2015 was an incredible year for our neighborhood! It has brought us a lot of great new amenities starting out with the new Brooklyn Bridge Park section in DUMBO and the expansion of Pier 6.
We were lucky to get a new Charter School within walking distance, the International Charter School of New York. A new private school AltSchool, which is featured in The New York Times “The Bold Idea Behind A Small Brooklyn School”, opened in the heart of Brooklyn Heights.
Brooklyn Heights became a slow zone and DUMBO got new traffic lights and sidewalks at Washington and York Streets.
We lost the DUMBO Arts Festival but got the new St. Ann’s Warehouse theater. There were big news in DUMBO for much needed indoor activities with kids! The great indoor playspace Recess DUMBO opened on Washington Street. The new Environmental Education Center in Brooklyn Bridge Park with a marine aquarium and a discovery station is now open to the public 3 days a week and it’s free to visit.
We lost Siggy’s Restaurant on Henry Street and Smorgasburg at Pier 5, but we got JuicePress and Friend of a Farmer on Montague Street.
We also lost the Brooklyn Bridge view from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Our kids will no longer be able to watch the bridge in full from the promenade.
WeWork opened a fancy co-working space in DUMBO Heights where quite a few local parents are now working close to home.
The biggest topic for our neighborhood was the rezoning of our elementary schools PS 8 in Brooklyn Heights and PS 307 in Vinegar Hill. Announced by the Department of Education in May “that a rezoning was on the table”, there is still no decision on this subject and a decision will come at the CEC meeting on January 5th, 2016.
2016 will certainly be another eventful year for our neighborhood – stay tuned!
Happy holidays and a happy new year!