A message from Alexandria Sica, Dumbo Improvement District President
Once again, we look back on a year that was in so many ways hard to imagine just a short time ago. 2021 was extraordinarily challenging, transformational and, yes, rewarding for all of us at the Dumbo Improvement District. Scroll below to see all that we brought to the neighborhood this year – it’s a lot!
Highlights include new arts programming like The Six Foot Platform, Dumbo Drink + Draw, and Murals for a Movement; the arrival of new neighborhood anchors–from rockstar companies like Rent the Runway to a gorgeous new Adams Street Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, Emily Roebling Plaza, and our pedestrianized Washington Street which expanded to 260 days this year.
This is a major moment for Dumbo. We’re gearing up for post-pandemic life. We’re halfway through an epic street reconstruction project but still feeling it day by day. The final lots of Dumbo are all under construction – and within two years we will basically have a completed built environment.
Through it all, our team is out there making Dumbo shine. We’re so happy to have this opportunity to share with you all that we have done during this extraordinary year.
— Alexandria Sica, President
Work Here
Live Here
Dumbo by the Numbers
Creating a Vibrant Neighborhood
Open Streets
This year we extended this popular amenity to seven days a week, offering the returning workforce additional places to eat outdoors. Open Streets become a platform for us to showcase local artists through programming such as The Six Foot Platform and Music with a View.
Through the Open Streets program, we pedestrianized Washington Street for 260 days, welcoming Dumbonians, New Yorkers + visitors to grab a chair outdoors and engage with the best view in Brooklyn in a safe, car free environment.
Through the Open Streets program, we pedestrianized Washington Street for 260 days, welcoming Dumbonians, New Yorkers + visitors to grab a chair outdoors and engage with the best view in Brooklyn in a safe, car free environment.
Open Restaurants
Throughout 2021, the Open Restaurants program continued to provide much needed relief for restauranteurs during the ups and downs of the pandemic, and allowed them to expand their personalities and creative energies onto the sidewalk and street. The success of the Outdoor Dining program helped prevent numerous restaurant closures in the BID, and allowed for opportunities to attract customers with new takeaway options and other offerings.
96% of Dumbo restaurants participate in the in Open Restaurants program.
Events!
The New York Renaissance was in full force in Dumbo.
DAILY DOSE OF DUMBO
Daily Dose of Dumbo brought daily programming to the neighborhood from June 7 – August 27, bringing thousands out for music, art, fitness and more in the Dumbo Archway and on Washington Street.
The Schedule!
Mondays, The Dumbo Station hosted game night in the archway, with giant Jenga, Connect Four and our custom Sixpoint brew, DumboWeisse, on tap.
Tuesdays, we got our sweat on with Gleason’s Gym and F45.
Wednesdays, celebrated Dumbo artists and Creatively Wild led us in group Drink & Draw sessions.
Thursdays, we partnered with the Adams Street Library on programming for the kiddos, from Drag Queen story hour and dance class with Ms. Katlyn, to live music and arts and crafts. Dumbo Station presented a DJ following the kids programming.
Fridays bought a double header: Americana in the Archway, curated by Jan Bell of the Brooklyn Americana Music Festival, and Music with a View on Washington Street.
Saturdays, The Six Foot Platform brough experimental performance art to Washington Street, in partnership with the Brooklyn Arts Council.
Sundays, The Brooklyn Flea took over the Archway for their weekly vintage goods & maker market.
Open Culture
In 2021, the city launched a new program, Open Culture, which allowed for cultural organizations to host outdoor events on hundreds of blocks throughout NYC. In Dumbo, Dock Street (between Water and Front) and Adams Street (between Prospect and Sands) were designated Open Culture Streets, and we welcomed dozens of performances over the course of the summer, including a rehearsal residency with Fogo Azul.
AMERICANA IN THE ARCHWAY
Jan Bell of the Americana Music Festival curated a series of intimate performances by Brooklyn’s best Americana, Roots and Blues artists – Fridays, June through October.
MUSIC WITH A VIEW
Dumbonians enjoyed intimate dinner-time performances on Washington Street on Summer Fridays.
CARNEGIE HALL CITYWIDE
Carnegie Hall kicked off summer in Dumbo with two incredible Dumbo Archway shows in celebration of the summer solstice: Hazmat Modine and Slavic Soul Party.
BRASIL SUMMERFEST
Brasil Summerfest took over the Dumbo Archway with a two day celebration of Brazilian music and culture in July.
BROOKLYN AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL
The Seventh Annual Brooklyn Americana Music Festival, curated and produced by Jan Bell, presented 50 bands on six stages throughout Dumbo and in the Archway from September 16 – 19.
EARTH DAY
Brooklyn Bridge Parents brought Dumbo families together for an Earth Day Celebration with activities for the kiddos – including a super popular beyblade tournament!
PRIDE
The Dumbo Station celebrated Pride with a day of live music and Drag.
BROOKLYN FLEA
Brooklyn Flea returned to Pearl Plaza and the Dumbo Archway on Sundays, April through October, offering cool vintage finds and authentic New York souvenirs, all with health and safety in mind.
BROOKLYN BRUJERIA
The third annual Brooklyn Brujeria Festival returned to the DUMBO Archway on October 3 with a day of music, magic, art, and community celebrating Brooklyn’s immigrant culture and fierce resilience. This year’s line-up featured an all star cast of some of the city’s best drum and dance collectives, tarot readers and a market full of magic makers.
NEW YORK CITY’S STAGE
In 2021, we welcomed a myriad of arts nonprofits to the Archway, in an ongoing effort to support the local ecosystem in a time when access to outdoor space continued to be critical. In addition to all these programs noted above, we screened COLORED GRRLS, a film by Loki Circus Theater, hosted the Creative Climate Awards 2021 Film Festival, presented by the Human Impacts Institute, supported the dance community by hosting Doorstep DanceMart, with H+ | The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory and by presenting an evening of dance with White Wave Dance, hosted Dumbo-based MOtiVE’s Brooklyn Gala, and partnered with JACK on Voices in the Arch, featuring Lea Bertucci and Charmaine Lee.
PUBLIC ART
The Downtown Brooklyn + Dumbo Art Fund
The Dumbo Improvement District and the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership launched a brand new $600,000 Downtown Brooklyn + Dumbo Art Fund this year, providing grants for public art, performance, and accessibility projects that serve to enhance public space, increase access to cultural programming, and connect the neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn. The Art Fund is part of New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative.
The Mobile Drag Performance Unit is a series of pop-up curbside drag shows that celebrate the art of drag while creating enlivenment through community engagement and performance. Fag Signs presented work over three Saturdays in June, featuring performances by Brita filter, Lagoona Bloo, DJ Lady Simon, Robyn Banks, Robin Fierce, Lola Michele Kiki, Hibiscus, Scarlet Envy, Xunami Muse & Essa Noche.
The Skate Play, produced by Eyes Up Here Productions, is inspired by Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a novella that tells the story of Jonathan, a young, visionary and adventurous seagull, impassioned by the art of flight. In this retelling, actors and skateboarders came together to bring this story to life in a live Skateboard-Theatre performance in Golconda Skate Park.
Curated by performance artist Chiquita Brujita and bearing her geometric artwork, the Shine Shrine Intention Walk placed non-secular altars, or shrines, marked by colorful flags, in key spots throughout Brooklyn. Together, they created a walkable route connecting diverse Brooklyn neighborhoods through public altars that celebrated strength and beauty. Each installation featured hand silk-screened flags that sought to lift the spirits of New Yorkers during this period of mourning, transformation, and recovery. Chiquita Brujita activated each altar with multi-disciplinary performance events of music, dance, magic, tarot, and apothecary, creating experiences that inspire hope while also serving as a reminder of all we have overcome.
Murals for the Movement amplifies communities with uplifting, large-scale murals by Black Artists and Artists of Color. This project featured a trio of new murals: Cey Adams (Prospect St at Adams St), Victor “MARKA27” Quinonez (195 Gold St. @ Sands St + BQE) and Sophia Dawson (on the Front Street Mural.) It was produced by Street Theory Gallery, with canvases courtesy of NYC DOT Art.
THE SIX FOOT PLATFORM
New for 2021, we launched The Six Foot Platform, an experimental performance art residency presenting work by Brooklyn-based artists, on a 6×6 platform at the intersection of Washington and Water Streets.
11 Artists transformed this space over the course of the summer, chosen from a juried call for works. There was performance art, modern dance, tap dance, giant sculptures, invisible sculptures, opera and a lot more.
HANGOUT-IEMOS | DOMENICA GARCIA
PLATFORM OF POOF | KATE BREHM
NO COLOR GAME | BERDSCARNIVAL (MARAYA LOPEZ)
OPERACADES | OPERA ON TAP
TAPPING THE SOUL | CAMILA ALDET
PARADISE LOST | KATYA GROKHOVSKY
SPACES BETWEEN | HOLLY HEIDT
RATTLE CHANDELIER | CHERYL THOMAS
PENNANTS AND POETS | JENNY POLAK
SEA SHE | MARINA CELANDER
THE INVISIBLE SCULPTURE | YESEUL SONG
Parenting and caregiving through the COVID-19 Pandemic meant a lot of changes in households across New York City. Moms, dads and caregivers of all sorts became teachers, kids became coworkers, and a new level of creativity and patience was brought to endless hours of family time. For too many, the toll of it all was immense. To honor the extraordinary efforts of those raising human beings through a pandemic, in partnership with Photoville, we put New Yorkers’ Pandemic Parenting moments up in lights.
At-Home Heroes presented 150+ photographs featuring New Yorkers in caregiving-action from 40 neighborhoods across all five boroughs! Photos were chosen from an a community open call. It was projected onto the Manhattan Bridge nightly from Mother’s Day, May 8, to Father’s Day, June 18, 2021.
“At-Home Heroes is the best way to celebrate Father’s Day” – The New York Times
Morning Breath Construction Fences
We commissioned Dumbo design duo @morningbreathinc to create a fun and lovely design reminding us all to show some #smallbiz support in the throws of epic construction. Our retro ads have lots of Dumbo flair – and echo some Dumbo history, too!
Lara Saget: The Roots of Tuckahoe Marble
This 8’ sculpture made of Tuckahoe marble, bronze + glass, with an associated sound experience, was installed in Clumber Corner in May.
Our monthly video art exhibit, curated by Dumbo-based Leo Kuelbs Collection, Glowing Bulbs and John Ensor Parker, celebrated a seventh season of bringing video art out of the gallery and into the public realm. Light Year has presented more than 80 installations, featuring the work of over 350 artists and curators, since its inception in 2015.
Photoville, NYC’s free premier photo destination produced by Dumbo’s own United Photo Industries, celebrated its 10th Anniversary Season in 2021 with three months of programming, including exhibitions in public spaces in Brooklyn Bridge Park and across all five boroughs, plus a robust slate of virtual components–storytelling events, artist talks, workshops, demonstrations, educational programs, and more.
Ai Wei Wei x Photoville
On November 9 and 10, we partnered with Photoville to present a video memoir project by renowned artist Ai Wei Wei. The two minute piece ran on loop, in celebration of the launch of Ai Weiwei’s new book, “1,000 Years of Joys and Sorrows: A Memoir.”
Welcoming Back the Workforce
perks in person
We want Dumbo’s workforce to get the most of IRL office time, so we launched PERKS IN PERSON, a monthly get together for office tenants. Hundreds of employees – from BIG, Etsy, West Elm, Two Trees, Girls on The Run, Rent The Runway, CMYK, Empire Design, Breakfast, Prime Matter Labs, Block Renovation, Huel, and many more – joined us to enjoy Dumbo on the house.
In September, we gave away free coffee from the newly-opened coffee bar at Evil Twin Brewery. In October, Melt ice cream sandwiches made an appearance as a pre-Halloween treat. And in December, we celebrated the holidays early with Jacques Torres cookies, mulled wine from The Dumbo Station, and holiday covers by Curtis J! Plus, at all Perks in Person, we gave away Dumbo Dollars – real money to spend each month at Dumbo businesses!
“My team chose to come to the office today so we could get ice cream!”
– Etsy employee
Thanks to our friends at Small Planet for supporting
Perks in Person in 2021!
DUMBO BY THE MONTH
A curated guide to Dumbo, sent monthly to Dumbo workforce with insider tips, guides and all things Dumbo.
Holidays in Dumbo
VALENTINE’S DAY
We celebrated Valentine’s Day in Dumbo with a photo op at Empire Stores + Dumbo Dollars giveaway, worth $14 to sweeten evenings out in the neighborhood for the month of February.
HALLOWEEN IN DUMBO
One of our favorite neighborhood traditions, DUMBOWEEN brought hundreds of costumed Dumbonians out for our Annual March to the Arch through Brooklyn Bridge Park with Funkrust Brass Band and puppets from Chinese Theater Works, followed by an Archway Party featuring crafts with Creatively WILD Art Studio & Loop of the Loom, Legos with Brooklyn Bridge Parents, and a photobooth from the Self Portrait Project. Plus, 40+ Dumbo businesses handed out candy for trick-or-treat!
HOLIDAY SEASON
Dumbo got festive in December, with a slate of programs to help us celebrate – locally.
Tree Lighting
On December 2, hundreds of Dumbonians joined us to ignite some holiday cheer at our annual Tree Lighting. They enjoyed Calypso carols from Brooklyn-based steel drum band Jah Pan and Christmas covers by Curtis J. Social and the Dumbo house band, as well as performances by the PS307 Diamonds and Dock Street Middle School cheerleaders. They were treated to tasty bites donated by Celestine, One Girl Cookies, Ivy Stark Mexology, and Starbucks, and winter fun from Adams Street Library and Brooklyn Bridge Parents. And of course, Santa dropped by to enjoy the party and take photos with the kids, and kidults!
Santa’s Mailbox
Our newest tradition returned! Santa’s Mailbox is our direct line to the North Pole + a chance for $100 Dumbo Dollars to make those wishes come true. Special thanks go out to 99 Gold for generously helping us respond to a few more 💌 this year!
Gift Guide
Our 2021 Gift Guide featured 150+ items from 70+ businesses, with ideas and tips for everyone on your list. These were mailed to 7,000+ addresses, and displayed in larger-than-life style in Dumbo’s public plazas.
Augenblick Animations
For a second year, Dumbo-based animation studio Augenblick reimagined the Holiday Tree in delightful, whimsical and surprising ways. These were projected onto the Manhattan Bridge every night in December though New Year’s Eve.
Shop the Studios
Brooklyn based art for the holidays? Yes, please. On December 12, we hosted our first annual Shop the Studios in partnership with Art in Dumbo. 36 Dumbo artist studios offered art for sale – with cash and carry options for everyone on your list.
Holiday Bows
In Dumbo’s version of #ShopLocal, we adorned 70+ businesses in Dumbo with giant holiday bows and gift tags, guiding Dumbonians and visitors alike through a gift list fulfillment tour right here in the neighborhood.
The Brooklyn Flea x Dumbo Holiday Market
On Sundays from November 7 through December 19, The Brooklyn Flea brought 40+ vintage and handmade vendors to the Archway in a curated Holiday Market.
Deck the Open Streets
As an added touch, we wrapped our Open Streets barricades on Washington Street with a bit of holiday cheer.
Our holiday programs and initiatives made the nightly news!
THE DUMBO STATION
The DUMBO STATION is our al fresco bar in the Dumbo Archway, helping to create a dynamic welcoming experience for our public programming. They serve wine, beer, kombucha and more on tap – including our custom Sixpoint Brew, the Dumboweisse!
Open seasonally, April through October.
Open for Business
This year, the Dumbo BID provided tons of support to our eclectic retail mix – from indie shopping havens to waterfront fine dining – helping them to get back on their feet and attract back customers when they needed it the most.
The Dumbo Guide
Our map continues to fly off the shelves. This guide includes the neighborhood’s eating, drinking, shopping and cultural attractions, plus suggested itineraries for your perfect Day in Dumbo. 25k+ maps have been distributed to visitors, with more picked up every day!
Indie Shopping Guide
Our guide to only-in-Dumbo shopping appears in larger-than-life form around the neighborhood during the holiday season, and lives year-round online.
The QR Code Lives On
2021 was (still) the year of the QR code. Our giant “Where Should I Eat” posters helped guide visitors and Dumbonians alike to take out, outdoor dining and, when allowed, indoor dining in the ‘hood.
DUMBONIANS EXIST CAMPAIGN
We worked with the Dumbo Action Committee on neighborhood messaging aimed at tourist etiquette. These now adorn our (NEW THIS YEAR!) Big Bellies, and our large posters throughout Dumbo.
Black-Owned Dumbo
Latinx-Owned Dumbo
Woman-Owned Dumbo
BID Services
Sanitation Services
The Dumbo BID “Clean Team” rose to the challenge throughout the year, keeping Dumbo beautiful seven days a week, rain or shine. In addition to sweeping the streets, maintaining the plazas, & taking out the trash, they continued to support the Dumbo BID Open Streets campaign, setting up furniture and barricades, and keeping Washington Street looking great!
The “Clean Team” is contracted through The Doe Fund, a nonprofit organization working to end cycles of homelessness, incarceration and addiction through paid transitional work and supportive services.
128
block faces with sanitation services
24,206
hours logged by workers
56,900
trash bags collected
409.68
tons of trash collected
315
hours spent watering
312
incidents of graffiti removed
Beautification
The BID contracts with The Horticultural Society of New York (“The Hort”) to brighten our public plazas with seasonal plantings. From chrysanthemums and pansies to peacock kale and celiosa, The Hort helped keep our public spaces looking great year round! The Hort is a nonprofit whose mission includes using horticulture as a way to provide vocational training and transitional employment to former inmates and at-risk youth.
Supporting Local Community Partners
Throughout the year, we work with our community partners to do our part to support our neighbors. In 2021, we raised money for laptops and graphing calculators for Dock Street Middle School and PS307 elementary school, hosted an ongoing food drive around Dumbo with the Vinegar Hill Food Pantry, and held coat & toy drives at the holidays in partnership with NYPD.
In 2021, as the pandemic delayed the opening of the Adams Street Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, the Dumbo BID partnered with the BPL to bring story time outside in the Dumbo Archway – and ultimately helped to host the ribbon cutting on the amazing opening day of the new branch.
Get Social
@DUMBOBROOKLYN
On Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and our weekly eblasts, we mix real-time news and information with insider tips, shopping & dining guides, small business behind-the-scenes profiles and Only in Dumbo event round ups. With 150k+ fans and followers translating into millions of impressions, our content served both to support our small businesses, and connect and inspire our community.
AWARD-WINNING WEBSITE
Dumbo.is/home continues to be a key resource for the community, updated daily with late-breaking covid-related information, resources for employees, employers, small businesses and artists, as well as dining, shopping and activity guides for the Covid-era.
Construction
In 2019, NYC DOT began a major capital project to upgrade sewer and water infrastructure, reconstruct our Belgian block streets and build-out the Dumbo Archway plaza space. The work will modernize our streets, while retaining the historic Belgian blocks, and creating safer intersections, bike lanes and accessible pathways around the neighborhood. Streets on the docket include: Pearl Street, Water Street, John Street, parts of Front St and Jay Street, Pearl Plaza (including Anchorage Place + the Archway), Adams Street, Plymouth Street and Main Street.
As of January 2022, the project is 43% of the way to completion, with most electrical and catchbasin work complete. 2021 saw the Construction crew continue their work around the neighborhood, installing new water mains, and adding extra catchbasins to help mitigate flooding from storms and heavy rainfall. We can’t wait to see the final product!
Here is a look at the way the City will restore the Belgian blocks by keeping the old original stones and adding a granite bike lane. Smooth stones will also be put into crosswalks to ensure ADA accessibility. This design was endorsed by Community Board 2 and the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Dumbo 2.0: New Development
THE ADAMS STREET LIBRARY
The first new library location in Brooklyn in almost 40 years, the Adams Street Library features reading rooms for children, teens, and adults; WiFi and laptop lending; a full browsing collection with more than 10,000 books (!!!), holds pickup service, and more.
EMILY ROEBLING PLAZA
The final section of Brooklyn Bridge Park– Emily Warren Roebling Plaza – opened to the public in December. This space beneath the Brooklyn Bridge adds two acres of parkland and connects the DUMBO section of the park with the southern pier. That’s a total of 85 acres! When Emily’s husband, Washington A. Roebling, the chief engineer for the Brooklyn Bridge, fell ill, Emily stepped in to oversee the completion of the world’s first steel-wire suspension bridge. We’re thrilled she is finally getting the recognition she deserves!
Thanks to Brooklyn Bridge Park, Mayor de Blasio, NYC DOT, Assemblywoman Simon, Senator Kavanagh, and Council Member Levin for their vision in making this happen.
COMING SOON!
A brand new park behind the York Street Station
The construction of Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park broke ground in April of 2021, and is slated for completion in April 2022. The Park will include new play equipment, swings, adult fitness area, and a multi-purpose synthetic turf field with a performance stage. The renovated park is named for pioneering physician Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Steward, who was the first African-American female physician in New York State, and the third in the nation.
A Jonathan Marvel-designed office tower at 29 Jay Street
320 rental units at Magnolia Dumbo
408 new residences at York & Front
72 new residences at 30 Front Street
225 new residences at 69 Adams
Advocacy
THE F TRAIN
Throughout the pandemic, the Dumbo BID continued to advocate for a second entrance at the F Train York Station. On September 23rd, city and state officials met at the entrance to York Street Station to help advocate for the completion of a feasibility study by the MTA. Thanks to the sale of air-rights for the 69 Adams development under the Manhattan Bridge, $7 million dollars have been earmarked to complete the feasibility study, with the remainder saved in a fund to begin construction on a second entrance.
SHAPING CONVERSATION IN NEW YORK CITY
President Alexandria Sica is a member of the Board of Directors for the NYC BID Association – a pier group of 72 BIDs throughout the City. During this important policy year, Alexandria has served as the Chair of the Public Realm Committee, leading conversations with Mayoral candidates – and now advocating directly with the Adams Administration on all things that shape our streets and public spaces.
Kalvis Mikelsteins leads the Commercial District Recovery Safety Program Brooklyn North Working Group, planning and facilitating meetings throughout the year with New York City Agency Officials to problem solve specific traffic, vending, and quality of life issues in the District.
Clara Schumacher represents the Dumbo BID on weekly calls with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, elevating the needs of our business community and brainstorming borough-wide initiatives with this influential body.
CITIBIKE
2021 saw an expansion of Citibike services in the neighborhood. An additional 6 stations were installed throughout Dumbo, adding 267 new docks to make cycling to Dumbo easier than ever before. Dumbo is now served by 11 stations, and 453 docks!
It hasn’t been business as usual.
2021 was a challenging year to open a new business, which is why we’re all the more excited about the intrepid entrepreneurs who opened their doors in Dumbo.
Please welcome:
Adanne Bookstore
53 Bridge Street
This Black-Woman-owned small biz is “one of the coolest bookstores,” according to Teen Vogue. Adanne is a bookshop that celebrates African-American culture by selling books — plus apothecary, tote bags, t-shirts and accessories.
Art of Faces
145 Front Stret
This Black-and-Woman owned boutique inside The Shops at 145 Front Street specializes in customized masquerade masks and Caribbean carnival pieces, as well as luxe dresses and accessories. Owner/designer Suzan Perez has been an artist in Brooklyn for more than 20 years.
Base Tattoo
25 Jay Street
The Base is a diverse group of artists dedicated to providing high quality tattoos, and their studio serves as a gathering space for artists to work on their designs.
Burson & Reynolds
70 Jay Street
Husband & Wife team Ricardo and Ashley curates home goods, table top, linens, candles, stationary, party supplies & more super cute must-have items at their shop on Jay Street.
Em Vietnamese
57 Front Street
Authentic, flavorful Vietnamese dishes made with love and attention to detail. The EM Vietnamese team is three generations deep in the Dumbo/Vinegar Hill neighborhood!
Evil Twin Brewing
43 Main Street
NYC’s cult brewery opened a taproom on Main Street in June, pouring coffee in the morning and their unusual brews in the afternoon.
The Hull Sports Bar
66 Water Street
Our new neighborhood sports bar in collaboration with Seamore’s. This 1920’s speakeasy, outfitted with dozens of reclaimed oyster shells in partnership with Billion Oyster Project, serves up tasty bites and sports on TV.
Legacy Vinyl Boutique
247 Water St. Suite 104
Vinyl boutique in a ‘70s basement vibes space. Records, record players and lots of great advice from Victorious, who opened his doors earlier this year.
Pupculture
149 Plymouth Street
A pioneer in New York City’s Dog Daycares, Pupculture’s pet pampering services include Daycare, Boarding, Grooming and Spa services, plus Dog Walking, In-Home Pet Feeding, Pick-up, and Drop-off.
Yesaet
145 Front Street
Yesaet is a boutique clothing store offering modern luxury, inspired by centuries of ancient African craft. Black-Woman-and-Dumbonian-owned, Yesaet’s sustainable, made-to-order collection focuses on exquisite textiles, comfort, versatility and timelessness.
Zaruma Gold Coffee
66 Front Street
This woman-owned café uses single-origin coffee from Ecuador’s four regions: Gálapagos, Andes, Costa and Amazonía. Baked goods are available daily – and they serve Ecuadorian brunch on weekends!
2022 Awardees
The Magic Feather Award
Vinegar Hill Food Pantry
The Dumbo Dozen
This year, we’re celebrating the rockstars of Dumbo’s restaurant workforce for their above-and-beyond work over the course of the pandemic.
Rik Kamiya
68 Jay Street Bar + Olympia Wine Bar
Kem Ettienne
Atrium
Jasmine Ortiz
Bread and Spread
Vittorio Viotti
Cecconi’s
Saul Espinoza
Front Street Pizza
Idrissa Zoundi
Gran Eléctrica
Trimell Collins
Juliana’s Pizza
Andy Mullins
Oddfellows Ice Cream
Connie Huang
One Girl Cookies
Bijon Das
Randolph Beer
Topher Bertone-Ledford
Seamore’s
Scott Rasmussen
Superfine
Finances
Board of Directors + Staff
STAFF
Alexandria Sica
President
Clara Inés Schuhmacher
Senior Vice President, Programs
Kalvis Mikelsteins
Director of Operations
OFFICERS
Sayar Lonial, Chair
NYU Tandon, School of Engineering
Peter Forman, Vice Chair
Forman Realty Management, LLC
Bruce Silverglade, Treasurer
Gleason’s Gym
David Lombino, Secretary
Two Trees Management Co., LLC
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS
Peter Benedetto
Dom Ben Realty Corp./Chambers
Jack Guttman
Pearl Realty Management, LLC
Johari Jenkins
Con Edison
Salvatore Leonardi
Front Street Pizza
Jed Walentas
Two Trees Management Co., LLC
Tom Montvel-Cohen
100 Jay LLC
Jack Cayre
Empire Stores
Charlie Cara
Cara Construction
Asher Abshera
DUMBO Heights
RESIDENTIAL REPRESENTATION
Ray Levin
Tanya Rynd
COMMERCIAL TENANTS
Laura Roumanos
United Photo Industries
Alex Bellos
West Elm
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
Jonnel Doris
Commissioner, NYC Department of Small Business Services
Scott Stringer
Comptroller, City of new York
Eric Adams
Brooklyn Borough President
Stephen Levin
Councilmember, 33rd Council District, Brooklyn
NON-VOTING DIRECTORS
Althea Erickson
Etsy
Susan Feldman
St. Ann’s Warehouse
Rob Perris
Representative, Community Board 2
Lindsay Stuart
Glam Expressway
PRODUCTION & SUPPORT STAFF
Curtis Brewer
Hunty Mayton
Dana Spataru
Cameron Crane
Ricky Dean
Emily Edgerton
William Furio
Onur Gul
Judy Jackson
Lisa Lam
Mohammed Motaleb
INTERNS
Nando Dale
Kieran Degenaars
Michelle Leidecker
Ethan Rankin
DOE FUND SUPERVISORS
Lionel Cassetana
Emil Miles
Traegus Thomas
Raymond Jones
Craig Trotta
Anthony Monroe