The Brooklyn Brief: Taylor Swift hits Lucali, Flavor Flav parties at NYFW

By Joshua Encinias

The Brooklyn Brief is back from our Labor Day break with your roundup of the latest news, happenings, tidbits and everything you need to know to start your week.

If you thought it was tough to get a table at Lucali before, good luck now that Taylor Swift popped by on Friday. Meanwhile, the Off-White NYFW party brought the flavor — and Flavor Flav — to Brooklyn Bridge Park.

For the rest of us, the news you can use includes the reopening of the Cyclone in Luna Park and a massive renovation project coming to the Brooklyn Public Library. Here are a few headlines to start your week — and a few things worth marking your calendar for.

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In the news

• The Cyclone is back! Two weeks after the world-famous Cyclone roller coaster was closed for repairs after malfunctioning mid-ride, Luna Park announced the coaster is fixed and reopened over the weekend, reports AMNY.
• In case you missed it: U.S. Open fans Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce stopped in Carroll Gardens on Friday night, where they dined at legendary Lucali, reports TMZ. Not that you could get a table there before, good luck going forward. May we suggest one of these slice shops instead?
• New York’s hottest pick-up spot is a brick wall in McCarren Park, reports the New York Post. Here’s why.
• Brooklyn Bridge Park was the site of Off-White’s 2025 show on Sunday morning. Celebrities and fashion industry insiders gather for the show, which included hip-hop icon Flavor Flav, reports Vogue.
• The Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch released a mock-up of their $150 million renovation project set to debut in 2027, reports Time Out.
• Brooklyn parents are scrambling to find affordable after-school childcare. Funding for two free after-school programs was denied by the state’s Office of Children and Family Services. At least 1,300 children in Brooklyn are affected by the halt in funding, reports CBS News New York.
• Crown Heights-based celebrity braider Xia Charles was featured by BKReader for her work during New York Fashion Week. Charles has worked with pop stars like Cardi B and Beyoncé.
• People have filmed every square inch of Brooklyn since the 1800s. The long tradition of moviemaking in Brooklyn continues today, as the borough courts more and more productions, reports Propmodo. Netflix already corners Bushwick with a production studio, and coming in 2027, a new 300,000-square-foot studio is coming to the neighborhood.
• Bushwick’s new rollerink Xanadu hosted Billboard’s sold-old Hip-Hop LIVE ‘24 on Friday night to celebrate the next wave of talent taking charts by storm. The night included performances by DJ Miss Milan, Texas-based star BigXthaPlug as the next Breakthrough Artist from Amazon Music, rising Florida rapper Bossman Dlow and headliner Teezo Touchdown.
• The city continues its fight against the spread of the West Nile virus by spraying the neighborhoods of Broadway Junction, Brownsville, Bushwick, Cypress Hills, East Williamsburg and Ocean Hill, for mosquitos overnight on Thursday, September 12. The trucks will spray between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.

ICYMI

What to do in Brooklyn this September
Summer may be winding down, but September has everything from Usher to Sabrina Carpenter, books to Bushwig, and more.

The best happy hours in Brooklyn right now
Our favorite discounted drink deals at a few of our favorite watering holes in the borough.

Scenes from Bushwig
Welcome to ‘the Coachella of drag’: One of the largest drag festivals in the world held their 13th annual showdown over the weekend weekend.

Brooklyn Bites: Eight great new school bakeries in the borough
Meet the ambitious new generation bakers in town ready to feed you a steady stream of sweet and savory goodness.

The history of reality TV, from radio roots to Trump’s triumph
New Yorker writer Emily Nussbaum discusses her new book ‘Cue the Sun!’ and why you should take reality TV seriously

Local legends: Rappin’ Max Robot is now an 18-foot-tall sculpture
A Bushwick collective has paid tribute to hip-hop culture while forging the future for local young adults.

What to do this week

Monday, September 9

Usher at Barclays Center
Monday and Tuesday
If U Got it Bad for early aughts hip-hop, grab your boo and head to Barclays for the undisputed king of R&B, who is continuing his “Past, Present Future” tour run tonight and tomorrow. 620 Atlantic Avenue. Prices vary.

‘Booger,’ the feature debut from Bed–Stuy-based filmmaker Mary Dauterman
7:15 p.m.
Join the Future of Film is Female for a special preview screening of Mary Dauterman’s film “Booger” at Nitehawk Williamsburg on Monday night. Synopsis: After the death of her best friend Izzy, Anna focuses all her attention on Booger, the stray cat that she and Izzy fostered. When Booger bites her, she begins to undergo a strange transformation. Mary Dauterman and select cast & crew will be in attendance for a Q&A. 136 Metropolitan Avenue. Tickets are $20.

Tuesday, September 10

Brooklyn 9/11 Wall of Remembrance Vigil
6 p.m.
Brooklynites who lost loved ones on 9/11 will gather to share stories, light candles and say a prayer on Tuesday evening. The event will take place at the Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance in Maimonides Park, 1904 Surf Avenue.

The Gatekeeper’s Debate Cry-a-Long
7:30 p.m.
Join The Gatekeeper’s elite news team at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective on debate night. After a star-studded lineup of stand-up comedy correspondents, they’ll stream the Kamala v. Trump debate live with commentary, musical accompaniment and audience games to get us through yet another monumental moment in American history. 167 Graham Avenue. Tickets are $22.17.

Wednesday, September 11

Green-Wood Cemetery 9/11 Tribute
7 to 9 p.m.
Green-Wood Cemetery serves as the final resting place for over 100 people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and in the years that followed. In their memory, the cemetery is hosting a gathering on Wednesday evening to witness the tribute lights over lower Manhattan. 500 25th Street. The gathering is free but registration is required.

Thursday, September 12

Landline Comedy at Wild East Brewing
8 to 10 p.m.
Wild East Brewing in Gowanus hosts a free comedy show called “Landline Comedy” on Thursday night. Featuring Zoltan Kaszas, Laura High, Damien Speranza, Isa Medina and Amanda Giles. The show is free but those who RSVP are entered in a drawing for a free drink. 623 Sackett Street. Free.

Palosanto at ART Williamsburg
7 p.m. to midnight
Dance the night away to Afrohouse and deep house beats at ART Williamsburg during Palosanto on Thursday night. Party like there’s no work tomorrow with free entry before 9 p.m. and $20 entry after 9 p.m. 96 Wythe Avenue.

Brooklyn Americana Music Festival
Through September 16. Venues and times vary
Bands, musicians and perfdormers from Brooklyn, Austin, Knoxville, Louisville, New Orleans, Switzerland and the U.K. all converge in the borough for four days of folk, Americana and country. Participating venues include Jalopy Theatre, Dumbo Archway, 68 Jay St. Bar, Sunny’s, Superfine and, new this year, Cafe Wha? Highlights include Jolie Holland, Smokey’s Roundup, Wilson & Walsh and more. Check the festival’s sites for the full calendar. Yeehaw!

Spotted around the internets

the green lady of brooklyn just walked the collina strada ss25 show pic.twitter.com/c1AqFDEHmh

— roo ๋࣭⭑ (@cafewindows) September 7, 2024

DELETE hinge and go to the holds section at brooklyn public library

— elie (@elieraine) August 30, 2024

it’s so funny that people think Barron Trump is going to become some sort of Bushwick art boy Marxist by attending NYU Stern… girl he’s gonna major in “Ponzi schemes” with a concentration in “gouging the price of insulin”

— Paul McCallion (@OrangePaulp) September 5, 2024

We are proud to partner with @NYCParks to transform the CitiStorage site into a world-class open space for the Greenpoint and Williamsburg communities. This is just the beginning of bringing this vision to life! pic.twitter.com/wLFqLQxwxp

— NYCEDC (@NYCEDC) September 6, 2024

REPO MAN: Brooklyn New York, an Italian dude, not letting you get his truck. Keep up the payments. pic.twitter.com/LhqrD9rXwL

— Cornbread Mafioso (@Soulful1865) September 7, 2024

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