Sunset Park Boxer Wins World Title
Also: Sunset Park makes several best-of-NYC lists, parrots are taking over, NYC Council primaries, the Wizard of Oz, and more!
In this issue:
Sunset Park boxer wins WBO junior welterweight title
Parrots are taking over the world
What to expect in NYC Council primaries
Why companies — and people — should embrace failure
Happy birthday, Wizard of Oz
BEST OF NYC: SUNSET PARK EDITION
20 best coffee shops in NYC, ranked
Where to eat this summer
Top 5 places to find a pop-up shop
The best butcher shops in New York
15 NYC pools you're missing out on
FEATURED PHOTO
Sunset Park boxer wins WBO junior welterweight title
The Guardian: Teófimo López is a two-division world champion after handing Josh Taylor the first defeat of his professional career and taking the WBO junior welterweight title he’d held since 2021. … “It’s been a long time coming,” López says. “We just beat the No 1 guy, the lineal world champion, the former undisputed world champion.” … López (18-1, 13 KOs), the heavy-handed 25-year-old nicknamed the Takeover, a nod to his disruptive career ambitions, has weathered even more dramatic swings of fortune. Having captured the IBF lightweight title in only his 15th paying fight by knocking out the durable Richard Commey, the cocksure left-hander from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Sunset Park delivered on his enormous promise in October 2020 with a unanimous-decision win over Vasiliy Lomachenko, the three-weight champion from Ukraine who for years had been considered the sport’s best fighter regardless of weight. … READ MORE
Parrots are taking over the world
Scientific American: Smart, adaptable and loud, parrots are thriving in cities far outside their native ranges … Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery the living get as much attention as the dead. Groundskeepers maintain the 478-acre historic landmark as an arboretum and habitat for more than 200 breeding and migratory bird species. But many visiting wildlife lovers aren't interested in those native birds. They're at the entryway, their binoculars trained on the spire atop its Gothic Revival arches. They've come to see the parrots. … The Brooklyn parrots' story begins in South America. … READ MORE
What to expect in NYC Council primaries
New York Post: The recent redistricting involving New York City Council seats has triggered some competitive June 27 primary races, and early voting in them begins Saturday. Council seats are typically up for grabs every four years. But this election cycle is taking place two years after the 2021 elections, given the remapping of legislative districts last year. It’s the second election cycle where the city Board of Elections will use rank-choice voting to determine a winner if the leading candidate gets less than 50% of the vote. … In the Democratic primary for District 43, redistricting created a new seat that’s a majority Asian district. Records show the seat covering Bensonhurst, New Utrecht and parts of Dyker Heights and Sunset Park is home to 54% Asian voters. The three-way primary includes candidates Wai Yee Chan, Stanley Ng and Susan Zhuang. … READ MORE
Why companies — and people — should embrace failure
MarketWatch: Many companies say they want to be innovative, but they also don’t want to fail. A new pop-up museum, the Museum of Failure in Sunset Park’s Industry City, explores the upside of failure. … READ MORE
Happy birthday, Wizard of Oz
This month, Green-Wood Cemetery celebrates the birthday of Francis Wupperman, better known by his stage name, Frank Morgan (1890-1949), who will forever be remembered for his role as the title character in “The Wizard of Oz.” An eccentric and jovial character actor, Morgan's career spanned from the silent era into sound films in the 1903s and 40s. He is interred in Lot 14447, Sec. 168/174.
BEST OF NYC: SUNSET PARK EDITION
20 best coffee shops in NYC, ranked
TastingTable: While Yafa Café might seem far to some, Manhattanites still make the trek out to Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood to try one of the only traditional Yemeni-style cafes in the city. What makes Yemen's coffee so special is that the beans are traditionally dry-processed because of the country's arid climate, which gives a cup of Yemeni coffee a unique, complex flavor profile. Owner Hakim Sulaimani grew up in Sunset Park, and he sources coffee from the region near his ancestral homeland of Yafa, which is the café's namesake. … While you're there, be sure to try a tasty Yemeni delicacy like the fried chicken sandwich seasoned with Yemeni Hawaij spice or the za'atar avocado toast. … READ MORE
Where to eat this summer
The New York Times: "… And believe it or not, I’ve never been to Governors Island. Please don’t shame me — I’m ashamed enough as it is. I can’t wait to spend a balmy afternoon on one of its green expanses. I already know where I’m going to eat: Carreau Club. It’s a weekends-only extension of the club of the same name in Industry City, where locals gather to play pétanque. (Sorry, pickleball.) You can chuck a few boules, sip a cold one and enjoy sandwiches including before heading to the island’s lookout point." … READ MORE
Top 5 places to find a pop-up shop
BKReader: Industry City is an industrial complex in Sunset Park that has transformed into a vibrant hub for small businesses, artists, and creatives. Pop-up shops are a regular occurrence here, especially during the summer months. Look out for unique brands such as Brooklyn Candle Studio and the Designers Market showcasing their products in this eclectic and artistic space. … READ MORE
The best butcher shops in New York
Curbed: Ends Meat, 254 36th St., Unit 38, Sunset Park; 718-801-8895; endsmeatnyc.com … To avoid industrial meat production — and the climate-wrecking that comes with it — Ends Meat buys from small farmers whose animals are well treated. “Ends Meat has some of the strongest sourcing ethics of pretty much any butcher in New York,” says food and agriculture writer Chloe Sorvino. Founder and head butcher John Ratliff uses every part of the Berkshire hogs, free-range chickens, and sides of beef delivered to Ends Meat’s two locations — one with a long lunch counter in Industry City, the other at the Market Line on the LES. One 350-pound hog becomes lonzas and lomos, coppas and culatellos, porchettas, pancetta, prosciutto, and pork chops. The heart becomes ’nduja and doggy treats; the skin, chicharrones. No part is left unexploited nor left to remain undelicious. But it’s not only Ratliff’s efficiency that attracts acolytes. K. C. Boyle, a political consultant who cooks for up to 20 people at least four times a month, says, “John’s dry-aged program is unmatched in the city. He has inventory from 80 to 140 days old. That’s incredibly rare, especially when the meat is grass fed and sourced from New York farmers.” … READ MORE
15 NYC pools you're missing out on
Thrillist: After a little march up to the highest point in Sunset Park, guests are greeted by the joyous sight of the olympic-sized Sunset Pool and some of the city's best views of the Statue of Liberty. Although you can't bring food to any of NYC's public pools, there's plenty of nearby favorites to grab bites at after your swim, like Ba Xuyen for banh mis and Tacos El Bronco for tacos. … READ MORE
FEATURED PHOTO
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A fantastic photo of neighborhood legend Michael Hernandez, aka @brooklynbarber, by @phils_photolife. Share your best photo from Sunset Park with us on Instagram @SunsetParkSpotlight or at info@12p2.com.
Yafa Cafe is amazing!