{"id":333886,"date":"2025-10-26T13:09:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T13:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/333886\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T13:09:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T13:09:35","slug":"east-new-york-brownsville-poised-for-more-housing-shops-and-transit-as-plans-for-light-rail-continue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/333886\/","title":{"rendered":"East New York, Brownsville poised for more housing, shops and transit as plans for light-rail continue"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"new\t\t\t<\/p>\n

A new building near the Livonia Avenue station in Brooklyn. <\/p>\n

Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a coffee shop in East New York, Brooklyn,<\/a> that does more than sell lattes, cappuccinos and smoothies. With cozy furniture, friendly staff and a relaxed vibe, Bklyn Blend, located a short walk from the next stop on the planned IBX train, marks a sliver of change for a mostly industrial, but working-class and historic section of NYC.<\/p>\n

Bklyn Blend was buzzing with customers on a recent Thursday night. They were ordering hot mochas, juices and other delicious beverages, some sitting at tables as R&B tunes belted through the sound system.<\/p>\n

Others took drinks and bags of eats to go.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a mocha,\u201d one man said as he rushed out the door. \u201cIt\u2019s great.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been said that new, quaint coffee shops are indicative of a neighborhood\u2019s renaissance. This might be true of Bklyn Blends in East New York, which opened in 2020, and stands out among a radius of blocks with no cafe and minimal sit-down dining restaurants in sight.<\/p>\n

The Livonia Avenue station, where the IBX is expected to stop, is located just four blocks west of Bklyn Blend. It is one of three IBX stops poised for the East New York area. The other two stations are Atlantic Avenue and Sutter Avenue.<\/p>\n

Also poised for East New York is more housing, as noted by the many high-density apartment buildings that have sprouted in the area over recent years. More housing can mean more business for Bklyn Blend and other local shops. A train like the IBX can mean more ways to get around.<\/p>\n

\"storefrontBklyn Blend on Livonia Avenue in Brooklyn.Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon<\/p>\n

The MTA<\/a> has said the IBX will be a game-changer for both longtime residents and new arrivals to neighborhoods along the line. Environmental reviews will begin on Oct. 29, marking another significant milestone in the MTA\u2019s construction of the light rail this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The MTA announced a board-approved design contract on July 31.\n<\/p>\n

The 14-mile train is planned to connect Jackson Heights in Queens to the Brooklyn Army Terminal in Bay Ridge. Unlike almost all other MTA trains, the IBX will not go through Manhattan, providing a direct link between the two boroughs and offering a quick ride of no more than 40 minutes, stem to stern.<\/p>\n

\u201cA complete change of mobility and access for so many people,\u201d MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said at a recent board meeting. \u201cThis is a huge deal. The IBX is going to change people\u2019s lives and folks are understandably psyched about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"OutsideThe Livonia Avenue L train station in Brooklyn.Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon<\/p>\n

But others are skeptical, including Boris Santos, president of the East New York Community Land Trust<\/a>, an organization that works to ensure housing in the neighborhood stays affordable for families.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Santos is concerned about East New York becoming gentrified to the point of driving longtime residents out of their homes, whether they rent or own real estate \u2014 something he has seen happen in his hometown of Williamsburg.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want history repeating itself, especially in a place that is mostly Black and Brown,\u201d Santos said. \u201cEven my neighborhood, Williamsburg, where I was born and raised, we\u2019ve seen so much displacement from real estate policies and action.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many people who were displaced from Williamsburg during its gentrification period in the early 2000s moved to East New York because it was affordable, and some even moved out of New York, Santos explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of them went eastward to East New York because it is more affordable. Our rents are still lower and we have a good stock of affordable housing,\u201d he said. \u00a0\u201cOr they moved to Pennsylvania and bought a house at a more affordable value.\u201d<\/p>\n

When possible, some former New Yorkers who moved out of state commute back to the city for work. Keeping employment opportunities in industrial parts of East New York is important to Santos\u2019 organization, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother concern, beyond the real estate values going up, is the industrial business zone being protected,\u201d he said. \u201cThe biggest source of commuting is people\u2019s work. And an industrial business zone is a source of employment. It\u2019s where industry is supposed to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, residential buildings continue to get built and bought throughout East New York, both nearby and far from the proposed IBX stations.\n<\/p>\n

In April, applications opened for Atlantic Chestnut Phase 2<\/a> affordable housing on Euclid Avenue. Rents here range from $454 to $2,949. <\/p>\n

Camber Property Group, a company that owns mixed-income properties in NYC, bought the Linden Plaza apartment complex in East New York for nearly $1 billion, the Commercial Observer<\/a> reported in January.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Businesses are popping up as others leave<\/p>\n

New local businesses, like Bklyn Blend, are popping up, but slower than housing is. At the same time, some longtime East New York businesses are leaving.<\/p>\n

\"trainNeglected train tracks near the Livonia Avenue station.Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon<\/p>\n

White Castle, which has been frying up burgers in the neighborhood since 1958, is set to be demolished this year. According to an article on the website, East New York<\/a>, permits were filed for two eight-story mixed-use buildings on the Atlantic Avenue site.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the neighborhood\u2019s Bklyn Blend is emerging as a new mainstay, offering a comforting and consistent presence amidst the rapid development of new housing in East New York. The IBX, if it continues on its construction path, will provide a smooth ride for anyone who wants to try a Bklyn Blend smoothie.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The next stop in our IBX: Stop by Stop series is Linden Blvd.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Previous IBX Stop by Stop stories\u00a0
\nExploring the future light rail line\u2019s northern hub of Jackson Heights, a melting pot of flavors and traditions<\/a>
\nMaspeth has small-town charm in America\u2019s most crowded city<\/a>
\nThe proposed light rail rolls through Middle Village near a \u2018crown jewel\u2019 of Queens parks<\/a>
\nNYC\u2019s proposed light rail to roll under hallowed ground in Middle Village<\/a>
\nLight rail would bring New Yorkers into trendy Glendale and Ridgewood<\/a>
\nA ride through Bushwick, an oasis of art, quirky bars, community spaces and a hipster vibe<\/a>
\nEast New York could be in for real estate boom when light rail line arrives at Atlantic Avenue<\/a>
\nProposed light rail brings New Yorkers into historic East New York at Sutter Avenue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new building near the Livonia Avenue station in Brooklyn. Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon There\u2019s a coffee shop…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":333887,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,151734,22806,5623,70622,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,4413,165448,11900,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-333886","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-brookyn","10":"tag-brownsville","11":"tag-east-new-york","12":"tag-ibx","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-city","15":"tag-newyork","16":"tag-newyorkcity","17":"tag-ny","18":"tag-nyc","19":"tag-queens","20":"tag-trains-in-brookyn","21":"tag-transit","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-united-states-of-america","24":"tag-unitedstates","25":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","26":"tag-us","27":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115440634047731120","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=333886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=333886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=333886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=333886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}