The Brooklyn Optimist, whose name we enjoy, is a brand new Brooklyn blog that intends to carve out a niche for itself covering borough politics and community activism and offering up a local perspective on national issue. Its early coverage has been promising and good natured. Take this proposal for solving the nasty rat problem at Borough Hall:

Personally, I think that rather than spraying Joralemon Street with toxic poison, the Parks Department and Borough President Marty Markowitz should run a campaign to promote cat adoption in Brooklyn. For a week, the BP could enclose the grounds around Borough Hall and let homeless cats wander around under the supervision of Animal Care & Control. The cats would get a week out of their cages, the rats would have the fear of God put into them, and passersby could sign up to take home any of the fine feline hunters on prominent display. I guarantee that no exterminator will have greater success ridding Borough Hall of rodents than a throng of cats unleashed.

And, yes, there are posts on more traditional political topics like this too.