The Downtown Brooklyn Thread

Hee-yaw!

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/14/nyregion/14boco.html

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I live in Downtown Brooklyn, matter of fact, and we're territorial. Everything on the west side of Gold Street, from Flatbush to the BQE, then south of the BQE to Cadman Plaza West and Court Street, is downtown, including Metrotech. Draw the southern border where you would like... Atlantic?

Classic: it might as well be another city that you live in. Lots of subways. If you're willing to walk 20-25 minutes, tons of restaurants in three utterly distinct neighborhoods. The Hillside dog run.

Dud: No grocery stores, except for that miserable Associated in Concord Village. No late night food or booze. Walking along Tillary Street, especially where it crosses Jay.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/gif/dwnbklyn2/dcp-2a.jpg

I would say Fort Greene ends at Flatbush, yeah.

Bruce Ratner can eat a bag of dicks.

So I think I need to start being a tourist in my own city. Which neighborhoods to see separately or collectively (for instance, if Downtown/Fulton/Metrotech belong to a surrounding neighborhood, which one is it?) and in what order? Which streets to walk?

(note that the same is true for Park Slope and the park itself, but I won't ruin the integrity of the thread alone)

My knowledge of "downtown" Brooklyn extends to, essentially, Albee Square Mall on Fulton St.

court street is the main drag for cobble hill/carroll gardens, and that's a slightly hipper, younger demographic. yuppie-mom twee. lots of maclaren strollers and pet-grooming stores. carroll still has a couple of old-holdout italian restaurants and bakeries; they're probably not in any danger of closing because if they've survived this long, they're owned by the mob. (the amazing latticini barese is sadly no more, though.)

boerum hill/smith street is past its prime, but faan and the boat bar are there.

fort greene is great. just absolutely super-great. if you're gonna be a tourist in any neighborhood, do it there.

http://www.brooklynmenuguide.com/menupages/140.php?id=140

ft. greene just got a weird new solar cafe place!

my friend calls it RAMBO--Right After the Manhattan Bridge Overpass

Prospect Park, dood. And the zoo therein. THEY HAVE RED PANDAS. My GF lives at 21st between 6th&7th, and I will soon live there as well. There's a good taqueria on 5th and 20th street (and if you eat there they'll give you fresh chips & yummy spicy sauce [though not what we gringos would call salsa, necessarily]).

Lotsa good eating: the Chip/Curry Shop, New Stone Park Cafe (tho I haven't been there yet). Drinks: The Gate (3rd St), Commonwealth (12th).

i'm prospect heights. near the park but without the fancy of the slope. oh and we've got the brooklyn musuem and botanical gardens. AND tom's diner. i've eaten so many pancakes there it's incredible.

Commonwealth has Embarrassingly Honest Personal Ads on index cards tacked to the wall. Pop in and see if you can spot mine!

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/41544222/brooklyn_ny/commonwealth.html

i may go there tonight, too!

i was going to propose a meet up...but i've often flaked on going to the yacht club on account of its crowdedness. if i do show up there, i'll be sure to scream out your screename real loud until i find you.

xpost Vanderbilt between St. Marks and Prospect, indeed.

i guess i should go to rope one of these days tho.

was it packed? i got home and was too tired to go ;-\

Hopefully not for long (cross yr fingers!)

Also, I will reply to your email this afternoon.

On a more South Slopey note, Sunday is the first anniversary of the Commonwealth bar, and there are whispers there may be outrageous beer specials from 6-8pm:

http://brooklyn.citysearch.com/profile/41544222

I'll be the one playing the Fugs' "Nothing" to break up the 100 GbV songs so beloved by perpetually semi-conscious owner/barkeep Ray.

http://www.magneticbrooklyn.com/calendar.php

Who else?

Q: What's the longest river in Ireland?

I think Wednesday sounds marvelous, I will try and turn up for this.

My friend was struck in the shoulder by a toss from the Cyclone leftfielder on Saturday, Stenc -- that coulda been you!

I think the only thing I remember is all the lyrics to "Electric Blue" by Icehouse. Eh? EH??

All I did during the 80s was watch TV and eat crayons or whatever...

(kidding on the crayons)

Well, watch tv, read the almanac, and (not) eat crayons.

1-4 players says the site. Should we make a team plus alternates now or figure it out Wednesday?

No pressure, since I'd be going anyway to see my friend Chris, but I *am* giving up a free "Aristocrats" screening for this.

*Maybe not the only one, but I'll bet you can count us on one hand.

gaggag
gag

Adventures in building a loft bed? Staredowns at the L stop? Mugged next to a dark warehouse? Can't wait!

My friend Steve and I swept the 3rd World Dictators and Name That Year (heh heh, World Series matchups) categories but were gutted by those load-of-ass music video clips at the end. You had to have been a 10-year-old shut-in at the time to recall Ebn Ozn and Kim Wilde, I'm guessing, and I was a collegiate Minutemen fan. Cripe!

that explains me then.

I won't dispute Ebn-Ozn's virtues, not having thought about them in 20 years, but NO movie questions all night? (except the year of The Empire Strikes Back -- oooh, obscure)

I got Kim Wilde, but not the other one. I was younger than 10 in the 80s! (Born in '81)

We were about 50/50 on dictators and years. I knew '86 though. I'm from NYC -- I know about some Mets in '86! And I got '80 because of Empire Strikes Back and I wasn't even born then!

Next time, we'll kick ass as The Gang of Four for sure.

The last time I was in Magnetic Field, it was a gay bar called Friends circa '99.

Full disclosure, Stence, and drag yer ass out next time. ;)

And holy crow, the Trembling Blue Stars are playing there 9/29.

http://www.magneticbrooklyn.com/calendar.php

The Pete's quiz is on Wednesdays.

http://www.petescandystore.com/quizz.html

Anyone else interested in hitting Mag Fields on 9/7 for the next quiz?

i'll go, if you remind me about it.

No drinks or quizzes tonight for meee.

Have you read Praying For Gil Hodges, Morb?

I check out the remainders and Travel sections most often.

http://static.flickr.com/25/41362042_bac9bd957d.jpg

But good times, good times. We need a bigger group, people, get on the stick and let's organize ourselves into two teams by topical specialty.

The local trivia night in Arlington VA is absolute shit.

They have live band karaoke tonight.

2nd round: simpsons & questions about Chuck Biscuits = we pwned

In other news, Bensonhurst Marty is closing his video store and selling his inventory. So, if you want to pay 15 bucks for a VCR copy of Ashes Of Time, run don't walk to Henry and Cranberry.

http://magneticbrooklyn.com/calendar.php

I'd float next Friday's live-band karaoke, but I'd need more time to rehearse "Dead Flowers."

Hey, so, it looks like my Carroll Gardens sublet is going to end in March and I'll get to move for the 7th time in three years (it might be a new world record!). So, looking for a new place, I ask my brethren how they feel about Fort Greene? It's still only a 20 minute walk away from school and I think the prices are pretty good. Downside is no easy access to subways in the city, but I could deal with that. But, I've never been there, and have no idea how livable the area is.... Should I bother exploring?

Of course, a nice studio in Brooklyn Heights or Cobble Hill would be nice too.... Maybe I'll go move in with Heath Ledger and Michelle WIlliams.

http://www.ohmyrockness.com/BandBio.cfm?BandID=5434

I caught about 10 secs of that NYC-TV show "Cool in Your Code" (blech) where they were profiling MF's karaoke. It must be uberpacked, yes? (and the band doesn't even do "TV Eye"!)

I might be seeing Prairie Home Companion that night, but I'll see.

http://www.atlanticave.org/

Still don't get the bocce thing tho.

http://commonwealthbar.com/

Lotsa current or ex labor/Greenpeace types will attend... I will be repping the Plague On Both Yr Houses crowd.

http://magneticbrooklyn.com/calendar.php

http://www.nationaltrust.org/11most/01.html

yeah I saw that. the thing is, all these places are roped off and you can't get in there? so basically ppls are rly into saving old broken buildings.

also it is v v hard to get to the brooklyn waterfront and who the fuck wants to see an old factory?

granted, who wants to see a new ugly condo, but unless they pull some Natty Boh factory baltimore inner-harbor type development shit...

Who wants to see Robert Aldrich's Vera Cruz at BAM tonight @ 6:50? Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper in SuperScope.

(This may be too butch for bell labs.)

http://bam.org/film/series.aspx?id=141

tell me about crown heights! i am looking at some apartments there next week but the wikipedia article made me all :O

The lovely brownstones, Medgar Evers College-CUNY, proximity to Park Slope, and great train access mean that some real estate developers are already trying to shift the prices of area housing while ignoring what are still some of the highest crime rates and worst racial tension anywhere in the five boroughs. Murders, rapes, and other violent crimes dipped significantly in the mid-90's, but have recently, just in the last year, risen dramatically again. NYC.GOV statistics for 2006 reveal that the 77th precinct, which includes a significant part of Crown Heights, had murder and rape rates that rose by 100 percent or more.

oh weird

"The lovely brownstones, Medgar Evers College-CUNY, proximity to Park Slope, and great train access mean that some real estate developers are already trying to shift the prices of area housing while ignoring what are still some of the highest crime rates and worst racial tension anywhere in the five boroughs. Murders, rapes, and other violent crimes dipped significantly in the mid-90's, but have recently, just in the last year, risen dramatically again. NYC.GOV statistics for 2006 reveal that the 77th precinct, which includes a significant part of Crown Heights, had murder and rape rates that rose by 100 percent or more."

crown heights is where that fatal cop shooting happened last week

well, shit!

not that a place should be judged on just one incident, but given the other stats .... doesn't look good.

77BOADRUM

ah that sucks. the apartment looks really nice, huge with exposed brick, etc.

how does i shot apt in non-murdery south brooklyn?
x-post

how about Ft Greene? too pricey? I like it over there.

i like ft greene, but i think it's even pricier than prospect heights? i really don't know, but i'm sure i'll be finding out soon.

Ft Greene is pricier but there are outer areas and areas nearer Clinton Hill which may be more affordable. There's always queens.

queens, that's your answer for everything!

(i do miss it, but i want to live closer to friends)

where should i take my mom for dinner in prospect heights or the surrounding environs? she will probably not want sushi or jamaican.

Queens.

Just kidding. Franny's Pizza?

Amorina Cucina Rustica at Vanderbilt and Prospect is a good bet

http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=37865&neighborhoodid=0&cuisineid=50

if not sushi then I'm guessing Korean's no good either but you could do Noo Na at Vandy and Dean(?) (or Bergen, can't remember)

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/35792/Brooklyn/Prospect-Heights/Noo-Na.html

franny's is tasty but also overrated, super crowded, and pricey

but if your mom is someone who would rather go to someplace that got 2 stars in the Times then hit Franny's for sure

i've been wanting to try noo na! but maybe not with my mom. has anyone tried dinner at beast or sorrel on carlton?

i think sorrel is same owners as 360? or something. i've gone to 360 with my mom before and she loved it.

and they have a $25 prix fixe

Sorrel is awesome, been there 3 times. but I heard it might be closed ... ? I would check it out beforehand or have a backup in mind.

beast is probably better for sunday brunch than for dinner. food can be pretty good but if you're in the front room its more like a bar. and the service can be inconsistent. a lot of noize board people swear by it for the brunch .... I've had good and bad meals there.

similar to Beast, I really love Alchemy at 5th Av and Bergen but that is getting pretty far afield from your place. it's a gastro-pub, the room's a little nicer than Beast and (imo) the food's better.

Does anyone ever eat at the Garden Cafe on Vbilt and uh...St Marks? Or whatever the cross street is -- it's been there for like eight years but never seems open. I had a prix fixe dinner there once but don't remember anything about it.

oh noes. is there anything similar you would recommend? park slope is ok...
beast's dinner menu looks kinda lame. i've had brunch there three times and it is great though!

yeah i've never seen the garden cafe open.

me neither!

I don't know for sure that Sorrel closed but the person that first recommended it to us, we saw her two weeks ago and she said "I heard it closed"

we meant to walk by and check it out but haven't done it yet

check out this menu and see what you think
http://www.alchemybrooklyn.com/

I think I had the hangar steak last time

You guys Flatbush Farm is apparently really good, too -- some of my Bklyn foodie friends eat there semi-regularly.

Sort of far from Bell, though, I guess.

al di la!

i went there once .... it's okay.

Al Di La in park slope is v. good but I don't know how much money you're looking to spend

xpost!

the "just ok" was about flatbush farm

That was goign to be my next suggestion, Lauren! My upstairs neighbor used to work at Al di la.

yah flatbush farm is good yer mom will like it

http://www.rosewaterrestaurant.com/menudinner.html - see late summer market menu

hmm the alchemy menu sounds a little pubby.
flatbush farm is at 6th ave and st. marks? that's not too far!

it's high-end pubby but flatbush farm is a better suggestion

so al di la is pretty pricey?

http://www.aldilatrattoria.com/

probably not that much more than FF depending what you get

i think the mains top out around $22, with pasta more like mid/upper teens...?

yeah it's not so bad. now that I think about it our bill was high mostly because of wine and dessert. I've only been once.

i feel like al di la will be so crowded friday night...i may try it if we are shot down on sorrel and flatbush farm though!

related: is there a single good thai restaurant in park slope?

JOY

kind of a trendy room (often has a dj playing Brazilian lounge chillout beatz) but real spacious and serves good cheap Americanized thai. as in, I would never get the pad thai at Sripraphai but at Joy it's super tasty

oops I mean SONG thai

Joy is in Carrol Gardens, same owners

there are many good restaurants of 5th ave

is there a single good thai restaurant in park slope?

how's Long Tan?

thai sky, thai cafe, and some other one were all not so memorable. i like joya in cg tho.

yes Song is by the Joya peoples

I was getting mixed up w/ the Indian restaurant Joy on Flatbush

Lemongrass = also not very memorable

lemongrass is a chain, right?

Mmmm Joy Indian make Laurel happy.

Oh shit now I want a korma.

you ppl have money left over for records after all the fine dining?

morbs, i ate a can of chickpeas for dinner last night. i just like to fantasize.

Joy is the indian place on Flatbush, Joya is the terrible thai place on Court.

The pad thai at Sripraphai is really good.

lemongrass is a local chain, i think. in any case, it's not good. we went to arunee (in qns) over the weekend, and i'm going to be "controversial" and say that it was as good as anything i've had at sri.

I've heard good things about it and been meaning to check it out. There's always debate about that place, Zabb and SPP. Nothing beats the duck salad at Zabb, even at Zabb City, the one on 13th st btw 2nd and 3rd.

The pad thai at Sripraphai is really good.

I wasn't comparing them quality-wise, there's no comparison. I would just never get pad thai at Sri b/c they have so much more interesting stuff

i've never had the pad thai at sripraphai, but the broad noodle dishes are underwhelming. arunee is in jackson heights, right? i think i've been there. and zabb too. queens has ruined me for all other thai food (except maybe, like, in thailand. i guess.)

is zabb city related to queens zabb?

Yeah, same people.

Zabb City menu is simplified, better translated and probably more expensive though!

arunee is in jh, yes. on 79th.

i need to convince the zabbs to open a place on franklin avenue. there are so many empty storefronts and more yuppies every day.

or on manhattan ave. there are like 6 thai places around us, and they're all lousy.

i just called sorrel; not closed, btw.

The good thing about moving into Brooklyn Heights studio is being in walking distance to work. The bad thing is that Pace has a dorm across the street. The good thing is that my window doesn't face the street. The other good thing is that the Coen Bros., Brad Pitt, George Clooney movie is taping in the nabe this week.

sorrel was "just ok". i guess i should have had lower expectations for a $25 prix fixe but i thought they were somehow associated with 360 in red hook who do a way, way way better job.

"did"...I think 360 is gone.

Yup, 360 is gone. The chef/owner decided he had enough, which is too bad because I never made it there.

Clooney got in a motorcycle accident in Jersey last night, so it looks like he maybe won't be filming in the nabe next week. Boo!

do you work for Page 6 or something?

I went to 360 once, it was good.

hi aaron!!

Heya Lauren!! Are you still at the same phone #? I owe you a phone call.

And yes I gotta go write some blind items now. WHICH LANKY CELEB WAS SEEN CANOODLING WITH A MUCH, MUCH OLDER MAN LAST NIGHT AT BUTTER??? (hint: it was one of the Olsen twins)

Hay guise when does the Red Hook Fairway close on Sundays?

sir ian mclennan narrates a video describing the coming golden age of downtown brooklyn

http://tinyurl.com/229gue

omg

haha. It's the golden age for Euro expats, particularly those who use the STERLING M8.

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/02.28.02/gifs/public-eye2-0209.jpg
in 2012 a beautiful mob of real estate developers, bistro owners and dog walkers will storm the walt whitman houses, burning them to the ground in a golden flame, making way for sorely needed baby boutiques and wine stores to serve the visionary inhabitants of frank geary's post-apocalyptic fever-dream!

I went to see a movie at BAM a couple weeks ago and when we came out of the subway at hanson place we saw a black town car with a SIR IAN MCKELLEN placard in the window and were all o_O

i thought he traveled in a sled pulled by rentboys.

wau

on, dancer! on, prancer!

where in or around ft greene to get a tea ball... go!

http://www.culinarycultures.com/Images/Progressive%20Prod/GT-3931.jpg

a cook's companion on atlantic btw clinton and court.

target

target you think?

i considered cooks companion but decided to try for closer - i got some tongs there once.

of course i could hit sahadis on the same trip hmmmm

OM NOM NOM FALALFEL.

ii love the demeanor of the bulk goods dudes: 27.. 27... 27... 27 IS DEAD! 28...

i bet target would have one, but then again it is a shitty time of year to go to target.

don't forget pistachio baklava and spinach pies from damascus bakery while you're at it.

i bet target would have one, but then again it is a shitty time of year towhen you go to target.

^^^ fixed

omg so much awz

half a pound of tamari almonds what else? pint of lebonese olives what else?

FIGS. DATES.

and since it's so chilly and windy. you could stop at the middle eastern place on court right near atlantic for a bowl of lamb broth with foamy fenugreek stuff on top!

ooh yah. the B61 stops right in front of there too.

target is right down the street and its not thats bad in the middle of the day and i do need toothbrushes...

im not convinced they have them tho

I want Bedouin Tent NOW. Will settle for place on 44th St.

leg of lamb sandwich yuuuuuuum

that one falafel place off flatbush near yummy taco aint bad either

guys, tell me if Franny's is as amazing as it sounds. I want clam pizza.

tastes good - overpriced and annoying tho

serous case of the foodie over explainies going on there

this prosciutto is from an obscure carpegnaian producer who keeps his animals in a mahogany shack during the spring months the pig was named bill

yeah it's good but crazy expensive for pizza

Two for the Teapot or whatever it's called, UK style tea supplies and crisps and crap, on Clinton off of Atlantic.

hmmmm

i went to target on xmas eve last year -- it was like lord of the flies

yow that sounds terrible

fyi never wear a red shirt to the place

mook, did you oversleep til the 24th?

yeah, pretty much

hi. i love going to target at like 8:30 am. peaceful.

btw was anyone else upset about the Home and Garden place closing? It was in the mall next to where the Jewelery store is

just goto buffalo wild wings instead

^^ that place suxx

lol whaaaat

haha sanskrit did you go there omg i went there once omg

its like the death start of shitty chain restaurants

Fulton Mall redevelopment -- thoughts? It may be a mixed blessing, I feel.

according to this times article http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/nyregion/23fulton.html one of the reasons theres not more chains there is cause the mom n pops are actually willing to pay more

anyway i say leave it as it is!

which is amazing since rent ain't exactly cheap there...

the deli next door to sahadi's was the ONLY place i could find figs a few weeks back when i was making a tart (whole foods, dean and deluca, fairway and sahadi's itself turned up nothing). definitely going to damascus at some point next month

I got some great figs at that DNY natural land grocery on flatbush in early december (but kinda $$$)

target's figs are decent this time of year

target has fresh figs?
as opposed to, you know, dried ones?

lol no

JOSHIN

i was like WAHT U MAD but then i though "hey, i haven't been to target in ages.. mmmmmaaaaaybbbeee"

i can't remember the last time i had a fresh fig :(
wrap dem boys in prosciutto and a sliver of goat cheese nom nom nom

http://www.oswegotea.com/images/figskewers0001.jpg

that (obv) uses bacon instead and seems to slightly roast the figs. i want.

yeah, all the other places i mentioned in that post carried dried figs aplenty

xpost WANT

http://eternallycool.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/figs-marinated.jpg

WOW to the 1st pic

my parents just bought some fresh figs when i was visiting in st. louis. didn't have any, stupidly, but i did have some yummy fig preserves.

http://aic.stanford.edu/jaic/img/jaic42-01-006-ch6fg1.jpg

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/realestate/commercial/05bam.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1457/images/1457_MEDIUM.jpg

that's just cruel =P

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3667/1536/1600/449971/OFinnToilet.gif

^^ (sort of) back on topic?

Favorite Neighborhood, anyone?

Biased - but Fort Greene for me.

the 1 neighborhood accidentally left out from the originaly thread post!

yes. ft. greene. but i hear dumbo has the views.

i'm still not quite sure if my neighborhood qualifies as "downtown" or not. i live below prospect park tho so i say yes

What is that, Prospect Park South or Kensington or Windsor Terrace?

ditmas park/victorian flatbush

fresh fig offa tree in california omg !

im ruling that ditmas park is def not downtown (it is quite lovely tho)

yeah, according to someone's description upthread, it ain't. i guess we're more "central"?

I might look in Ditmas Park, cuz I really don't want to stay in the Kensington basement.

its nice there morbs!

yeah, i love it to pieces. i might be leaving my place after our lease is up but i'd love to stay in the area if i can

There's an interesting article on Ditmas Park in the book: The World in a City by Joseph Berger. The author was also featured on WNYC this morning.

Does anyone live in flatbush/lefferts by the Parkside Ave Q train?
I'm looking at apartments there but I don't know anyone who lives there.
It seems okay, a little scruffy I guess.
Would love to hear if anyone knows much about it.

who wants to play tennis? i'm in ft. greene near BAM.

or if you don't wanna play, maybe you can tell me where there's a wall where i can go hit some balls.

walk down through Boerum Hill on Nevins st untill you're in Gowanus and behind the housing projects next to the municipal pool are several paddle-ball courts that are often deserted. And around dusk, crack and/or trannie hookers show up and truckers park their for the night, so it's usually a good idea to leave before that.

omgosh ha

thx

dude its 33 degrees out

i know but i don't give a flying fig. i play with my friend Ryan over at Pratt on those indoor courts which is nice, but he's like not around. he's SO FUCKING LUCKY cuz he can just go there anytime and hit on one of the walls. i should get a fake Pratt ID.

Is that neighborhood any better? The last time I went there I saw a huge fist fight on Bedford Ave around dusk.

do they still have the bubble courts on the other side of prospect park? you have to pay but it's CLAY (sort of), so nice

There are some walls/courts for handball on Park Place between Washington and Classon, but that's probably kind of far...unless you take the B48 bus.

theres handball courts on adelphi between dekalb and willoughby

thanks guyz ur the best! now, with the handball courts, is it "allowed" to play tennis there? or do u have to be playing handball?

Why don't you ask the guys playing handball?

do whatever you want until somebody tells you to stop is my rule with all public park facilities

u could do what u want prob - somtimes people play the handballesque game w/the paddles too

no one will be using that shit anyway cause ITS TOO COLD

squash

xpost to "hanballesque game with teh paddles"

There's a whole Prospect Park Tennis Center indoors on the far side of Prospect Park, closer to Kensington/Ditmas Park then Park Slope. You can take, I think the Q train?

I live in queens now (as often mentioned) and there are outdoors clay courts in this quaint little park in Sunnyside, otherwise I can take the train to a little place in Flushing where they play tennis sometimes.

I used to go to the paddleball courts and hit a tennis ball with a tennis raquet all the time. And by all the time, I mean at least 3 times. You can do whatever you want so long as nobody else kicks you off. I was actually serious about those courts near the projects, they're always empty. I don't mean the courts IN the projects on wyckoff, playing there would be kind of offensive and you'd likely get beaten up, but the courts next to the pool in gowanus were mostly empty.

geez. why would that be offensive? i hate mean people.

dan, my dentist is in sunnyside -- i'm going there tomorrow! i've always really enjoyed playing on clay.

Mean people: harshing the buzz.

i think its called paddleball dmr - its w/paddles not raquets

oh aiiight

hahaha

i just want one of you to be like, oh, i work at Brooklyn College and they have courts there and i'm free in 2 hours. let's hit.

can't that just happen? is that too much to ask?

I should try that tennis center, if it's off the Q .... I thought it was in the part of the park that's a crazy far walk for me or like near the F

kept trying to play w/ v1c and yerac at the williamsburg courts in the summer but it was impossible

the ft. greene park courts in the summer are good, especially for me because i live so close -- i run over there an hour before i want the court, sign up and come back or watever. it works out well.

also i hear early morning is really good there, cuz no one's even there and u can get on.

okay but for the tennis center off the Q, is there like a membership required or something? how does it work?

paddle ball = wooden paddles, small hard green ball, 1 wall
squash = long-handled racquets, not sure what kind of ball, 4 walls
racquet ball = short-handled racquet, squeezy big blue ball, 4 walls
tennis = long-handled racquet, furry yellow ball, no wall, 1 net
wallyball = 1 volleyball, 1 volleyball net, 1 racquet-ball court, 1 fun kids party
quadruple volleyball = 2 volleyballs, 2 volleyball nets set up in a cross, 1 basketball court, 1 drunk gym teacher

Funny you come to Sunnyside to go the dentist, I go to Brooklyn Heights.

hahaha! right near me. well, i had to find a dentist that was on my insurance (Guardian), and this office seemed pretty cool. i like it.

the ft. greene park courts in the summer are good, especially for me because i live so close -- i run over there an hour before i want the court, sign up and come back or watever. it works out well.

here's what i started to do last summer cuz i got stressed about it as well: i bought the individual play permits, that are good for one hour. i think they are 7 dollars. and i think they sell them at pentagon sports or something -- a good friend of mine works near there. i actually have a few left over from last summer, i hope they're still valid.

the season permit is expensive and the season is not that long.

so you just keep em until you are asked for them i guess?

well, when you sign up on that clipboard, there's a place where you can put your individual play permit number.

a lot of the time there'll be like a clipboard attendant. if there is, you show them the permit, but they didn't take mine, for some reason! so i don't know how easy it would be to reuse them...

but yeah if the clipboard is just on the fence, u just put your number down and if they ask you for the actual permit, u show it.

i tried getting a permit for the handball courts on the puerto rican side of mccarren park.

"ahem, excuse me sir, i bleieve I have a permit to use that handball court"

"beat it"

"well, I assure you gentlemen..."

"what part of beat it don't you understand?"

" Iguess that would be the "it", I'm not really sure to waht it refers..."

*ow* gunshot to the groin

AAAHHH my worst nightmare

Magnetic Field closing, end of March.

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/02/brooklyns_magne.html

Why are you reading a vegan mouthpiece, Morbs?

Yeah, depending on who they get for those blow-out shows, I may be camped out on the doorstep for that week.

I have never read any veganganda there.

RIP They will be missed.

never been, maybe I should get over there

oh no!! the mighty Lynne K made magnetic fields her home for years. she's such a good DJ.

does anyone have a trust mechanic in south brooklyn? specifically one who is good with brakes and will not rip me off?

yes, I'm trying to remember though...I think it may have just been a meineke, way down Atlantic Avenue, not so far that I couldn't walk back the Atlantic Center area (or my house in Boerum Hill). The guy was really nice, gave a good guarantee, and I had this other thing wrong with my turn signal, he put some gloop on it for free and said if that doesn't fix it come back in a few days and he'll replace it. It worked for a while then I later replaced it for real myself. Still, the guy was trustworthy. Don't know if it was "cheap" though. I'm googling meineke and atlantic and the only one that comes up is way further down and probably no it. Maybe it wasn't meineke at all.

wait, bell labs has a car?

ok i took my car to that meineke today. they were really nice and i don't blame them for the $1300 that is wrong with me brakes. but i just have to say OH FUCK $#%*(@#$5@)(#$@ $1300?!

wau. you might want to get a second opinion; that seems like an awful lot more than my entire car is worth

it's probably about what my car is worth! sigh.

http://www.johndelk.com/static/dyn-images/1/1717.jpeg

:(((( trade it in and get a new used car??

it's too late, they're doing the work right now!

and any used car that's that cheap is bound to have other problems...

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2008/04/streetlevel_cro.php

opening today (right across the street from my house)

the phasing out of the 4am license is very sneaky.

it's sneaky, but since this place has an outdoor space that is going to be really loud and across from my bedroom window, i am happy for it.

It IS sneaky. And evil.

Not for being across the st from bell labs, though.

the beer list looks really awesome though!

Last week, the New York Post reported that the city's traditional 4 a.m. closing time "is facing its last call because community boards are approving liquor licenses for new establishments only if they close at 2 a.m."

GAAAAH WHAT NO NO NO IM HAVING BOSTON FLASHBACKS BLLLEEEEERHHGGG

That looks nice, with tasty beers, plus I'll be around in May and june, bring on the summer. Do they do food?

no more NEW bars at all is fine w/ me

they are going to start with cheese and charcuterie apparently, and then later open a cafe part.

my neighborhood is goin all fancy-town

first they came for the charcuteries... then we were all going to bed at 2 half drunk.

i'm just afraid this will attract a gowanus yacht-clubby white tshirt and fitted baseball cap crowd

if i'm drinkin 7% abv beers until 2 am i'm not going to be HALF drunk

well it depends on when u start doesnt it - i dont like to be rushed

dudes dont worry, after party at my place

if I can help prevent yachtification, i may be lookin at studio nearby tom'w.

actually the sad truth is that i don't think i've stayed at a bar til 2am once in the past year ;_;

MORBS YES BE MY NEIGHBOR

we should go to this place tonight or tomorrow.

I have a ticket to go see Big Dipper at Southpaw tonight so I will be In Your Area!

the first night of a bar ... are you MAD?

ian i can meet you there after you get off work

what time are you going? might be up for that

ian gets back around 11. i could meet up anytime though!

probably closer to 11:30, as i have to do the paperwork tonight unless i want to get to work early tomorrow.

i have a feeling it might be PACKED tonight. but i can, uh, look out my window later and let you guys know.

My tix are for 9, dmr! But I'm biking down and need a nap first, plus I don't think I like the first band. So maybe...9.30 or 10?

Oh you weren't talking to me. :(

southpaw: home of park slope-approved rock n roll.

ha this new bar is by the guy who owns southpaw or somethin

Oh you weren't talking to me. :(

lol yeah I was talking to Lindsay. but we r probably looking to do something earlier than midnight so I'll text you guys later

how was the paris/prague trip? i'm so jealous.

...b-b-but you went to VEGAS

it was super fun

vegas ain't no paris.

if we had only stayed in the eiffel tower hotel...

i wanna go out, but it's almost 1am. someone help

i mean, at this point, it's looking like brushing my teeth and some jewelery television. hoorah.

hey y'all, looks like we might gonna be neighbors

yay! where to?

lol Brooklyn Heights. I just got a big surprise scholarship for Brooklyn Law - pretty much a can't-refuse offer. If we take a student apartment (which doesn't look bad) we can actually afford to live there.

We just went today to check out the neighborhood. I guess I knew it was upscale but I'd never really purposefully walked the residential streets. There's not much cheap food...

Like I feel yuppie guilt sometimes living in Jersey City, but holy fuck.

how close are you atlantic ave? there's some cheap middle eastern stuff.

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/restaurants-bars/23679/new-restaurant-openings
^new restaurant in my hood. i want to check it out.

yea you just have to walk a bit. but hey at least you got to live in BH! and you'll def find the right places.

welcome, and congrats on the scholarship -- how wonderful!

The school is only four blocks from Atlantic. Don't know where I'm going to live yet - depends on what kind of student housing I can get.

Thanks surmounter! I just found out yesterday. I'm really kind of blown away - I was set to go elsewhere.

It's probably early to look, but does anyone know anything about art studio spaces within a reasonable distance from there?

there's some place on atlantic & hoyt called jolie that i want to try - they have $1 oysters on wednesdays.

^new restaurant in my hood. i want to check it out.

yeah that place looks interesting, we walked by it the time we met you guys at franklin park and then later saw a blurb about it

yeah let me know if you and s. wanna check it out sometime soon!

Isn't Five Guys in Brooklyn Heights?

Bailing on Cardozo, eh Hurting? What kinda deal did Brooklyn give you? They seem even more generous than 'Bozo with their scholarships.

i've been in brooklyn heights for the past eight months. love it, without question. so nice, so convenient, such a great change from les where my gf and i had been. one word of warning: there is no good food in brooklyn heights itself. iron chef sushi isn't bad, lantern on montague is ok for thai and yeah five guys for burgers. basically if you wanna do fun stuff be prepared to leave bh, but for just straight living it's rad.

I basically got a full ride plus guaranteed student housing all three years.

Won't see you in the fall, Stanton.

That's crazy. What'd you get on the LSATs? Cardozo gave me something, but not like that.

Brooklyn Heights certainly seemed pleasant enough. Couldn't really complain if I wind up living there.

I had a 170.

Not too shabby. You should've gotten into Fordham

Eh, whatever. I'd still probably take this over Fordham without money. But that's another thread.

LOLZ. Congrats on getting a full ride at my alma mater BLS, Senor Hurting. Is your housing in Feil or one of the other buildings? You should drop me an email.

I don't know yet - it's complicated. I'll e-mail you.

yo Aaron, how's the job outlook been for Brooklyn? (which I would assume to be slightly similar to Cardozo).

ahem

Going To Law School

Okay let's go talk in the Going To Law School thread then

lol now you have to drink @ teh brazen head BLS dude

no good food on Montague but further up in fancy-ville there's some decent stuff. Noodle Pudding is good italian.

Actually, I used to love the burgers at Grand Canyon, both the Montague location and the Park Slope one.

oooh i shoulda read this entire thread a month ago when working on my marketing project. now it's too late. i can't absorb any more info!!!

screw fine dining; after 2 years in Kensington/Greenwood Cemetery I just want a nabe w/ more than one digestible takeout option.

I guess Brooklyn Heights was just never poor so it has no bodegas or Italian delis or anything.

It did have some down-at-heel days in the 50s and 60s I think

Which is how baby boomers managed to snatch up all those brownstones whose back yards abut the Promenade

argh WANT

http://www.amazon.com/Desperate-Characters-Novel-Paula-Fox/dp/039331894X

My dad told me he used to go Christmas caroling in BH with other music students when he was at Brooklyn College. He said people would invite like 20 of them in and pour them all sherry.

And then they went for a dip in the Olympic pool at the St. George?

lol my college voice teacher (rip :( ) was in the american boys choir in princeton as a kid and once caroling they were invited in for hot chocolate by... einstein!

The only downside being they had to listen to him saw on his violin.

(Intentionally did not use the word "fiddle")

It's on.

shit just got real

HAHA!
that's going to be some comedy

Is there really no better way to get from Downtown/Heights area Brooklyn to L-Train land than via Union Square???

Did you check the bus?

I think the B61 might be just the ticket.

G train at Hoyt/Schermerhorn, assuming the G still runs.

I usually go Q to the L and it's pretty fast. during the week I'll take the G but on the weekend no way

but I guess the Q doesn't help if you're in B Heights

the 5 to union sq for the l should be pretty speedy, especially if you're just going to the immediate bedford area.

I dunno, I take the G to W'burg on weekends (if it's running) and it usually is OK.

it's a pain for me to even get to the G stop in Ft Greene so I'm kinda biased. I'll take it way up into Greenpoint but if I'm just going to Bedford or Graham the L seems faster

I'm basing the question on Hopstop, which sometimes comes up with weirdly counterintuitive but right answers and sometimes just spits out some bullshit.

it seems right to me

I guess I'm not coming to Brooklyn after all. Sorry, and thanks for you help.

I am going to be in upstate New York though.

http://www.urbanrail.net/am/nyrk/nyc-map-centre.gif

wha kinda fucking craxy map is that

mexico city awzom

http://www.urbanrail.net/am/mexi/mexico-map.gif

Just found out our assigned apartment is only 400 sq. feet. fuk.

at least you can air condition efficiently

I'm vaguely considering finding a rental elsewhere, but it's like two blocks from the school and the wife's train, and it's supposed to be nice.

I'm thinking we might be able to make do by:

1) Making the 20" iMac the only entertainment device (I'll store the TV and stereo for a year), with all music burned onto the computer and all physical music stored.

2) Getting a smaller coffee table

3) Putting some kind of stand-up closet in the bedroom, provided it's big enough.

4) using one tall bookshelf for the two of us and storing the rest of the books

5) keeping non-seasonal clothing in storage

Unfortunately we can't break the walls, or else I'd put in some wall shelving.

The music and entertainment stuff alone probably saves us like 40-50 square feet.

Oh yeah, also desk hutch seems key.

love a good hutch

really great that I decided to get out of the subway last night to eat dinner, coming back from wkend with family, on the very strip of Smith St where the power was out.

uh oh...

it was always so funny when the power was out on the long island. u'd get the call from your friend and then like drive to the beach.

so i'm BORED. i just got back into town and it was pride today. happy pride. i'd like to go out for a drink or six. no but really. is everyone at home like me? or are people enjoying the city...

hurting, 400 sq ft isn't quite as terrible as you think it is; i lived in a 500sq ft if that (most of that extra ~100ft was in the kitchen? wtf?) and really it was ok. depends on the layout. and that's real talk a month late.

i am now a person who lives on a bergen & 4th.

downtown bklyn is so 2003

south bronx is where it's at

I mean SoBro.

well hello there the schef (adam schefter ha ha)

yeah, actually I got the room dimensions and it sounds livable

We thought about moving to SoBro at one point - we looked at places in the Clock Tower building. They weren't bad.

i was trying to convince ppl to move to sobro (i mean bro is in the name) but no one would bite.

the "boogie down" they call it

i live in a 400sq ft apt in downtown brooklyn and its lovely - tho im only one person and its pretty perfectly laid out. i think if someone actually said sobro in my presence i might punch them.

^^^ i would pay good money for this

jhos we should have a margarita soon :) i don't know why i thought you liked lived with a girlfriend

i would prob just punch them w/words tho

real studio apartments seem like they're impossible to find. I was able to get one but it's like an old converted storefront. hopefully they didn't sell uranium or some shit.

The Clock Tower is the only thing that South Bronx has going on for itself, from the loft loving hipster douchething point of view.

the neighborhood also has one (1) quasi-artsy bar and one(1) dive bar, making it the total of two(2) bars in the area. not good.

the South Bronx has the highest asthma rate in the nation I think. Hopefully hipster douche parents aren't trying to raise their kid all "urban" and shit because "it's just so much more real here, you know?"

The Clock Tower is the only thing that South Bronx has going on for itself, from the loft loving hipster douchething point of view.

the neighborhood also has one (1) quasi-artsy bar and one(1) dive bar, making it the total of two(2) bars in the area. not good.

Yeah, that was exactly the impression we got. We had reason to move there as my wife teaches in The Bronx but the place in our price range didn't have enough space to realistically be used for both living and studio purposes without us killing each other.

BUT THE SOBRO ANTIQUES DISTRICT IS SO ADORABLE

EVERYONE, LET'S GO ANTIQUIN' !

We stayed in DoJo

alright what am i doing tonight?

hangin out on the stoop, cat callin' hotties.

uh, actually i was just telling a friend i gotta paper bag a beer on the stoop and look out for the hot neighbors.

i know how u roll.

probably tonight in downtown brooklyn we will eat a caesar salad.

"downtown brooklyn"

surmounter do you eat fish?
you should come to brunch with us some weekend.

do i eat fish, he asks. yessir :D that sounds lurvly.

oh yeah i guess you talked about salmon on that other thread i am kind of a dunce.

we'll get along just fine.

mm salad. i might go for popcorn instead though. movie popcorn. and air conditioning.

Moving in less that two weeks. WOOT!

Aw look at ian and surmounter gettin palsy on this thread <3

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20071001/afp20071001p1004-uf1.gif

hmmm

whats doin Monday in Brooklyn? i may escape my family & have day off.

Ian has monday off. Go see batman with him so he will stop whining about it!

oh, bitch please.

:P

My dad had Bels Palsy and never went 100% back to normal. Sux.

um, Bell's

Batman is more likely to go to that w/ ian than I am

i had bell_lab's palsy for about a week a few years ago. v. weird feeling.

batman was kinda disappointing ;_;

So hey, solve my car dilemma. I move to Brooklyn Heights. It seems pretty obvious I will not find parking there. ASAP I will just sell my car but I have no fucking time right now. So do I:

A. Keep it in Jersey City and pay this woman in town to move it on street cleaning days (comes to like $30/$40 per week)

B. Bring it and try to park it in some abutting neighborhood (DUMBO, Ft. Greene, etc.) and just move it once a week for street cleaning? (I'm willing to park it like a mile away from my place if I have to) - and if so, what area is my best bet for parking?

C. Pay a whole bunch of money to keep it in a lot until I sell it.

having the woman move it for street cleaning sounds much cheaper than any monthly parking space you'll find in brooklyn. i don't know anything about parking in dumbo/fort greene but at least in my neighborhood opposite side parking is mon, tues, thurs, fri. if it is in really good condition and you want to sell it though, it might make sense to keep it in a lot because you are bound to get lots of dents from street parking.

do you have any family in the suburbs or something who you can leave it with for a little while? i know theres miles of unmetered, unchecked parking in central NJ, you could probably park somewhere and then hop NJ transit back when you need to get it.

note: this is probably a dumb idea.

i've managed to have a car in brooklyn for five years in various neighborhoods and only had it towed once, but i know parking in brooklyn heights is such a bitch. still, if you have an unusual schedule or are flexible during the days, it is possible to do it.

i can't really imagine fort greene is easier? all of the brownstone neighborhoods are really difficult for parking in my experience.

you know, right around my street isn't so bad sometimes. like whenever my friends come to visit they find a spot pretty quickly. ::shrugs::

(in the greene)

i clearly need to move to fort greene, crown heights is getting to be a pain in the ass!

you can pay me $50/week to move your car for you.

;)

I am going to have a flexible schedule for car moves since I'll be full time schooling, and a lot of the streets I saw only have 1x per week street cleaning. Maybe I'll just chance it with street parking. If it turns out to suck, I have a mechanic in Tenafly who said he can sell it for me and I'll just drive it out there and take the bus back.

if you can time it to move it right after the street cleaning regulation is up, you should have no problem!

hmm, good tip

it's a beat up 2000 corolla so no worries about dents

TORNADO WATCH!!!

grillfriend:
tornado warning over

fuck

I just heard it live from Ernie Onastis. Normally I don't trust a dirty Greek, but I'll give it to him this time.

Car got towed today. No parking ANYWHERE. Bad idea to move it here. Selling it ASAP.

However, the food at Yemen Cafe on Atlantic was good, especially the salta, which is this awesome root vegetable and lamb sauce dish that comes out bubbling like crazy. And the place is coming together.

salta is really weird tasting

I like the Yemeni spice palate. Even the free broth at the beginning was really good.

parking gets easier below atlantic, if you're willing to walk a bit. also remember the magic of mysterious religious holidays.

Car got towed today. No parking ANYWHERE. Bad idea to move it here. Selling it ASAP.

-- Hurting 2, Saturday, 16 August 2008 00:58 (4 hours ago) Link

u know where the navy yard is now

Sorry hurting :(

Fatoosh is awesome though.

The less hoity toity the neighborhood, the easier it is to park. Of course there's a greater chance of your car getting set on fire.

Maybe you should stop parking in the 1970s

There was a huuuuge car fire and explosion a few blocks from my apartment a few weeks ago. Brooklyn's not like it was in 2006 or 7, that's for sure.

Car fire =/= car was set on fire

It was set on fire ... apparently a bunch of kids put a flaming mattress underneath the car and the whole thing exploded.

fuk

Brooklyn Heights will always be fine.

Just had an awesome run - went almost to Red Hook and then came back and went toward the water thinking I would hit the promenade, but instead I wound up running on this creepy deserted area below the promenade and BQE and feeling very diesel. Couldn't get back up to regular streets so I just ran until I hit DUMBO and then up and back. Probably 3.5 - 4 miles.

Also, some of the houses around here = WAU

So is Magnetic Field still a good spot? Anyone have any feelings about Last Exit?

I can't fucking sleep - half-built ikea shelf in the middle of my floor and law school starts tomorrow.

i like Magnetic Field. for some reason i thought it closed. they sell cigarettes.

Hmm, it did look sort of closed-down when I walked by during the day but their website is still up.

i'm prolly mistaken ::shrugs::

We're living in Brooklyn. Imagine saying that in 1991.

BRO O K L Y N BROCKLYN BROCKTYLYN BROKKKLYN NLKYBROK NLKYOROB BRYNROCK LYCN SART WHINCART LYNCOCK BROKLYN

Imagine, I would've been your law school competition. Relieved?

My Dad lived in Brooklyn in 1978. And 1968. And 1958. Imagine that.

What about 1948? Ohio? [rimmshot)

buh duh buh duh buh clash clash chuhcuhcuhcuhcuchuchuchcuhuhaaaaa

1948 too - the last three months of it anyway.

Last Exit used to be the only decent place for miles. It was mostly the "cool" people who lived in Brooklyn Heights and a few from Cobble Hill, back before there were any bars on Court St. They're nice people, but the crowd can get too...Brooklyn Heights.

Magnetic Fields used to be Friends Tavern, a gay bar owned by the same people as the Friend's Tavern in Jackson Heights.

Magnetic Field lost their lease, which is too bad because they had shows with bands I liked. Web site may be up because they're trying/planning to relocate...?

Last Exit: Went there once prob 7 years ago because I met someone who DJed there. It seemed fine. No idea what it's like now.

There's also that bar on Atlantic with indoor bocce, I've liked the crowd and the feel there v much both times I've been.

floyd. yeah it's cute.

hurting there was a car set on fire on pierrepont in brooklyn heights about four months ago.

owned by the same people as the Friend's Tavern in Jackson Heights.
o wow, i wondered this when i was walking down roosevelt recently. i never went to the one on atlantic when i lived down the block.

Maybe you should check out Boat on Smith Street assuming it's still there, Hurting.

stay away. boat is mine.

ha! noobs.

I was one of the original Boat regulars. Rich from the Social Registry and I filled half the jukebox. Tony took some of the CDs when he left to open Buttermilk.

Hey, does anyone know of a provincial french place on Smith called Robin something? Was recommended to me, but I can't remember the exact name.

robin des bois

yup

The site refers to it as both robin des bois and sherwood cafe. Is it still the same owner?

Is DUMBO a theme park now? Mistakenly walked across the bridge to Grimmaldi's last night--at least 100 people in line. Went to the ice cream place--at least 50 people in line. That area by the water was overrun with tourists snapping the waterfalls. And I saw at least four double decker tour buses. Is this all waterfall-related?

naw tour buses stop down there regardless of local waterfall activity

yeah, actually the tour bus drop off or pickup point seemed to be at the very end of the weird deserted truck road I ran on

grimmaldis printing money