Here’s a roundup of stories we’ve been reading this week:
The ice cream truck? Some Brooklyn neighborhoods are not fans, according to 311 data. Is the borough too cool for Good Humor bars and soft serve? We blame Van Leeuwen [Bklyner]
Meet Brett Bevelacqua, real estate agent by day, “the most hated man in Wiffle ball” by night. In one New York town, grown men are crazily intense about Wiffle Ball. [The New Yorker]
Green cabs offered hope in the outer boroughs, but then Uber came along. Remember when it was impossible to get a lift in Brooklyn? Now the outer borough residents have options with both green cabs and ride-share apps, but can green cabs stay afloat? [New York Times]
The MTA has put up official tributes to Aretha Franklin at subway stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Who cares if the MTA is a mess, as long as they show a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. [Gothamist]
Nearly a third of retail storefronts on 34th Street are vacant. Both Gap and Forever 21 will not be renewing their leases along West 34th Street, adding to the commercial stretch’s run of empty storefronts. [The Real Deal]
There’s only one candidate running for NYS attorney general who has not accepted funding from a real estate industry player. If elected, Zephyr Teachout says she’ll combat corporate real estate interests and work to preserve rent-stabilized housing and fund affordable housing. [Politico]