Home Reporter, Spectator continue to grow with acquisition of Brokelyn.com

Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator publishers Joshua and Victoria Schneps have acquired Brokelyn, the seven-year-old entertainment and lifestyle blog based in Brooklyn and founded by Faye Penn.

Developed in 2009 in the height of the recession with the slogan “Living big on small change,” Brokelyn has grown into one of the most popular blogs in New York City, with more than 60,000 Twitter followers (the highest following of any general interest site in Brooklyn) and a loyal readership of more than 340,000 visitors in January, 2016 alone.

Particularly popular are Brokelyn’s annually sold-out Beer Books, which will continue under the new ownership, along with its Cocktail Book and Wine Book. The 2016 Upper and Middle Brooklyn Beer Books are now on sale at Brokelyn.com.

Over the years Brokelyn has held book swaps, themed parties including the Brokelyn Summer Camp, co-hosted the annual No Office Holiday Party with the skint and become the go-to place for people who want to know the best happenings in Brooklyn and beyond.

“I look forward to building on the mission Faye Penn founded and developed over the past seven years at Brokelyn,” Schneps said. “That vision is more relevant than ever with the population in the borough exploding. Brokelyn’s fresh and smart approach to news, local happenings and service journalism has made it essential Brooklyn reading.”

Penn said she had been looking for a buyer who could offer advertising, event and marketing support while remaining true to Brokelyn’s roots.

“Brokelyn is more than a media enterprise — it’s a community and a point of view,” Penn said. “It was important to me to find a new publisher who would not only honor the site’s voice, scrappy spirit and relationship with readers but also build on those things. In my conversations with Josh, I felt that he really got it.”

Along with the acquisition, Schneps is bringing back as Brokelyn’s editor in chief Tim Donnelly, who was editor in chief of the site from 2010 to 2012. Donnelly plans to expand the staff, bring more in-depth reporting and features to the site and expand Brokelyn’s reach beyond the borough.

“Brokelyn is a mindset as much as it is a website,” said Donnelly, who’s 34 and lives in Prospect Heights. “We love representing the New York hustle and the people all over the world who chase a passion. And we know that everyone needs help figuring out how to unlock New York City.”

Schneps said Donnelly has the right leadership qualities to lead the site forward. “His passion for Brokelyn, understanding of its readership and writing style, will help the site surpass our goals and expectations by providing great content to our audience,” he said.