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Live Music in Brooklyn @Fusion East With Performance By ‘Just Another Band’ Thursday March 19

Mar 09, 2020

‘Just Another Band‘ performing Thursday March 19, 2020 at the Brooklyn Jazz Series @ Fusion East Restaurant.  Brooklyn Buzz and Fusion East collaborate on bringing live music to East Brooklyn.

There is NO Cover charge to get in, and the food and drinks are excellent. The crowd and the atmosphere make this one of the best Tuesday night events in New York City. The first set starts at 7pm, but get there early to get a table.

Fusion East Restaurant – 1179 Elton St., Brooklyn NY 11239

Fusion East is located at the Elton St. entrance, just outside of the Gateway Mall

RSVP here

Call Fusion East at 718.975-5065 to reserve a table.

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EventsPolitics

Pre-Easter Hat Pageant & Luncheon With Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Nikki Lucas Thursday April 9

Mar 08, 2020

See flyer and video at the bottom of the page

The annual Pre-Easter Hat Pageant and Luncheon, created by Nikki Lucas, in partnership with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, is being held Thursday April 9, 2020 at the Brooklyn Sports Club, from 1pm-6pm. (1540 Van Siclen Ave.)

Each year the event brings out 400 seniors, many with beautiful hats and bonnets. The contestants are judged by real judges, who sit on the bench in Brooklyn courtrooms. DJ, food and entertainment are included each year.

The event is Free for seniors to attend and participate in the pageant. Men and women can participate.

To Attend RSVP here

To Become a Contestant Call Linda Miller at 917.803.0249

To Become an Event Sponsor Contact JIG Media at 718.285.9351 or Inquire Online

Subscribe to NewYorkforSeniors.com for more information on senior events, healthcare, home care, housing and more.

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DevelopmentHousing

Family Moves From A Shelter to An Apartment in East New York Thanks To FHEPS Program & Young African American Building Owner

Mar 01, 2020

Here’s a program that helps families get an apartment if you have been evicted, facing eviction or if you have been placed in a shelter, for safety reasons or health issues. See the Facebook video below of a young African American building owner who just just leased an apartment in his East New York building through the FHEPS program, to someone who was formerly in a shelter.  See the program details and link below the video

What is FHEPS?
FHEPS is a rent supplement for families who receive Cash Assistance (CA) and who have been evicted or are facing eviction, or who lost their housing due to domestic violence. Families who have lost their housing because of health or safety issues or as a result of certain court decisions may also get FHEPS.

FHEPS can be used to remain in your home, to move within New York City, or to move out of shelter if you have already lost your home. If you qualify for FHEPS, part of your rent is covered by a FHEPS supplement paid directly to your landlord. The FHEPS payment is in addition to the shelter allowance you get for your CA case. If you or someone you share your apartment or house with has income, you may have to pay part of the rent yourself.

How do I know if I qualify for FHEPS?
To qualify for FHEPS your family must include a child under 18 years of age, a child under 19 years of age who is enrolled full-time in high school or a vocational or technical program, or a pregnant woman AND you must either have an active CA case OR, if you are in shelter, qualify for CA once you leave shelter. You must also meet ONE of the following requirements:
• You are in HRA shelter.
• You are in DHS shelter and eligible for HRA shelter.
• You are in a DHS shelter and were evicted* in NYC sometime in the year before you entered
shelter.
• You are currently in the process of being evicted in NYC or were evicted* in NYC within the
last 12 months.

*Evicted can mean:
• An eviction proceeding against you or the person on the lease for your home.
• A foreclosure action for your building or home.
• A determination by a City agency that you must leave your building or home because of health
and/or safety reasons.

How long can I get FHEPS?
Eligible families can get FHEPS for up to five years. You can apply for an extension of FHEPS if you still need help. Your household must meet all eligibility requirements and prove that you have good cause for needing an extension.

How do I know what FHEPS is going to pay my landlord and how much I will have to pay?
The amount of a household’s FHEPS rent supplement will depend on your household’s income and the number of people in your household. The amount is decided when your FHEPS application is approved. Many families will have their entire rent covered by FHEPS and their CA shelter allowance. However, there are two important exceptions when you or a household member may be required to pay a portion of your rent:
• If someone in your household receives CA and has income, such as from a job.
• If your household includes someone who is not required to be on your CA case, such as someone who receives SSI.

You must pay your landlord the difference between what HRA pays and the amount of your rent.

These maximum rents are available for families who are using FHEPS to move to a new apartment. The maximum available rent may be lower for families who are using FHEPS to keep their apartment.

Please note that landlords are not allowed to charge any fees other than what is legally stated in the lease. You should not agree to any side deals and should immediately call HRA at 311 or 929-221-0043 to tell us about any such requests.

Click here for the full details

Landlords looking to lease apartments through FHEPS click here

Subscribe to EastNewYork.com for more resource information about housing, politics, healthcare, entertainment, entrepreneurship and more.

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Affordable Apartment Lottery in East New York & Brownsville

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DevelopmentHousing

Affordable Apartment Lottery in East New York & Brownsville Rents From $682/mth to $1,588 per mth

Feb 28, 2020

pictured, 220 MacDougal St. Ocean Hill Brownsville

After reading the OpEds from this week about NYCHA being sold, EastNewYork.com thought it would be appropriate to try to locate as many “Affordable Housing” opportunities as possible to bring to the residents of East New York and Brownsville. See the list below and the links.  We are not real estate brokers or agents so please follow the links and the instructions. Read the instructions carefully and submit applications on time.

Rents range from $692 for a studio to $1,588 for a 2 bedroom!

LOTTERY IS OPEN FOR PLACEMENT ON WAITING LIST AT
516 Crescent Street, Brooklyn, NY 11208 EAST NEW YORK;

106 Hopkinson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233 OCEAN HILL;

170 Hopkinson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11233 OCEAN HILL;

220 MacDougal Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233 OCEAN HILL; (Property in photo)

237 Sumpter Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233 OCEAN HILL;

728 Madison Street, Brooklyn, NY 11221

STUYVESANT HEIGHTS;  766 Herkimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11233

No broker’s fee, No application fee – Contact: [email protected]

Click here for Directions on How to Apply

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DevelopmentFeaturesHousing

Op-Ed: East New York In Crisis As City Officials Sell NYCHA Housing To Questionable Private Developers Which May Lead To High Speed Gentrification and Displacement of Residents

Feb 26, 2020

by James Lewis Jr.

It looks like gentrification in East New York might happen faster than we thought. It was recently reported in Crains that New York City officials are handing management of NYCHA over to private developers for $1.5 billion. Two of the main private developers in the deal, L & M Developers and The Hudson Companies, will be taking over management of Linden Houses and Boulevard Houses in East New York.

New York City officials are well aware of the history of racism and bias in rental and maintenance practices by some private developers that act as landlords, and there is no reason to think the same biases are not going to occur with private developers managing NYCHA properties. Bias practices have led to citywide gentrification, while leaving people of color struggling to find affordable housing.

While local elected officials in East New York have talked about being against gentrification, selling NYCHA to private developers strongly supports gentrification.  Private developers managing NYCHA developments leaves the door open to improper evictions, rejection of leases, displacement of residents, and selective lease approvals.

According to an article on 6sqft.com “The housing authority may also sell its unused air rights and/or accelerate a plan to allow developers to build market-rate apartments on underused land owned by the authority. According to Politico, the plan calls for a 70-30 split of market-rate to rent-regulated housing in private developments on public land.”

In the new residential buildings along the Elton St Corridor next to the Gateway Mall, which The Hudson Companies developed, and the Related Companies manages, there have been sewer backups inside of the buildings since the buildings opened. The question has to be asked, how were these private developers selected with Hudson currently having problems with their new development in East New York?

“I have personally suffered from multiple raw sewer backups in my restaurant in the past three years with the most recent one occurring only two months ago, resulting in almost $300,000 in lost revenue and repairs”, stated Andrew Walcott, owner of Fusion East Restaurant, which is located in one of the buildings in East New York that was developed by The Hudson Companies, and managed by the Related Companies.

Walcott added, “representatives of Hudson and Related continue to blame the tenants and refuse to accept adequate responsibility for poor maintenance policies regarding the new buildings they own and manage on Elton Street in East New York.  These issues have existed for years and are not exclusive to my business. What’s really sad is that I have been a member of Community Board 5 for twenty years and the Executive Members of Community Board 5 know in detail of the poor maintenance situation of the buildings on Elton Street. With that being the case, the Board should question how can Hudson be trusted to manage 6,000 aging public housing apartments when they can’t properly manage 600 relatively new apartments on the Elton Street corridor of East New York.”

I have to thank EastNewYork.com for giving me a platform to bring this information to the residents of East New York, while elected officials and Community Board 5 keep quiet on the issue. At the very least community leaders should be informing the residents that NYCHA is being sold to private developers and how it will impact their housing, now and in the future.  Keeping quiet is not the answer. Residents need to be informed.

I hear the excuses that there was nothing elected officials can do about it, the management of NYCHA has been bad for years, and so on. The fact is NYCHA residents will eventually see rent increases and displacement, while East New York in general will see gentrification 2.0 at warp speed. Maybe if the residents were able to participate in the conversation they could have assisted with coming up with an answer other than selling out to private developers.

Gentrification and displacement happened in Harlem, Bed Stuy, Bushwick, Red Hook, and I can go on and on. East New York and Brownsville were last but now it’s at our doorstep.  Prepare yourself by getting your credit right and saving your money. Many will have to leave but at least you now have the knowledge to know that gentrification is knocking at your door, NYCHA has been sold and your local leaders cannot and have not done anything about it. You must empower yourself.

Knowledge is power. Take this situation serious and share with your family and friends. Be prepared for what is coming.

I will try to find out more information and I will surely share with my fellow East New York residents. We’re in this thing together. Let’s be smart.

 

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Features

Brooklyn’s ‘Flight Night’ Hip-Hop Showcase Expanding Globally Starting May 21 in LA

Feb 22, 2020

photo by Danny Caicedo @2014 Flight Night

Flight Night, the hip-hop showcase featuring local hip-hop artists throughout New York City, created by Brooklyn Independent hip-hop artist KOTA The Friend, when he was in the 11th grade and a student at the Brooklyn High School of Performing Arts, is going global.  Local artists and groups like the late Capital Steeze and the popular group Phony Ppl performed at Flight Night when they were all in high school back in 2008.

KOTA The Friend

“It makes sense for me to bring back Flight Night”, stated KOTA. “I’m doing shows around the world now and people are asking me to come to their city or country to perform, so why not bring Flight Night to them, with their local top artists having a chance to get on the stage. That’s what Flight Night was always about, giving local artists an opportunity to shine in front of their city, and at the same time I get a chance to perform in front of fans, globally.”

Flight Night’s first stop will be May 21, in Los Angeles, at the Regent Theater, with KOTA The Friend headlining. Marlon Craft will be performing and local artists will open the show.

KOTA added, “we will definitely be coming to New York City. That’s my home and where it all started. The first Flight Night in 2008 was at Two Steps Down, a restaurant in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn. I’m still grateful to the owners, who happen to be sisters, and I mean that both literally and figuratively.  They let us perform, jump on their furniture and everything. It was a great time for all of us. We were musicians and at the time we just wanted to perform. Although I’m a musician, Flight Night for me was a way to showcase other talent and I was more on the business end of things with Flight Night. You know, putting the event together, securing the venue, selling merch and tickets. It was powered by my FLTBYS brand and it still is.”

Flight Night is presented by FLTBYS (Flight Boys), which is the hip-hop and skate culture brand that KOTA launched in high school, and the brand that gave birth to the name Flight Night.

We were told that Flight Night will expand with shows in South Africa, London, Chicago, New York City and other cities throughout the United States, with top local artists performing at each location. KOTA The Friend will headline each show.

Get Tix here for the May 21 Flight Night in Los Angeles.

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Housing

East New York MegaChurch CCC Starts Process on 2.4 Million Sq Ft Mega Development Dubbed ‘Innovative Urban Village’

Feb 14, 2020

Pastor Bernard’s Christian Cultural Center (CCC) has started the process to develop a 2.4 million square foot development in East New York on the land surrounding the megachurch.  Pastor Bernard purchased the property years ago in the early 90’s from the former owners of Starrett City.

The development design is being created by Practice Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), the company that designed the redevelopment of the Domino Sugar plant in Williamsburg.  The development will include 13 buildings, of which 9 are slated for residential use.

The development, as it stands, would include a trade school, elementary school, grocery store and day care center, along with parking and outdoor space.

The developers have requested zoning amendments which will go through the ULURP process, which is the public review process. CCC is opening their doors Tuesday March 3 at 3:30pm to hear from local residents.  CCC is located at 12020 Flatlands Ave.

Developers say they want to break ground by the end of 2021 and the project can take up to 10 years to complete. The developers are also saying that the project will include affordable housing, but who knows what affordable will look like 10 years from now.  Affordable isn’t affordable today so “affordable” in 10 years is frightening.

Subscribe to EastNewYork.com to stay updated on East New York development, politics, housing, events, entertainment and more.

 

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Health

The Special Powers of Green Tea

Feb 12, 2020

By Deepi Brar, M.S.

What is green tea?

Like black tea, green tea comes from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, a fragrant evergreen shrub that thrives in China and India. The leaves are processed differently for green tea, which explains the differences in taste and aroma. Leaves for black tea are fermented and then fired black in an oven; green-tea leaves are simply steamed and dried. Green tea is getting attention these days because many studies suggest that drinking a few cups a day may help prevent certain cancers.

What’s so special about green tea?

Green tea appears to have some power to ward off cancer. Studies have found that tea-drinkers tend to have lower rates of bladder, esophageal, pancreatic, and recurrent breast cancers compared to people who rarely or never drink green tea. (A large Japanese study published in Breast Cancer Research, however, recently found no association between green tea drinking and the risk of breast cancer.) One study also suggested that drinking green tea regularly might also help lower cholesterol levels. Researchers say they need to confirm these findings in large clinical trials before they can be sure that the tea was responsible for those results.

In one human study, green tea helped treat oral leukoplakia (sores in the mouth that are often pre-cancerous). Another preliminary study presented to the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2010 suggested that a certain antioxidant found in green tea may reduce the number of leukemia cells in patients with a certain type of the disease. And preliminary human research also showed that green tea applied to the skin might help reduce or prevent sunburns.

Green tea is loaded with powerful antioxidants called polyphenols that protect cells from the ravages of oxidation, a chemical reaction that can lead to cancer and the hardened arteries that cause heart disease. In fact, researchers at the University of Kansas say that one antioxidant, a tongue-twister called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, is 25 times more effective in laboratory tests than the much-touted vitamin E at helping cells resist the damage caused by oxidation and helping damaged cells repair themselves. Both black and green teas have the same total polyphenol content, but green tea has about twice the EGCG.

The warmth and steam from any hot beverage can help you breathe easier if you’re congested or have mild asthma. All teas also contain a relative of caffeine called theophylline, a mild stimulant that helps dilate the bronchial tubes in the lungs. In fact, theophylline is an ingredient in many prescription and over-the-counter asthma drugs. (However, tea won’t help lessen a severe asthma attack, so use your medication and/or see a doctor immediately if you have one.)

How safe is it?

Green tea generally contains about half as much caffeine as regular black tea (about 60 milligrams per 6-ounce cup). If you’re sensitive to caffeine, drinking several cups a day may cause stomach upset, irritability, increased heart rate, or difficulty sleeping. Children may be more sensitive to caffeine than adults. Pregnant women should limit their caffeine intake and nursing women should avoid it altogether.

What’s the best way to take it?

If you’re trying to get health benefits from tea, you’ll probably do best drinking it regularly, preferably several times a day. If you don’t like the taste of tea or want to avoid the caffeine, green tea supplements are available in pharmacies and health-food stores. Some green tea supplements provide nearly the same amount of antioxidant polyphenols as four cups of green tea. However, few studies have used these products so we don’t know if they have the same effect as drinking green tea. Be aware that the government doesn’t regulate herbal supplements, so quality and potency can vary from product to product.

Also, beware of commercially prepared green tea products sold in bottles or cans. Some are loaded with sugar, while others have so little green tea that you’d be much better off preparing your own. A recent study presented at a 2010 meeting of the American Chemical Society found some commercial tea drinks contained so little in the way of polyphenols that you would have to drink 20 bottles to get an amount equivalent to one home-brewed cup.

Stay Healthy NYC – Join HealthyNYC for information on NYC Health & Wellness events and healthy living information

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Features

Disney’s Meg Donnelly In Brooklyn With KOTA The Friend For ‘Just Like You’ Video

Feb 12, 2020

Courtesy photo

Video below

Meg Donnelly, the Disney actress will be starring as Addison in Disney’s Zombie 2 movie, which will premier on Valentine’s Day, but she made a stop in Brooklyn to meetup with KOTA the Friend, to create the visual for ‘Just Like You‘, a single from her album, Trust.

The video premiered on Billboard Tuesday Feb 11.

Donnelly told Billboard “I wrote this song thinking about how much I used to care what people said about me. I would go out of my way to try to please everyone all of the time, but I never thought of myself. This song encompasses that feeling, which I think we all have from time to time.”

KOTA The Friend, the popular Independent hip hop artist from Brooklyn, is featured on the single.

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Health

CenterLight Healthcare Becomes An Official Partner of New York for Seniors

Feb 12, 2020

Today it was announced that CenterLight Healthcare has come on board as an Official Partner of New York for Seniors®, the only hyper-local organization that connects directly with seniors and caregivers in New York City through events, print magazine, workshops, healthcare panel discussions and digitally.

“We are excited to have CenterLight Healthcare as an Official Partner”, stated Vernon Jones Sr., CEO of JIG Media, founder of the New York for Seniors initiative. “I visited a CenterLight facility and was very impressed with their operation and how they have all the resources right there. I love their Teamcare concept, which includes a physician, nurse, nutritionist, social worker, transportation and rehab specialists. They also have daily activities for seniors and they have an Home Care option. They provide a host of services that are important to New York City’s seniors. We are looking forward to having the CenterLight representatives at our events as an important resource for our seniors. This is why we exist, to connect seniors to these important resources.”

We provide all-inclusive healthcare for our participants in their homes and at our centers including complete medical care with doctors, specialists, nurses, unlimited rehabilitation therapy, nutritionists, hospitalization coverage, pharmacy plus socialization including recreational therapy, activities, open gym, outings, meals, free transportation and so much more! – CenterLight Healthcare

See the CenterLight Partner Profile Page on New York for Seniors for more information.

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