucks off the roads,” Adams said in a statement. … READ MORE
Office owners and brokers tout recovery
By COMMERCIAL OBSERVER: Commercial Observer’s Spring State of Office Forum seeks to define what a return to normalcy — never mind the office — should look like. … Jim Somoza, managing director of Sunset Park’s Industry City, spoke to the challenges and opportunities he’s faced securing tenants for the 6 million-square-foot adaptive reuse development that combines office, industrial and retail across 35 acres of former warehouse property. “We had a project that really had nothing. There was no retail, very little office, 1,500 people working in 6 million square feet — you could work for hours and not see a person in the beginning,” he explained. “We wanted to do something that was fun, something that would attract people, and we wanted to be a destination and do some crazy things people would enjoy.” … READ MORE
Elected officials dish out top eats in District Dining Guide
By BROOKLYN PAPER: The politicians Brooklynites turn to for guidance and support just dished out some vital advice — where to grab some grub.Civic leaders shared their go-to eateries and meals in the first annual “District Dining Guide.” The guide was published earlier this year by the New York Hospitality Alliance, a nonprofit that bills itself as the “leading voice for NYC’s restaurant and nightlife industry.” Since their founding in 2012, the group has worked to promote Big Apple bars, restaurants, nightclubs and more. … READ MORE
Yafa Cafe (4415 Fourth Ave., Sunset Park)
Up next is a Yemenis spot Council Member Alexa Avilés swears by. “Yafa never disappoints,” said Avilés. “Its portions are perfect. Flavors and coffee are on point.” The politicians said it’s too hard to pick just one of her favorite meals from the Sunset Park eatery so she suggested ordering the Sunset Sammy, a yummy twist on an egg and cheese sandwich, chicken and waffles, a chicken sandwich and of course the Yemeni coffee.
Shaxian Snacks (818 60th St., Sunset Park)
Council Member Susan Zhuang of District 43 has a go-to treat that Brooklynites are sure to love whether they’re eating out or looking to order in. The Chinese restaurant serves all of the best: dumplings, noodles, soup, wontons and more. “Shaxian Snacks is cheap and delicious. My go-to [is] the soup dumplings,” Zhuang said.
I was accepted to Yale. Here's everything I included in my successful Ivy League application.
By BRIAN ZHANG in BUSINESS INSIDER: I recently reviewed my Yale admissions file after being a student there for three years. It was strange but enlightening to read what the admissions officers really thought of my application. ... I believe that everyone's college application journey is unique and that mine is just one sample, but I equally understand the urge to hear about other people's experiences. I devoured hundreds of college decision reactions on YouTube just three years ago, hoping to find that secret formula. So, I'm now sharing a deeper look into my college application. But I want to first emphasize that as complicated and stressful as the process of applying to college may be, the best application you can ever show others will be the one you enjoy writing the most. I know I enjoyed every second of writing mine. … "Spanish Meets You" evolved from my experience growing up in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, which was predominantly Hispanic and Asian. I loved going to cookouts and finding a diligent spread of both spicy tamales and fried rice. Despite our cultural differences, the two groups were united in our challenges and our respect for each other. … READ MORE
There's a proposal to reform broker fees
By CBS: There's a new push to reform broker fees in New York City. … CBS New York's Mahsa Saeidi spoke to renter Annie Abreu, who was born in Sunset Park and isn't leaving. In recent years, Abreu and her mom have struggled to find an affordable unit, so they're renting a room. Abreu showed it off in a TikTok video, writing, "So I decided to show you what it's like living in NYC if you're a low income resident rather than middle or upper class." It's garnered nearly 900,000 views. "I should be able to find an apartment in my own neighborhood," she said. Abreu says renting an apartment is just too much money. "Low-income people do not have the ability to pay three fees in one go," she said. Saeidi searched for rentals in Abreu's Sunset Park neighborhood on one popular site. The search results showed 19 apartments had a broker fee and only two, including the most expensive unit listed, did not. … READ MORE
The Best Chinese restaurants in NYC
By INFATUATION: The options for Chinese food in New York are vast. We have three major Chinatowns just to start, with about six more emerging. … READ MORE
Chuan Tian Xia, Sunset Park
Fish is the main draw at this Sichuan restaurant in Sunset Park, and it’s best to come with a group and make a whole grilled fish the center of your meal. Choose between tilapia, lates, or grouper, served on a big sizzling tabletop grill, and swimming in a broth packed with chili peppers. You can add tons of vegetables and adjust the spice level to your liking. Or choose the crispy whole fish, poached fish slices in chili oil, Chongqing sour fish stew, or paper-wrapped fish that steams in its own juices with mounds of mashed garlic. There’s plenty of room, and it’s never hard to get a table here.
Man wanted for allegedly sexually abusing 9-year-old girl
By ABC7: The search is on for a man wanted for allegedly sexually abusing a child. The NYPD has released new photos of the suspect. Police say he inappropriately touched a 9-year-old girl in Brooklyn. The incident happened in the Sunset Park section along 59th Street around 7:45 on Thursday morning. … WATCH VIDEO
How a Sunset Park hospital is working to represent the growing Asian population
BY CBS: One Brooklyn hospital is making an effort to represent the growing Asian community it serves. Maimonides Medical Center is at the doorstep of one of the city's fastest growing Asian populations. The hospital neighbors Sunset Park to the West and Bensonhurst to the South. Both areas are considered part of the many Chinatowns of Brooklyn. Hospital staff say with that comes a responsibility to address the growing community's health care needs. "We had one of the first population health department in the city," says Jenny Tsang-Quinn, Senior Vice President of Population Health at Maimonides. … READ MORE
Free bilingual Shakespeare performance comes to Sunset Park
By BK READER: Shakespeare's "A Comedy of Errors" will be performed on June 18 in Sunset Park and later in Bushwick and Prospect Park. The Public Theater is bringing their GO PUBLIC! A Festival of Free Shakespeare in the Park to Brooklyn this summer as a part of their tour across all five boroughs. The theater's Mobile Unit will bring their joyful, bilingual musical adaptation of The Comedy of Errors to Sunset Park, Maria Hernandez Park and the Peninsula at Prospect Park during June, according to a news release. The play, adapted by Rebecca Martinez and Julián Mesri in English and Spanish, features an all-Latine cast. The musical of family and mistaken identity is fun, accessible and open to all ages.
NYC Pride cancels two of flagship events
By TIMEOUT: Every year, New York has one of the biggest Pride celebrations anywhere in the world, one that involves exciting programming all the way through June. This year, though, things are looking a bit different: NYC Pride just announced that it's cancelling two of its flagship summer events. … Pride Island is a big music festival that happens on the last weekend of June and attracts some of the biggest names in music. In 2022, Pride Island took place on Governors Island and featured Lil' Kim and Kim Petras. The year after, the festivities took over Sunset Park’s Brooklyn Army Terminal, with Christina Aguilera as the headliner. … READ MORE
Headstone unveiled for NYPD detective slain a century ago
By NEW YORK POST: A century-old oversight was corrected as a fallen NYPD detective who lost his life in the line of duty was finally memorialized. Recently, the headstone was unveiled for NYPD Detective Bernardino Grottano, whose bravery was unrecognized at his unmarked grave for 100 years. Retired NYPD Lieutenant Bill Markowski, while researching his fiancee’s genealogy, discovered the lack of a marker and steered efforts to honor Grottano’s sacrifice. During his ancestry research, Markowski discovered that Phyllis Kropascek’s great-great uncle, Barney Grottano, rested in Sunset Park’s esteemed Green-Wood Cemetery. An intrigued Markowski investigated further upon learning Grottano was an NYPD officer killed in action and stated, “He was like ‘Oh my God! This is your great uncle!’ He loves to do the ancestry and then he just followed this up.” … READ MORE
Rockaway ferry reservations open this week for summer
By CBS: The New York City Ferry is making it easier to hit the beach this summer. The 2024 summer schedule will include increased capacity on weekends and holidays, plus the return of Rockaway Reserve and the Rockaway Rocket. … Reservations can be made for Memorial Day Weekend starting this Friday. Stops include Pier 11 in Manhattan, Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park and the Rockaways. … READ MORE
Opinion: Clean air legislation offers a road to justice for New York
By CITY LIMITS: … As responsible stewards of our planet, we must take bold and decisive actions. We know air pollution affects us all, but it isn’t experienced equally, disproportionately impacting low-income communities of color. The Green Transit, Green Jobs bill (GTGJ) represents an equitable step toward New York State meeting the ambitious emission mandates set by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). This legislation proposes a planned transition with a comprehensive roadmap and guidelines developed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and Department of Transportation. … The cumulative effects of these transportation-polluting infrastructures are a leading cause of poor air quality and health in our community. The GRID 2.0 plan, highlighted by UPROSE, emphasizes the importance of addressing these systemic issues. It proposes sustainable infrastructure projects that improve air quality and offer public health benefits to communities like Sunset Park. … READ MORE
Opinion: Set sail for federal ferry funding
By MASS TRANSIT: Here are some ways to pay for both New York City (NYC) Department of Transportation (DOT) Staten Island Ferry and NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Private Ferries programs. Adding an NYC EDC ferry stop in City Island, Bronx, LaGuardia Airport, Queens, Canarsie and Coney Island, Brooklyn, South Shore, Staten Island and other locations currently not served could benefit thousands of commuters. … Thousands of pre COVID-19 riders daily use ferries sponsored by the NYC EDC Private Ferry operators program. They connect various waterfront neighborhoods around NYC, including … Sunset Park’s Brooklyn Army Terminal and Bay Ridge in Brooklyn … READ MORE
CALENDAR
Thursday, May 30: A Brooklyn Arcanum at Tom Kane Theatre
Begins Tuesday, June 11: Bar Convent Brooklyn 2024
Tuesday, June 18: Free bilingual Shakespeare performance in Sunset Park
Thursday, July 11: Rooftop Films Summer Series presents “Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted”
Until Aug. 23: Rooftop Films Summer Series full schedule
Thursday, Oct. 17-20: Food Network’s NYC Wine & Food Festival
Ongoing at Green-Wood Cemetery
The Spotlight is BACK!!! YAY!