Celebrating Community
In 1901 the wealthy John J. Snyder Jr., age 38, wed the wealthy Lillian Emma Rich, age 26, daughter of Theodore Washington Rich, the wealthy former trustee of Bixby & Co, a nationally famous shoe polish firm that became insolvent in 1895. Rich was also an officer of the Flatbush Press Co, which soon became insolvent. But Rich remained rich. […]
If you’re walking around Kensington, keep your eyes peeled for a surprise sitting by a tree trunk or fire hydrant. Residents have been hiding and discovering homemade, painted rocks in public places around the neighborhood. This initiative is one branch of The Kindness Rocks Project that has captivated multiple U.S. and international cities since its inception in Massachusetts in August […]
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, lots of businesses in New York City and throughout the country have had to close down. However, over the past few months, I’ve noticed new businesses that are opening up despite the challenges the pandemic poses. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to the owners of some of these businesses and find out about their […]
The Knee When Colin Kaepernick took a knee (Knelt down) in support of racial equality, he faced national outrage and criticism. The backlash surrounding his choice to kneel in solidarity with the Black community was roaring. Some white football fans burned his jerseys, posting videos on social media expressing their disdain and disappointment in his views. Politicians and media personalities like […]
It’s annoying to me that I find Eric Adams’ national image far more appealing than the actual reality of the pol I’ve been following for about three and a half often ugly decades, but the thought of political clown Curtis Sliwa and his stupid red hat getting anywhere near City Hall is quite sobering. Nonetheless, I deeply sympathize with those […]
When we last left the Dukes, patriarch John Jacob Snyder straddled a hardware empire in a once sleepy Flatbush that was now busting its britches. All thanks to technology. Since 1878 the Brighton railroad, created by Flatbush Dutch potentates to feed northern Brooklyn vacationers from Prospect Park southward to the Dutch Masters’ hotel in Brighton Beach, had been chugging into […]
Covid Politics The politics surrounding Covid-19 are bewildering to say the least. 2020 revealed so many things about our society, and some of the insights are increasingly worrisome –– dystopian as hell. From masks to vaccines, just how far are we willing to take our politics? Covid-19 is a virus that doesn’t care what your political beliefs are, it […]
The Seventh Annual Billion Oyster Party drew legions of supporters to achieve BOP’s goal of planting one billion oysters across one hundred reefs by 2035 to heal New York Harbor. Is it also creating a novel blue economy? By Richard Dodd Guest Contributor, Freelance Writer, and Environmentalist The Billion Oyster Project (BOP) threw a shucking good party on September 23 […]
George was surfing the Internet again. Uh oh. “Enright, I’m sick of your memories, I need some Brooklyn history…Wait, here’s something! It says in this 1946 Times obit that John Jacob Snyder was buried in Green-Wood as the ‘Mayor of Flatbush’ but I never heard of him. See what you can dig up!” “George, if you want some grave-digging, that’ll […]
I was introduced to Douglas Miles by the Brooklyn born Hip-Hop photographer, Ernie Paniccioli. Ernie’s revolutionary photography humanized and celebrated Hip-Hop performers. As the Bronx born rapper KRS1 said, “while others chose to photograph only those rappers, they thought it could make them a fast buck, Paniccioli photographed the rise of the greatest in city movement of the last 27 […]