I recently received an email from a couple planning on moving to Grand Ave. They've heard there's some demo going on near the Grand-Lexington intersection and were wondering if it's noisy or problematic for nearby neighbors. Anyone nearby who wants to weigh in and share some info on this demo/construction project? (And BTW, "Mirror's on Grand" is STILL not open.)
Months ago, we discovered something that looked like a new bar on Waverly between Fulton and Atlantic. I recently found someone inside, who gave me this promo card:
"Who Knew." Argh! Despite this list of events being alphabetical, it's kind of odd that baby showers would be listed first. I'm not sure what a Preemie Martini is, but I hope it's not referring to babies born early.
Anyhow, the inside does, in fact, look pretty cool, so maybe someone out there in CH wants to host their baby shower there and report back? And of course, their website is not up yet.
Jelani Lounge 507 Waverly Avenue (bt Fulton and Atlantic) 718-230-JBAR www.jelanilounge.com
One more comment on the phone number. For those of us who have BlackBerries, we cannot dial-by-letter. Please, just tell me what the actual number is.
NY Magazine's Best Of 2007 issue hits stands today. Flip to the Best Thrift Store listing and you'll see none other than Clinton Hill's (OK, Wallabout's) RePop. I've been a champion of the store since it first opened, and I am so proud of them for receiving the props they deserve. It's great to be in such a vibrant community.
A reader has just brought it to my attention that Zipcar does not actually service Ft Greene/Clinton Hill. Picking up a car requires a 15+ minute walk to the south or west. Find out more here, and help make it easter to get the Zip!
I really like the map they've provided highlighting the lack of Zipcar pods.
I know I've written about how much crap sits on the sidewalks of Clinton Hill (literally and figuratively), but I think Waverly Avenue takes the cake. I'm not sure what it is about it that makes pet owners completely ignore their dogs crapping and walk on without picking it up. Last week, I counted 25 separate piles of shit on Waverly between Myrtle and Lafayette! 25!!! I'm sure I could have doubled that total by walking all the way down to Atlantic. Seriously, what's going on here?
(BQE, Washington at Park)
You may have noticed that your comments sometimes do not appear when you submit them. I have a super-strong spam blocker enabled, and sometimes comments are caught in the 'moderation' area. If you post and the comment doesn't appear, it's probably waiting for my approval. I will try to check a few times a day for comments in limbo and send them through to the site.
(Just wanted you all to know what was up.)
Open Mic Thursday 3/1 3/15 3/29
Sign-up 8:30 p.m Performances 9:00 p.m. Host: Conquest Cover: $2
Salon Series
Wednesday, March 21st 7:30 p.m. Writing Aloud Reading Series Sponsored by the Fort Greene-based New York Writer’s Coalition In honor of Women’s History Month
Albyn Hall, author of THE RHYTHM OF THE ROAD, a novel Erica Simone Turnsipseed, author of A LOVE NOIRE, a novel Clarissa Cummings, host/curator
No cover
Music
Friday, March 16th Randal 8 p.m. Roland Fidezius, bass Peter Van Huffel, saxophone Jostein Gulbrandsen, guit Fred Kennedy, drums Composer and double bassist Fidezius, from Berlin, Germany, plays highly expressive, rhymically complex avant-jazz that “sound fresh despite its indebtedness to the downtown New York scene.” Time Out New York Cover: $5 Friday, March 23rd 8 p.m. Alex Heitlinger Group Jazz composer and trombonist whose debut DC “Green Light” featured pianist Art Lande and trumpeter Greg Gisbert with music described as both “melodic and sonorous, full of appealing hooks and rich harmonies.” In addition to working with his own band, Heitlinger also performs with many Cuban musicians. Cover: $5
Friday, March 30th ElastiCity festival Chamber Jazz Night
7 p.m. French horn player Dan Shaud and ensemble 8:15 p.m. Lily Maase Quartet Lily Maase, guitar Adam Kinner, saxophone Miles Perkins, bass Liam O’Neil, drums 9:30 p.m. Todd Sickafoose’s Blood Orange Cover: $5
/>When I inherited a car this past summer, I tried to park it in the Armory garage on Vanderbilt. Despite a sign outside saying they had monthly spots available, I was told that wasn't so when I actually drove the car over there. The sign's still up, and prices have gone UP from around $170:
WTF? Other area garages include DMK on Waverly between Myrtle and Park for $190/mo, Central Parking garage near that Applebee's off the DeKalb subway stop (which I hear is slightly cheaper and offers the first month free), and some guy who owns a bunch of private garages on Vanderbilt between Greene and Gates and is asking almost $300 a month per garage.
FIRST FRIDAY MARCH 2: The Fine Art of April Dinsmore and Richard Casciatio
Please join us this coming First Friday, March 2, 2007 featuring the fine paintings of husband and wife duo April Dinsmore and Richard Casciato. April and Richie begin our husband and wife series with an ecclectic mix of stunning Brooklyn landscapes and haunting, surrealist scenes. Complimentary wine reception is at 7:30 PM so come on down to the Navy Yard, mingle with the art and get your vintage groove on! All items in shop on First Friday's are 10% off.
RePop 95% Recycled was ecently established in the summer of 2006, RePop specializes in vintage installation. All items in the gallery are collected by hand according to the impulsive tastes of the curators Russell Boyle and Carl Grauer. Displays and merchandise are subject to shift weekly.
All items are available for sale or rental with special rates offered to those in the trade.
DATE: March 2nd, 2007 TIME: 7: 30 PM LOCATION: RePOP
(Hope to see you guys there. I'll be attending as long as I can finish this wretched research paper on Karl Marx.)
The turnout was great, so many people brought amazing food, the new Pillow Cafe space is lovely and door prizes were given (I didn't win, but congrats to those who did). It was great meeting some of our readers!
Hope to see you guys tonight at the SCH Welcome Party (Pillow Cafe, 7-10p). I will be bringing smoked salmon toasts, which are always a big hit at my parties. If you see me, say hi!
(White Castle on Myrtle)
I seem to recall this place being open when I first moved to the area, but it kinda looks closed now:
What's up with this place? Was it ever a decent grocery store? This is along that weirdly quiet stretch of Fulton near Adelphi.
Contributor MizBrooklyn is faced with a visit from her folks, and they need a place to stay. Since many of us in NYC are faced with accommodating guests, she's done some research on the best options in and near CH. ***
My mom and dad are about to pay a visit to our little urban oasis -- and while I was born in Chicago, IL, for the last 25 years, my parents have been entrenched suburbanites. It's not to say they're not worldly - they've been all over the globe, both have been to New York countless times. But they haven't WANDERED much -- I mean, they hadn't been to the upper west side until they came to my office. Brooklyn is kind of a novelty for them. (When I first moved here, my dad made some kind of comment to the effect of "Do cabs even go there?") So, this upcoming weekend is all about introducing Brooklyn to them (and vice versa), and convincing them that our little slice of the rock is Worth It.
The PR campaign is in full effect: I'm sending off a little bound copy of "Brooklyn Is" today -- that was James Agee's ode to our fair borough, published in 1968 in Esquire. And it's important that they be comfortable when they spend their weekend here. They'd ruled out staying in our apartment (1000 square feet feels claustrophobic for those un-used-to it), so the quest is on for the best place for them to stay.
My first choice was Debbie Dangerfield's famed "Saddle Down" B+B. It's only $150 for two people to spend the night just down the street from all Clinton Hill has to offer. The reviews on Trip Advisor are pretty great. The good news is that Debbie was beyond friendly when I called, quizzing me on what building I lived in and how I'd heard about her and even trying to recruit me to volunteer with the Clinton Hill House Tour. The bad news is my parents are just not about sharing bathrooms. And it looks like Debbie is in the process of moving into a brownstone (the original B+B is in an apartment) -- the B+B is halfway shut down temporarily. So, it was on to...
Akwaaba, a mansion in Stuyvesant Heights. This would be a good option for moms and dads who are more adventurous than mine, and are willing to stay a couple of miles away for what looks to be a pretty amazing Brooklyn experience. Unfortunately, my parents would be freaked out by the whole "Bed Stuy" label, so I took a look at...
Bed and Breakfast on the Park, which is really in Park Slope, but, hey -- it's near the park, and the museum, and the botanical garden, and the library...and Justice Ginsburg recommends it! They offered me their "winter rate" of $225/night (that's less than normal), but it still seemed a bit steep, since there was a "service charge" and also sales tax to account for. So, since my parents would rather stuff money into their 401K than give it to a Bed and Breakfast, we settled on...
The Marriott down by the Brooklyn Bridge. Ugh. It's chief advantage is that it's near Junior's Cheesecake, which both parents will enjoy. It's disadvantages are obvious. The last time I was there they were having a toddler beauty contest and the scent of hairspray could barely mask the desperation of the Jon Benet-style stage moms. Eesh.
What Clinton Hill really needs (well, after it gets a grocery store): an apartment-swap website where people can volunteer apartments they won't be in to those who want to house-sit. I know, it's fraught with danger, but it could be done. (Word is that some of the Ft. Greene Parents list-servs are truly useful when the grandparents need a place to stay...an email to other moms and moms-to-be can churn up some empty apartments that need house-sitting...so much cheaper than a hotel.) What do you think? Workable?
stopped by the new incarnation of the pillow cafe today for an early lunch/snack. they're still getting things off the ground, but it's looking promising.....the food and drink are just as they were at the original pillow. we got huge hot chocolates:
a muffin:
and a bagel with pesto and fresh mozzarella:
i actually wanted to order a bagel with flavored cream cheese, but they didn't have any. the very sweet counter guy apologetically told me that they didn't have everything quite in place yet, having only been open a little over a week, but that if i'd come back, they would have vegetable, artichoke, and scallion cream cheese. artichoke cream cheese? yes, thank you, i'll be back.
the muffin was chocolate chip and got high points for not having too many chips and being a teeny bit salty, a nice counterpoint to the sweet.
the hot chocolate was as good as it looks. you can get it with whipped cream too, if you're into that sort of thing.
the space, though still a work in progress, is lovely. the front area, with the bar and a bunch of cafe tables, is light-filled and feels bigger than it really is. i am a little nostalgic for the cozy feel of the old pillow cafe, but it's hard to argue with this:
we sat in the area in back of the bar. right now it is mostly open, sparsely furnished with just a few couches and armchairs. but that was actually just fine for our purposes: it was the perfect space for two 2-year olds to run wild without disturbing the rest of the customers:
there was a big velvet curtain over the french doors in the back, masking the disorganization in the yard that will someday house awesome outdoor seating, but one of our little monsters pulled it down.... i'm sure they'll have it fixed by the time you go in.
pillow cafe 505 myrtle ave. @ ryerson and grand
Gowanus Lounge informed us that the new NYC Subway free condoms are completely unavailable in some Brooklyn zip codes! So, I've compiled a list of where to get your own in our nabe. I am pleased to find they are available in all three area zip codes!
11238:
Aphrika Hair Braiding 1259 Fulton St (bt Bedford and Nostrand)
Dominican Style Hair Salon 914-A Fulton St (bt Washington and St. James)
Kings/Queens Unisex Parlor 920 Fulton St (bt Washington and St. James)
Mega Dry Cleaners 916 Fulton St (bt Washington and St. James)
Respect for Life 932 Fulton St (bt Waverly and Washington)
11205:
Five Spot Soul Food 459 Myrtle Ave (at Washington)
Floyd 131 Atlantic Ave (near Henry St)
Luigi Pizzeria 326 DeKalb Ave (at Mary Pinkett Ave)
Mojito 275 Park Ave (on Washington bt Park and Flushing)
Pena 505 DeKalb Ave (bt Skillman and Franklin)
Reign 46 Washington Ave (bt Park and Flushing)
Sputnik 262 Taaffe Pl (bt DeKaln and Willoughby)
Tillie's 248 DeKalb Ave (at Vanderbilt)
11217:
Brawta Cafe 347 Atlantic Ave (at Hoyt)
Changing Faces Barber Salon 692 Fulton St (bt S Portland and S Oxford)
Greene Community Pharmacy 702 Fulton St (bt S Portland and S Oxford)
Moe's 80 Lafayette Ave (at S Portland)
Moshood African Clothing 698 Fulton St (bt S Portland and S Oxford)
New Directions Alcoholism and Substance Abuse 202-206 Flatbush Ave (bt Bergen and Dean)
Stonehome Wine Bar 87 Lafayette Ave (at S Portland)
11238 def wins the Weirdest Condom Venues Award -- a bunch of salons, something that sounds like a Pro-Life church and a dry cleaner.
Saw this new building on Steuben Classon, just north of Myrtle. It doesn't really look like apartments, so what is it? It's becoming very difficult to keep up with new construction in the neighborhood.
Is this place related to Myrtle Thai? Because they have almost exactly the same sign (same font, different color awning) and a similar naming scheme. Or is this just a default generic Thai food restaurant sign?
(Fulton at Vanderbilt)
This just in - an event at Sputnik in association with BAM featuring local artists, musicians, etc!Multi-faceted arts/music venue, SPUTNIK, proudly presents BROOKLYN NEXT, presented in association with BAM and generously supported by the NYS MUSIC FUND.
OPENING FESTIVITES:
THURS. FEB. 22nd: FREE before 11pm. $7 after.
SPUTNIK proudly presents our opening festivities showcasing great local talent with a multi-faceted evening of art and performance:
8PM: GALLERY EXHIBITION: SPUTNIK welcomes the return of South Brooklyn-Based Artist Collective, URBAN FOLK ART STUDIOS (UFA©)WITH WORKS BY ADAM $UERTE, WILLY PAREDES, OMAR SANCHEZ and KEITH THOMSON.
At 10PM: LIVE PERFORMANCE by PAGODA:
At 11PM: legendary Hip Hop DJ, PREMIER works the tables into the wee hours.
SPUTNIK: 262 Taaffe Pl. (bet. DeKalb and Willoughby) G train to Classon Ave. walk 1 Bl. To DeKalb, turn right, 1 bl. To Taaffe Pl. For info: www.barsputnik.com
***
Truth be told, I don't get over to Sputnik nearly enough. The space is so cool, and there's always a lot going on there. When I first moved to the hood, they also started serving brunch. Anyone know if that's still on?
Clinton Hill Blog published from 2006 - 2010. Please enjoy these archives - a love letter to the neighborhood.
