As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back at the year through the lens of some of Brooklyn Paper’s most thought-provoking, engaging, and downright stunning photos. From historic moments to breathtaking sights, our photographers captured the pulse of Brooklyn in all its beauty.
This year saw Brooklynites celebrating victories and facing challenges together. The New York Liberty’s WNBA Championship win at Barclays Center brought fans to their feet, while the 2024 Mermaid Parade dazzled with its vibrant costumes and wild creativity. And let’s not forget the awe-inspiring solar eclipse, as Brooklyn’s skyline became the backdrop for a celestial phenomenon.
Here are just a few of the unforgettable moments our reporters and photographers have immortalized in 2024:
Paris Alexander, dressed as the sun, posed after the 2024 Mermaid Parade in Coney Island.Photo by Erica PriceIn a dramatic turn of events at this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Patrick Bertoletti emerged victorious, devouring 58 hot dogs to claim the championship title after longtime victor Joey Chestnut was barred from the competition.Photo by Dean MosesThe Brooklyn Cyclones celebrate a win at Maimonides Park on July 28, 2024.Photo by Erica PriceNYU professor Andre Taylor gears up for the solar eclipse outside NYU Tandon School of Engineering in Downtown Brooklyn.Photo by Ben BrachfeldA love letter to Brooklyn’s Backyard and its stewards after record-breaking drought in New York City fueled brush fires across the five boroughs, including one in Prospect Park’s Ravine.Photo by Kirstyn BrendlenBefore: More than a hundred goldfish swim in the makeshift pond at Tompkins Avenue and Hancock Street.Photo by Lloyd MitchellAfter: Bikini Bottom no more. The “Bed-Stuy Aquarium” made a splash this summer, but its story ended with a big fin-ish when city crews paved over the popular goldfish pond.Photo by Lloyd MitchellThe ‘Brooklyn Pop’ exhibit, which opened in October at Industry City, celebrates Brooklyn’s global influence on popular culture through a collection of immersive installations.Photo by Erica PriceRenie Reiss, 85, the oldest member of senior dance crew The Pacemakers, shows Brooklyn Paper how it’s done.Photo by Paul FrangipaneRoy Jensen’s home on Fort Hamilton Parkway near Seventh Avenue, known to many as Bay Ridge’s “holiday house,” gets decked out for just about every occasion, but Halloween is an especially spooky treat.The New York Liberty’s iconic (and viral) mascot Ellie the Elephant celebrates the team’s WNBA Championship at Barclays Center.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannFans wait outside the Barclays Center to celebrate the New York Liberty’s WNBA Championship.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannSpectators take a selfie in front of the Spata house, credited as the display that started the world famous Dyker Heights Christmas Lights.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannBrooklyn’s 157th Memorial Day Parade weathered the storm on May 27, drawing crowds to Bay Ridge’s Third Avenue despite the rainy weather.Photo by Arthur de GaetaDimensions in Dance II studio performs at a rain-soaked Third Avenue Festival (yet another annual event on the avenue marred this year by bad weather) on Sept. 29 in Bay Ridge.Photo by Arthur de GaetaHoppy ending: A firefighter carries Kenny the bunny to safety during a Dyker Heights house fire in October.Photo by Lloyd MitchellSections 22 and 24 were a howl at Maimonides Park as dog lovers and their furry friends — like Russell — cheered on the Brooklyn Cyclones during ‘Bark in the Park’ on July 23.Photo by Annie MacKeiganNew York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams celebrates his Caribbean roots at this year’s West Indian Day Parade.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannCaribbean Americans celebrated their culture as they paraded up Eastern Parkway at the West Indian Day Parade.Photo by Lloyd MitchellA firefighter battles the raging five-alarm blaze at 1385 Bushwick Ave. in Bushwick on May 1. The fire gutted a supermarket and nearby homes, leaving seven people, including six firefighters, with minor injuries.Photo by Lloyd MitchellMiss Subways 2023 Harmony Hardcore crowns Queerly Femmetastic as Miss Subways 2024.Photo by Paul FrangipaneBusta Rhymes, a P.S. 135 alumnus, reflected on giving back to the East Flatbush community after his performance at a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway and wellness fair in November.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannDancers with the Brooklyn Ballet rehearse for their version of the Christmas classic ‘The Nutcracker.’Photo by Gabriele HoltermannThousands of New York City Marathon runners made their way through Brooklyn this November.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannA model walks the runway at Brooklyn Public Library’s sixth annual BKLYN Fashion Academy show, rocking a design by Pia Love.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannThe People’s Ball was a chance for New Yorkers to show off their fashion sense.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannThe inaugural Gowanus Art Parade showcased the creative talents of the community.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannA firefighter cradles a soot-covered black-and-white cat rescued from a burning home in Ocean Hill on Aug. 8, 2024. The cat was revived after responders administered CPR and oxygen.Photo by Lloyd MitchellActivists with Riders Alliance gathered on July 10 to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to reinstate congestion pricing so that subway stations like the one on Nostrand Avenue can see accessibility upgrades. Here, State Sen. Jabari Brisport addresses the crowd.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannIvy Karlsgodt poses for a portrait inside her Bedford-Stuyvesant home studio on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Karlsgodt hand makes lamp shades for her business, Ace of Shades.Photo by Paul FrangipaneThe Ukulele Cabaret players presented Dolly Parton tunes at the ‘Night of 1,000 Dollys’ at the Gowanus Dredger Boathouse in April.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannFreyda Markow pictured at the at National 9/11 Memorial and Museum holding photos of victims, including her cousin, Firefighter George Cain. Each year, the Coney Island woman makes a pilgrimage to memorials across the city in honor of those lives lost.Photo by Erica PriceYoung racers compete in the 17th annual Soap Box Derby on 17th Street in the South Slope, showcasing their handmade soap boxes to a cheering crowd in August.Photo by Gabriele HoltermannColde rocked out for the end of his concert at the Brooklyn Paramount in August, just a few months after the iconic venue reopened.Photo by Amanda Moses
