Brooklyn’s biggest stories of the week: Epic Halloween celebrations across, giant locking trash bins began replacing sidewalk bag piles from Brooklyn Heights to Clinton Hill; the mayor ordered a redesign of Sunset Park’s Third Avenue; Brooklyn’s public school enrollment is down 21 percent since 2013, Montague Street is featured in the NY Times; Tartine co-founder Chad Robertson opened Altbau in Williamsburg; and the marathon ran up Fourth Avenue on Sunday.
The Sanitation Department began installing more than 700 locking Empire Bins in parking spaces across Community District 2, from Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO to Fort Greene and Clinton Hill; once the rollout ends this fall, trash bag piles will no longer be allowed there.
Mayor Mamdani announced a 2.1-mile redesign of Third Avenue under the Gowanus Expressway, from 20th to 62nd streets, with protected bike lanes and shorter crossings; work starts next year and is due to finish by the end of 2028, amNY reported.
Tens of thousands of runners crossed the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn on Sunday for the TCS New York City Marathon. Sweden’s Andreas Almgren won the men’s race in his marathon debut, and Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui won the women’s race for her second New York title, CBS New York reported.
After an information session at Borough Hall on Thursday, the DOT scheduled the BQE Central environmental-review scoping meetings for November 10 at City Tech and November 12 on Zoom; written comments are due November 23 (NYC DOT).
Work starting this fall adds a raised crosswalk, upgraded ramps and new signals at the Atlantic Avenue and Boerum Place intersection, with lane shifts, a crosswalk closure and no-parking zones while it lasts, BK Reader reported.
K-12 enrollment in NYC public schools fell 19 percent between 2013-14 and 2025-26, and this year’s 3 percent drop was the steepest since the pandemic, says a City Comptroller report released Thursday; by our count of its district data, Brooklyn’s 12 districts are down 21 percent.
Brooklyn Heights’ main street, where at least 20 percent of storefronts sat empty about five years ago, has refilled with L’Appartement 4F, Books Are Magic, a new City Chemist space and Alison Roman’s coming First Bloom grocery, while the Hotel Bossert becomes The Ritz-Carlton Residences, The New York Times reported.
Brooklyn had the most early-voting check-ins of any borough through the first four days, 85,849 according to the Board of Elections, NBC New York reported; early voting runs through Sunday, November 1, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
A harbor seal named Pickles planted a kiss on Mayor Mamdani’s cheek at the New York Aquarium on Tuesday, where he and Council Member Kayla Santosuosso marked a $2 million city investment in the Sea Cliffs exhibit renovation; “a pretty clear seal of approval,” the mayor posted (Brooklyn Eagle).
Brooklyn Bridge Parents hosted a free Halloween Party at Kings Plaza on Thursday, October 29, with pumpkin decorating, a pumpkin photo op, arts and crafts and games.
Nearly 3,000 artifacts dug up during DUMBO’s street restoration go on display in “Dumbo Before the Bridges” at the Adams Street Library from November 5, Brownstoner reported (event page).
Public skating at Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center opened Saturday, October 31, and Roebling Rink returns under the Brooklyn Bridge on November 14 with a limited number of free admissions to its first two sessions, Brooklyn Paper reported; see our ice skating guide.
Prospect Park Alliance listed its free New Year’s Eve fireworks for Thursday, December 31, 10pm to 12:30am at Grand Army Plaza; RSVP on Eventbrite.
The Little Gym of DUMBO, the children’s gym at 75 Front Street, is closing on November 15. The Little Gym’s other Brooklyn locations are in Brooklyn Heights, at 221 Atlantic Avenue, and in Bay Ridge-Bensonhurst, at 8681 18th Avenue.
Altbau, the bi-level bakery from Tartine co-founder Chad Robertson, opened Thursday, October 29 at 184 North 8th Street, serving breads and pastries for breakfast and lunch, with an upstairs space for events and classes, Greenpointers reported.
Taquería El Chato, the Greenpoint taco restaurant named a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand, opened a new location on Friday, October 30 at 347 Bedford Avenue, at the corner of South 4th Street.
Bottega, the Crown Heights café and bookshop at 215 Rogers Avenue, opened a bakery and market right next door with laminated pastries and fresh-baked breads.
Mom & Pop’s Organic Market at 889 Manhattan Avenue suddenly began closing, with everything 50 percent off, and Vamos al Tequila, the family-run Mexican restaurant at 162 Franklin Street open since 2010, has closed, Greenpointers reported.
The Nets fell to 0-4: the Pacers won 136–109 at Barclays Center on Sunday, and Jayson Tatum’s buzzer-beater gave the Celtics a 125–124 overtime win in Boston on Tuesday, where Michael Porter Jr. had 27 points and 12 rebounds (ESPN).
Brooklyn Basketball, the Nets and Liberty’s main youth athletics partner, will open gyms in Greenpoint, Gowanus and Bushwick next year and extend its programs to high schoolers, and Barclays Center finished the third phase of its $150 million-plus renovation, Brooklyn Paper reported (Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment).
The Pistons beat the Nets 110–94 at Barclays Center on Friday, dropping Brooklyn to 0-5; Moe Wagner had 16 points and Cade Cunningham scored 20 for Detroit (Nets On SI).
