Posted on

Regina’s Bakery on 7th Ave.: Closing…

Looks like this bakery (actually… not much actually got baked there… “baked goods reseller?”) is leaving 7th Ave.

Judging from comments on the Park Slope Message Boards people are going to miss Reggie, the big ginger cat who liked to be scratched on the head much more than the baked goods, which always seemed a bit pedestrian, and were “no different than what you could get at Key Food or any other chain grocery store,” according to Daniel.

What’s on deck for this prime bit of Park Slope retail space? Another high-end boutique selling neoprene wine carriers and letter-pressed cards? Another Brooklyn Industries?

Place your bets… Park Slope Message Boards

Posted on

Blizzard 2006: Cool or Uncool?


Blizzard 2006

Originally uploaded by martha1arlene.

Super Cool: 86%
So Not Cool: 16%

Click here to view current poll status (and comments) in the Prospect Heights Message Boards:

daniel: “Cool…except when you can’t get a taxi home to Brooklyn from the city. Bastard taxi drivers, one after the other, denied us a ride. One, after we were already in the cab, suggested that we take a subway instead. I caxlled 311 with their medallion numbers, but was told that they wouldn’t do anything unless I was willing to appear in court. Lame.”

nybt: “Who’s got the over/under on the number of days ’til the snow is gone?! Not consulting any weather info, i’m going with 4 days ’til bare sidewalks…”

VOTE: Prospect Heights Message Boards

Posted on

Famed Costas bust goes missing

Distaster strikes the Slope. Our embedded correspondents report that the famed Costas statue (featured below) was removed – or stolen – last night. We’re led to believe it was theft by the rather unceremonious, gaping hole left in the ground . Photos of the scene to follow…

UPDATE
Time Out New York‘s Darren D’Addario proves to be a more intrepid journalist than your correspondent. He goes straight to the source, property owner Barbara Capozzi, who says “A man named Costas did work on my building and he left it there as a gift. I was surprised to see it there myself.” Asked if the bust will remain, she replies “I’ll probably move it out to a house I have on Long Island. But it’s a delicate situation, and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

We’ll miss ya, Costas.

Posted on

How to Get Past a Park Slope Co-op Board


Big Sale Rose

Originally uploaded by cbonney.

Dress in a suit.

Keep calm.

Speak when spoken to.

Don’t volunteer too much.

Be yourself (unless you are a dog-breeding rock star).

Small co-ops: be enthusiastic about helping with the chores (garbage, cleaning, etc.)

Prepare to be asked about your job, finances, large credit card balances, or other liabilities.

Don’t lie outright, but of course, you don’t like loud parties, being awake after 8:00pm, doing construction ever, or even walking in shoes in your place.

Thanks to Jamzer posting in the Park Slope Message Boards

Posted on

“Dumpkin” Attack: SUV on 3rd St.

William from the lowercase L blog writes to Daily Slope:

“My friend Shana and I were walking down 3rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues … and when we saw this SUV, we just couldn’t believe our eyes. Someone had smashed a pumpkin on the windshield and hood. And out of the hollowed pumpkin spilt a load of dog shit.

We wondered what could the owner of this automobile have done to deserve a “dumpkin”?

The photo was taken with Shana’s mobile phone cam, so forgive the quality. Ironically, she is a photographer for Corbis.

View if you dare: Smashing Dumpkins on Flickr

Posted on

Best Brooklyn Blogs of 2005


The Hanged Man

Originally uploaded by Dope on the Slope.

Up over at Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn.

“Best name for a Brooklyn Blog” goes to Dope on the Slope, who recently snapped this picture of The Hanged Man, an “odd illusion (I hope) at the intersection of Union and Prospect Park West.”

Other winners include Brownstoner and Curbed, which of course need no introduction; Aaron Naparstek, who is unstoppable, even by bollards; Dope and A Brooklyn Life both have an incredible eye and we can only hope they double their Brooklyn blogging efforts in 2006. Callalillie needs an agent, right now, if she doesn’t already have one, and F Train has been impressive for a long while. B61 Productions really “gets it” and we really hope for big things from that site 2006. Etc…

Posted on

Excuse Me, But You’re (Allegedly) Masturbating on the (Alleged) Q Train

From a comment e-mailed by an unregistered user of the Message Boards:

On Thursday 12/29 at 10:35am, I ran into a subway masturbator on the Q train going over the Manhattan bridge… ”

“I decided that I could disarm him by yelling at him, so as we went over the bridge, I said loudly something along the lines of “Excuse ME, but if you think I can’t tell that YOU’RE MASTURBATING, you’re wrong, and in case you’re too dumb to have noticed, I just took two pictures of you with my cameraphone, which I will show to the police…”

“… When the doors opened at DeKalb, he ran off, and I and another woman went off looking for the police. … I gave my description and showed my crappy, blurry photo and everything, but (the NYPD) didn’t even take my name so I don’t think they were intending to look for him.”

“That’s too bad, because my guess would be that the guy does this a lot. Why else would he be carrying so many napkins around? (Yuck.)”

Read description (black leather attache case??) and more grisly details in the Message Boards

Posted on

Beet is Not Suck

Oh my… Are these legitimately overenthusiastic customer comments? Or just shameless shilling by the ownership/staff of Beet Thai? It’s so hard to tell anymore… Please… turn on your “fake customer radar” and let us know what you see. (These comments originally appeared on the “Park Slope Restaurants That Suck” post.)

1. “I do not think Beet is suck. Food is quality. Fair Price. Nice presentation and nice waitstaff. I pass by everyday in the evening. Beet is always crowded.
Posted by: Kenneth | December 18, 2005 03:14 AM”

2. “I do not think Beet is suck, either. I have tried several thai restuarants in park slope, and I found that BEET THAI restaurant is the BEST. Their tasty food makes me hungry at all time. They have great services and friendly wait staff. I love the decor; it brings its’ brightness to the customers. BEET THAI is definitely a ROMANTIC restuarant to dine in w/ friends and family. FAIR PRICES!!!
Posted by: Tony | December 30, 2005 01:17 PM”

Posted on

Melted Plastic Paneer: It’s not a bug, it’s a feature!

25starindia.jpg8thAndPrez writes in the Park Slope Message Boards: “I was so disgusted by the whole affair I felt it was only right to post…”

“I was originially excited when Star of India opened at 5th/Prez. Disappointed the few times we ordered from them and went to eat there. We more recently decided to give them another chance and ordered delivery.”

“The food looked fine when it arrived, but the first taste revealed an overwhelming flavor of burnt plastic. Both of our meals had the same flavor – overwhelming melted plastic.”

“I called SoI to explain… they very reluctantly sent over a replacement order. I made the delivery guy stay at the door while we tasted and, again, plastic. The delivery guy even tasted the food and agreed. When I called SoI they refused to acknowledge the problem – insisted it was our problem, and refused a refund.”

“Mediocre Indian food and poor service to boot. Anyone else have similar experiences with SoI?” Read more…

PHOTO: Bollyfood: Star of India tones down the spice, amps up the flavor [GoBrooklyn.com]

Posted on

How Did You Get There?


DSCF3235

Originally uploaded by Girlfromparkslope.

Oiseau writes in the Message Boards: “…I ended up riding over the Brooklyn Bridge with the cars. It was the only way to ride over that bridge, other wise you had to walk it.”

“I yelled at Marty to get some bike lane police, and then turned around because my derailer cable broke and Bicycle Station was open real early and fixed it quickly, amazingly, because I was about to give up…”

“Then I found some abandoned pregnant cat and couldn’t take it to the animal shelter, not that that is a good thing, but at least it’s warm, but with the traffic and all, I just gave it some food.”

“And you?”

Check out the Message Boards

Posted on

No Ride? Enjoy a Strike Haiku


Strike Haiku

Originally uploaded by dragonflyajt.

And ponder the media…

The word “illegal” has been thrown around pretty loosely, and over and over again, at every opportunity, in the media.

And now, that sentiment is being echoed by the anti-strike crowd (by now, that crowd numbers approximately 99% of Brooklynites, MTA employees excluded).

One of the other “messages” that keeps surfacing in the local media is the claim that the international TWU had advised the NY branch NOT to strike. It would be nice to verify these claims, but like pretty much everybody else, we spent an extra 5 hours today negotiating traffic and logistic hassles brought on just in time for Christmas (at least UPS is still delivering).

Oh, hey… there are about 50,000 comments on this in the Prospect Heights and Park Slope message boards… let’s take a look:

IT’S ON – TWU STRIKES!! (Chaos ensues in more than 100 comments on the Prospect Heights Board)

WAR STORIES: How did you get there?? (Prospect Heights Board)

PRACTICAL! HELPFUL! Get a ride, offer a ride, right here on the message boards! (Prospect Heights Board)

I would TOTALLY start an illegal taxi service… if I had a car.

Will “Slugging” be the next NYC commuter trend? (PH Board)

Let’s discuss transit strike plans and then go completely off-topic into an argument about race and education (Park Slope Board)

Posted on

What if They Strike and Scabs Take Over?


Brooklyn Subway Refugees

Scenes from summer 2003, originally uploaded by CatsFive, who wrote: “During the 2003 blackout, the subways, which run on electricity, all stopped. Lots of riders had to exit the subway in some pretty unusual ways.”

OK, we got a temporary reprieve… last we heard, the latest deadline is tonight at 12:01 am. To get you in the mood, STACEY posted the following tidbit (about the strike from the early 1900s) in the Message Boards:

“Subway motormen on the BRT had gone out on strike on Nov. 1st, 1918. Dispatchers and supervisors were pressed into service as replacement workers. That day, dispatcher Antonio Luciano was assigned as motorman on the Brighton Line that ran at that time from Park Row over the Brooklyn Bridge (which had train traffic at the time) and Fulton Street to the current Franklin Shuttle. He had never before operated elevated trains in passenger service.“

“… Luciano had to navigate an S-shaped curve on what would later be called the Franklin Shuttle at Malbone Street. The speed limit at the location was posted as 6 MPH, but those on the scene later reported that he roared through at what must have been 50 MPH. The first car held the rails, suffering only minor damage, but the second and third cars derailed, the second being demolished and the third nearly so. About 100 passengers lost their lives, though Luciano was spared.”

Don’t PANIC: Message Boards

Posted on

Nudes of Park Slope


Nudes of Park Slope

Originally uploaded by MsAnthea.

4th AVE. goes from “Wasteland to Tasteland,” according to the Daily News: “Even as the rest of Park Slope sprouts bistros, Brooklyn’s Fourth Ave. stays a bit, well, scruffy. Things may change thanks to Mule, a cool new coffee shop at 67 Fourth Ave. between Bergen St. and St. Marks Pl. Right now, Mule has Seattle’s Caffe Vita coffees, snacks from Two Little Red Hens and other bakeries, a wrought-iron bar and a 16-foot communal table in the backyard. In the future, look for a lunch menu and a wine bar in back. …

4th Ave. chatter in the Park Slope Message Boards

Posted on

The Chocolate War


Cocoa Bar in Park Slope

Originally uploaded by Ultrateg.


The Chocolate Room

Originally uploaded by williamsburger.

Pitu writes in the Park Slope Message Boards: “Yes, I’ve tried them both. And unless Cocoa has undergone some magic transformations in its young life . . . well, I just can’t imagine.”

“I have these friends, a new couple in a sort of cute-but-annoying way, who are constantly swooning and having chocolate dates . . . they’d want me to tell you The Chocolate Room is the place. I think they were comped a misordered plate of something delicious there, which is also nice. Chocolate has good attitude.”

Oh, it’s on. It’s so on… Read more: Park Slope Message Boards

Posted on

Anthony’s


Anthony’s

Originally uploaded by Slice.

On Slice NY: “…Anthony’s is turning out a great Neapolitan pie…”

“I went yesterday for a late lunch and opted for a margherita, a benchmark … With the exception of some tip sag, the pie was excellent. The remarkably light and airy crust exhibited a decent amount of charring and a very nice amount of oven spring, especially evident in the cornichone, the rim of the pizza…”

READ MORE: Slice NY

ANTHONY’S | 426A Seventh Ave. btw 14th + 15th. 718-369-8315

Posted on

Hey, buy me! I’m cute, dammit!


Hey, buy me, I’m cute dammit!

Originally uploaded by gak.

gak writes on Flickr: “Near the sidewalk Christmas tree front on 9th Street (with the vendors playing some impromptu ball hockey), the bunnies in the pet store display were living it up. I wanted the facelicker in the shot, but instead, we get this bloke, a few seconds after he pulled his head out from another rabbit.”

Posted on

About That $7,000/Month Rental in Park Slope

04habi3184.jpgpitu writes in the Park Slope Message Boards: “I was already enjoying (the Sunday New York Times Real Estate) section way more than usual, with the “wreck” apt they envisioned fixing up in the cover story . . . then . . . the charming feature about the Slope family renting for more than $7000 a month. Is this not totally beyond the pale??”

J0518 adds: “I’d just want someone to shoot me right in the head if i’m ever stuck in the type of financial purgatory where i can’t afford to buy but am willing to pay 7K for rent a month….”

Discuss: Park Slope Message Boards