NYCHA Worker Leighton Brown Killed by Falling Tree at Cypress Hills Houses
The 56-year-old died after a tree struck him in an East New York parking lot Saturday; residents remember his service to the development.
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Story Archive
Every story the East New York Times has published
The complete East New York Times (ENYT) archive — 50 reports, guides and explainers covering housing and NYCHA, Community Board 5, transit and development, schools, public safety, benefits and neighborhood life in East New York, Brooklyn.
Housing & NYCHA
10 storiesA Broken Front Door, a Worst-Landlord Ranking, and Tenants Who Refuse to Leave
Residents of 2342 Atlantic Ave. rally with Council Member Sandy Nurse and Deputy Borough President Kim Council, demanding HPD action against a landlord with 1,148 lifetime violations across the property.
Read the story“Say his name”: East New York tenants and Council Member Chris Banks put a landlord on notice at 255 Pennsylvania Avenue
About 60 residents of a 24-unit rent-stabilized building — some there more than 30 years — say Plaza Management fixes the surface and leaves the cause. One tenant who helped organize says the response was a 14-day eviction notice.
Read the storyLetter to the Editor: The Real NYCHA Story Is Not Public vs. Private
A policy writer responds to East New York Times coverage of Councilmember Chris Banks's warning on PACT and focuses the debate on enforceable accountability.
Read the storyBanks Calls for New NYCHA Leadership and Warns Against Public Housing Privatization
Council Member Chris Banks said funding alone will not solve NYCHA’s problems and argued that traditional public housing must be preserved.
Read the storyHousing, Wealth, and Who Gets to Stay in East New York
At CB5’s final meeting of the season, Sandy Nurse pressed for housing vouchers, NYCHA repairs, and homeownership pathways while East New York’s next Assembly member, Christian Celeste Tate, watched from the audience.
Read the storySandy Nurse Says No Budget Without CityFHEPS Expansion. East New York Is Why.
CM Sandy Nurse is refusing to vote for any city budget that doesn't expand CityFHEPS rental vouchers and drop a lawsuit blocking the program. For East New York tenants facing eviction, the June 30 deadline is everything.
Read the storyThe Rent Guidelines Board Votes Thursday. Here's What East New York Renters Need to Know.
On June 25, the NYC Rent Guidelines Board votes on how much rent-stabilized landlords can raise rents starting October 1, 2026. A rent freeze is on the table for the first time in a decade. Here's what it means for East New York tenants.
Read the storyWhile Families Fight to Keep Their Vouchers, the City Just Launched a Program to Save the Buildings They Live In
The same week the City Council held an emergency hearing on 5,100 families losing their Emergency Housing Vouchers, HPD launched the Supportive Preservation Program. The two efforts address different parts of the same housing crisis.
Read the storyNYCHA Has Placed 14 Families. Nearly 5,100 Are Still Waiting.
At a City Council hearing on the Emergency Housing Voucher crisis, NYCHA admitted it has moved just 14 families while nearly 5,100 face losing their homes by November. East New York's CM Chris Banks called the number 'astounding.'
Read the storyCommunity Board 5 & Civic Life
8 storiesConstituent Pop Ups Pull Up Across BKLYN’s 37th District
Dominique Alexandre explains how Council Member Sandy Nurse’s office helps District 37 residents navigate housing, sanitation, and city bureaucracy.
Read the story“No Attendance, You Won’t Be on the Board”: CB5 Chair Alice Lowman Draws a Line on Non-Attendance and Borough Hall’s Reversal
At Community Board 5’s last general board meeting of the session, Chair Alice Lowman warned that non-attendance could reshape the board in September.
Read the storyCB5 Brooklyn Meets This Wednesday — Here's Every Meeting East New York Residents Should Know About
Community Board 5 Brooklyn's General Board meeting is this Wednesday, June 24 at 6:30 PM at 127 Pennsylvania Avenue. Here is the full CB5 meeting calendar and how to show up.
Read the storyUnsupported Youth Marijuana Claim Shapes CB5 Cannabis Event Debate
Without a quorum, CB5's cannabis committee moved toward a summer fair after an unsupported claim about youth marijuana use, raising questions about evidence and influence in the planning.
Read the story"Super Broken": Residents Confront City Agencies at Sandy Nurse's Sanitation and Transportation Town Hall
Attendees raised concerns about dumping, traffic safety, delayed street repairs and a complaint system many said is failing their neighborhoods.
Read the storyCB5 Grapples With Limits of Its Power in Split Restaurant License Debate
Residents' complaints, a business owner's distress, and the limits of community board authority collided during a tense Public Safety Committee meeting in East New York.
Read the storyWho Supports the People Who Support East New York?
A recent Community Board 5 Aging, Health and Social Services Committee meeting focused on the emotional toll carried by people who serve their communities.
Read the storyCB5 Members Question Their Power in Cannabis Licensing After Bud City Renewal Vote
The East New York cannabis committee voted 6–1 to support the Bud City dispensary renewal after a tense discussion about community engagement and the limits of local oversight.
Read the storyPolitics & Elections
7 storiesAssemblywoman Nikki Lucas Claims Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair, but Courts May Decide Whether It Counts
A late-night virtual vote named the 60th District Assemblywoman party chair. Reformers say it broke a court order, and a judge is weighing contempt.
Read the storyBrooklyn’s Democratic Rules Change Passed. The Court Fight and Chair Vote Come Next.
A closed vote in Mill Basin expanded the party’s executive committee from 42 to 68 members “by narrow margins.” Reformers backing Julio Peña III said they would refile suit Wednesday morning.
Read the storyBrooklyn Democrats Move to Reshape Their Own Rules Tonight — What It Means for East New York
The Kings County Democratic Party’s executive committee votes tonight on a 10-amendment package that would expand its own membership to more than 68 voting members before this fall’s chair election.
Read the storyThe Sit Down: Christian Celeste Tate on What He's Taking to Albany
Our full sit-down with the incoming Assembly Member for AD-54: the two ICE arrests, the day job advising billionaires, and why he doesn't think elected officials build movements.
Read the storyNikki Lucas Connects Albany Budget Fights to East New York’s Housing, Schools and Jobs
At Community Board 5’s final meeting of the session, Assemblymember Nikki Lucas explained how state budget and legislative work are landing in East New York, Starrett City and Brownsville.
Read the storyCeleste Tate Defeats Dilan in AD54 — What It Means for East New York
Christian Celeste Tate defeated incumbent Assemblymember Erik Dilan in the Assembly District 54 Democratic primary, 62% to 38%. The district covers Bushwick, Cypress Hills, and East New York.
Read the storyPrimary Election Day Is Today — East New York, Here Is Everything You Need to Vote
Polls are open until 9 PM tonight across Brooklyn. Here is your polling location, what is on the ballot, and what you need to know before you go.
Read the storyPublic Safety & Justice
3 stories“No Reason for These Takeovers”: New NYPD Youth Commander Pitches a Reset at East New York’s Community Hub
Captain Lori Perez, the NYPD officer now overseeing Youth Strategies at 127 Pennsylvania Avenue, told CB5 she wants to restore the building and bring youth programming back to East New York.
Read the storyGovernor and Brooklyn DA Charge 23 Alleged Gang Members — What It Means for East New York
The Governor and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced a 176-count case against 23 alleged gang members in Brooklyn, including conspiracy to commit murder and weapons charges. Here is why East New York — and the 75th Precinct — should be paying attention.
Read the storyBrooklyn Man Sentenced to Life Without Parole for the Murder of Susan Leyden on Pennsylvania Avenue.
Harvey Marcelin, 88, was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Susan Leyden, 68, whose remains were found on and near Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York. Here is what the neighborhood is left with.
Read the storyHealth, Benefits & Services
5 storiesYour Health Coverage May Change July 1. Here's What East New York Residents Need to Do Right Now.
About 450,000 New Yorkers will lose Essential Plan eligibility on July 1, 2026. Many of them are in East New York. Here is exactly what to do before the deadline.
Read the storyWhat New York Is Doing to Protect ENY Residents From Medicaid Work Rules
Part 2 of 2: New York State has a plan. Here's what it means for East New York families and the steps you can take before January 2027.
Read the storySNAP Update: Veterans, Homeless Residents, and Former Foster Youth Now Subject to Work Rules
Groups previously protected from federal food stamp work requirements lost their automatic exemption in March. Here's what they need to do to keep their benefits.
Read the storyNew Medicaid Work Rules Could Cut Off Health Care for East New York Residents
A new federal law will soon require many low-income adults on Medicaid to prove they're working or in approved activities to keep their coverage.
Read the storyYour Food Stamps Could Be Cut Off Tomorrow — East New York, Read This Now
Federal Work Requirements Take Effect June 1 — Here's What East New York Residents Need to Know Before It's Too Late
Read the storyTransit & Development
3 storiesOnly 13 Nearby Residents Hired on $400 Million Broadway Junction Project, Local Officials Say
Local officials say only 13 residents from the eight ZIP codes surrounding Broadway Junction have been hired on the MTA's $400 million project.
Read the storyThe City Is Debating Free Buses and Cheaper Fares. Here's What It Means for East New York.
New York City is debating whether to make buses free or expand Fair Fares discounts. East New York riders take the B20 and B83 on Pennsylvania Avenue every day. Here's what's at stake.
Read the storySummer G Line Disruptions: What East New York Riders Need to Know Before the Weekend
Signal and tunnel work will bring repeated shutdowns and service changes to the G line this summer, including key weekends in June. Here's what East New York riders should know before the weekend.
Read the storySchools & Youth
5 storiesEast New York Farms Youth Grow Food for Their Community
At a half-acre urban farm in Brooklyn, teen interns weed garlic beds, make compost and stock a farmers’ market with crops familiar to the neighborhood’s immigrant families.
Read the story“Who Invented That? We Invented That”: East New York Youth Parade Celebrates Black Innovation
Students, teachers, families and community groups marched through East New York for the fifth annual Black Inventors Youth Parade, turning neighborhood streets into a public lesson in Black history and invention.
Read the storyFree Bookbags and School Supplies This Saturday — CB5 Resource Fair at 461 Williams Ave
CB5 Brooklyn's Education & Youth Resource Fair is this Saturday, June 20, from 12 to 3 PM at Success Gardens, 461 Williams Avenue. Free bookbags, books, and school supplies. No registration needed.
Read the storyJune Regents Are Coming — Here's What East New York Families Need to Know
Exam dates, school closures, and rating days for District 19 students and families in East New York, Brooklyn.
Read the storyEast New York Families May Be Left Behind in the First Wave of 2-K
CB5 members raised concerns about District 19's absence from the city's initial 2-K rollout, uncertainty around Head Start after June 30, and a pay gap affecting community-based early-childhood programs.
Read the storyCulture, Events & Neighborhood
9 storiesRooted in East New York 5K Supports Scholarships and Community Programs
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation’s junior board hosted its second annual community 5K in Highland Park to fund scholarships for East New York youth.
Read the storyMore Than a Concert: East New York’s Four-Day Wellness Series Brings Music, Resources and Community Together
Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas and DJ Keith Watkins’ annual East New York Concert + Wellness Series returned for its fourth year with four days of music, health screenings, food vendors and community resources.
Read the storyFat Boys Avenue, Down by Law
East New York co-names the block where three teenagers became hip-hop history. Only one of them lived to see it.
Read the storyFifty Years on One Block: How Virginia Burroughs Became a Street
A tenants association president who served half a century at Essex Terrace is now the name at Linwood Street and Hegeman Avenue.
Read the storyVideo: The Unveiling of Virginia Burroughs Way
Watch the co-naming ceremony at Linwood Street and Hegeman Avenue, where the corner outside Essex Terrace became Virginia Burroughs Way.
Read the storyEast New York Filled the Streets for Juneteenth NYC 2026
Hundreds turned out for the Juneteenth NYC 2026 Parade and Festival in East New York on June 20, marching from Gotham Health on Pitkin Avenue to Gershwin Park for a full day of live performances, a fashion show, and community.
Read the storyCM Banks Hosting Free Senior Resource Day on Vermont Street This Saturday, June 27
Council Member Chris Banks is hosting a free Senior Citizens Resource Day on Vermont Street between Linden Blvd and Stanley Avenue on Saturday, June 27, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Free, no registration required.
Read the storyThe Knicks Brought $202 Million to New York. Will Any of It Reach East New York?
The Knicks are NBA champions for the first time in 53 years. East New York celebrated with the rest of the city and deserves to share in everything that comes next.
Read the storyOpening Night at BRIC: Sheila E., Leon Knight, and DJ Spinna Bring Brooklyn Together
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! opened its 2026 season at the Lena Horne Bandshell with a night built on live drums, deep catalog cuts, and free outdoor music.
Read the storyGuides & Reference
2 storiesEast New York Honorary Street Names
Explore East New York honorary street co-namings, the people they honor, their locations, and how to request a street co-naming through Brooklyn Community Board 5.
Read the storyHow to Request an Honorary Street Co-Naming in NYC CB5
A practical East New York Times guide to requesting an honorary street co-naming through Brooklyn Community Board 5: what CB5 requires, how the review works, the expected timeline, and a printable planning checklist.
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