What You See in Sunset Park: Pre-Holiday Recycling

This mini-tree was on 5th Avenue, and it came with its own plug and star top. I wonder if someone picked it up for the coming holiday season?

Cold Weather Comfort Food: Milan's

As weather gets colder, and purse strings get tighter, it's time to look for double-duty luxuries. For a weekend lunch or a filling dinner, 5th Avenue in the low-20's has what you need. From Sunset, it's a brisk walk or short bus ride north-ish, but worth it. Check out the two year old visit to Milan's in Eating in Translation.

Bill Thompson's Campaign Opens an Office on 5th Avenue

According to an email received Friday afternoon:

Opening of Sunset Park Office for Bill Thompson Campaign

Come Join our Next
Mayor * Bill Thompson*

October 17, 2009
2:00PM - 5:30PM
4224 - 5th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

Please give us a call or email us to confirm that you will be joining us on this day
Thank you and we hope to see you there and hear from you soon.


Phone: 718-853-5980
Email: BillThompsonsunsetpark@yahoo.com

Taco Tour in The Huffington Post

Oh boy. Xochimilco made The Huffington Post. I was glad to read that the staff was unperturbed by the crowds. They are the loveliest folks in Tacos.

Duane Reade is Ready and Willing on 5th Avenue

5th between 50th and 51st has a lot of plate glass now. The new Duane Reade is huge, shiny, clean, organized, stocked, and there are lots of staff members. The aisles are wide, strollers are allowed, and they sell beer - lots of it. There's a Chase ATM inside. Oh! And there are automatic sliding doors. Unfortunately, when we stopped in, there was also one of those freaky, shaking, blow-up doll people in front. They make me shudder almost as much as Spongebob Squarepants. Ugh.

The prices are not cheap. Duane Reade is not cheap. Something is rotten somewhere because several management types were arguing loudly in the middle of the store ("Not in MY Duane Reade!"). It feels a bit sterile and cold. According to one of the staff members, most of the people who work there are from far away from Sunset Park.

That said, I bought a new flashing toothbrush for the toddler and a hair clip. I'll still buy my discounted greeting cards at Party Party, and I'll still head to Mini Max for the basics (also not cheap, but warmer, somehow). However, the wide aisles, well-organized stock, and variety (kitchen supplies, toys, beer, magazines, make-up, birthday cards, floss, and so on) will probably bring in the curious and keep a solid portion.

Have you been? What do you think?

Two Men Shot Dead on 40th Street

Update: Comments have been turned off for this post due to too much back and forth that has become personal towards me and other commenters. If anyone has constructive suggestions about how to improve the site, feel free to use the email address on the upper-right hand side, or start your own weblog for the neighborhood. If you just want attention, move along.

I heard about this yesterday morning, but didn't want to post anything until I knew something for sure. Two men were shot and killed at about 4 AM on Sunday morning. Apparently, they had just left a bar on 39th Street and 5th (Hmmmm, I wonder which one?), and an argument with other bar-goers turned fatal. One of the men killed was only 18; the other was 21. According to one police officer in the park, there is speculation that this was also gang related. Not a huge leap there.

That cool, comfortable sleeping weather means open windows, so many Sunset residents heard helicopters around the area from 5 AM to almost 6 AM on Sunday. Usually it's due to traffic or accidents on the BQE, but early Sunday is a strange time for that.

In both this shooting and the other shooting (just three weeks ago?), the men died from bullet wounds to the head and neck. Shoot to kill - not warn seems to be the trend here.

As of this morning, the shooters are yet to be apprehended. Hopefully the detectives and officers can make quick work of the shooters as they did with the park murders.

Sunday Sunny Weather Events

* The 5th Avenue BID is hosting a festival along 5th Avenue - again! So give back to the 5th Avenue merchants and buy something. Lots of items are on sale and discounted. Soak in the sun while walking down the middle of 5th Avenue. No cars!

* Let's Clean Up Sunset Park! Meet in front of the Rec Center in Sunset Park at 9:30 AM to help pick up litter around the park. Check out the website for more details.


* If you are heading over to the Brooklyn Book Festival, don't forget to check out locals Matt and Jessica (see their links on the right) as they moderate a panel with three graphic novelists and host a "comics jam." (The comics jam sounds like so much fun. I wish I could draw more than a shockingly perverse version of Mickey Mouse.) From Matt's weblog:

International Stage (Borough Hall Plaza)

11:00 a.m. The International Graphic Novel.

Three acclaimed graphic novelists who tackle big social and political themes in their work discuss what the form can accomplish, from an international and domestic perspective. Featuring Guy Delisle (The Burma Chronicles), Peter Kuper (Diario de Oaxaca: A Sketchbook Journal of Two Years in Mexico) and Sarah Glidden

Borough Hall Conference Room

1:00 p.m. Comics Jam with Jessica Abel and Matt Madden

A jam comic is an improvised collaborative comic. One person draws a single panel and then passes it on to the next person, who draws a new panel that continues the story. Get ready to draw and collaborate! For teens and adults. Participation limited to 25. (How To Understand Israel In 60 Days Or Less). Moderated by Matt Madden.

Whole Foods in Sunset Park?

Thursday AM Update: Thanks to a little early morning searching on the DOB site, we can see that it is indeed a Duane Reade that will be housed in the old Dee & Dee space. (Or a Whole Foods in disguise under a Duane Reade illuminated sign.) That's one huge Duane Reade...

For more proof, a commenter also posted up this link in the comments section.

I wonder how Health Max (on 5th and 53rd) feels about that. The Rite Aid on 51st is cramped and crowded, and the more-pharmacy-less-convenience-store of that strip, 5th Avenue Pharmacy, on 48th has a super loyal following. Hopefully it will affect the stores in positive ways, but I worry about 5th Avenue Pharmacy.

*****************************************

Today my name is Thomas; I find it hard to believe that Whole Foods would open up a 6,000 square foot (or is it 9000?) store on 5th Avenue in Sunset Park.

Wait, what?

According to a neighbor who was walking by the Dee & Dee space (and I still don't know where I can get a shower curtain liner for $2.99 now that they're gone), the space was going to be either a PetCo or a Whole Foods. Whole Foods won. Is this the consolation prize for the stalled Gowanus site?

Wait, what?

There is a lot of busy building going on at the site, and one of the head contractors at the site gave up this tidbit of information.

I have serious reservations and doubts, but I believe it a little bit. Whole Foods is over my budget, and my guess is I'm in with a whole heck of a lot of company. Could this possibly be true? Sunset is not on the "stores in development" list, but stranger things have happened. Haven't they?

BID Street Festivals Through August 2nd

According to the DOT street closures and this site, 5th Avenue from 48th to 52nd will be closed on Sundays from 11 AM to 6 PM for the Sunset Park BID Street Festival. Hope it helps the businesses.

New Pizza Place for 5th Avenue

** Update to the price confusion in the comments. $1 slices are a reality!

I was just over on 5th and 60th, but I guess I looked right when I should have looked left. You'd think, with all the restaurants opening up, that the economy was doing better than it feels like it's doing. Let's give the new Sliceria Pizzeria a look-see, shall we?

From the photos in the Serious Eats article and the website, this place looks like it should be on 8th Avenue next to Tbaar or Quickly bubble tea chains. But it's not. In fact, according to the website, it's a family-run pizza place that is bring back "the classic slice" the way it should be: "Simple, Fast, Fun & Delicious." You can order on-line (that's the simple and fast part, perhaps?), and they deliver. In the article from Serious Eats, the prices differ from the menu on-line. Maybe the promised $1 slices and $8 pies were promotional for the grand opening. (They are $2/2.25 and $12 on the menu.) Still, the baked ziti is very reasonable, and they have round and square slices. Maybe this will do away with the need to trek out to L&B for a true square.

They have something they have that I've never seen in a pizzeria before: the dessert pizza. Nutella and powdered sugar on a 12 inch pie? Anyone (or two) out there want to split one of those?

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!

Trendy T-Shirts and a Haircut

The Fiesta Fashion has gone and done it again!

Actually, the banner promising that The Fiesta Barbershop is Coming Soon! and the deal of Spend $100 - get a free haircut has been up for a while. But that doesn't make it any less exciting. I've always been curious about this store. It opened about a year or two ago (time is a blur to me lately), and it just looks out of place on 41st just up from 5th Avenue.

Has anyone shopped there? Do you have to buy $100 in t-shirts, or can it be $100 in haircuts? Does it carry stuff from that skater guy? Do tell.

Despite a Confused Identity, Three and a Half Ginger Gets Kudos

Cuban, Dominican, Ecuadorian, Peruvian? Who cares as long as the food is delicious, right? Well, some might care - based on what they hope is on the menu. However, the food Three and a Half Ginger is serving (whatever the country that inspired it) is really yummy according to at least one customer.

Check out what some Chowhounds had to say after their meal.

Three and a Half Ginger
5th Avenue between 41st and 42nd
718 853 0400

What You See in Sunset Park: Skull and Stripes

Skull and Stripes, originally uploaded by bestviewinbrooklyn.

Taken off 5th Avenue in the 40's. It's relatively new, but I'm not sure if it's random or commissioned. Maybe this guy would know.

Dee and Dee is Moving on Out

For how much can I blame allergy symptoms? A neighbor mentioned that Dee and Dee was closing up shot at the 5th Avenue and 50th location due to a (possibly) lost lease. I thought that I hadn't noticed this the last time I was on 5th, but when I strolled by today, I realized that I had noticed it, but it hadn't registered in my pollen soaked head. Oh well.

At least some of the more official looking signs are new since I last walked by. Selling to the Bare Walls certainly sounds ominous. Lucky for bargain hunters, you can just continue on the B63 going north or south and you'll find a Dee and Dee.

My neighbor also wondered what the heck is going to go into this huge space. A whole lot of nothing for a while if the corner of 5th and 45th has anything to say about it. That was empty for a long, long time. Am I the only one who did not know you could get Junior Mints at Dee and Dee? Pop a box into the freezer and you're set for summer.

5th Avenue is Bargainville for your Feet

Forget the $5 foot long at Subway. Check out the stretch of 5th Avenue from 46th to 53rd for $5 pairs of shoes (ladies, for the most part). Not all had $5 shoes, some advertised 20% off, or various other bargain-sounding prices. I peeked into a couple of the places, and while they were very well patronized, the shoes aren't quite my style - even if they are my price. Seriously, one place had NO flat shoes. None. But if you need a pair of high heels in silver, white, or leopard print, get over to 5th Avenue NOW.


Another place (see photo above), in the mid-40's, did have flats, and I was tempted, but I don't need silver shoes right now.

Anyway, if you are more fashionable than I (and who isn't?), and if your balance is good (the heels were high), stroll along 5th for an hour. I'll bet you find something.

What You See in Sunset Park: Wigs and Serious Expressions

Thanks to Venus_in_Furs for uploading this to the Best View in Brooklyn photo pool on flickr.com. These ladies look proud and pensive at the same time.

North Fork Bank Kept the Colors but Erased 5 Floors of Furniture

I suppose it's the best I could hope for. I just really liked the lettering of the New York Furniture building. (See below.) At least the excellent red will remain. The ATMs were being installed Monday, and lots of busy action was occurring inside.

What You See in Sunset Park: Heads and Weenies

Since I've been on a bit of a food in its various forms kick lately, here's another installation. Both photos were added to the Best View in Brooklyn photo pool on flickr by Venus in Furs. I think they suit each other quite nicely.

First, the raw form.

Then, the more processed version.

Both are on 5th Avenue in the low 50's.

Yoga, Beer, and Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Walking on the other side of the street is truly informative.

After attending the Spanish story-time and sing-a-long at El Pequeno Artista, my neighbor and I crossed 5th Avenue to walk down to Eagle Provisions and check out the plants. Before we got there, however, we dawdled in front of a gallery gone yoga studio called Under Minerva (presumably because if its proximity to Green-Wood Cemetery's Minerva). As we turned to go, a young woman (Sorry, I don't remember her name. Blame it on sleep deprivation.) jumped out of a car and asked if we were interested in yoga classes. After letting us know that there is a "bring a friend and you both just pay $5" deal, she told us there were classes almost every day of the week.

According to the postcard she gave me, Under Minerva is an Art Gallery and Event Space. We were admiring the chandelier in the window and the style of the logo on the storefront while we dawdled, so I'm sure the rest is worth an actual stop. They have an Artist's Den (which makes me think of a nook that's carpeted from floor to ceiling) with 24 hour access and a Wifi lounge (weren't we just wondering about that?). It also hosts meditation, yoga, children's classes - there's even a book club.

The website isn't the easiest to navigate or most informative I've seen, but I'm sure a phone call would help. I have an email in asking for prices and more information; stay tuned.

Continuing on 5th Avenue, we went to Eagle Provisions where the plants looked good, but the beer got bought. Happily, I didn't go nuts in the chocolate section of Eagle because I was about to discover my new favorite Green-Wood Heights Happy Place.

Laurentino's Pasticceria Caffe (with an accent over the e) has been open since October, but since that's also when I had a baby, I guess I've been a little out of it. I had passed this place by a few times, but never crossed the street to check it out. What attracted me this time were the chairs and tables in the window. Then we got a whiff of the baking inside. Oh. My. Goodness. Take a look at the chocolate covered strawberries.
I didn't buy one. I can't believe I didn't, but I didn't. They were only $1 each, but I resisted. I did, however, buy their pignoli. (I know, so much more naughty.) Having lived on the outskirts of Bensonhurst for several years, I was skeptical about whether or not these cookies would be worthy of being called pignoli. Let's just say I'll be purchasing some for when I need a treat for visiting miei amici. Next time I want to try one of the cheesecakes. My neighbor bought one of the blueberry mini-pies. She wanted to take photos, so hopefully she'll let me post those up when she's done.

The women who waited on us were incredibly friendly and helpful, and they encouraged us to check out all the pastries. They weren't annoyed by our many questions and paltry purchases. There are several cozy tables for sitting while you snack and have a cappuccino. There aren't yet any high chairs, but there is enough room to stash a stroller in the corner.

In the summer months they make their own gelato and ices. Oh yeah.

Check out Laurentino's on 5th Avenue between 20th and 21st. They do "cakes for all occasions" and they are looking forward to serving you treats and coffee.