We had a lovely taste of the warmth this week, finally melting piles of snow on the sidewalks and revealing weeks of trash and waste on Brooklyn’s streets. New Yorkers unanimously agreed that the sight is not pretty, but never fear — an opportunity to beautify your block is here!
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden opened registration for its 30th annual Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. Winners can receive up to $300 for beautifying their block, and competition can be steep: Last year, winners made their mark with all-season gardens and insect hotels.
If you’re feeling inspired to spend more time in the sun and bring nature to your block, this competition is for you!
—Mandie-Beth Chau
Do you have an upcoming event in Brooklyn? Email [email protected] to have your event highlighted in BKLYN LIVE.
Arts and culture news:
The Center for Brooklyn History hosted the New York History Day contest, and 75 high school and junior high students won for their research on “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” Read about the winning projects, which now go on to the statewide competition.
A curious case of art restoration: The Brooklyn Museum re-examines whether it can restore Paul Gauguin’s “Te Fare Amu” after paint was used to cover the genitals in the painting.
Dick Zigun, the “mayor” of Coney Island and Coney Island USA founder, released a book of weird and wacky plays that embody the neighborhood’s penchant for the bizarre.
Family, friends and fans gathered Monday morning to pay tribute to Willie Colón, the Grammy-nominated architect of urban salsa music and social activist who died last month at 75.
The completion date for renovations on the historic Carroll Gardens Library, originally scheduled for July 2025, has been delayed until summer 2026 due to unexpected construction challenges. Read about the renovation and how Brooklyn Public Library handles the challenges.
Check out these events:
After last year’s success, SeltzerFest returns to Industry City this Sunday, March 15, with even more celebrity cameos and seltzer-themed fun.
Calling teen writers: Brooklyn Public Library’s Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize returns this year, with submissions accepted through March 31.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum welcomed Rogers Burgers for a four-month residency starting this month. The Flatbush-based burger joint will operate on Sundays and Wednesdays and will bring culinary programming to the museum.
Books meet design at “The Bookends Show.” From Friday, March 20, to April 10, Dear Friend Books hosts “The Bookends Show,” a collection of ceramic bookends from local artists and vintage books from Leaves Bookstore. Dear Friends has an opening party on March 20.
BAM celebrates Earth Day by welcoming activist and actress Jane Fonda as the star in “Dear Everything: A Musical Uprising for the Earth” at BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House on April 22.
Still waiting for the beat drop? Why Not Now?, a two-night electronic music festival over Memorial Day Weekend, comes to Industry City from May 23 to 24.
Your AI is resolving tickets. Is it keeping customers?
Resolution rates look great. But Gladly's 2026 Customer Expectations Report reveals the metric most CIOs are missing — and what the data says about where AI investments actually translate into retention, not just throughput.
Photo: Joe Gaffney
In “Chinese Republicans,” Alex Lin’s recently opened off-Broadway play, Greenpoint-based actress Jennifer Ikeda plays Ellen, a managing director at a fictional major bank and the head of an “affinity group” of female Asian employees.
The character is brisk, acerbic, ambitious and definitely a Manhattanite. But she faces an identity crisis — should she exchange her authenticity, heritage and values for success?
The character was far different from Ikeda’s experiences as a Brooklyn resident and artist. The actress spoke to the Brooklyn Eagle about getting into character and transforming into a Manhattan woman for the stage.
The Brooklyn Museum will open “Hopi Kachina Dolls: Blessings for a Balanced World” at the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. According to the museum, it will be the first exhibition to examine the kachina doll tradition from the perspective of girls and women from the Arizona Hopi tribe.
Carved of cottonwood and painted with distinctive designs, kachina dolls represent Katsinam, spirits who bring moisture and balance. They are traditionally given to girls and women to mark important life events. The exhibition will feature more than 120 works dating from the 1800s to the present.
advertisement
The Gold Standard for AI News
AI will eliminate 300 million jobs in the next 5 years.
Yours doesn't have to be one of them.
Here's how to future-proof your career:
Join the Superhuman AI newsletter - read by 1M+ professionals
Learn AI skills in 3 mins a day
Become the AI expert on your team
Photo: Beowulf Sheehan
Daniel D’Addario has made his career as a journalist covering the entertainment industry and all its intrigue. When it came time for him to write a book, the topic was a no-brainer: he drew inspiration from the world he had been writing about for years.
Built on D’Addario’s insider knowledge as chief correspondent at Variety, “The Talent” dives deep into the world of five actresses vying for success — and maybe connection — in Hollywood.
Reading through our website, readers may encounter a PREMIUM article. The PREMIUM tag indicates articles that come with extra photographs or special coverage. Thinking of a subscription? Try us out with a day pass for just 99 cents. No long-term commitment for a subscription.
This newsletter is written by Mandie-Beth Chau. Email [email protected] with any questions or comments.