What You See in Sunset Park: Sugar Heads for the Dead

Don Paco Lopez Panaderia, on 4th and 47th, has heads that start at $2.50 and go up to $10. Apparently, there is a larger size coming soon. They'll have the bread soon as well.

Pre-Holiday BBQ

This morning, a reader sent in this photo of a burnt out SUV on 45th Street between 4th and 5th. It's one of the messier burnt out cars I've seen. More insurance troubles? Or was it a theft this time? Either way, my theory as to location has to do with subway proximity. While some people have getaway cars, others are torching their means of transportation.

4th Avenue Improvement in 1902

What's old is new again. In 1902 the City was all about adding trees as an improvement. Now the City is working its way towards adding one million trees as more improvement. The photo is from the 1902 Parks Department Annual Report.

Sunset Park in 1970

According to my Sunset Park photo and history supplier, Tony, 4th Avenue used to be a four-lane strip, but the City cut away sidewalks to make it wider. Here's the view looking North from 55th Street. The blocks look very short, and you can see St. Michael's spire much more clearly than in the photos I've taken to try to compare. The Coliseum (on the right) is now a church, and the Philip Foffe's Vanity Fair is now a Chinese food restaurant.

Anyone have other tidbits about the places that are seen here?

Three Pedestrians Struck, One Killed on 4th Avenue

Updated with links below.

According to NBC:

Early this morning a black mini-van struck three pedestrians on 4th Avenue by 39th Street. One woman* was killed, and the two other pedestrians were taken to Lutheran Medical Center. The driver remained at the scene, so no charges were filed.

Walk carefully, drive carefully out there.

*It was a man, according to a commenter and other sources.

FoxNY has a short blurb. It states the driver has not been found; all other news sources say that the driver stayed and was questioned by police.

CBSTV has a lengthier article. It includes the group's destination: the 24 hour restaurant Los Tres Potrillos. Apparently, there are a lot of people out on 4th Avenue at 4:30 AM!

Monday Lite: Jennifer Aniston was on 4th Avenue

On Friday, I saw almost two blocks worth of trailers and wagons that I know hold food and support personnel for films. It was 4th Avenue and 36th-ish. Here's the result.

Tiki Bar Closure?

A commenter asks:

Any idea what's happening with the Brooklyn Tiki Bar on 4th between 33rd and 34th? It's been closed for three days now with no explanation.

So, does anyone have information for this Tiki Bar goer? Are they closed for a vacation? Renovation? Citation? Some other -ation?

Sunset Park's Green Market Starts Saturday!

Having made the most amazingly fragrant and creamy and scrumptious guacamole recently using Mimomex cilantro (thanks, neighbor!), I'm really looking forward to seeing Mimomex Farm on Saturday. (I think they are referred to as Rodri-Mex in the information below.)

Last year's opening was not only beautiful but delicious. Be sure to get there early, and make sure to be assertive if you want fresh corn. Some Green Market attendees are very disrespectful of the produce. Many ears of corn have been tossed to the ground after not passing the "peel and check" test. The farmers get very irritated when people rip open the corn to check it. I can't blame them, but it is disappointing to get home and see some kernels missing from the top. If it's like last year, just ask one of the workers for corn from inside the truck. They have plenty.

According to an email from Yolanda Gonzalez, the seasonal EBT manager, we'll be seeing fish from Gill's Seafood this year. There are usually eggs and milk available as well, but you need to ask. You can read more here.

EBT, WIC and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program coupons are accepted. WIC participants who don't have FMNP should definitely ask for it. If you are denied, call 311 to report it. I heard about two instances last year where participants were told it was not meant for them. LIAR! Okay, I'll be generous. Misinformed employee. Eventually at least one of the women who was denied received the FMNP benefits.

from Yolanda Gonzalez' email (and the website linked to above):

Sunset Park Greenmarket:

Open since 2001 and set on a hill a stone’s throw from the upper New York Bay, this bustling market serves a predominantly Hispanic and Asian population with a bountiful variety of fresh local products including vegetables from two specialty Latino growers, Angel and Rodri-Mex Farms, not-to-be-missed peaches from Toigo Orchards, and an exciting new addition this year— fresh fish from Gill’s Seafood.

Location: Located on 4th Ave btw 59th & 60th Sts

Time: Open every Saturday, July-November, from 8am-3pm

EBT/Food Stamps Accepted. Many farmers also accept WIC & Senior FMNP Coupons.

Subway: N/R, to 59th Street

Bus: X27, X37
Yolanda Gonzalez
Seasonal EBT Market Manager

Bakery Etiquette in Sunset Park

With all the delicious and affordable treats (some call them lunch) around Sunset Park, no one should have to miss out due to not knowing how to partake properly. Many bakeries are your basic walk-in, point or ask, receive and pay, walk-out and enjoy types of shops. However, others, like Don Paco and Dragon Bay have different ways of getting you your fix.

Many bakeries on 4th and 5th Avenues have a stack of trays and tongs by the door. Grab one of each and head to the racks and racks of pink, yellow, crunchy delights that you see inside. Fill your tray with what you want (even if it's just one cookie), and then head to the cashier. You can order a nice cafe con leche (or whatever) to dunk the treats into. (thanks to veesvision for the photos above!)


Things are a little different on 8th Avenue. While places like Blue Sky have the cakes and buns behind a counter, others have displays out in the seating area and they are guarded by workers who will do the take care of putting what you want on a tray for you. It often takes some pointing and head shaking if you want a particular roll or bun, but you eventually get what you want. This way, only one person is handling the food - not a bad idea. They are quick, too. I've only waited in a line a couple of times, and that was around lunch-time.

Of course, if no one is standing by the display, use the method described above. In some cases, if you move in slow-motion, a worker will run out and apologize while taking the tray from your hands and finishing up your order.

Either way, it's the best 50 cents to a dollar you could spend on the Avenues. Happy eating!

Pio Pio Riko is on 4th

We've lost plenty of places to rent hikes and belt-tightening, but some hardy souls are actually opening up restaurants around Sunset Park. Here's the newest one that I've noticed. Okay, so maybe it's not a restaurant, but it sure gets rave reviews for its chicken. (disclaimer: I haven't eaten chicken in close to 25 years.) There is a Pio Pio Riko in the Greenpoint area (sorry if I got that wrong, I've always been a South Brooklyn kind of gal), but this seems to be the first one over this way.

It's on 4th Avenue and 58th, so that's convenient for the express train. Let's hope it does well. The more storefronts we have filled, the better.

Here are a couple of other new-ish places that have opened in Sunset:

Three and a Half Ginger
Las Cazuelas
Mei Wei Shabu Shabu
Casa Vieja

Center for Family Life Counselors-in-Training Attack Environmental Racism and Dog Doo

As I crossed 4th Avenue to head to the library, I noticed this flyer stapled to a tree directly outside the library. Since the poster below it is much flashier, I am pretty sure I'm one of the few people who actually read this typed missive. (You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it if you want to read it in its entirety.)

Brought to us by the Counselors-in-Training at the Center for Family Life, it invites news agencies to "experience our community projects about Environmental Racism in Sunset Park." It could be a response to the recent news about Astoria PowerGen's South Pier Improvement Project, but I doubt it. Supposedly, the project is to lessen the impact on Sunset Park. We'll see.

While there are a lot of issues under the umbrella of Environmental Racism, this flyer focuses on "litter and dog poop on our streets!" The flyer goes on to say that the people organizing this project believe that other neighborhoods receive more funding and more attention to a clean and safe environment, presumable from our elected officials. But this is no "We're victims and we want someone else to change it" group. These folks have created a project that will hopefully show the community residents AND their elected officials that we deserve just as much clean air, poop-free sidewalks, and litter-free everything as our northern and southern neighbors.

from the flyer:

As of April 13th, 2009, you are invited to notice our community projects around Sunset Park:
* We have hung signs to invite dog owners to use the provided plastic bags to pick up after their dogs. Please help us continue to fill the containers with plastic bags.
* We have decorated garbage cans so people can happily throw away their garbage!
* We have hung up art projects in the subway stations that show differences between our beloved neighborhood, Sunset Park, and our neighbor Park Slope.

It continues with a call to action that includes picking up trash, putting aside differences, and working together. Below you can see one of their projects. Indeed, there are plastic bags to be had in the container. It doesn't specify that it's dog poop that they are after, but maybe that's just as well considering what I've seen in the park. (Don't click on that link unless you want to see what you're probably thinking is there.)



Also, I think they may have been referring to campylobacteriosis, and not camplobacteriosis. It does cause fever, but I haven't seen the threat of meningitis...just the threat of other very unpleasant effects. But even without the threat of long days on the potty, poop - or doo doo - is gross and should be picked up whether it's human, canine, or fowl.

If anyone sees other projects by this group, take a photo if you get a chance and send it to bestviewinbrooklyn@yahoo.com.

Thanks!

Sunset's Filipino Pancit Bihon is Noticed by The Voice

I've never been inside Sandra's Kitchenette on 39th and 4th, but apparently, the noodles are really good. Has anyone been there to eat? Either way, check out the link from The Voice. It's the bottom of the first page.

ANOTHER Hotel for Sunset Park-ish Area

The Brooklyn Eagle rocks. Really. Few, if any, gratuitous exclamation points or Post-like headlines, lots of community events listed, and it give Sunset Park attention once in a while.

According to an article published on-line yesterday, Sunset Park (26th Street, which many would say is now called Greenwood Heights) is getting another hotel. And this one is a high-class chain. Watch your back Days Inn!

This ten-story Best Western will be on 4th Avenue. Will it be blocking any views? That's something to consider since it will be just west of Green-Wood Cemetery. The owner is listed as Joseph Yunatanov, and it is supposed to have 99 rooms.

We'll see if it actually happens, and let's hope it has better news items than the Best Western in Bay Ridge, the Gregory, which has had several deaths occur on its floors.

How Does That Happen?

This curb on 4th Avenue by the 59th Street N/R entrance has been like this for several days now. Sometimes there is a "warning" item - tape, can, cone - other times there isn't. I'd really like to know how this happened. Was it road-work gone wrong, the imps underground trying to leave, skateboarders attempting to create a ramp? Anyone know?

What You See in Sunset Park: Sexy, Sad Sastreria

The first time I passed these 4th Avenue ladies in the window, I figured they were in transition. Perhaps some items long left behind would adorn their curves and bring in some cash for the owner. The next time I passed them, they were still bare. And the next. And the next. One of them even looks like she's given up hope of either being clothed or escaping. She's leaning against the window in dejection.

Wreaths Under the Gowanus

This yearly display of holiday commercialism always lends some color to an otherwise dreary location.

Then and Now: St. Jacobi Evangelical Lutheran Church

Several months ago, I discovered (thanks to my better half) the Brooklyn Library's very cool collection of photographs from around Brooklyn. So, once in a while, and when I get decent photos from around the neighborhood, I'll try to do a version of a "Then and Now" comparison for Sunset Park. The first one, only because my photo of PS 169 didn't come out, is of 4th Avenue and 54th Street, looking at St. Jacobi Evangelical Lutheran Church. It hasn't actually changed that much, except for the gate and the new red multi-lingual sign. Enjoy.


This is stamped 1914. Notice it's also when Sunset Park was still considered Bay Ridge.

This is July 2008. Not much different. Even the size of the tree is more or less the same.