When The Threading Place first opened, I admittedly made fun of the spelling errors on their sign. I did go in a few times, but found the employees to be high pressure and not-so-friendly. (One employee loudly told a woman getting her brows done that she REALLY needed her lip done, too. Even if it was true, no woman wants to hear that yelled out loud in front of strangers!)
A neighbor of mine told me they changed owners awhile back, so I decided to stop in to check them out again. I was pleased to see there were a few people waiting and I got an amazing brow shaping- the best I’ve had in awhile.
If you haven’t stopped in since 2007 (like me), you might want to check them out again.
The Threading Place
262 Vanderbilt Ave
corner of DeKalb
718-622-0883
It’s been a crazed December in the CHB household, so I didn’t have the time I would have liked to spend a day or two browsing all sorts of neighborhood shops to look for local stocking stuffers. (Last year’s guide is probably still relevant, if you want to check it out.)
Here are a few quick picks for this year’s shopping. It is by no means complete or comprehensive.
1. Root Stock & Quade
Aunt Sadie’s Candles (one potential scent: Pine Tree in a Can): $23
Birdhouses (wooden or ceramic, various sizes): $32-52
2. Outpost Lounge
A pound of coffee beans (specifically the RING OF FIRE house blend)for the holidays: $10/lb
And while you’re there picking up some coffee beans, Outpost is offering $1 off all regular priced glasses of wine each day after 5pm as part of Shop Brooklyn! (until Dec 24)
3. Green in Brooklyn
SodaStream Soda Makers: Jet Starter Kit: $110 / Penguin Starter Kit: $250 (This one’s a bank-breaker, but how cool would it be to make your own soda! They have plenty of inexpensive items, too, plus a killer selection of greeting cards.)
4. RePop
Assorted vintage elf ornaments: $10-$12 (These make a wonderful tree trimming gift, and will remind people, hopefully fondly, of childhood Xmases.)
5. Gnarley Vines
Gnarly 2009 Everyday Super Value Six-Pack: $45.90 (That’s less than $10 a bottle, folks! Give them all to one loved one, or create six separate gifts!)
Bad with the wrapping? Let the brand new Gradys Collective Market wrap it for you. Make an appointment (gradysbk@gmail.com). Pricing is as follows:
$5.00 – per present
General examples: CD’s, Novel Books, Jewelry, Box of Chocolates, iPod, Desktop Calendar, Watch, etc.
For small presents, we offer custom designed & printed wrapping paper for an additional $2 per gift..
$7.00 – per present
General examples: Shirt Size Boxes, Journals, Medium Sized Hard Bound Books, Small Board Games, Wall Calendars etc.
+2.00
All odd shaped items (small, medium, and large), will incur an additional $2 fee per item.
$9.00 – per present
General examples: Large Clothes Boxes, Shoe Boxes, Medium Kitchen Appliances (blender, coffee maker, and so forth), Tabloid Calendars – 11X17, etc.
***
I really wanted to focus on Fulton this year to celebrate FAB, but with back to back holiday events this week I couldn’t make it. Look for a special Fulton shopping feature in 2010!
The retail space on the ground floor of the Absolute on Myrtle is mighty large. A source told me that a gym might be interested in the space.
Thoughts? Do you want a chain gym, or a local gym?
Personally, I’m cool with the Bed-Stuy Y, although it’s become about 100xs more crowded this year. And I’m not surprised, given the affordable pricing and the nice facilities (although I do wish they would separate the cardio machines from the weight machines, which are cramped in so tightly that it’s hard to move around when people are using the machines!).
I hope it’s not a NYSC, which I found to be way overpriced (at least last time I was a member). It would be nice to have an option closer than the Y or the Crunch (which I hear is also super crowded).
Tomorrow, there’s lots going on down on Fulton, thanks to Lashunda Davis (owner of both ‘Cure and Grady’s). Head down to donate some holiday cheer to a needy child, get a well-deserved holiday mani, and celebrate the opening of a hip new boutique!
- From 11am-7pm, bring a new, unwrapped toy to ‘Cure Beauty Bar and receive a $10 mani’cure (921 Fulton St)
- Gradys Collective Market (923 Fulton) holds its Grand Opening: Wine and food tasting, discounts, raffles, flowers and of course Fashion…Men and Women!
Remember when we didn’t have a single flower shop in the neighborhood? Well, now we have several! I recently checked out the Little Flower Shop in the Park on Vanderbilt just south of Myrtle.
Little yes, and not in the park. But the shop offered several very affordable bouquets that had been thoughtfully assembled for just $10 each.
I really liked the monochromatic arrangements – hefty bouquets using the same color in different shades. Not something you typically see at a non-high-end shop. I opted for a yellow and green arrangement.
The bouquet lasted more than a week and I was able to preserve it even after I had to remove a few of the flowers that wilted.
Overall, a great place to pick up a well-arranged basic bouquet that won’t break the bank.
The Little Flower Shop in the Park
154a Vanderbilt Ave
Last week, I noticed that the space formerly occupied by the Healthy Body vitamin shop (478 Myrtle) has been transformed into a bike shop! I remember the space was once a makeshift bike shop and repair outfit, and now it seems to be back.
The folks at the Myrtle Ave Partnership confirmed that it’s the same operator as before (and the owner of the building). No word yet on whether the shop is temporary or permanent.
Move With Grace’s 30 days of yoga for $30 deal expired Wednesday… but she’s willing to extend it ONE DAY ONLY FOR CHB READERS! Readers must purchase the special online by 7pm, Thursday, October 1.
Today is the final day to sign up for the $30 for 30 days of Yoga!
After today new students can still try us out for for one month…now including ALL
classes on the schedule for $49 for 30days.
The Fall special for membership at the studio is $79/month for your first 3 months and then $89 for the remaining months. One may cancel after 6 months.
Click HERE for the yoga special!
Move With Grace
469 Myrtle Ave
I’ve been promising these for awhile – the local vendors I am using for my wedding, plus a few more for you brides-to-be looking for resources.
Flowers – Root Stock & Quade
Ever since John and Kerry opened their shop on Myrtle, I have loved their aesthetic. The store is gorgeous and they have done a lovely job with arrangements I have had delivered or have had them put together for me on-site. It was really fun to meet with Kerry and plan out the flower designs.
Cake – Desserts by Michael Allen
Perhaps the friendliest business in the ‘hood, and the sweets are amazing. Michael and his wife Marvel sat down with Will and I to plan out a very unique and fun cake, which will include a fruitcake top that we can eat on our one-year anniversary. No, I am not going to tell you what the design is, but I will post photos after the wedding!
Transportation – Myrtle Car Service
Since we’re not doing a church wedding and won’t have to make any grand entrances or exits, I figured I wouldn’t need any overpriced limo service with a minimum hourly requirement. Myrtle always comes when I call.
Pre-pre wedding dinner – Il Porto
I originally looked into Il Porto for our rehearsal dinner, but since our venue is in Park Slope we decided to choose something we could walk to after the rehearsal. However, since a few close family members are arriving in town on Thursday afternoon, we figured an intimate local dinner would be perfect. The brick oven pizzas are to die for and owner Joe and his staff always take care of me.
Pre-Wedding Mani-Pedi – Polish Bar
The girly atmosphere and hottest polish colors are my go-to for fancy occasions.
OUTSIDE THE HOOD:
Venue : The Montauk Club, Park Slope
Located on 8th and Lincoln right near Grand Army Plaza, the Montauk Club is an ornate old mansion and social club that we thought would make the perfect setting for a Brooklyn wedding. It’s a pretty good deal per person, and not too far from the hood.
Special Thanks To…
Fort Greene Park
I originally met Will’s sister at off-leash hours with our dogs a few years back. She introduced me to her brother at a BBQ the two hosted in Bed-Stuy in 2007. Thank you Marshmallow, Buttercup, Martha and off-leash hours!
Choice Market
Where Will and I picked up lunch to go on our first date, before heading out to Rockaway beach for a picnic.
I happened to walk past Brooklyn Cares Vet on both Saturday and Sunday and noticed the gates were down. I was worried that they had already closed shop!
Not to worry, though. I checked the website at home and Dr. Mann, the clinic’s vet, got married this weekend and was off. The clinic will reopen on Tuesday, Sept 1.
Congrats to the Myrtle Avenue Partnership on their recognition of the “Home Grown and Locally Owned” campaign. We look forward to checking out the vendors highlighted in the upcoming Fall 2009 campaign! (Also looking forward to the loyalty program- read below!)
FORT GREENE and CLINTON HILL, BROOKLYN, July 23, 2009—The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership (the Partnership) received the ‘Placemaking Award’ honor during the NYC Department of Small Business Services’ annual Neighborhood Achievement Awards ceremony at Gracie Mansion last week. The Partnership was chosen from over 100 city-wide nominations for this honor, which recognized its Home Grown & Locally Owned campaign for the Myrtle Avenue retail corridor in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. According to the city’s criteria for ‘Placemaking’, the award “honors a completed project by an individual or organization which increases the visibility, stature and overall identity of a neighborhood, resulting in greater visitation and economic activity.”
Initially launched in January 2007, the Home Grown & Locally Owned branding campaign was created by the Partnership to showcase the Myrtle Avenue merchants in postcards, print and electronic advertising, and streetlight banners, in an effort to promote the neighborhood commercial strip and encourage nearby residents to support the local economy. The campaign leverages the historic “Mom and Pop” character of Myrtle Avenue and strives to distinguish its mix of over 150 individual retailers by featuring the personal stories of entrepreneurs who have invested their time, energy and money in building their small business, and therefore the neighborhood, reminding shoppers of the familiar face and the personalized service they experience at a locally-owned business. The campaign also serves as a call to local shoppers to invest in urban neighborhoods, helping to prevent the displacement of locally-owned businesses while ensuring continued opportunities for first-time entrepreneurs.
“The Home Grown & Locally Owned campaign reinforces the reality that the success of our small businesses and the vitality of our neighborhoods are closely intertwined,” commented Michael Blaise Backer, Executive Director of the Myrtle Avenue Partnership, who accepted the award at Gracie Mansion on Monday. The campaign has increased local awareness of new business openings on Myrtle Avenue, broadened residents’ familiarity with local business owners, and increased daytime and evening foot traffic on the Avenue. A new phase of the Home Grown & Locally Owned campaign will be rolled out in September 2009, during a month-long celebration of the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project’s 10th anniversary. In tandem, the Partnership plans to launch Myrtle Miles, an Avenue-wide loyalty card program, where shoppers will receive points and bonuses for their local Myrtle purchases.