Hey BK – The Brooklyn Podcast with Ofer Cohen

With the local primaries just weeks away, we continue to focus on the candidates in New York's upcoming election. Ofer talks to Cesar Zuniga who is running for City Council in the district that covers Sunset Park and Red Hook, two of Brooklyn's most important neighborhoods for future development. The son of Mexican immigrants, Cesar has a background in education and serves as chair of Community Board 7, which voted down the expansion of the Industry City complex along the Sunset Park waterfront after a bitter debate. 

Wrapping up a series on the District 33 City Council race, Ofer sits down with Elizabeth Adams, legislative director for the outgoing Council Member, Steve Levin. Elizabeth grew up in a rent stabilized apartment, and affordable housing is central to her platform that local government can do more to help struggling New Yorkers as the city rebuilds. 

In the latest installment of our series looking at the race for the City Council District 33 seat, Ofer sits down with April Somboun. The candidate studied international public policy at Columbia and has worked in marketing and communications. She's a Brooklyn Heights resident, refugee, and working mother who is proud to call herself an outsider in this very important race for the district that covers neighborhoods in Downtown Brooklyn, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg.

Ofer kicks off a short series focusing on the City Council race for the 33rd district, which has a large slate of candidates vying for the seat. We invited some of the top fundraisers to hear their vision for this diverse district covering Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and Boerum Hill. The first guest is Toba Potosky, a Brooklyn Heights resident and community activist involved in his own middle income Mitchell Lama complex and public projects from  the renewal of Cadman Plaza Park to the controversial plans to fix the crumbling BQE. Originally from Queens, Toba is passionate about holding public officials accountable and  improving life for all Brooklynites. 

Host Ofer Cohen sits down with New York City mayoral candidate Kathryn Garcia, a Brooklynite with a fascinating story. Garcia got her start in the Bloomberg Administration, but more recently, served as sanitation commissioner and was appointed food czar for the City’s emergency food program during the pandemic. In our conversation, Garcia lays out her vision for the future and shares her experience as a working parent in New York – and how she had to tackle her own shyness in making the decision to run for mayor.

City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr grew up in Bedford Stuyvesant and represents the neighborhood in the City Council's 36th District. In this podcast, Councilman Cornegy lays out his vision for the city, which includes sitting down with real estate developers, promoting public private partnerships, reforming the city's land use process, and more. Councilman Cornegy, a former professional basketball player, holds the Guinness World Record of tallest politician, and is running for Brooklyn Borough President.

HeyBK is back at a time when Brooklyn, along with the rest of NYC, is trying to rebuild all that was lost during the pandemic. This season, Ofer Cohen talks to leaders and political candidates about their vision as the city reopens and rebuilds. In our first episode, Ofer sits down with Ray McGuire, the Wall Street executive running for New York City Mayor. Listen to the former head of Citigroup talk about his experience growing up, how he first came to New York, and his plans to create a more equitable city for the future.

In this episode, Ofer sits down with Sue Donoghue, President of the Prospect Park Alliance and the park administrator.  At the nonprofit, Sue works closely with the City to help raise 11 million dollars annually and over 50 million dollars in capital funds to improve and operate Brooklyn’s 585 acre park.  Seen as Brooklyn’s backyard, Prospect Park was built in 1867 by Central Park’s Frederick Law Olmsted.  Much like the rest of Brooklyn, Prospect Park has experienced a rebirth. Some 30 years ago it was in disrepair but today, Prospect Park is free of cars and bustling with activity, people, bikes, athletes and programming. 

Ofer sits down with Steve Hindy, co-founder and co-chairman of Brooklyn Brewery, one of the largest craft beer makers in the United States. Steve and his neighbor founded the company in 1988 following a dream to bring brewing back to Brooklyn. Always a pioneer and a risk-taker, Steve made a number of key decisions that helped make Brooklyn Brewery an international success story. As you’ll hear, Steve had faith in the Brooklyn brand from the very beginning and helped put Brooklyn on the map.

In the first episode of the new year, Ofer Cohen sits down with Jill Eisenhard, the Founder and Executive Director of the Red Hook Initiative (RHI). Jill has recently announced that she’s stepping down from the non-profit that she founded in Red Hook, Brooklyn, back in 2002. In their conversation, Jill looks back at her work to empower residents of the City's second largest public housing complex in one of Brooklyn's last industrial neighborhoods, which is home to nearly 10,000 residents. In the past 18 years, Jill has built an organization that serves thousands of young people with after-school programs and job training. RHI runs two urban farms and survived Hurricane Sandy in 2012, but RHI also has a larger vision to give residents the tools to create social change.  

Ofer Cohen sits down with New York City Councilmember Brad Lander. Brad’s district spans established neighborhoods including Park Slope and, the once mainly industrial area, Gowanus which is now on the verge of redevelopment. In their conversation, the Councilman talks about his journey as a suburban kid who became fascinated by cities. A progressive Democrat and urban planner, Lander has been a life-long advocate for affordable housing. He's preparing for a run for a City Comptroller in 2021 after his term is up in the City Council.

In this episode, Ofer speaks with Carlo Scissura, President & CEO of the New York Building Congress. Carlo was recently appointed Chair of the NYC Mayor’s committee in charge of evaluating the plan to fix the crumbling BQE. He has been a key player during Brooklyn’s redevelopment and construction boom over the last two decades. Born and raised in Bensonhurst, Carlo is truly rooted in Brooklyn and his career has reflected so. From real estate attorney in Dyker Heights, to chief of staff to the larger than life Brooklyn borough president, Marty Markowitz and then head of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, his story is one of passion for NYC’s most exciting borough.

Ofer meets with Jonathan Schnapp, founder of the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club in Gowanus. In 2011, Jonathan and his partner Ashley took a spontaneous trip to the Mirror Lake Shuffleboard Club in Florida and returned home inspired to bring the forgotten sport to Brooklyn. Much sooner than expected, they secured a warehouse space and began fundraising for an idea that, at first, not many people could definitively get behind. Today, people from near and far come to visit and fall in love with the game and the neighborhood. The Royal Palms Shuffleboard League is the largest in the world and Ashley and Jonathan are now internationally ranked shuffleboard players. With the Gowanus rezoning underway, Jonathan reflects on the “magical” space and its place in the world and Brooklyn.

Ofer sits down with two of the Brooklyn restaurateurs breathing new life into the historic restaurant, Gage & Tollner. The restaurant first opened in Downtown Brooklyn in 1879 and shut its doors in 2004. The 125-year-old Brooklyn institution was known for its landmarked decor and impeccable service. In the 14 years since it closed, Downtown Brooklyn has transformed into a lively neighborhood with tens of thousands of new residents. Husband and wife team Ben Schneider and Chef Sohui Kim along with their business partner, friend, food writer and bar owner St. John Frizell helped put Red Hook and Gowanus on the foodie map. Now, they are reviving Gage & Tollner while preserving its historic charm.

In this episode of HeyBK, Ofer sits down with Chad Dickerson, the former CEO of Etsy, a multibillion-dollar online marketplace for handcrafted goods based in DUMBO. Chad left Silicon Valley for the young startup in 2008 and led the company - through many hurtles - to become one of NYC’s greatest Tech success stories. Along the way, Chad, who’s originally from North Carolina, fell in love with Brooklyn and in just 11 years found a community in Carroll Gardens.

On this episode of HeyBK, we journey to South Brooklyn to one of the most famous places in the world – Coney Island. Ofer Cohen speaks with Dick Zigun, the “unelected mayor” of Coney Island, a playwright, a circus fanatic, and the creator and leader of the annual Mermaid Parade. Dick tells us his story of growing up in a Connecticut town where PT Barnum was once the mayor, and how his love for the circus and the arts brought him to where he is today. Dick has spent decades advocating for this unique pocket of NYC and its great potential which has not come without its own course of challenges and interesting events.

In this episode of HeyBK, Ofer sits down with Susan Feldman, the Artistic Director of St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The program’s trajectory is closely linked with Brooklyn’s resurgence. St. Ann’s relationship with Brooklyn as a place and Real Estate as a business is a great model for activating neighborhoods while supporting the arts. As you will hear, the story began in 1979 in a very different Brooklyn. Susan, who had a background in alternative education, was hired to create an arts program that would help save the small Montague Street parish and its historic stained-glass windows. Over 35 years later, and not without a struggle, St Ann’s moved to its permanent, very special home on the DUMBO waterfront.

HeyBK host Ofer Cohen speaks with Jared Della Valle & AJ Pires, the founders of Alloy, LLC, a DUMBO-based development and architecture firm. Jared and AJ explain how meeting through a mutual friend turned into a life-long friendship, successful business, and a true Brooklyn story. Their joint passion and ideas about responsible development, keen architecture, open lines of communication, and love for the neighborhood of DUMBO have played a key role in their accomplishments. Alloy is also incredibly unique in that it is one of the only firms to be a true developer and architect in one, embracing the best aspects of both worlds. With both of their families residing in DUMBO, Jared and AJ are proof that you can live, work and play all in the same place.

On this episode of HeyBK, Ofer speaks with Andrew Kimball, the CEO of Industry City. Since taking over in 2013, Andrew and his partners transformed the largest industrial complex in NYC into a renowned creativity and innovation hub. Andrew gives us the scoop on what it takes to run such a huge transformation project, how sometimes new opportunities take priority over initial strategic plans, the challenges of managing such a massive space, as well as many of the rewarding moments that come with such a demanding project. 

On Season 2, Episode 5, Ofer sits down with Jed Walentas, the real estate developer behind the transformation of DUMBO, one of the most desirable neighborhoods in New York City. In the mid-90’s, Jed became involved in his family business, Two Trees, and spearheaded the transformation of the area. In their conversation, Jed talks about growing up in a grittier NYC where DUMBO was not merely as exciting as it is today, discovering what it meant for his father to “own a neighborhood,” and about his own parenting experience. Jed has been a trailblazer for some of the most creative projects in Brooklyn, including the creation of Domino Park on the Williamsburg waterfront, and has been a vocal advocate for the BQX, a future streetcar system connecting Brooklyn and Queens.

In this episode, Ofer sits down with Karen Auster, a key force behind the new Brooklyn experience. During the past two decades, Karen’s Dumbo-based marketing firm, Auster Agency, has helped launch some of Brooklyn’s most exciting projects, including Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1 Hotel, the new Atlantic Antic and now Domino Park. Karen fell in love with Brooklyn after having an ice cream in Brooklyn Heights but it was her role as a mom that helped her find find her path. 

Eran Chen, Founder of ODA Architecture, speaks with Ofer Cohen about his humble beginnings in Israel to becoming one of NYC’s most renowned architects with an expanding international clientele. Beginning his career designing McDonald’s restaurants, to eventually starting O.P.E.N and creating a mega-museum of street art, he believed that he could bring new architectural perspective to Brooklyn. Eran and his company have experienced unexpected new heights over the years, and have some of Brooklyn’s most iconic projects under their belts including 10 Jay Street, 51 Jay Street, 1040 Dean Street, 416-420 Kent, and 140 Vanderbilt.

Born and bred Brooklynite, Dave Maundrell, chats with Ofer Cohen about growing up in Williamsburg and witnessing, first-hand, the changes throughout Brooklyn over the last two decades. Dave has great respect for the history of the neighborhood. He's watched it evolve from its industrial and gang-ridden past in the 70s and 80s, to an artist-driven hub in the 90’s, to what is now a vibrant artful, family-oriented and high-end residential haven. In 2002, Dave founded aptsandlofts.com, a successful online platform that was meant to compete with shady brokers on the market. Since selling the company in 2015, Dave has been heading up New Developments for Brooklyn and Queens at Citi Habitats.

Ofer Cohen talks to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams about his concerns, goals and vision for the ever-changing communities throughout Brooklyn. A born and bred Brooklynite, Eric Adams started his career as a police officer, serving 22 years on the force. He began his political career as a State Senator representing Brooklyn districts. To say Adams has experienced the transformation of Brooklyn first-hand would be an understatement. They talked a lot about real estate, but during their conversation, Adams told Cohen about his passion to apply his views on health and mindfulness to city government and education and his dream to one day become the Mayor of New York City. 

Jersey-born real estate developer turned fully-immersed Brooklynite, Doug Steiner, meets with Ofer Cohen to share his story about developing Brooklyn, and the creation of Steiner Studios, the largest movie studio outside of Hollywood. The state-of-the-art film and television studio at the Brooklyn Navy Yard opened six months after Doug advocated for film tax credits in New York City and helped create a boom for production on the East Coast. In their conversation, Doug is thoughtful about his contributions, including the Hub, the tallest residential skyscraper in Downtown Brooklyn, which was a dream project of his father.

Ever since he moved to Brownstone Brooklyn in the early 2000s, Jonathan Butler's entrepreneurial projects have fostered a unique Brooklyn brand, which has since spread to other cities. He's the creator of some of the borough's most transformative projects, including 1000 Dean, and co-founder of the Brooklyn Flea and the food market Smorgasburg. The blogger who started Brownstoner, shares his story with Ofer Cohen as they reminisce about the early days of Brooklyn's transformation. In their conversation, Jonathan talks about leaving Wall Street to become a Brooklyn blogger, his love for flea markets, and the unique energy of Brooklyn’s creative community.

David Ehrenberg is the President and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In his conversation with Ofer Cohen, he shares his excitement about the Navy Yard’s mission and his experiences while managing some of the most complex and important revitalization projects in America.

On the sixth episode of Hey BK, Ofer Cohen catches up with Jacqui Williams, a real estate lobbyist working on some of Brooklyn’s biggest projects. Jacqui lets us into her remarkable life story - from some dark moments in her past, living homeless on the streets of New York City, to becoming a power player in some of the most important approvals of real estate projects across the city. This is a true New York come-back story at the forefront of Brooklyn’s renaissance.

Regina Myer is President of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, a local development corporation that is tasked with supporting Downtown Brooklyn's emergence as a center for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, as well as a world-class cultural, education, residential destination. Regina moved to Brooklyn in 1991 and over the last two decades was instrumental in the growth and transformation of Brooklyn. She spearheaded the rezoning of neighborhoods like Greenpoint and Williamsburg, and led the development of Brooklyn Bridge Park. Tune in to hear Ofer Cohen and Regina discuss how her career has truly been a labor of love to the transformation of Brooklyn.

David Belt, Co-Founder and CEO of New Lab, speaks with Ofer Cohen about the path that led him to the aspirational real estate development work he is involved with, in the intersection of art, technology and architecture. From his early years touring with a punk rock band, through the idea of converting dumpsters into swimming pools, to creating the largest, advanced tech hub on the East Coast, David is a true example of how, and why, it is an inspiring time to be in Brooklyn.

Hey BK Host, Ofer Cohen, chats with Toby Moskovits, President of Heritage Equity Partners. Toby speaks about growing up in Brooklyn and how she was able to “beat the odds” to gain success and credibility in the commercial real estate industry. She also touches upon her interest in the Williamsburg and Bushwick markets, and what drives her to continue investing and developing in Brooklyn.

MaryAnne Gilmartin graduated from university and was given an Urban Fellowship, an opportunity in NYC to experience public service. It was here that Gilmartin realized her passion for real estate and development. Very early in her career, MaryAnne met some of NYC’s most powerful developers. While balancing parenting and running some of Brooklyn’s most complicated projects, Gilmartin proved to be a true force and visionary. Shortly after this podcast was recorded, MaryAnne, the developer that spearheaded the development of Barclays Center, announced her next big move, starting a company of her own, L&L MAG.

David Kramer, a true Brooklynite and President of Hudson Companies, speaks with Ofer Cohen about his path to becoming a developer in New York City and more specifically, Brooklyn. Tune in to hear why David moved back to NYC from L.A. to follow his dream. The conversation touches on how he started in the business and was able to build such a diverse mix of projects, to completing five New York City marathons while tossing a Nerf football and how his team celebrates office victories.