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.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Ladies and Gents: "feel" Beauty Supply

Mike's International's transformation is nearly complete. The picture, via Martin, says it all.


Also, across the street, locally owned B Fruitee has clearly won the 2012 Smoothie Smackdown. Purple Berry has closed. Congratulations Sherma and crew for drawing in the customers with your baked goods, fruit concoctions, and warm welcoming smile.

56 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like B Fruitee, but it's a bummer about Purple Berry. The owner was really nice, the place was clean and bright, and service pleasant.

Anonymous said...

*weep* Another beauty supply...

It's better than a vacant storefront, b but not by much. Bring back the Farmer's Diner!!

JDB said...

A huge disappointment on both fronts. Purple Berry was a very pleasant addition to the street. The people that worked there were extremely friendly. I guess the hood just could not support to smoothie joints. I like B Fruitee but I hope they clean up the look of the interior.

As for another beauty supply place. I guess the market has spoken. People in our hood only eat fast food and spend the rest the day making themselves beautiful. Sort of an odd combination.

Q please bring us good news from the shops being renovated on Lincoln. Will there be a good market? Will the catering place actually open?

Clarkson FlatBed said...

There's tons of good news...espresso bar opening on Flatbush next to Gino's; upscale grocery at the Papa & Sons; those caterers are opening their joint at the old blue roost; enduro would love to find a key-fee buyer (oops), new building going up at the vacant lot...

That hard-working immigrants take investment chances on Flatbush to provide services that they believe will make money - I see no downside to that. It's the restaurants and businesses that you want that we all should be courting! If you eat somewhere great, tell them to open a place on Lincoln or Flatbush or Rogers or whatever. The market speaks, true. But so do people who know the area.

There was talk of a business encouragement group starting up. That would be a good start, and is something that's worked all over the borough already. You think Franklin, or Vanderbilt, or Smith, or Myrtle (remember Murder Ave) happened in a vacuum? Of course not. There are amazing stories out there of people taking matters into their own hands and building the infrastructure from the ground up.

Just be careful what you wish for. I rode my bike down Franklin yesterday, and the people on the sidewalks looked like the Williamsburg crowd (I really don't like that word hipster - so condescending). The rents have shot up. Much displacement has occurred. Not a reason to avoid encouraging a decent sit-down restaurant or too, but definitely some farm-to-table food for thought.

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh, why would you celebrate Purple Berry closing? That was somebody's hard earned money and hard work. They were so lovely in there, it was clean and well kept, and the wrap sandwiches and smoothies were really decent. I find the B Fruitee smoothies not so awesome, myself. They tend to be watery and tasteless. Purple Berry used fresh fruit too and frozen fruit. Nothing wrong with frozen. That's how I make smoothies at home. And they were not a big chain place. I always thought the campaign of misinformation against Purple Berry was unfair and lame. Major get-a-life moment for anybody who actually went around telling people not to go there.

Anonymous said...

And there is plenty plenty diversity economic and otherwise left in Crown Heights. I am also really not getting the whipping up of paranoia over gentrification all because of one or two long long long long awaited basic amenities here.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Wasn't knocking Purple Berry. I gave it a good review myself. Just reporting the facts; B Fruitee drew the customers and by congratulating them on that I mean no disrespect. I almost never saw anyone inside Purple Berry. And no, there was not the demand to support two.

And you know what? There also wasn't the demand to support Blue Roost, a much-maligned place. I never got that. Give people a bright, nice looking coffee place and they tear it to shreds. They closed because they didn't get the business. And as far as I know, rather than talk to the owners about making changes, people just took to the internet to complain. I for one miss that place, and thought they had a bright future if only the community would have expressed their concerns personally. It's tough to run a shop on instincts alone.

Are we going to suffer the loss of another coffee place, the soon-to-open Tugboat, because of the same animosity? Remains to be seen.

Anonymous said...

"*weep* another beauty supply...

My sentiments exactly. I'm EXTREMELY disappointed about this place coming to Flatbush Avenue. It's almost embarrasing. PLG can do better...

The Snob said...

Look, if no one likes the beauty supply and it fails, it will leave a great storefront for something else. As seen at Papa's, where everything below the roof seems to need replacing, poorly kept commercial infrastructure is a problem here. It keeps the kind of businesses you may really want away -- who needs the headache?

Anonymous said...

What do you mean by "key-fee buyer"?

Clarkson FlatBed said...

They're under lease. If you want to swoop in, and you have the cash, a willing buyer would have to throw some $$ into the mix. Think of the A.I.R. lofts in SoHo. To take one over, the original tenant would usually ask for a key fee of many tens of thousands of dollars so you could live there at rock-bottom rent.

I'm going to talk to Jim the owner sometime this week. Perhaps he has other ideas and it's all just rumor. But I DO think there's an enormous opportunity there for someone who really wants a hot location and an eager clientele.

Anonymous said...

Blue Roost failed because the food
was inedible and unless you knew the
owners, the service was indifferent
and lax.

JDB said...

I agree. Blue Roost missed the mark. The owners seemed like very good people but they never got their act together in running the place. In the beginning, I went there four times and they were never open during the hours they said they would be open. When I did get there when it was open, they never had any of the food that I wanted to order even though it was listed on the menu. I gave up after many attempts of trying to like that place.

Anonymous said...

I want to know about this "high end" grocery as you call it. I don't believe it, but as far as I'm concerned, this is the only bright spot in a sea of bullshit and bad business in the PLG. If you want another example of stupid business owners, look no further than the PLG Outpost. I'm starting to get really discouraged about this neighborhood. You complain about the "well dressed" people on Franklin, but that's what I want. I want to be able to get a decent meal or buy decent food without getting on the train!

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Anon: 7:52. Why the long face? Btw, I never used the phrase "well dressed" to describe the newcomers to Franklin Avenue. Dress down casual is more the prevailing spirit of the majority, and doesn't come close to the flair and wild diversity of fashion sense that we've got over here.

That Michael Campbell on Fenimore has struggled to move forward? I can't answer that question. Perhaps in your kinder moments you could ask him. Whether personal or financial, he's clearly not been able to fulfill his vision. Things are pretty chaotic at his flagship wine store as well, so I worry more than I'm pissed.

I only share what I learn, and the landlord says upscale grocery at Papa and I pass it on. It's not my job to follow through, but say what you will about Rong Ge, she's never deceived me in our chats. I hope to present the "other side" shortly, when I actually get an interview.

Look, if you move to a neighborhood at a lower price tag, expecting it to change to meet your needs, you are bound to be disappointed, or if when it does "upscale," you must be prepared to expect higher rents. Period. That's my only point. And it's neither new nor sage.

In 10 years of living here, not much has changed really. But in that time I have never gone hungry. And you know what? I couldn't afford the prices at some of the new places anyway! I'm actually saving money by not being tempted. :)

Look, I agree there's work to be done. But I really would prefer constructive thinking and action to mere complaining. However, I happily leave the comments section open to anonymous rants...have at it. The reflection is entirely on you.

Anonymous said...

I could not disagree more vehemently with the assertion our expectations should be lower in PLG for what we pay here. I don't know about rents but the fully renovated Manor houses are starting to sell for very high prices. One of the small, 2 story ones just sold for over $1.4 million. At that price heck yes you expect to have at least one upscale grocery, at least one nice coffeeshop (a stable one that sticks around) and a couple decent choices in sit-down restaurants. Not just one. And we are literally the one and only brownstone Brooklyn neighborhood without these amenities. Other nabes with similar lower rents have them.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

So Brooklyn's entrepreneurs should bend over backwards to please the very, very few individuals who can afford $1.4 million houses? That's the most elitist bull I've heard all day.

The price of a brownstone is not what I'm talking about anyway. It's the price of rent, which is "lower" than other nabes. Brownstones are 100 year-old buildings that they're not making any more of. They're selling at a massive premium as a result. BUT, the price is even HIGHER in neighborhoods with amenities. A friend recently bought a $3 million plus place in the Slope, and a colleague bought a $3 million dollar place in Ft. Greene. To put that in perspective, it's like buying TWO houses in our neighborhood. (I know you can do math, but still).

But the main thing happening here is that we have thousands upon thousands of lower income folk who patronize the very businesses you seem to disdain. If you hadn't noticed, Flatbush is a thriving marketplace, if not attuned to your tastes. Will "feel Beauty" make a go of it? We'll see. But as I've noted here there are plenty of new things happening, and maybe some will appeal to you.

One last note from someone who knows a few "Manor People" quite well. They may have a high priced home, often from selling an appreciated apartment, but it may be a MASSIVE stretch for them, meaning they very well may have no more disposable income than you or I. The very rich? They're generally not buying in the neighborhood. They're in Ft. Greene, Slope, Heights etc. etc. Now even north Crown Heights is going through the roof.

This has nothing to do with lower expectations. It's about REALISTIC expectations.

Anonymous said...

That's my point. It IS a realistic expectation for the entire neighborhood and everybody in it. Every single person I know in this neighborhood including the longtime Caribbean neighbors, including the poor young singles renters, including newcomer homeowners who have more money, including the nannies, everybody, all of them, want more amenities.

The Snob said...


As a homeowner and former Crown Heights resident, I have to play devil's advocate here. The Manor is a small percentage of this neighborhood, and of the larger percentage of PLGers, you have a lot of people who rent. And while the rents have begun to creep up, they are low for park-adjacent brownstone Brooklyn. I would argue that every neighborhood is entitled to amenities, regardless of how much the real estate costs. But those of us fortunate to own our own homes in an attractive couple of blocks should realize that we are a minority, and businesses do not *usually* thrive by catering to the minority. Those are the kinds of expectations that I think The Q is schooling us in.

That said, thrilled to welcome Tugboat et al. to PLG. Bagel shop, anyone?

Anonymous said...

I am actually considering opening up a higher end sit down restaurant in this neighborhood. It seems that the demand is out there.

Menu would be similar to Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens; a slightly more upscale comfort food style restaurant. Menu would include items such as charcuterie and cheese plates, oysters and shellfish, first course salads/soups, main course fried chicken and waffles, burgers, fresh fish, pork chops, hangar steak, etc.

I would like to get a consensus from people on this blog whether or not they would consider this type of restaurant a welcome addition to PLG (including the old timer residents)?

I'm looking for a very small place at this time, something similar in size to the former Delroy's spot on Fenimore Street.

Bob Marvin said...

"So Brooklyn's entrepreneurs should bend over backwards to please the very, very few individuals who can afford $1.4 million houses?"

Not at all, BUT why wouldn't some entrepreneurs welcome the prospect of making additional money by providing goods and services attractive to such a market. I strongly suspect that many of the younger renters would be customers of such businesses too.

Bob Marvin said...

"I would like to get a consensus from people on this blog whether or not they would consider this type of restaurant a welcome addition to PLG (including the old timer residents)? "

VERY welcome, in the opinion of this old timer (38 years) homeowner!

Anonymous said...

I must say I agree with the December 12 1:16pm poster. Well, not quite all that was said. For one thing, the larger 3 and 4 story homes in the Manor were selling between 1.3 and 1.6 for quite some time. There was a lull in 08, 09 and 10 after the debacle but the market picked up again in 2011, not just in PLG, but all brownstone hoods. Historically, home prices in the Manor have always been 50% of the value of its neighboring homes across the Park. That gap does seem to be closing in a bit with the manor topping out at 1.7. Afterall, the PS homes are multi-family and because of that they will always have the potential to command higher bucks.

Now, as for PLG, regardless as to whether one's a homeowner or a renter, I believe we all want the same things, better amenities: grocers, restaurants (other than LPT), coffee houses, dry cleaners, etc. PS wasn't built in a day. Residents got together and it took them nearly two decades to transform that hood. Can we too just find a common ground to do the same in PLG.

Gary of PLG said...

A small scale sit-down restaurant should be quite welcome here and therefore do well. I've noted a marked up-tick in dinner business at Gino's, and have enjoyed the food more there lately as they are trying hard to provide high quality meals.

Where in the nabe might you look to open?

Anonymous said...

"I am actually considering opening up a higher end sit down restaurant in this neighborhood. It seems that the demand is out there."

Hallelujah! A restaurant of this type would be much welcomed. Folks in the neighborhood have been craving a high-end sit down for quite some time.

Anonymous said...

Gino's is an ok family restaurant but definitely not a destination place. From the description of this upscale place, seems like it would be an overnight success and welcoming to people that live outside the neighborhood.

Where in the nabe is a good question? There's that spot on the corner of Flatbush and Maple, where Purpleberry was.

Anonymous said...

Agree with Gary. A small-scale, authentic sit down restaurant would do well here, especially on the Avenue.

Also agree with 5:09 poster. We need a restaurant in the nabe that would attract folks here as well as those from other neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

The price of housing stock has little to do with the pace of amenities. The reason that Franklin Avenue has taken off is not a function of rising prices of brownstones (houses in Lefferts Manor still sell for more than the most expensive places in Crown Heights North.) What's caused the renaissance on Franklin is a massive influx of new young renters with some amount of disposable income, and the conversion of spaces like the Jewish Hospital into market-rate rentals. Maybe 30 houses in PLG have sold for over a million dollars. That's a market for houses, but not necessarily for bars/cafes/restaurants. What is a market for those things is a large population of people with disposable income. PLG doesn't have that on nearly the scale the Crown Heights around Franklin does, because there's a very tight rental market without a great deal of turnover. And if you think that area is taking off now, wait til the $24M Goldman Sachs-funded foodie business incubator open up in a couple of years. Lefferts Manor and its one family covenant is a double edged sword. It's preserved some of the most beautiful and contiguous historic housing stock in Brooklyn, but it's also kept the population density at the core of the neighborhood extremely low. Without that, having a broad turnover of yuppie-desired amenities is going to take much longer.

Anonymous said...

This neighborhood will get what the market will bear - plain and simple. If you wanted Park Slope, you should have stayed there.

That being said, I have personally implored the management of both Union Market and Fairway to colonize here (they politely declined). And while I think Buttermilk Chanel is way overrated, if it was here I'd be eating there on a weekly basis (and totally broke as a result).

But until such Brownstoner approved establishments make their way here I'll happily keep patronizing Pioneer, Dunkin Donuts, Zen Chinese, and Mango Seed. Mr. Q has reason to feel optimistic - all the good stuff is down by him.

At least we have the awesome beer depot up here in north PLG!

-Paul G.

Anonymous said...

Buttermilk Channel rocks and if there was a place just like it here, I wouldn't have to travel there regularly for my favorite fried chicken, etc! As a manor homeowner, and "newcomer" by way of Park Slope I will Tell the person who thinks manor people can't afford Park Slope and don't have any disposable income: BS! many of the so called newcomers don't care for the Park Slope attitude, lack of parking, overcrowded townhouses, etc, so we moved here to enjoy the amenities the Prospect Park offers on this side, the express train and huge gorgeous single family houses. Now we can also afford vacation homes in the Hamptons and upstate and private school tuitions too. And we would patronage eagerly any real, quality sit down restaurants, bars, food shops and nail salons- all things we have to travel across the park for. And all the newcomer renters, all the recent college grads you all see walking away from here to
The subway to other neighborhoods- theyd all patronage these kinds of establishments too. Because this age group spends all their income on food and drink and would be happier not to have to travel elsewhere to get the basic things one has come to expect on NYC- that cannot be bought here. And sorry folks who think this neighborhood must remain a low income place- look at where we are! We are next to Prsopect Park! 1 mile from Grand Army Plaza. 1 subway stop from 7th Ave. It will not stay like this forever. Lakeside is Opening next year- that's going to bring lots of outsiders in here- and I don't think they'll be looking for wigs and the like! So would be restaranteurs I hope
You are hearing me!

Clarkson FlatBed said...

The troll above gave himself away with the below line. Got to admit it dude, I almost fell for it again!

"so we moved here to enjoy the amenities the Prospect Park offers on this side, the express train and huge gorgeous single family houses. Now we can also afford vacation homes in the Hamptons and upstate and private school tuitions too."

The line about the Hamptons and private schools gave you away. Also, the use of the word "we."

I don't doubt that such attitudes exist; but I hope I exposed your bluff. I'd prefer an honest expression over baiting the readers, or in my case, the bloggers.

And through it all, yes, I think the neighborhood needs a bistro. But I ain't losing sleep or meals over it.

- Encyclopedia Brown

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Anon at 7:09. I think your analysis is spot on.

The only thing I'd add is that like follows like. After the dam breaks, business owners bust their butts to follow suit and cash in, provide the first joint is a hit. And it's not usually first-timers jumping in; it's seasoned operators looking to expand their empire. Many restauranteurs own half a dozen if not many more places in the City. Once you've got the cash flow and a track record, it's much easier to attract loans and investors.

Anonymous said...

Re: inquiry about restaurant...

YES YES YES!

I'm new to the nabe (one of those occasionally derided white young single professionals - well, sort of), and I find myself making my social/dinner plans on Ditmas' Cortelyou strip if I want to stay local. That, and Mangoseed. Part of what I think the Q and others on this blog have advocated for is a real diversity of places -- no one wants a strip of just fancy restaurants (where would we buy cheap pizza or wings?) but no one wants only beauty product places either. Part of why this area is great is its diversity -- so bring it on, potential restauranteur... I bet your comfort food would find a lovely home here with patrons as diverse as the nabe itself!

Anonymous said...

Q, I agree with your dam-breaking analogy about the way businesses move into an area, though I think that one of the main challenges PLG faces is a lot of entrenched business interests that clearly do very well at the lower end of the market. Much as putting a Fairway in the bond bakery would be awesome, Phat Alberts must be a very profitable enterprise. I'd love to read an economic study of our neighborhood that put some actual numbers to these things.

I do agree that it will only take a few successful moves to create a herd mentality among other businesses trying to enter here. It will be interesting to see what goes in to the vacant space above the beer distributor.

Anonymous said...

"The price of housing stock has little to do with the pace of amenities."

Arguable, but you can't deny the fact that RE/housing does have some impact in the broader sense. What's happening on Franklin or in Bushwick or Redhook is typical when neighborhoods turnaround. Unlike PLG, as you so noted, those are more populus nabes with massive housing stock so they would attract more young singles. I think we all recognize that. PLG is moving at a slower pace than BW, CH or even BS, and that's okay as long as we make some progress. However, to say that the LM covenant has prevented the nabe from growing in popularity is just plain false - do the math. The Manor is comprised of 600 homes, an average of 3 per household. That leads me to believe that even if some of the homes were to rent an apartment it would not make such a vast difference in community population.

Anonymous said...

An upscale sit down restaurant would be great.. we find ourselves going up the hill to Prospect Heights or the new places on Franklin Ave all the time. If there was an option like that in the 'hood, we would probably be eating there once a week.

Alex said...

That spot that was once going to be called "Fresh Tomatoes" or whatever would be a great spot of a restaurant. Highly visible corner property.

Bob Marvin said...

Alix,

By "Fresh Tomatoes" I presume you mean the abortive "Cafe Pomidore" location, on the NE corner of Midwood & Flatbush. If so, I agree 100%.

Anonymous said...

ditto to 12:53. except we also patronize our local restaurants like LPT1 and LPT2 here in the nabe...at least twice a week. we'd do the same for any upscale sit down that lands here in PLG...

Anonymous said...

"I am actually considering opening up a higher end sit down restaurant in this neighborhood. It seems that the demand is out there."
As a person that was raised in PLG, left and returned four years ago, I would love to see a higher end sit down restaurant.Please do open one!

Stephanie said...

Would love to see a new sit-down restaurant of any kind open up here, and I would eat at something Buttermilk Channel-like regularly. The former Pomidor location on Flatbush & Midwood does seem appealing -- the other businesses on that block seem to get lots of foot traffic, like the good deli next door, Trixie's, & OJ market.

Anonymous said...

Q, you've gone off the rails a bit. Or just haven't kept abreast of who is buying here. I don't think that's a troll who posted about being able to afford a place in the Hamptons. We know at least 3 newcomer Manor homeowners who own Summer houses there. Which they could not have afforded if they bought similar size houses in the Slope. And I think that's the point that poster was making. Whether you know of it or not or approve of it or not there are some high earning people moving here.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Anon 7:56 for getting my point. I'm the manor resident that was labelled a troll by Mr Q, FYI. In other words, I am not at troll, but a homeowner living in LM and I know firsthand there are a whole bunch of high income people living in the Manor now.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

The great thing about leaving anonymous posts is that you get to pretend you're two people. Nice try.

High income, absolutely. The census shows it's a tiny percentage though. And I have my doubts how many people have traded the amenities and safety of, say, Carrol Gardens for PLG and a second house in the Hamptons, which last I heard now average $2 million a pop. If said person is looking for spiritual and financial advice, I'll be happy to point them in the right direction. My services run $500 an hour, a small price to pay for peace of mind, don't you think?

I can't wait til that bistro opens...I think we'll all get a better night's sleep! As long as they have grilled cheese sammiches I know I'll sleep like a baby...nighty night.

MattOnLincoln said...

The heat in thsis thread shows that PLG is holy-moley interesting enough, amid other changes in Brooklyn at least, that Pratt or Hunter or Brooklyn College should be writing an economic study of it this minute. When it’s done, it’ll be revelatory—but also perplexing enough that QatP readers will continue to argue about it unceasingly. And we might as well do that in person at Tugboat. In the process, we’ll anchor its business during its ramp-up, thus leading to business development in the area. Who said talk isn’t the same as action? (Just as long as you buy a cup of D'Amicos.)

I'm sad about Purple Berry, who clearly cared about their service and their product. Yet it’s difficult to build a following when you have room for only 2 tables. Half the time I was there I wanted to linger with coffee or a wrap and couldn’t because there wasn’t a table. At least Tugboat has a few tables to keep people there.

MattOnLincoln said...

And yes, please open that restaurant!

Anonymous said...

Q, I was not the same person pretending to be different people. Sorry it makes you fret so, but it's true there are 3 people just that I know of here who own a place in the Hamptons. Not how I'd invest my money either but whatever, their lives their money their business. Calling somebody a liar repeatedly is a too-easy way to make whatever point you're trying to drive home. And I agree, Matt, this belief there has to be some kind of total consensus before anybody gets to find fault with current amenities and try to get better ones is a) baffling, b) not happening in other neighborhoods, and c) why other neighborhoods make more progress than we do.

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Consensus? Consensus is that a few nice restaurants would be very welcome. Haven't met anyone who disagrees.

So if your comments are from the same person, please leave at least a screen name so I can address your comments accurately, especially if you want to have a more civil conversation. If I may remind you, this was your comment:

"Now we can also afford vacation homes in the Hamptons and upstate and private school tuitions too. And we would patronage eagerly any real, quality sit down restaurants, bars, food shops and nail salons- all things we have to travel across the park for."

I find the nail salon comment particularly perplexing, but I'll let it be for now.

The fact that you choose to speak for the new "gentry" is what I take offense to. By using the word "we" you sound like you're part of some sort of cabal, secretly praying for the neighborhood to resemble your ideal. It's incredibly patronizing, as if other folks wouldn't welcome the kind of amenities you describe. Consensus is about action, but it's also about words and has little to do with who decides to open a business here. By all means, when you're visiting your favorite restaurants elsewhere, encourage the owners to open here. I understand the schools equation all too well. But the fact that people move to a mostly impoverished area then don't patronize the schools, businesses etc. of that place, nor show up or volunteer to help the neighborhood come together or better itself...that's what I have a problem with. If the negotiation is purely about economics and a precious brownstone, I fear for the soul of the borough. It may be too late in certain respects. The expressions of entitlement and colonialism are already blatant...I find it amazing that anyone would actually express them publicly here. Or rather, anonymously, which is really sad when it comes down to it.

The Hamptons are great. I hope you enjoy your beach house. But it sounds from your latest comment that you're not even speaking for yourself, but putting words into the mouths of others. It's indicative of the sort of careless disrespect for your neighbors that I find so distasteful.





JDB said...

Yikes. Its is getting a bit testy here but I think that is part of the beauty of a local blog. I do think that goals espoused by the Q and our financially secure friend in the Manor are probably not that different. A few decent places to eat and shop and a safer and more attractive Flatbush Ave.

I agree that there are many newcomers to the nabe that could probably afford to live elsewhere but choose to live here for a number of different reasons, including the chance to buy relatively inexpensive real estate (at least by NYC standards)with the hope that one day their investments will be worth more and the hood will become a safer and a place where you can spend some of your equity on the finer things in life. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. The soul of the hood does not have to be destroyed to accomplish those goals.

My long winded point is I think we are basically all on the same side here.

This is a crazy, sometimes scary and often wonderful place to live with lots of truly wonderful people.

As an aside, if anyone wants to invite me to their place in the Hamptons my summer calendar is pretty open right now.

Ceelledee said...

Q, thank you so much for your last post. And for this blog. And for all the real work you do each day in trying to make our neighborhood a better place to live, play and work! As a PLG "oldtimer," I admit that I have a lot of firm opinions about the way things should be around here, but I also admit to not having near the amount of will and energy to work for change that I once did! :-) But, you and some others of the new PLG generation are clearly showing us that you have the drive, commitment, courage and, yes, the sensitivity to try and represent the diverse viewpoints, goals and interests of our community as we struggle to push forward. For that, I can only be grateful, and hope you all continue the fight while I try to help out in what little ways I can from the sidelines. :-)

Meanwhile, Happy Holidays to you and yours and to all who vibe, speak and act in the spirit of the season!

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Thanks both of you for the reality check and gentle words. In the last week I've been dealing with the reality of drugs and gangs in my vicinity with the cops, and I'm not really all that open to hearing about luxury problems. I'll try to open my mind back up over the holidays.

More fun to come!


Anonymous said...

The gentry hyperbole is misdirected. Mr. Q puts together a pretty informative blog on the neighborhood and gets trashed for doing something the guy seems to make painstaking efforts to avoid doing here.

I pretty much like the neighborhood and would basically like to see another Lincoln Tavern-type restaurant, which seems to try to appeal to most people, and a better grocer/market. That doesn't quite transform PLG into Williamsburg or even Bushwick anytime soon because of the PLG demographics.

Bob Marvin said...

I'm confused by Tina's comment. Is Feel actually a branch of Frends Beauty Supply, in California, or is that comment just another piece of computer-generated spam, like all the Toronto limo service nonsense that gets posted here?

Clarkson FlatBed said...

Annoying, right Bob? It's amazing how much spam that blogger gets rid of, but some sneaks through. I'm always so impressed that I usually don't bother deleting it. Btw, that's why you have to type those indecipherable words in order to comment...which is why I'm so amazed that the comments get through! Do you suppose they're paying someone to individually comment whenever a blog has related content? Maybe they pay someone pennies in India to do it for them?

Bob Marvin said...

It IS amazing Tim! Those indecipherable words often defeat me, although I've seen worse than blogger's [there's one photography site I read where I can never comment any more because their indecipherable words consistently are]. I guess the spam is computer generated with some poor low-paid people taking care of that final touch.

JDB said...

An interesting article highlighting PLG home prices. Apparently the lack of a good coffee place is not stopping housing from skyrocketing.
http://www.propertyshark.com/Real-Estate-Reports/2012/12/27/booming-neighborhoods-in-brooklyn/