Month: July 2025

A collection of topical political cartoons from various artists curated by the Brooklyn Eagle editorial staff.

The post Cartoon Sketchbook: July 31 appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

When we think about typical amenities in a New York City apartment building, we think of the basics: a laundry room, a gym, maybe even a pool, if you’re lucky.

But at The Brodsky Organization, it’s not just about what’s inside the building — it’s about what lies beyond it.

This summer, Brodsky launched a yearlong collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum, giving residents across its Brooklyn properties access to one of the city’s most iconic cultural institutions.

The Brodsky Organization is a New York City-based developer offering apartments in neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. Residents now receive general admission passes, invitations to exclusive exhibition openings, free guided tours, and discounts on special exhibitions and in the museum gift shop.

It’s a major partnership for Brodsky Neighbors, the company’s resident perks program that connects tenants to small businesses, services and institutions just outside their front doors.

Led by Cadien Houser, who oversees partnerships and events for The Brodsky Organization, the program’s goal is to help residents experience their neighborhoods to the fullest.

“Downtown Brooklyn is incredibly different from Prospect Heights,” Houser said. “These neighborhoods have such a wealth of opportunity to explore, and I think that what Brodsky Neighbors does is really connects our residents in each of those neighborhoods so that there’s something that all of our tenants can access wherever they live.”

But the partnership with the Brooklyn Museum is a first — and it marks an expansion of Brodsky Neighbors’ mission.

As Brodsky continues to grow throughout Brooklyn — with four properties in the borough and more on the way — working with a major institution like the Brooklyn Museum “felt like the natural next step,” Houser said.

Both organizations share a community-first mindset, Houser added, with a common goal of enriching the lives of local New Yorkers through art.

“We make you feel at home within your building, but also confident to explore your neighborhood,” Houser said. “Including arts as a component of that is really valued. I don’t think other people are doing that — it’s unique.”

As part of the collaboration, the museum is also coming to the buildings. Brooklyn Museum representatives will host on-site events at Brodsky properties, giving residents the chance to engage with art, and with each other, in a setting that feels familiar.

While the full slate of programming is still in the works, Houser said events could include everything from paint-and-sip workshops led by museum educators to artist talks.

“It’s nice to not only encourage them to go out to the museum and see what they have to offer on site, but then also bring it directly on site for the residents… that’s really special,” Houser said.

Access to art is just one of many collaborations Brodsky Neighbors has cultivated — but this one stands out.

Most of the program’s more than 100 partnerships are with local restaurants, fitness studios, salons and more — perks designed to add convenience or fun to everyday life.

But the Brooklyn Museum collaboration offers something deeper: the chance to both enrich and better understand one’s life.

By adding cultural institutions into the mix, Brodsky is redefining what a resident perk can be. This isn’t just about saving money — it’s about helping people feel more connected to the city, and even to themselves.

Brodsky’s “housing plus culture” model is one more real estate developers should consider, Houser said.

“We’ve seen folks reply in the end-of-year survey saying thank you, this has made such a difference… It really brightens everyone’s day. You never know what someone’s going through… And I think the programming we provide is a really pleasant experience that makes people really feel good about choosing to live in one of our buildings.”

Welcome to Meili, the culinary fever dream where Sichuan fire meets New York finesse—an unapologetically bold, Michelin-dusted love letter to the streets of Chengdu, all tucked inside the high-design bones of the Coda Hotel in Williamsburg. It’s the kind of place where the beef arrives dressed in truffle and swagger, the spice slaps you just enough to make you feel alive, and the staff makes you feel like you’ve just stepped into your favorite silk cheongsam—perfectly draped, expertly cared for, and utterly at home.

Behind this delightful blaze is a dream team: Owner Miki Niu (of CHILI and Wonderland Bar fame) and Managing Partner Jason Xie, with Michelin-starred Executive Chef Peter He (yes, that Peter He—seven years starred and still sizzling). He’s built not one but two menus—one a carnivorous playground of dried chilies, sesame oil, and beef that melts like a secret, and the other a vegan fantasia where seitan and tofu twirl through vegetable broths that carry the same heat, depth, and kiss of nostalgia as their meatier counterparts.

And oh, that truffle beef. It arrives like an off-duty movie star—low-key, elegant, devastating. Tender strips coated in a dreamcoat of umami, black truffle, and magic. Pair it with their Dan Dan noodles—silky, spicy, slathered in sesame paste—and you’ll find yourself bargaining with your tastebuds for just one more bite. The vegetable dumplings (pan-fried, if you’re wise) are little pillows of joy, proving Chef He’s vegan menu isn’t just thoughtful—it’s downright flirtatious.

Now, ascend.

Meili Rooftop, the 8th-floor crown jewel above the restaurant, launches you straight into a technicolor reverie. With sweeping views of Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and even McCarren Park if you tilt your head just right, it’s where the elegance of the dining room shakes off its heels and dances into the night. There’s energy up here—chandeliers made of wicker baskets swing like gossip in the breeze, while soft maroon walls and retractable roofs flirt with the skyline.

The rooftop menu is street food with a tailor-made suit. Sichuan-style small bites echo downstairs’ genius in miniature, ideal for pairing with a cocktail program that deserves its own red carpet. Try the Yellow River, spiked with Meili vodka, baijiu, pineapple, and cinnamon—it’s smoky, sweet, and dangerous in all the right ways. Or the Bandita, a strawberry-lime Volcan tequila concoction that could lead to decisions. Good ones. Maybe.

The staff? A dream—warm, welcoming, and intuitively tuned to the rhythm of your night. Whether you’re chasing the sun on the rooftop or curled up downstairs in the glow of marbled decadence, the service is gracious without ever being stuffy, helpful without hovering, and entirely on your side.

Meili isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a sensory voyage—through spice, skyline, and spirited hospitality. Whether you come for the truffle, the tofu, or the terrace, come hungry. And maybe a little dressed up. Meili will meet you there—high heels, high heat, high above Brooklyn.