Coney Island-bound platform at Parkside Av is closed for renovation
All times until 5 AM Thursday, Jun 19
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Q at Parkside To Open Southbound Next Week!
From the MTA Website:
Coney Island-bound platform at Parkside Av is closed for renovation
All times until 5 AM Thursday, Jun 19
Coney Island-bound platform at Parkside Av is closed for renovation
All times until 5 AM Thursday, Jun 19
Mango Seed From PLGourmand
How great is it that the Q currently has not one but TWO food reviewers? One male and one female to boot! Debra Kirschner clocks in with her second review, this time of local hotspot Mango Seed. Seems every time I walk by there's a nice crowd at the bar, and the few occasions that I've wandered in the staff is always friendly. One related thing - I've grown very fond of mangoes of late, and yes that seed is really something. Big as a baseball. And despite many attempts, I can't seem to cut and eat the delicious orange fruit without becoming soaked in sticky juice. I've seen Mexicans slice it up rápidamente with no muss or fuss, and come to think of it I do enjoy the Mexican mangoes the best. So, just thinking out loud here, perhaps I should ask a Mexican how to manhandle a mango. Off to do that now...take it away Debra...
MangoSeed Restaurant
757 Flatbush, between Clarkson and Lenox
Caribbean flavors, fresh ingredients, delicious rum drinks and a
backyard – what more could anyone want? This area gem serves dinner
Tuesday through Sunday as well as brunch on Sunday with friendly
Caribbean hospitality and fruity drinks that make you feel like
you’re on vacation. My favorite meal is the Mango Pico de Gallo
Jerk Salmon – it’s spicy and fresh and savory and fruity and just
an all-around treat. Both Jerk Salmon and Jerk Chicken are delicious,
but warning they are quite spicy. If you’re on the fence about how
much hot you can handle, I recommend trying these dishes at brunch –
where they serve waffles with jerk chicken, jerk salmon or coconut
fried chicken. That extra dose of sweet from the waffles and whipped
cream cuts into the spice perfectly. If you’re sitting there
counting calories STOP! Walk around the park a couple of times rather
than skip this experience, trust me. Also amazing at brunch – the
Sorrel Mimosa. YUM! If you have no idea what Sorrel is, join the
club. I had to ask the bartender and she answered me by giving me a
sample. (This is why you ask bartenders everything!) Turns out, it is
an herb that tastes like a fruity iced tea that’s yummy on its own
but even better with champagne. Other dinner and brunch favorites
include Braised Oxtail, Island Burger, Mac and Cheese, Coconut
Smothered Fish with Cheesy Grits, and Jerk Fish Red Tacos.
Like many restaurants, they enforce one of those annoying policies
where they won’t seat you until your entire party arrives – and
they don’t take reservations for more than four people – so tell
your chronically tardy friends to hustle their bustles! But
definitely tell them it will be worth the rush – the food is
terrific and once you get seated the service is great. Friendly
waiters and bartenders remember you from one visit to the next. But
read the reservation policy on their website, they are no joke.
A great strategy for waiting until you’re whole group arrives is
timing that wait during happy hour. Mangoseed has some sweet happy
hour specials – $5 rum drinks Tuesday-Friday from 4-7pm
and10pm-close and on Saturdays 2pm-5pm. Drinks are delicious – and
definitely not watered down. Just beware – you might find yourself
so happy you fail to notice it is no longer happy hour while you’re
still liberally ordering rum lemonades at full price. Happened once
to a friend of mine... They also have tequila specials on Tuesday
nights.
This is a terrific place to go when you have something to celebrate and it is right on Flatbush between Clarkson and Lenox. Again – really – what more can anyone want?
757 Flatbush, between Clarkson and Lenox
Caribbean flavors, fresh ingredients, delicious rum drinks and a
backyard – what more could anyone want? This area gem serves dinner
Tuesday through Sunday as well as brunch on Sunday with friendly
Caribbean hospitality and fruity drinks that make you feel like
you’re on vacation. My favorite meal is the Mango Pico de Gallo
Jerk Salmon – it’s spicy and fresh and savory and fruity and just
an all-around treat. Both Jerk Salmon and Jerk Chicken are delicious,
but warning they are quite spicy. If you’re on the fence about how
much hot you can handle, I recommend trying these dishes at brunch –
where they serve waffles with jerk chicken, jerk salmon or coconut
fried chicken. That extra dose of sweet from the waffles and whipped
cream cuts into the spice perfectly. If you’re sitting there
counting calories STOP! Walk around the park a couple of times rather
than skip this experience, trust me. Also amazing at brunch – the
Sorrel Mimosa. YUM! If you have no idea what Sorrel is, join the
club. I had to ask the bartender and she answered me by giving me a
sample. (This is why you ask bartenders everything!) Turns out, it is
an herb that tastes like a fruity iced tea that’s yummy on its own
but even better with champagne. Other dinner and brunch favorites
include Braised Oxtail, Island Burger, Mac and Cheese, Coconut
Smothered Fish with Cheesy Grits, and Jerk Fish Red Tacos.Like many restaurants, they enforce one of those annoying policies
where they won’t seat you until your entire party arrives – and
they don’t take reservations for more than four people – so tell
your chronically tardy friends to hustle their bustles! But
definitely tell them it will be worth the rush – the food is
terrific and once you get seated the service is great. Friendly
waiters and bartenders remember you from one visit to the next. But
read the reservation policy on their website, they are no joke.A great strategy for waiting until you’re whole group arrives is
timing that wait during happy hour. Mangoseed has some sweet happy
hour specials – $5 rum drinks Tuesday-Friday from 4-7pm
and10pm-close and on Saturdays 2pm-5pm. Drinks are delicious – and
definitely not watered down. Just beware – you might find yourself
so happy you fail to notice it is no longer happy hour while you’re
still liberally ordering rum lemonades at full price. Happened once
to a friend of mine... They also have tequila specials on Tuesday
nights.This is a terrific place to go when you have something to celebrate and it is right on Flatbush between Clarkson and Lenox. Again – really – what more can anyone want?
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Geez...Can't a Developer Catch a Break?
Not in these heady times, apparently.
Check out the leaflet being handed out at 626 Flatbush about Hudson and its contractor and subs...
Along with the 23-story tower, we may soon be treated to a certain two-story inflatable rat.
Check out the leaflet being handed out at 626 Flatbush about Hudson and its contractor and subs...
Monday, June 9, 2014
Upscale Pastry, Sammy, Grocery?
Hmm. Pilar Beauty Salon is about to get a huge makeover, to open in a month. or so. Don't remember Pilar? This should jog your memory...it closed only recently.
A woman walking out of the place today noted that it would be a baked goods, sandwiches and grocery sort of place. Most likely of the upscale variety, if one can still read books by their cover in the Kindle age. I'm confused by that threesome - baked goods, sandwiches and grocery. If it's not a bodega, then it must be more like the old Green Grape's Provisions or Larder, right? The space isn't big enough for a Union Market. I'm still looking for someone with the balls to open a hair cutting AND sandwich shop. And auto parts.
A woman walking out of the place today noted that it would be a baked goods, sandwiches and grocery sort of place. Most likely of the upscale variety, if one can still read books by their cover in the Kindle age. I'm confused by that threesome - baked goods, sandwiches and grocery. If it's not a bodega, then it must be more like the old Green Grape's Provisions or Larder, right? The space isn't big enough for a Union Market. I'm still looking for someone with the balls to open a hair cutting AND sandwich shop. And auto parts.
Snobnobbin' With Mark S.
While his handle may be "The Snob," he's hardly a snob when it comes to what he dunks in his milk or coffee. I actually think the term "snob" might actually be an acronym for Smart Nice Ornery Boy. Only time will tell which of those adjectives and/or the noun stand up.
Nostrand Donut Shop
1449 Nostrand Ave
Scientists say we are experiencing a peak
level of extinction events around the globe, with over 200 species of
plants and animals lost to time every day. You gotta wonder, how long
will Nostrand Donuts last? This cheery counter (the very term, like
"luncheonette," sounds antique enough to conjure a T. rex watering hole)
has been in operation near the corner of Church Ave. since 1963.
Inside, a bustling takeout business can't obscure the spacious,
undulating counter and stools, arcing around the white-aproned staff
like a slot car track. Have a seat, order a container of coffee regular,
or light and sweet. Too much caffeine make you nervous? Don't worry,
there's Sanka. The donuts are fresh, homemade, and while they are not
the precious marvels you'd pay $4 -$5 for at Dough or Donut Plant, you
don't have to wait in line for them, either, and as they say, the smiles
are free. The cruller (the standard by which cake donuts should be
judged) is crisp and savory, and cremes and jellies abound for
yeast-donut fans. What's more, you can get almost anything you want for
breakfast, so long as it's eggs, and sandwiches and soup appear in the
afternoon. Show up with a couple of kids and you've won the lottery --
the multigenerational crew and owners John and Angela Pissias (baking
here since 1974) will treat you like royalty and stuff the little ones
full of donut holes. Service like this is indeed an endangered species.
As are the prices -- a family of four can breakfast for less than a pair
of tens. Add that to the sugar and caffeine and it's impossible to
leave here unhappy. When you're done, push all the napkins and styrofoam
over the counter to the waiting trash can. Leave a nice tip. So ends
all things.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Two Shot At Party
Early this morning around 5:30am, two men were shot at a party at 539 Rogers, between Rutland and Fenimore. It would appear the wounds were not lethal.
Party. 5:30am. Dispute. Alcohol and/or drugs. Access to a firearm. No good can come of that. Vinnie asked that if you hear of parties happening or about to happen outside of the usual "friends coming over" variety, you have his (and for what it's worth my) permission to call 911. In my experience of paying attention to these things, parties lefted uncheck are often the scene of horrific violence. And if come from out of town and you think you haven't the right because it would be culturally insensitive, think about whether you'd feel any differently if it were a bunch of frat kids while you were trying to sleep before a big day at work. Take a second to see if it's a happy party of friends and family at a decent hour or something wilder, particularly with younger folks. Where after-hours parties are concerned, you have more than a passing right to call and complain. Also, if you see flyers up about a party at someone's crib, that's an illegal house party, and not to be tolerated. These parties seem to act like gravity for trouble.
You may disagree with the Q on this one, but I stand firm. Like I always say, we're the adults now.
Party. 5:30am. Dispute. Alcohol and/or drugs. Access to a firearm. No good can come of that. Vinnie asked that if you hear of parties happening or about to happen outside of the usual "friends coming over" variety, you have his (and for what it's worth my) permission to call 911. In my experience of paying attention to these things, parties lefted uncheck are often the scene of horrific violence. And if come from out of town and you think you haven't the right because it would be culturally insensitive, think about whether you'd feel any differently if it were a bunch of frat kids while you were trying to sleep before a big day at work. Take a second to see if it's a happy party of friends and family at a decent hour or something wilder, particularly with younger folks. Where after-hours parties are concerned, you have more than a passing right to call and complain. Also, if you see flyers up about a party at someone's crib, that's an illegal house party, and not to be tolerated. These parties seem to act like gravity for trouble.
You may disagree with the Q on this one, but I stand firm. Like I always say, we're the adults now.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Caledonian Hospital Reopens For Paycheck Removal Surgery
Man-o-man-o-manischewitz. With 3,000 names on the waitlist to see it (mine included, as a gawker), the leasing has begun for 123 On the Park, known to those of us with long memories in Brooklyn as the Caledonian Hospital on Parkside Avenue at St. Paul's Place. Read the full account at Curbed whose pics are below.
At $2,200 for a studio (if I'm correct that still stands for one-room apartment), a single person living in one would have to make $90K to live there comfortably. The three-bedrooms (quite unusual in this day and age) will go for close to $4K. When I moved to 11226 in the early '00s, the median (that's middle of the pack) FAMILY income was just over $30,000. And most of the folks in what I call "Caledonia" were at middle or under. It was (and still largely is) a lower income area with TONS of pre-war buildings, largely rent stabilized (for now.) If I recall, the latest census in 2010 didn't have the median income budging up much. Amazing.
Not that I can't see wanting to live there. It's an outstanding address, close to the Q and B, across from the Park, next to the Parade Grounds and within spitting distance of Prospect Park's own bizarre version of the "Acropolis." I'm not a stranger to these kinds of rents...but I never thought I'd see them this soon in this bit of Flatbush.
At $2,200 for a studio (if I'm correct that still stands for one-room apartment), a single person living in one would have to make $90K to live there comfortably. The three-bedrooms (quite unusual in this day and age) will go for close to $4K. When I moved to 11226 in the early '00s, the median (that's middle of the pack) FAMILY income was just over $30,000. And most of the folks in what I call "Caledonia" were at middle or under. It was (and still largely is) a lower income area with TONS of pre-war buildings, largely rent stabilized (for now.) If I recall, the latest census in 2010 didn't have the median income budging up much. Amazing.
Not that I can't see wanting to live there. It's an outstanding address, close to the Q and B, across from the Park, next to the Parade Grounds and within spitting distance of Prospect Park's own bizarre version of the "Acropolis." I'm not a stranger to these kinds of rents...but I never thought I'd see them this soon in this bit of Flatbush.
Frothy Protest At City Hall
It was a damn near perfect day yesterday, Friday June 6. At 1pm, a 100 or more of your neighbors set their lunchtime aside to protest overzealous development in Lefferts and demand contextual zoning. The quick fix, say protesters, would be a moratorium of non-contextual building til new zoning rules can be established. The reasons they've become radicalized, these neighbors of yours, vary. Perhaps that's why it's so hard for some to fully appreciate the level of distrust and disgust being displayed. People are mad. REALLY mad. Cue quote from "Network..."
A lot of folks have asked me what the protests about 626 Flatbush hope to achieve. I find the question perplexing, since by the time folks become organized and start making noise, they're usually pretty convinced that they've identified a problem and hope to mitigate its negative effects to the greatest extent possible. My point being that it's not one simple fix that's being presented, but a whole range of ways that the aggrieved could be made whole. Picture another protest with a totally different subject - a protest against the Iraq War for instance. A whole range of solutions might be presented - from using diplomacy to dismantling the military altogether - but that doesn't prevent the protests from being seen as anti one thing in particular. Or...rarely are grievances so easy to reconcile. Was it the one war? Many wars? The implications of the war? Anger over Gore's loss? An anti-anti-Muslim thing? About the past, about the present, the future. 9/11. I'm not saying 626 is as serious as "war" war, just that its implications go beyond the surface.
Solutions aren't always easy, and in the case of a tower with physical, social and symbolic value, you've got an awfully big target.
Put another way, people are pissed, and feel shat on by the powers that be. PPEN has repeatedly stressed that they'd like to see Hudson drop the 23-stories to something more contextual. So in answer to the question "what do the protests hope to achieve," that's your best answer. A building of 8 or 9 stories, with just as many apartments or more, would be a huge victory. Add to that the gravy - more affordable units, stronger leadership from our electeds, more acknowledgments of the consequences of encouraging gentrification, the strengthening of rent laws and housing rights, even long-simmering grievances with the police...the list could go on and on.
But as I've tried to stress from the beginning, when people gradually learned of the plan to turn a non-descript "tax payer" and parking lot into a giant tower with 80% luxury apartments, you witnessed many long-time residents and people of color react with disbelief and horror. I've seen the other side too - middle-to-upper-middle class parents of young kids wondering what's the fuss - isn't development and economic activity a great engine for raising all boats? When confronted with that sort of disparate reaction, you start to wonder - are we really so different in our basic assumptions that we see the world through entirely different lenses? It's got me rethinking everything I thought I knew about life in this City. As if I'm at the center of a Q-o-centric universe.
Take the story of Kimani Gray (a piece in the Observer here), a young kid killed by cops early last year. He was shot with 11 bullets, and 7 of them hit. When I asked white folks or black the same question - do you think Kimani had a gun like the cops say - the whites mostly assumed what the cops said was true, and that the backstory, that Kimani was a bad egg mixed up with the bad kids, was substantively true. Not so with blacks. One person whom I respect a great deal looked me straight in the eye and said "Tim, he did not have a gun, it was "discovered" after the fact, and we're so used to that lie we hardly flinch when we hear it." A quote from that news story still swirls in my head:
Does that quote describe your deeply held feelings, whether as a resident or small business owner? Is it even possible to see them the other way? Or are our powers of empathy and understanding that weak? Or do we, with all historical hindsight and wisdom, do what generations before us have done...assume the "other side" has it all wrong, and is simply too ignorant or brainwashed to see the truth.
When a neighborhood changes dramatically, there are winners and losers. It's so easy, and so often reinforced politically and in the media, to say that increases in economic activity and dollar amounts are always positive. Who doesn't love a nice restaurant and lawfully lively (and safer) streets, full of the things "we" like to shop for? But what if those very things that make YOU more comfortable and confident, breed fear and suspicion in others? Comfort, at its core, is relative.
And then there's your council person, mangling the term "text amendment" as if he only just heard what one is, and generally following rather than leading. He even says things like "I did exactly what you asked me to do." Remember, two of the biggest responsibilities of the Council involve land use and budgets, and he's had 7 years to learn this stuff - now we're telling HIM what to do. God help us then, no matter which side of the ideological or cultural divide.
A lot of folks have asked me what the protests about 626 Flatbush hope to achieve. I find the question perplexing, since by the time folks become organized and start making noise, they're usually pretty convinced that they've identified a problem and hope to mitigate its negative effects to the greatest extent possible. My point being that it's not one simple fix that's being presented, but a whole range of ways that the aggrieved could be made whole. Picture another protest with a totally different subject - a protest against the Iraq War for instance. A whole range of solutions might be presented - from using diplomacy to dismantling the military altogether - but that doesn't prevent the protests from being seen as anti one thing in particular. Or...rarely are grievances so easy to reconcile. Was it the one war? Many wars? The implications of the war? Anger over Gore's loss? An anti-anti-Muslim thing? About the past, about the present, the future. 9/11. I'm not saying 626 is as serious as "war" war, just that its implications go beyond the surface.
Solutions aren't always easy, and in the case of a tower with physical, social and symbolic value, you've got an awfully big target.
Put another way, people are pissed, and feel shat on by the powers that be. PPEN has repeatedly stressed that they'd like to see Hudson drop the 23-stories to something more contextual. So in answer to the question "what do the protests hope to achieve," that's your best answer. A building of 8 or 9 stories, with just as many apartments or more, would be a huge victory. Add to that the gravy - more affordable units, stronger leadership from our electeds, more acknowledgments of the consequences of encouraging gentrification, the strengthening of rent laws and housing rights, even long-simmering grievances with the police...the list could go on and on.
But as I've tried to stress from the beginning, when people gradually learned of the plan to turn a non-descript "tax payer" and parking lot into a giant tower with 80% luxury apartments, you witnessed many long-time residents and people of color react with disbelief and horror. I've seen the other side too - middle-to-upper-middle class parents of young kids wondering what's the fuss - isn't development and economic activity a great engine for raising all boats? When confronted with that sort of disparate reaction, you start to wonder - are we really so different in our basic assumptions that we see the world through entirely different lenses? It's got me rethinking everything I thought I knew about life in this City. As if I'm at the center of a Q-o-centric universe.
Take the story of Kimani Gray (a piece in the Observer here), a young kid killed by cops early last year. He was shot with 11 bullets, and 7 of them hit. When I asked white folks or black the same question - do you think Kimani had a gun like the cops say - the whites mostly assumed what the cops said was true, and that the backstory, that Kimani was a bad egg mixed up with the bad kids, was substantively true. Not so with blacks. One person whom I respect a great deal looked me straight in the eye and said "Tim, he did not have a gun, it was "discovered" after the fact, and we're so used to that lie we hardly flinch when we hear it." A quote from that news story still swirls in my head:
“Right now, if I have a problem with you, I wouldn’t call the police,” he continued. “People come inside here and rob me, and I would never call the police. Never!”
Does that quote describe your deeply held feelings, whether as a resident or small business owner? Is it even possible to see them the other way? Or are our powers of empathy and understanding that weak? Or do we, with all historical hindsight and wisdom, do what generations before us have done...assume the "other side" has it all wrong, and is simply too ignorant or brainwashed to see the truth.
When a neighborhood changes dramatically, there are winners and losers. It's so easy, and so often reinforced politically and in the media, to say that increases in economic activity and dollar amounts are always positive. Who doesn't love a nice restaurant and lawfully lively (and safer) streets, full of the things "we" like to shop for? But what if those very things that make YOU more comfortable and confident, breed fear and suspicion in others? Comfort, at its core, is relative.
And then there's your council person, mangling the term "text amendment" as if he only just heard what one is, and generally following rather than leading. He even says things like "I did exactly what you asked me to do." Remember, two of the biggest responsibilities of the Council involve land use and budgets, and he's had 7 years to learn this stuff - now we're telling HIM what to do. God help us then, no matter which side of the ideological or cultural divide.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Mulch Madness - Plus Donuts!!
Want to know where the cool chicks and dapper daddies will be swinging at or around One O'Clock? Head to the Ocean, Ocean Avenue that is, for an event destined to make you feel prouder and happier about your home-nabe. Catch the wave, eat a donut. From the good folks at Ocean on the Park Tree Club.
60 Tree Beds up and down Ocean Avenue need care and attention!
300 Perennials (from Kings County Nursery) need planting!
60 bags of Compost (made in NYC homes and green markets) needs spreading!
1 HUGE pile of Mulch (from Prospect Park) also needs spreading!
Gardening gloves, supplies & tools (from MillionTreesNYC and GreenThumbNYC) provided!
Free Cider & Cider Donuts (from tomorrow's Grand Army Plaza Farmers Market)!
Drawing for Kids prizes!
We are the Ocean by the Park Tree Club and we are hosting a planting event - please join us:
TODAY - SATURDAY JUNE 7th
1pm
MEET IN FRONT OF 125 OCEAN AVENUE
More Awesome Action at D Avenue
They're back. The grooving DJ bash at D Avenue, with spinners Sammy Be, Rafie Mama and Uno Who Knows. Sunday night, 8pm - 1am. After a weekend of protesting and beach-going, you'll need a relaxed beer hang, right? Ain't dat d'truth?!
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