Ariana Grande is bringing her “Eternal Sunshine” tour to Brooklyn this week and making Barclays Center history.

The Grammy Award-winning pop superstar kicked off a five-night run at the Downtown Brooklyn arena on Monday, marking the longest concert run by a female artist in the venue’s history. The residency has also shattered records for the most tickets sold and the highest-grossing show run by a female artist at Barclays Center.

The concerts are especially significant because Brooklyn is Grande’s only stop in the New York metropolitan area on the limited-city tour, drawing fans from across the region — many of whom likely had to battle both ticket queues and eye-watering resale processes. At last check, tickets on the secondary market had a $400 starting point.

Rather than simply hosting the concerts, Barclays Center is transforming much of Downtown Brooklyn into an Ariana-themed experience.

An airplane towing  “BKLYN S ARI” flew over New York City on opening night, while branded stair graphics at Atlantic Terminal welcome concertgoers as they arrive. Inside the arena, attendees can pose at a fan photo installation inspired by Grande’s stage design, reimagined by a Brooklyn-based set designer, alongside other interactive experiences celebrating the singer’s arrival.

This effort is part of a broader strategy led by Laurie Jacoby, executive vice president and chief entertainment officer for Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, to make the borough itself part of the show experience during major multi-night concert runs.

In a statement, Jacoby said that the activations were “designed to make Brooklyn part of the experience.”

“With Ariana’s record-breaking five-night run, we saw an opportunity to celebrate not just an incredible artist, but Brooklyn itself,” Jacoby said. “Ariana is playing only a select number of cities on this tour, and Barclays Center is her only stop in the New York metropolitan area, making this run especially meaningful for both our fans and our borough.”

Jacoby, one of the few women leading entertainment programming at a major arena in the country, said the approach is one Barclays Center hopes to continue for future artist residencies, blending hometown pride with immersive fan experiences.

The strategy itself reflects a growing trend among major venues to extend concerts beyond the stage itself, creating neighborhood-wide experiences that encourage fans to arrive early, explore surrounding businesses and celebrate the host city alongside the artist. 

The City Council is adding $1.5 million to a program that aims to one day teach every New York City second-grader how to swim.

The post From The Bronx to the Battery, more funding for free swim lessons appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

ICE agents rushed a man detained in their custody to Brooklyn’s Brookdale University Hospital on Tuesday, claiming that “he fell from a window” and became injured — and sparking an impromptu protest from activists and elected officials.

According to sources familiar with the situation, several ICE agents were seen taking a man into the facility’s emergency room after he had sustained injuries earlier on the morning of July 14. The sighting of ICE agents at the facility prompted about a dozen concerned New Yorkers to gather outside, days after two high-profile shootings involving ICE agents shooting and killing men during car stops.

Several vehicles parked outside Brookdale on Tuesday bore license plates known to activists as being used by ICE in previous operations around town.

According to state Sen. Roxanne Persaud’s office, the ICE agents told medical staff that the man in their custody had fallen from a window. She also shared that the federal agents were not masked inside the hospital and security blocked certain entrances to prevent them from roaming the building.

However, when the agents walked out of the hospital’s emergency room, amNewYork observed several of them wearing masks and surgical gloves, flouting recently enacted state laws that require agents to be unmasked on the city streets.

“I am frustrated that ICE continues to terrorize our communities by coming here. It puts people on edge. People are already on edge, and we need to work with our federal partners to put a stop to this,” Persaud told amNewYork. “I understand they have a role to play. If they’re doing their jobs correctly, I have no problem with them doing their jobs correctly.”

A source stated that hospital staff released the injured man back into ICE custody following his treatment and slipped out of another entrance. His identity is still not clear. 

amNewYork reached out to DHS for comment and is awaiting a response.

Representatives from the state Attorney General‘s office were also on scene but have not responded for comment.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie spoke out against the incident, especially after the two recent fatal shootings in Texas and Maine.

“This incident is very concerning, especially on the heels of two fatal shootings by ICE in the past week. I don’t think I’m the only person who is skeptical of ICE agents who show up at the hospital, in their own vehicles, with a severely injured detainee. The laws we passed this year are there to protect anyone whose rights are violated by federal agents,” Myrie said.

According to published reports, Joan Sebastian Guerrero was shot to death on July 13 in Biddeford, ME, while Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed in Houston on July 7. As a result of these incidents, national outlets reported that ICE agents across the country had been informed via internal memo that they could no longer perform traffic stops until further notice.

“Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Guerrero should be alive today. Immigrant communities should not have to live under the constant threat that they will be executed in front of their families by masked, unidentified agents. But across America, reckless and violent ICE agents in unmarked vehicles are chasing down our neighbors, inflicting terror in our communities and all too often taking people’s lives. We welcome the development that ICE will pause making traffic stops, because no one is safe when ICE is present,” President and CEO, New York Immigration Coalition Murad Awawdeh said.

Upon leaving the hospital, one of the ICE agents said to another while hiding his face with his hands, “Where did you park?” When they found their vehicle, they had discovered it had its two right-tires slashed.

Nonetheless, the agents got into their vehicles and pulled away, rolling on its rims, leading some protesters to cheer at the sight of the flats. The agents had to park blocks away and quickly change their tires.

Hochul pointed out that the moratorium’s purpose is to develop the proper guardrails before continuing data center progress.

The post Construction trade association said moratorium would hurt NY’s economy appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

New plans for the nearby  former Macy’s at 422 Fulton St. were revealed last week, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.

The post Four-story property on Fulton Street sells for $9.5 million appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Gillibrand’s statement reads, “I applaud Hochul for taking decisive action on data center construction.”

The post Gillibrand, climate advocacy group praise moratorium on data centers appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.