The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

New Pizza Joint Street Sweeper Suffers Fire

The Q's so sorry to report that newcomer eatery Street Sweeper suffered a fire that's set it back something fierce. It was a welcome addition to the Rogers corridor, and at least for a short time, will be sorely missed.

From their Facebook posting comes this eloquent heartbreaker:

Late last night there was a fire at the Sweeper. It happened after closing, no one was in the restaurant and no one was hurt. The extent of the structural damage though, was, to say the least, significant. Now comes the nitty-gritty of insurance, contractors and other bureaucracy…. 

We want to thank you, PLG- in particular that core group of cheerleaders and supporters who have seen us through and watched us grow thus far. Sometimes life deals you a bad hand but, young as we are, we’ve developed pretty formidable poker faces. It has been an incredible and motivating experience to watch, and actually be a part of, a community that is so steadfast and united in it’s effort to engineer gentrification by and for it’s own members. We hope you never take for granted that this place, this very small patch of a very big borough that is very quickly changing almost before our eyes- this neighborhood is unique in the ways in which it cultivates and encourages the aspirations of the Everyman.
We will be sure to keep you all updated as to the future of StreetSweeper. But whether or not you see us around again, Moussa, Patrick, and Mike will be OK, and we know that all of you will do the same.
Stay tuned.
“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’ ”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

To those who've wondered about the name, now you know. Good luck, Moussa, Patrick, Mike et al.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hopefully it all works out and they can bounce back. They seemed really loved by the neighborhood. It's terrible this happened to anyone, especially them.