Who this helps: Residents of Midtown, Times Square, Herald Square, Koreatown, Murray Hill, Flatiron, NoMad, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg who want a say in liquor licenses, street redesigns, large venue approvals, and land use decisions in their neighborhood.
Your community board is the most local layer of NYC government. It does not pass laws, but its recommendations carry real weight on land use, liquor licenses, street safety changes, and venue approvals. Two of the city’s most active boards have significant spring business on the table. Here is what is happening, and how to take part.
Manhattan Community Board 5 (Midtown, Times Square, Flatiron, NoMad)
Manhattan Community Board 5 covers the highest-traffic stretch of the city — Midtown, Times Square, most of the Theater District, the Diamond District, the Garment District, Herald Square, Koreatown, NoMad, Murray Hill, and the Flatiron District (Wikipedia / NYC CB5 district profile). Because this is the densest commercial zone in the United States, CB5’s agenda is almost always packed with liquor license renewals, sidewalk café permits, zoning text amendments, and landmark review items.
How to find the current agenda: Go to cb5.org and click the meetings calendar. Committee meetings are usually scheduled in the evenings and are open to the public. Full board meetings are typically held monthly (Monthly board meetings are required of all NYC community boards except during July and August).
How to contact CB5 directly:
- Office address: 450 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2109, New York, NY 10123
- Phone: 212-465-0907
- Email: office@cb5.org
What to pay attention to this spring: Liquor license and sidewalk café applications are the most common items. If a bar or restaurant near you is applying, CB5’s Business Licenses & Permits committee will hear it before the full board votes. Your testimony — in person or by email — is part of the public record that the State Liquor Authority considers.
Brooklyn Community Board 1 (Greenpoint and Williamsburg)
Brooklyn CB1 covers Greenpoint and Williamsburg and is one of the most-watched boards in the city right now. The board meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. and held a combined public hearing and board meeting on April 14, 2026 (Brooklyn CB1 agendas).
One of the biggest items on CB1’s plate this spring: the proposed replacement for the Brooklyn Mirage venue. Brooklyn CB1 grilled Pacha Group’s CEO earlier this month about the plan to replace the Brooklyn Mirage site — an outdoor concert venue that shaped Williamsburg’s nightlife footprint (Brooklyn Downtown Star, April 16, 2026). Neighbors showed up to ask about noise, traffic, late-night operations, and how the new venue will fit into the surrounding residential blocks.
How to contact Brooklyn CB1:
- Office address: 435 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
- Phone: 718-389-0009
- Email: bk01@cb.nyc.gov
- Chair: Dealice Fuller — District Manager: Johana Pulgarin
How to Take Action
1. Find the meeting you care about. For CB5 Manhattan, go to cb5.org. For Brooklyn CB1, go to nyc.gov/brooklyncb1 and check the agendas and committee notices pages.
2. Show up or send written testimony. Every agenda item has a public comment portion. You do not have to be an expert — you just have to be a resident, a worker, or a stakeholder affected by the item. Two minutes on the record is often enough to influence how the board votes.
3. Email testimony if you cannot attend. Both boards accept written public comment. Send your letter to office@cb5.org or bk01@cb.nyc.gov before the meeting date and ask that it be read into the record.
4. Apply to serve. Community board members are appointed by the borough president. Applications open annually. Visit the Manhattan Borough President’s office or the Brooklyn Borough President’s office for application details.
Why This Matters
Community boards are the first stop for almost every zoning change, street redesign, shelter siting, large venue application, and liquor license in your neighborhood. When a board votes yes or no, City Planning, DOT, and the State Liquor Authority take that vote seriously — especially when the testimony is heavy and well organized. If you have ever complained about noise, traffic, over-concentration of bars, or a lack of pedestrian safety, this is the room where those complaints become record.
HelpNewYork will continue covering NYC community boards every week. Different boards, different fights, same goal: showing you exactly where the levers are.
