The 7th Annual Brooklyn Black Tie Ball raised over $1.3 Million

We have seen the positive and tremendous changes of the Brooklyn Bridge Park and have enjoyed the park. Many were able to attend the 7th Annual Brooklyn Black Tie Ball and After Party at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Oct. 3, 2019. The event was a huge success that raised $1.32 million with over 700 guests.

We danced along to a beautiful setting where one can see the skyline of lower Manhattan on the East Side, with full open bar and constantly passed hors d’oeuvres.

Hundreds of people from various industries and elected officials– some who live in Brooklyn– gave their support, like Award-winning English-American actor Paul Bettany (“Avengers,” “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “A Beautiful Mind”); Head of NY Practice, Tusk Ventures and Chairman of the Board for Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy Chris Coffey, Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Hulk,” “Blood Diamond”); New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio; star of Vogue’s feature documentary “The First Monday in May” and Co-Founder/CEO of Maisonette Sylvana Durrett; Honoree, Co-Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of L&L Mag MaryAnne Gilmartin; Honoree and former Deputy Mayor of Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen; Host of NBC’s “Today Show” and daughter of former president George W. Bush, Jenna Bush Hager; Actress and star of HBO series “Girls” Jemima Kirke; President of Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation Eric Landau; Emmy nominated and Golden Globe winning, Broadway actress Keri Russell (“The Americans,” “Burn This”); New York State Senator Chuck Schumer; Founder of fashion label Rag & Bone Marcus Wainwright; and Executive Director of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy Nancy Webster. 

Mayor Bill de Blasio honored Alicia Glen, former deputy mayor for Housing and Economic Development in New York, and MaryAnne Gilmartin, former CEO of Forest City Ratner and famed developer of the Barclays Center.

In Alica’s five years as New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development under Mayor Bill de Blasio, she pioneered a major new inclusionary zoning initiative for affordable housing, built up the city’s tech start ups, led an effort to upzone Midtown Manhattan, and worked to spread economic development across the five boroughs. As former Chair of the Board of Directors at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, Alicia Glen has also been an instrumental leader in building the Park. She is currently the Chair of the Trust for Governors Island.

MaryAnne Gilmartin is Chief Executive Officer of L&L MAG, a New York-based real estate development company she founded with David Levinson and Robert Lapidus. Prior to founding L&L MAG, MaryAnne served as President & CEO of Forest City Ratner Companies, where she oversaw a period of game-changing ground-up development, including Barclays Center, New York by Gehry, and the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech.

MaryAnne is also a civic leader in New York, serving as Chair Emeritus of the Board of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, member of the Executive Committee of The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Vice Chair of New York Public Radio, member of the Executive Committee of The Real Estate Board of New York, and part of the Industry Advisory Board of the MS Real Estate Development Program at Columbia University. Throughout her career, MaryAnne has been recognized as a top professional in her field and was honored in 2017 with the Real Estate Board of New York’s prestigious Bernard H. Mendik Lifetime Leadership Real Estate Award.

The Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, d/b/a Brooklyn Bridge Park, is the not‐for-profit entity responsible for the planning, construction, maintenance and operation of Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85‐acre sustainable waterfront park stretching 1.3 miles along Brooklyn’s East River shoreline. Brooklyn Bridge Park is governed by a 17-member board of directors appointed by the Mayor of New York City and chosen by the Mayor of New York City, the Governor of New York State and local elected officials.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy has worked for over 30 years to bring Brooklyn Bridge Park to life. They started out as grassroots advocates, bringing together residents, government, and local supporters to transform an abandoned waterfront into the park you see today. This season marks the 20th Anniversary of the Conservancy’s free, public programming in the Park. In the summer of 2000, the Conservancy launched its now signature “Movies with a View” series.

Since 2000, over 1,000,000 visitors have enjoyed the Conservancy’s 500 free and low-cost cultural, educational events and activities in Brooklyn Bridge Park. In 2019 alone, more than 130,000 individuals enjoyed Conservancy events including kayaking, waterfront workouts, and recreational, and environmental education classes as part of its extensive lineup. The Conservancy’s Environmental Education program served over 20,000 visitors through Open Hours at the Ed Center, and school programs in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

More information can be found at brooklynbridgepark.org.