Bridging Brooklyn: Your Weekly Roundup of Big Stories

Park Slope

Tragedy Befalls Levin Staffer

Hope Reichbach, a rising political star and the chief of staff for Councilman Steve Levin, was found dead in her apartment on Thursday night. The 22-year-old had made a name for herself challenging the established incumbent, Jo Anne Simon in the race for District Leader last year, and was well known to many politically active residents of Brownstone Brooklyn.

Hope Reichbach, Remembered

Carroll Gardens

A Bid for a BID on Atlantic Avenue

A business improvement district is likely on its way for Atlantic Avenue. A City Council hearing on Thursday paved the way for a final vote on the BID, which would tax local businesses for services like sanitation and various promotions. A small contingent of merchants and locals voiced their opposition to the BID — this is usually a controversial process — but it looks to be a done deal.

Atlantic Avenue BID One Step Closer to Reality

Prospect Heights

Rob Me Once…

An AT&T store on Flatbush Avenue is apparently in thieves’ crosshairs; they’ve robbed it twice this month! The most recent incident went down on April 28 at around 11:30 a.m. Earlier this month an armed bandit made off with around $600 and around 30 cellphones from the same store.

Flatbush AT&T Store Held-Up, Again!

Bed-Stuy

Gentrification Brings…More Cops?

A local Bed-Stuy resident writes the rapidly changing neighborhood has seen a change in the behavior of cops, too. A police source attributes the changes in law enforcement to the way the new arrivals engage with the boys in blue. “When white people come in, they bring more money, which gives the city more resources. They also complain, write, speak up, and say ‘we have a problem over here.’ White people are going to file complaints; black people aren’t,” said the source. Provocative stuff.

Bed-Stuy Sees Greater Police Presence as Demographic Shifts