As the temperatures plummet, it must be time to snuggle up with some #longreads. Here are 10 of our favorite in-depth stories from the past month, covering Brooklyn and beyond.
1. Shooting Spree
Photo: John Taggart/Narratively
Ever wonder what it’s like to chase an ambulance? Or a helicopter, cop car, or sunken sedan? This photo essay from NYC newspaper photographer John Taggart shows what it’s like to always be at the scene of the crime.
2. What Happened to the 3rd Ward?
Wondering why Bushwick’s creative mecca 3rd Ward shuttered so abruptly? Brooklyn the Borough takes us inside the demise of an indie empire.
3. Here’s Why This Guy Was Giving Free Haircuts on Bedford Avenue the Other Day
Another mystery solved by Bedford+Bowery. To promote their apprenticeship project, Hourships, Steven Chu and Parker McComb set up shop as Chu offered “free haircuts for art” on Bedford Avenue.
4. The Seedy Underbelly of Community Gardening
Photo: Jordan Galloway
If you think community gardening is all about getting your koom-bah-ya-yas out, Jordan Galloway, arts and entertainment editor at Brooklyn Based, would like to differ.
5. Living with the Dead
Photo: Jessica Bal/Narratively
In a city where the race for real estate can often feel like a life-or-death quest, three New Yorkers reveal what it’s like to live in an apartment where the former resident met a grisly end.
6. Past and Present: The Brevoort Savings Bank
Brownstoner takes us through the history of the majestic Brevoort Savings bank in Bed-Stuy, now a Toys ‘R’ Us.
7. The Pigeons of Grand Street, Williamsburg
This short film documents the visual beauty of the birds flying in formation above Grand Street.
8. For Sale: Banksy’s “Grumpy” Truck
Banksy’s work has popped up everywhere throughout the city this month. Now this Sunset Park truck that provided a canvas for a Banksy original is for sale.
9. President Obama Returns to His Roots…in Brooklyn
President Obama is surprised by how much Brooklyn has changed since he lived here in the 1980s.
10. Follow the Pen
Artist Shantell Martin talks about how she saw her work change from fine-tipped, personal drawings to enormous self-questioning art when she first arrived to Brooklyn.
