The Ocean Avenue News - oceanavenuenews.comMontague Street storefront rents vary widely, with stairs, accessibility and space shaping the value of Brooklyn Heights shops.
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Brooklyn recorded just two homicides in July, tying the lowest monthly total ever recorded in the borough and capping off what officials say is the longest murder-free stretch in Brooklyn’s modern history.
The milestone comes as violent crime continues to decline across the borough. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, homicides are down 37% so far in 2026 compared to the same period last year, while shooting incidents have fallen 16%.
District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced the figures Tuesday as communities across the country mark National Night Out Against Crime on Aug. 4.
“For New York City’s most populous borough to go 29 consecutive days without a murder, during the summer months when violence has historically been at its highest, is an extraordinary achievement that would have been almost unimaginable just a few years ago,” Gonzalez said. “Brooklyn is experiencing a genuine public safety renaissance, driven by focused enforcement, strong prosecutions, community partnership and sustained investments in preventing violence before it occurs. We are proud of this progress, and we remain determined to bring the same safety and stability to every neighborhood in Brooklyn.”
The DA’s office added that Brooklyn’s only homicides in July occurred on the first two days of the month. The borough then went 29 consecutive days without a killing before a woman was found dead in a suspected domestic violence incident on Aug. 1.
Officials said the 29-day span is the longest murder-free period on record in Brooklyn, surpassing the previous record of 24 days set in October 2016.
July also tied January 2026 for the fewest homicides recorded in a single month. Before this year, officials said only December 2025 and February 2026 had recorded as few as three homicides in a month.
The DA’s office noted that the monthly figures exclude homicides reclassified from previous years, while annual crime totals are based on the NYPD’s CompStat data, which includes two additional reclassified murders this year.
Brooklyn’s decline in violent crime has also played a significant role in citywide trends. According to the DA’s office, the borough accounts for 22 fewer homicides than this time last year, representing 47% of New York City’s overall decline in murders. Brooklyn has also seen 24 fewer shooting incidents, accounting for 85% of the city’s reduction in shootings this year.
Beyond violent crime, several other major offenses have declined this year. Burglaries are down 14%, grand larceny auto has fallen 12.5%, robberies have decreased 10% and reported hate crimes have dropped by more than 21%. Reported rape was the only major crime category that did not decline.
The district attorney credited the borough’s ongoing violence prevention strategy, which combines targeted enforcement against repeat violent offenders with long-term gang and firearm trafficking investigations, expanded gun prosecutions, community partnerships and youth-focused prevention initiatives.
In recent months, the office secured indictments against rival gangs in Brownsville, allied crews in Coney Island and two Folk Nation subsets. Prosecutors also relaunched Project Restore, a violence prevention program serving gang-involved young men, hosted a gun buyback that collected nearly 200 firearms, organized a student-led youth safety summit, participated in a youth listening tour and held an anti-gun violence rally as part of broader efforts to reduce violence across Brooklyn.
About 2,000 New York City children received offers Tuesday for the city’s first free 2-K seats, while roughly 3,700 applicants were placed on waitlists as a new report estimated that providing universal child care could require as much as $9.3 billion annually in direct service funding.
More than 5,700 families applied for just over 2,000 seats beginning this fall, nearly three applicants for every available spot, according to City Hall.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the first placements at Bedrock Preschool in the Bronx on Aug. 4, describing the response as evidence of intense demand for free child care.
City Hall estimates that each seat will save a family an average of $26,000 a year, with most offering full-day, full-year care. The city plans to expand the program to about 12,000 children next year and make seats available in all five boroughs. Mamdani has pledged that every family seeking a 2-K seat will have access to one by the end of his first term as part of his universal childcare campaign promise.
The announcement came one day after the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School released a model estimating that a high-quality, stable universal child care system for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old would require between $8.7 billion and $9.3 billion annually in New York City, depending on participation.
The analysis estimated that the city spent about $3.82 billion on direct child care services in fiscal year 2025, leaving an annual gap of between $4.9 billion and $5.5 billion. The model includes workers’ pay, health insurance and program operating expenses.
Asked about the estimate at Tuesday morning’s announcement, Hochul said the state would conduct “an independent verification of the actual costs required.”
Mamdani did not say whether the new figure was more realistic than a previous estimate or provide a timeline for the review.
“The question is not about whether this will cost money; it’s a question of who will pay that money,” Mamdani said, pointing to families spending between $20,000 and $40,000 annually on child care.
The state has committed $1.2 billion over two years to the initial seats, next year’s expansion, 3-K improvements, and additional child care vouchers, Mamdani noted, as Hochul said she could not pledge funding in future budgets. Mamdani did not directly answer whether he believes that higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers and corporations would still be needed to fund the system.
Among those receiving offers on Tuesday, 82% were matched with one of their top three choices, according to City Hall, while Mamdani said close to 60% received their first choice. Ninety-nine percent received an offer from a program listed on their application.
Priority went to children living in participating districts, those already attending a program and those with siblings enrolled there. Offers were essentially determined by lottery within each priority group. Unsuccessful applicants were automatically placed on waitlists for programs they ranked.
Officials said they were working to add some capacity before the school year begins.
New Yorkers United for Child Care, which helped lead the campaign for free 2-K, celebrated the first placements while arguing that the number of families left without offers showed how far the city remains from universal access.
“Today’s announcement shows what’s possible when the government invests in families,” said Kellan Calder, a community organizer with the group. “But we’re still a long way from universal.”
Calder called on Hochul and state lawmakers to provide permanent funding and develop a plan for universal care from birth through age 5.
The group also urged policymakers not to retreat over the higher estimate. Executive Director Rebecca Bailin said the city could not finance universal care alone and called for dedicated state revenue and enough funding to pay child care workers a living wage.
“The real question isn’t whether we can afford to pass universal child care,” Bailin said. “It’s whether we can afford to keep losing the families who are the foundation of New York’s tax base.”
Under the model’s higher-uptake scenario, the Center for New York City Affairs report estimated that the city would need 10,475 additional seats, 1,182 additional programs, and 23,640 more center- and home-based workers. It said substantial unused capacity already exists, making staffing and provider stability greater challenges than construction.
The report also warned that the 2-K contracting structure excludes about 80% of home-based providers because they lack network affiliations, potentially contributing to closures and reducing the capacity needed for expansion.
THREE BROOKLYN NEIGHBORHOODS are part of a planned expansion of 600 new curbside electric vehicle charger ports.
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State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblyman Mike Reilly announced $445,000 in state funding Monday, Aug. 3, to support restoration work at the historic Kreischer Mansion and help make the Charleston landmark accessible to the public.
Scarcella-Spanton secured $315,000 for the project, while Reilly obtained an additional $130,000. The lawmakers gathered at the mansion with local officials and the property’s owners to outline how the money will be used to preserve the site and expand public access.
Built around 1885 by German immigrant and brick manufacturer Balthasar Kreischer, the mansion was constructed for one of his sons and has remained a fixture in the Charleston community for more than a century.
The property is known for its distinctive architectural design and its connection to Staten Island’s industrial history. It has also gained a reputation among residents as one of the borough’s most famous haunted houses, adding to its place in local folklore.
The Kreischer House was designated a New York City landmark in 1968 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Scarcella-Spanton said the new funding will help ensure that the property is maintained while creating opportunities for Staten Islanders to visit and learn about its history.
“Receiving essential maintenance support and opening its doors to the public are important steps in preserving all of the history that the Kreischer Mansion holds,” Scarcella-Spanton said.
Reilly also emphasized the mansion’s importance to the borough and said the restoration project will allow more New Yorkers to experience the property.
“The Kreischer Mansion is a treasured part of Staten Island’s history and a symbol of the generations who helped shape our community,” Reilly said. “The mansion will now be accessible to the public, and this historical treasure will be an inspiration for all New Yorkers.”
State Sen. Andrew Lanza, who also attended Monday’s press conference, described the mansion as an important reminder of Staten Island’s industrial past and expressed support for the state investment.
“The Kreischer Mansion is a true Staten Island treasure with deep roots in our borough’s industrial past,” Lanza said. “I am proud to join my colleagues in supporting state funding that will help restore this iconic landmark so it can once again serve our community.”
The mansion’s current owners, Eric Bischoff and Julia Mackie, also appeared at the announcement. Kreischer Mansion Holdings LLC purchased the property in March 2025 and has since been working toward restoring it and reopening it for public use.
“It’s a privilege and an honor to restore the Kreischer House,” Bischoff said.
Scarcella-Spanton praised Bischoff and Mackie for taking on the restoration effort and working to preserve the mansion’s place in Staten Island history.
“The work and effort to keep the legacy of the Charles Kreischer House is admirable, and I thank everyone involved, including Eric Bischoff and Julia Mackie, for their unwavering commitment to keeping our borough’s story alive,” she said.
The $445,000 will support continued restoration and maintenance work at the property as its owners prepare the mansion for broader public access.
Officials said preserving the site will protect an important part of Staten Island’s architectural and industrial heritage while giving future generations the opportunity to visit one of the borough’s most recognizable historic properties.
Scientists still cannot fully reproduce spiders’ ultimate control over silk formation or the complex architecture of their webs.
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Explore editorial cartoons featuring political satire, global conflicts, social issues and commentary from syndicated cartoonists.
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The city’s Transportation Department has hit an app that tracks New Yorkers’ block-by-block walking routes with a cease-and-desist letter.
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The governor is covering the cost of the pilot program, which the mayor says shows the appetite for “free, universal childcare.”
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