First CB App, Not Last

Brooklyn Community Board 6 is the first community board in New York City with its own app.

It's called BKCB6, and it's free on the App Store(Android is on its way). We also have BKCB, the same idea for all 18 Brooklyn community boards, and CBNYC, which covers all 59 community boards in the five boroughs.

But for this newsletter, I'll focus on BKCB6.

The app puts everything in one place, hopefully in a way that's easier to understand and share. It's not set in stone, so I'm happy to make changes over time. While I don't know much about art in general, or cubism specifically, I remember a quote I always liked from a sculptor who compared cubism to standing on a mountain and looking around. Go higher or lower and things look different. "It is a point of view."

And that's what this hopes to be, a point of view.

Type in any address and you'll see the day's parking and trash pickup, the poll site, who represents it, the sample ballot, and any street work, film shoots, or block parties coming up in the next month. You can also look up 311 complaints, crime, parking tickets, and permits for any address or block, updated daily.

You'll also find every CB6 meeting and every set of minutes back to 2010 (and today's!). The calendar goes well beyond the board so that you can find things like the next Gowanus BID formation meeting or the 76th Precinct Community Council's schedule. Every lot in the district is mapped with its zoning and land use, along with the Gowanus rezoning and the BQE. The app also explains how the processes work: ULURP, the BSA, SEQR, and what you can build where.

Interactive versions of major plans, including the Brooklyn Comprehensive Plan, the Gowanus Rezoning, Mayor Mamdani's Block by Block plan, and the City's Fair Housing Growth Strategy, are also available.

A directory covers nearly 2,900 local businesses, the community groups, and every school, library, and park. It also has a Jobs tab with openings from SBIDC, New York City, and New York State. Most of it works offline, and it collects no data about you.

Download BKCB6 on the App Store. If you have any thoughts, let me know.

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