Putin and Witkoff Meet in Russia as U.S. Pushes Ukraine Deal The New York Times
Day: December 2, 2025
December has arrived, which means Brooklyn is bursting with holiday markets offering local and handmade wares for gift giving.
We’ve rounded up a few of the options happening around the borough this year, with both outdoor and indoor markets among the offerings.
Tatter Holiday Market
Friday, Dec. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 6 from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.
505 Carroll St., Suite 2B, Gowanus
The textile-focused organization is hosting a festive market with handmade garments and gifts as well as materials for your own crafting inspiration. There will be cocoa to sip and free gift wrapping. An RSVP for the free event is recommended.
Shop the Studios
Dumbo
Saturday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 6 p.m.
More than 80 artists will be opening the doors to their studios for one shopping day in Dumbo. Printed maps will be available to guide shoppers around the neighborhood.
Old Stone House Holiday Bazar
Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
336 3rd St., Park Slope
A pop-up market in the park surrounding the historic stone house will focus on the work of local artisans. Shoppers will be able to peruse jewelry, home goods, fashion, and more.
Wallabout Wonderland
Brooklyn Navy Yard
Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7 from 12 to 5 p.m.
There is just one weekend to catch this market, which will include over 150 vendors offering jewelry, home decor, and fashion. The eighth annual market will also have family-friendly activities, food, and music.
Renegade Craft Fair Brooklyn
Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ZeroSpace, 337-345 Butler St., Gowanus
The Renegade Craft Fair brings the work of artists and designers from across the country to Brooklyn. Shoppers will be able to check out the work of more than 150 artisans.
Fort Hamilton Holiday Market & Tree Lighting Spectacular
Friday, Dec. 12, 4 p.m.
Fort Hamilton, Bay Ridge
Browse a festive marketplace with handmade items, treats, and other treasures before enjoying the lighting of the tree at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and is open to the general public, but registration is required.
FAD Market Holiday Pop-up: Boerum Hill
Weekends of Dec. 6 and 7, 13 and 14, and 20 and 21, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Invisible Dog Art Center, 51 Bergen St.
FAD Market Holiday Pop-up: Cobble Hill
Weekends of Dec. 6 and 7, 13 and 14, and 20 and 21, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
St. Paul, 190 Court St.
FAD Market Holiday Pop-up: Dumbo
Daily, Dec. 1 to 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Empire Stores
FAD Market has three pop-ups, all offering the fashion, art, and design for which the market is known. Each weekend will feature 150 makers spread out across the three locations. And for extra shopping time, the Dumbo market will be open daily.
Red Hook Holiday Market
Saturday, Dec. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 14 from 12 to 6 p.m.
Hook Studios, 161 Dikeman St.
The second annual Red Hook market will include over 60 makers and artists with goods for sale as well as hands-on activities like ornament making.
Essential Bushwick Holiday Market
Saturday, Dec. 14, 12 to 7 p.m.
114 Forrest St., Bushwick
The Bushwick market returns this year for shoppers looking to enjoy a drink while browsing for handcrafted gifts from local artists.
This story first appeared on Brooklyn Paper’s sister site Brownstoner
Categories
Cartoon Sketchbook: December 2
A collection of topical political cartoons from various artists curated by the Brooklyn Eagle editorial staff.
The post Cartoon Sketchbook: December 2 appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.
Ziggy’s Roman Cafe debuted on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at 15 Main St. in the heart of DUMBO, Brooklyn — offering high-quality Italian cuisine and an elevated ambiance designated for any day of the week.
Founders Helen Zhang, a former restaurant publicist with 15 years of experience in hospitality public relations, and Igor Hadzismajovic, co-founder of Employees Only cocktail bar, envisioned a local restaurant where children are welcome to enjoy a meal during the day and adults can meet friends for drinks in the evening.
“DUMBO is such a special neighborhood, but because of heavy tourist traffic, it lacks accessible, no-fuss restaurants that serve the people who live here,” Zhang said. “After years of industry friends, neighbors and school parents asking us to open something with great food and a relaxed vibe, we finally said yes. We’re collaborating with amazing chefs to create a menu of approachable, craveable Italian favorites that feel special. This is our dream restaurant— inspired by our family and designed for a good time.”
Architect Joni “Bato” Ademovic designed the two-story restaurant with three main areas. Upon entering the ground floor, guests can choose between the bar area or the main dining area, which seats up to 45 people.
The decor features artistic touches, including ceilings fitted with custom, billboard-style whiteboards and pierced lighting that creates an optical illusion spelling “Roman” when viewed from a specific angle. The effect is complemented by a moon-like fixture designed by Dutch designer Bertjan Pot.
The space also features inside jokes carved into the walls by the team and a gallery highlighting children’s artwork, which can be submitted for display and sold to benefit a charity of the child’s choice.
The mezzanine, or semi-private floor, seats up to 26 and includes its own private bar, extra-long windows for natural lighting, Norwegian rose marble tables, and a custom-built banquette. The space can serve as a semi-private room and play area for kids, featuring a play mat and sensory toys.
Guests are greeted by a playful abstract portrait, Sitting in this Garden, by Brooklyn-born artist David “MrStarCity” White from his series LOVERBOY: Moonlit Roses and Heartache.
The menu, created by Chef John Poiarkoff, former executive chef at Marta, focuses on Italian dishes such as artichokes alla Romana, cacio e pepe, and chicoria with squash.
The menu also features thin-crust Roman-style pizzas by Federico Crociani, including stracciatella with cherry tomatoes and basil, and marinara with anchovy-speckled Roman pesto.
The cocktail menu offers straightforward drinks developed by Jason Kosmas, co-founder of Employees Only and Ford’s Gin, reflecting bold flavors and a sense of nostalgia. The menu is divided into categories: Martinis, Fancy Cocktails, Bellinis, and Low ABV, as well as selections of beer and wine to celebrate Italy’s drinking culture.
“Nothing is precious, but everything is thoughtful and delicious,” Kosmas said.
“We want to welcome people, especially residents and neighbors, as they are, with or without kids and without pretense,” Hadzismajovic added. “The menu philosophy comes from wanting to give parents, neighbors and everyone in between a place where they can come in at any time of the day and still enjoy a well-made cocktail and food in a friendly, intimate space.”
Ziggy’s Roman Cafe is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., with additional hours and offerings expected in the coming months. The restaurant accepts walk-ins only.
For more information, follow @ZiggysRomanCafe or visit ziggysromancafe.com.
I’ll never stop fighting to make life more affordable for New Yorkers.
We’re expanding access to child care and building more centers across the state, helping more families find care close to home.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) Dec 2, 2025
(StatePoint) True Love is at it again this holiday season – and paying more than ever. According to PNC’s Christmas Price Index (CPI), the final price tag to buy all of the gifts in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” comes to $51,476.12 this year, headlined by drastic increases in the price of gold and the famed partridge’s Pear Tree.
For more than 40 years, PNC has tracked the price of the birds, entertainers, and other gifts that comprise the classic holiday song as part of its Christmas Price Index, a light-hearted take on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index. Fulfilling True Love’s shopping list will cost 4.5% more in 2025 than it did in 2024, outpacing the BLS index, which rose 3% from October 2024 to October 2025.
“This year’s index reflects pressures from a tight labor market and lingering global economic uncertainties,” said Amanda Agati, chief investment officer of PNC’s Asset Management Group. “However, tariffs are not a driver at all because True Love’s shopping list only includes domestically produced goods and services.”
Highlights from this year’s index:
• The gold standard
For two years the price of The Five Gold Rings stayed flat, but that brief run of stability is over. The rings jumped by 32.5% – the biggest increase in the CPI this year. That’s an actual annual price increase of more than $400, reflecting a surge in gold prices overall. Inflation, expected Federal Reserve interest rate cuts, and a declining U.S. dollar have pushed investors to precious metals in 2025.
Overall, just more than half the gifts rose in price in 2025. Aside from gold, the biggest movers were the Partridge and the Pear Tree, and the Ten Lords-a-Leaping. For the former, the overall 13.5% increase is entirely attributable to the Pear Tree, reflecting increases in the price of labor, land and fertilizer and also serving as a proxy for U.S. housing costs.
The Ten Lords-a-Leaping have consistently grown in price over the life of the index – aside from 2020 pandemic restrictions on live entertainment. The lords remained the highest priced overall gift in the index at $15,579.65 and are a reflection of the growing cost of performers. The four entertainment-related gifts all increased in price in 2025, with the aggregate price increasing by 5.4%.
• Status quo for birds
Aside from the Six Geese-a-Laying, which rose by 3.3% this season, the other four gifts consisting entirely of birds cost the same as they did in 2024.
Historically, the bird gifts are some of the most consistently priced in the CPI, with both the Four Calling Birds and the Seven Swans-a-Swimming remaining unchanged for more than a decade. The Swans – formerly the most expensive gift in the index are only roughly $5 more than they were in 1984. Despite their consistency, their elevated total price of $13,125 has historically inflated the index, leading to a “core index,” which measures growth in the CPI independent of the Swans. This year that grew by 6.1%.
• Online shopping relief
Trekking from store to store for all these goods can be cumbersome, but it’s ultimately cheaper than fulfilling True Love’s list online for $55,748.05 – shipping and packaging all those birds is expensive.
• Getting technical
If you’ve ever heard or sung “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” you know the verses repeat after each gift is introduced. If you’re feeling traditional and wanted to buy all the gifts as the verses repeat, you’ll pay the “True Cost of Christmas,” which is $218,542.98 in 2025.
PNC’s Christmas Price Index is now in its 42nd year. Visit the PNC Christmas Price Index website for more information and interactive charts.
“With the Fed’s recent focus on looser monetary policy, it will be interesting to see where the CPI shakes out in 2026,” says Agati. “Will we get the gift of substantially lower inflation, or will still-elevated inflation be the proverbial lump of coal in shoppers’ and investors’ stockings? It all depends on whether the purple haze of policy uncertainty dissipates in the new year.”