Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How wild were Brooklyn’s New Year parties 130 years ago?

You won't want to miss Herbert Holler's Annual 80s Night + 50th Birthday! on the Brooklyn Patch calendar

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Good morning Brooklyn! We're back in your inbox this morning to keep you in the loop with what's happening in and around town. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How wild were Brooklyn’s New Year parties 130 years ago?
  • Could you qualify for Williamsburg apartments starting at just $812?
  • How a Brooklyn angler just rewrote New York’s fishing record book

Also on today's calendar: Herbert Holler's Annual 80s Night + 50th Birthday! and 7 more events.

Find out what's happening in Brooklynfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: I quit my job as a banker. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Brooklynfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Clouds breaking and breezy, with a high of 33 and low of 25 degrees.
  • Saturday: Some sun, then clouds, temps: high: 35, low: 24.
  • Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 35 and low of 23 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Parties, Gossip and Too Much Brew: How 19th-Century Brooklynites Celebrated the New Year (brownstoner.com) — Brooklynites once rang in the New Year with mansion-hopping social calls, raucous tavern revelry, and even train trips to Albany for political inaugurations. This look back at 19th-century Brooklyn shows how class, gossip, alcohol, and early temperance campaigns shaped local holiday traditions that still echo in today’s celebrations.
   

2. Affordable housing opportunity in Brooklyn starts at $812 (pix11.com) — Brooklyn renters can now apply for new affordable apartments in Williamsburg, with 11 Gerry Street offering one- to four-bedroom units starting at $812 a month. Eligible income ranges span many household types, and most units are under $1,500, with heat and hot water included. Applications run through NYC Housing Connect, giving local residents a concrete new option.
   

3. Brooklyn man reels in record-breaking perch in Westchester County (lohud.com) — A Brooklyn resident just landed statewide bragging rights after catching a record-breaking white perch in Westchester’s Cross River Reservoir, the biggest of its kind in New York since 1991. The state DEC is using his feat to promote its Angler Achievement Awards Program, which recognizes notable freshwater catches across New York.
   

4. ‘Enjoying the moment': Brooklyn hospital welcome first baby of 2026 (pix11.com) — Maimonides Medical Center in Borough Park, Brooklyn, welcomed its first baby of 2026 just after 2 a.m., as local parents Chelsea and Devin Lewis celebrated the arrival of their son, Noah Joseph. The Brooklyn family praised the hospital staff for their support and are now focused on settling in at home, introducing Noah to his big sister, and savoring the new year together.
   

5. One dead, two injured in New Year's Day single-vehicle crash on Route 23 in Sussex County (wrnjradio.com) — Two young Brooklyn residents were involved in a deadly New Year’s Day crash on Route 23 in Wantage Township, New Jersey, that killed the 21-year-old driver and seriously injured a 21-year-old rear-seat passenger. State Police say the Audi SUV left the road on a curve, struck a rock, then a tree stump and tree; a third passenger suffered minor injuries.
   

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Meet Winston and Winnie!
    Two male, intact Cats. (Will get them fixed ) Approximately seven months old. One with tiger stripes is generally shy, but will stay by your side to… (Nextdoor Bergen Beach (Ave M-72St))
  • Please help us find our Riley.
    She has a blue collar 347-854-2786 She is very friendly and loved (Nextdoor Ocean Parkway S (E5St-Ave O))
  • Snipes posted a job opening for Stock Personnel in Brooklyn. Apply here.
  • The Salvation Army Eastern Territory posted a job opening for Temporary Janitor (Bensonhurst Corps) in Brooklyn. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Brooklyn here.

Ok Brooklyn! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I just lost interest.
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