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YEAR IN REVIEW hattan’s Canyon of Heroes, after a long and exhausting year ensuring the city stayed the course. Queens nurse Sandra Lindsay, the fi rst person in the US to get the Pfi zer vaccine, served as Grand Marshal. Netfl ix opening new East Williamsburg studio: Netfl icx opened a new production studio in Brooklyn in a massive space where it will produce fi lms and TV shows. The 170,000 square-foot space in East Williamsburg boasts six sound stages for content production. DA moves to vacate over 3,500 marijuana cases, virtually clearing docket of Brooklyn weed charges: Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez asked for, and a judge granted, a motion to clear over 3,500 marijuana cases from the borough’s docket, scrubbing almost all weed-related cases, including warrants and guilty pleas, from the record books. Ample Hills founders start anew with The Social: The founders of beloved scoop shop Ample Hills Creamery have started anew, opening up The Social in Prospect Heights over the summer. The new shop is a fresh start for the owners, couple Brian Smith and Jackie Cuscuna, who sold Ample Hills after the beloved parlor fi led for bankruptcy in 2020. �� COURIER LIFE, DEC.10 31, 2021-JAN. 6, 2022 AUGUST City to mandate proof of vaccination for indoor dining, fi tness, entertainment: The city announced its fi rst COVID vaccine mandate in August, a sign of things to come. The fi rst mandate, dubbed “Key to NYC,” required businesses to verify at least one dose of the jab before being allowed to participate in indoor dining, fi tness, or entertainment like movies or theater. This and other mandates profoundly shaped the city’s political, economic, and social climate going forward. Mayor unveils plan to prop up crumbling BQE until 2040: The city wants to extend the lifespan of the dangerously-decaying Brooklyn Queens Expressway at the Brooklyn waterfront by almost 20 years, giving offi - cials nearly two more decades to come up with an actual plan for what to do with the ailing highway, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced. While ultimate plans for the roadway and eyesore are being left to future administrations, the mayor’s plan has included reducing the number of lanes in each direction and enforcing weight limits for heavy trucks. Most expensive apartment lease in Brooklyn history signed: A deep-pocketed New Yorker signed a $27,000-per-month lease for an under-construction penthouse in Downtown Brooklyn, the most expensive apartment lease in Brooklyn history. The steep rental contract falls slightly short of the most expensive residential in Brooklyn history overall, which belongs to a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights which rented for $30,000 in June. Park honchos call on locals to kill invasive spotted lanternfl ies: Parks stewards called on New York City residents to do their civic duty by killing the dreaded Spotted Lanternfl y, an invasive species that took the city by storm this summer, posing threats to native plants Violent crime falls in NYC, reversing a monthslong trend: Crime began to trend back downwards at the beginning of August, reversing a monthslong trend that came to defi ne the Democratic primary for mayor. Overall, the summer of 2021 was signifi cantly less violent than was the summer of 2020. Andrew Cuomo resigns as governor: Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned from offi ce in August, capping off a stunning fall from grace for the three-term governor who had been widely celebrated early in the pandemic for his response, but saw his fortunes turn after being accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and misconduct. Cuomo’s fi nal year in offi ce A rendering of One Boerum Place, which houses the most expensive rental apartment in Brooklyn. Continued on page 13 Continued from page 6 ��