This rich and flavorful classic dish is cared for well in Soco’s hands, rich and incredibly delicious. Stop in to experience it as well as the other wonderful southern and southern-fused menu items, including the popular chicken and red velvet waffles.
Soco is located at 509 Myrtle Avenue between Ryerson and Grand. The restaurant can be reached at (718) 783-1936.
Have you stopped in at Humo Smokehouse lately? Oh, boy–those tender, fall of the bone ribs are to die for. Stop in for spareribs, brisket, pulled pork, pulled chicken, pork belly or sausage links. All delicious, from the farm meats and affordable at $6 on average for a meal, which includes 1/4 lb meat and a side.
Sides, which come in small and large sizes include chili, smoked beans, potato salad, mixed veggies and coleslaw.
Order from Humo Smokehouse via Seamless SOON.
Humo Smokehouse is located at 336 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Park and Carlton Avenue. Call them at (347) 689-9239.
Black Artstory Month kicks off this Sunday with an Avenue-wide art walk featuring the work of over 25 local artists from 4-6pm and opening party at Brooklyn Eats on Myrtle from 6-8pm.
This year’s theme, Where I’m From: The Black Artstory of Myrtle and Beyond, is inspired by the centuries-long black arts tradition that has thrived in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill through the communities’ many evolutions. Curators Remi Onabajo, MoCADA, Pratt Institute’s BAKO Tribe, Naimonu James, Daonne Huff, SONYA, PS 20 and Freecandy have selected work guided by the concepts of time, travel and transition. Over 13 businesses along the Avenue will exhibit paintings, murals, and photographs that explore how the past informs our understandings of the here and now.
SIGNIFIED SPACE(S), curated by Remi Onabanjo, features the photography of Sonia Louise Davis, Alexa Telano and Naima Green, each of whom incorporates New York City’s landscape to examine how our personal identities are shaped by the places we call home.
Gnarly Vines, 350 Myrtle Avenue between Carlton & Adelphi
For THESE HANDS BUILT, curator Daonne’s Huff calls upon the rich but under told narratives of African-American men and women who worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for generations. Artists Cheyenne Epps and Jose de Jesus Rodriguez have created a series of linoleum prints that takes inspiration from found images of Navy Yard workers from the early 20th century.
Tipsy, 584 Myrtle Avenue at the corner of Classon
BLDG 92, Flushing Avenue between Carlton & Adelphi
“Myrtle Avenue Portraits,” a photography exhibition by Kwesi Abbensetts will feature portraits of artists, activists, business owners and community leaders who have called Fort Greene and Clinton Hill home for generations. Works will hang on the garden gates of the Trilok Fusion Center.
Trilok Fusion Center for Arts, 143 Waverly at Myrtle Avenue
Black Artstory Month features a lineup of FREE programming through the entire month of February. The first event following the artwalk is on Saturday, February 7th. Join us to see contemporary dance company Hammerstep, presented at Ingersoll Community Center in partnership with the Irish Arts Center.
Click HERE for the Artwalk Map
For a full list of events and exhibition locations, please visit: www.myrtleavenue.org/blackartstory/
Co-presenters: BLDG 92, FOKUS, South of the Navy Yard Artists, the Irish Arts Center & New Negress Film Society.
This program is made possible with public funds from the Decentralization Program of the New York State Council on the Arts, administered in Kings County by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).
Super Bowl XLIX, Duel in the Desert. Watch the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots go head to head at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Stop in at any of the Myrtle Avenue businesses offering Super Bowl XLIX to check out the game, viewing opportunities and/or drink and food specials. Here’s a bit of a round up (stay tuned for possible additions by Sunday). Call the businesses directly for further details.
Leisure Life has a wide assortment of clothing and accessories available, including currently, a sale on bow ties.
Leisure Life specializes in quality lifestyle products, from men’s clothing, leather goods, accessories and art. Many of the store’s fashion and art collection are designed by the store owner. The store is a haberdashery men’s club that is inspired in large degree by the owner’s love of vintage fashion and sports memorabilia.
Stop in for yourself, to pick up a gift for a loved one or to just hang out and enjoy– the design, artwork, customer service and backyard are simply lovely! The business hosts regular arts and culture events.
Leisure Life is located at 559 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson Place and Classon Avenue. Stop in or contact the shop at: (347) 725-3167.
Have you tried The Joint on Myrtle‘s kale salad? Oh, the flavors are just incredible! The Joint mixes different add-ins (veggies, grains and nuts) into the nutritional powerhouse veggie for a mouthwatering explosion of colors, textures and flavors. The kale salad this week: tomatoes, pickled radishes, quinoa and a roasted jalapeno vinaigrette.
What’s else is going on at The Joint? Well, check out the other delicious menu items for starters. And LOTS of visual and performance art (monthly celebration series of music and literary art starting on January 31st) and participation in the Myrtle Avenue’s Black Artstory month exhibition.
The Joint of Myrtle is located at 471 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue and Hall Street. Stop in, or give them a call at (347) 763-1455.
We are proud to announce the return of Black Artstory Month for 2014, kicking off on Saturday, February 1st. Taking inspiration from Richard Wright’s Native Son, written in Fort Greene, the 2014 installment of Black Artstory Month is entitled Native Sons and Daughters: Locals, Im(migrants), Expats and Prodigals. Native Sons and Daughters includes FREE exhibitions and performances inspired by the migratory experiences of African Americans, and continues the Black Artstory Month tradition of celebrating the enduring influences and contributions made by African Americans within the visual and performing arts worlds.
Native Sons and Daughters will bring together stories of travel, of exploring identities, of seeking to establish roots and of pursuing ownership of a space and place. While the primary focus is on the African American experiences, these journeys and pursuits are universal—crossing cultural and racial lines. Artists will reflect on this through spoken word, storytelling, music, visual art, and more at locations across Myrtle Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill throughout the month of February.
Visit our calendar for a complete listing of all events, featured artists, programs and venues.
Download the Artwalk/exhibition map here.
Dowload the full events listings here.
Curated by Daonne Huff, the month features a thought-provoking blend of multi-disciplinary artists, media and ideas. Look for events and experiences for all ages created in collaboration with Aisha Cousins, Act Now Foundation, FOKUS, SONYA (South of the Navy Yard Artists), and Try Harder NYC, and for art exhibitions in 10 Myrtle Avenue businesses from more than 20 artists.
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View all Black Artstory Month events on the calendar.
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Vanilla bean topped with vanilla butter cream frosting…
The ultimate trifecta, chocolate, vanilla and red velvet all in one, covered in white chocolate cream cheese dipped in a dark truffle glaze…
The descriptions are SO yummy, the taste is out of this world delicious. And there are so many to choose from cupcakes, custom cakes and other treats.
Stop in at Brooklyn Sweet Spot, the popular confectionary, where the recipes are tried and true family recipes and other perfected goodness with flavors such as Rosalie (vanilla), red velvet, orange dreamsicle, raspberry, poppin’ pistachio, chocolate grand marnier seduction, strawberry lemonade, coconut rum punch, mojito madness and pineapple kiss. The popular ‘Twosday’ specials get you 2 cupcakes for the price of one: $5 will get you two red velvet cupcakes. $3 will get you two of any other kind. Mix and match!
Brooklyn Sweet Spot is located at 366 Myrtle Avenue between Clermont and Adelphi. They can be reached at (718) 522-2577.
The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership is proud to present the 3rd Annual Black Artstory Month, a month-long series of FREE art exhibits, performances, film screenings, and more in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Wallabout, Brooklyn. Black Artstory Month celebrates the enduring influences and contributions made by African Americans within the visual and performing arts worlds. Coinciding with this year’s Black History Month, “Where I’m From: The Black Artstory of Myrtle and Beyond” features themes of time, travel, and transition by over 25 Brooklyn-based artists.
The Partnership is working with co-presenters BLDG 92, FOKUS, the Irish Arts Center, New Negress Film Society and SONYA (South of the Navy Yard Artists).
“This is the highlight of our Arts & Culture programming on Myrtle Avenue. We are excited to create opportunities for local artists and to celebrate and elevate our community’s rich African American history, especially in the arts. Our locally owned businesses join us in the effort to create collaborations with artists and organizations and to introduce new audiences to the Myrtle Avenue artistic & cultural experience” – Meredith Phillips Almeida, Executive Director.
View all Black Artstory Month events on the calendar.
Black Artstory Month’s FREE program highlights include:
Black Artstory Month Artwalk + Opening Party (Visual Art & Music)
Sunday, February 1 , 4-6pm
Artwork by over 25 Brooklyn-based artists will be on view at over thirteen small businesses along Myrtle Avenue between Carlton & Classon Avenues. The art at each location is curated by the following independent curators: Remi Onabanjo, MoCADA, SONYA, Freecandy, Jessica Lynne, Naimonu James, Rasu Jilani, Pratt Institute’s BAKO Tribe and Daonne Huff. Artwork can be viewed during the Artwalk (Feb 1, 4-6pm) and also during regular business hours. Various locations (See Artwalk Map).
Black Artstory Month Opening Party (Music)
Sunday, February 1, 6-9pm
Start February off right with dancing and drinks at the Black Artstory Month Opening Party. Sounds by Flames Baldwin.
Brooklyn Eats, 474 Myrtle Ave between Washington Avenue & Hall Street
Artwalk Map
Black Artstory Month celebrates the contributions that African- Americans have made and are making within the arts community. The series of FREE events includes art exhibits, film screenings, performances & more throughout Black History Month. This program is sponsored, in part by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).
Follow Black Artstory on Instagram
Fort Greene will be getting a new French-inspired restaurant this winter when Gentleman Farmer Fort Greene opens on Myrtle Avenue. The new restaurant is slated to open in February at 378 Myrtle Avenue, between Adelphi Street and Clermont Avenue.
The sit-down restaurant is owned and headed by chef Karim Nounouh. According to Nounouh, the eatery will “offer a seasonal menu that marries traditional French cuisine with fresh and local New World ingredients, with a special focus on game.”
The Myrtle Avenue location will be the second outpost for the Gentleman Farmer team, which opened their first location on the Lower East Side in late 2010. In the past four years, the intimate 20-seat restaurant has become a neighborhood favorite.
Gentleman Farmer’s Fort Greene, 378 Myrtle Avenue, between Adelphi & Clermont. Opening February 2015.
With your tax-deductible contribution, we can continue programs that engage and support local youth, older adults, underserved residents, and local artists. Please click DONATE to make your online gift today. Every penny counts.
Have you attended one of our ribbon cuttings or arts and culture events? Have you shared suggestions at one of our meetings, or worked with us as a vital partner or volunteer on one of our Avenue efforts? If so, we thank you for working with the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project (MARP) and for being an active participant in our community. It is not a stretch to say that many accomplishments on Myrtle Avenue could not have been achieved without your support.
Our small not-for-profit organization depends on the support of neighbors like you. In our very first annual appeal, we are asking for your renewed commitment.
We truly appreciate your generosity!
With your tax-deductible contribution, we can continue programs that engage and support local youth, older adults, underserved local residents and local artists. Please click DONATE to make your online gift today. Every penny counts.
Thank you for believing in the work that we do and best wishes for the New Year!
Polish Bar has moved! They are now open directly across the street from their previous location.
Come in to check out this weeks’ service specials:
Tuesday & Wednesday Polish Bar Mani/Pedi $27
Tuesday & Wednesday Gel Color Mani/Polish Bar Pedi $47
All Week OPI Infinite Shine Manicure & Pedicure $35
All promotions simply require that you book in advance.
Polish Bar of Brooklyn, 475 Myrtle Avenue between Hall & Washington
(718)622-5363
This year, MulchFest is coming to the Myrtle Avenue side of Fort Greene Park!
MulchFest will take place at the Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park entrance of Fort Greene Park on Saturday and Sunday, January 10th and 11th, from 10am-2pm.
MulchFest provides New Yorkers an opportunity to bring their holiday trees to designated sites where they are ground into wood chips. The city will use the chips to nourish tree beds and planting areas, or give you the mulch to take home (just bring a large bag). All lights, ornaments and stands must be taken off of the holiday tree.
The MulchFest chipper in Fort Greene Park is sponsored by NYC Parks & Recreation and the Fort Greene Park Conservancy, in partnership with the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership. Free coffee will be available.
photo: Myrtle Car Service owners
Who says you can’t have lots of FUN and be safe on New Year’s Eve?
Dance the night away with friends and family! Eat drink and be very merry! What’s not to celebrate about the promise and excitement of 2015!
Make sure to have a cab number is your phone to get home safely. Call in the moment or arrange your ride in the advance of the night.
Our car services on Myrtle Avenue offer safe, reliable and fast door-to-door service. Give them a call!
Myrtle Car Service, 525 Myrtle Avenue (rear entrance on Grand), (718) 230-8100
Pratt Car Service, 562 (between Emerson & Classon), (718) 789-4900
Soco Sangia, it’s lovely, delicious, cold and goes down smooth. It’s sugarless, has fresh fruit, lemongrass and thyme-infused wine. It’s on the menu and waiting to be ordered, yumm. Pair it with a special treat Soco’s delicious list of menu items.
Soco is located at 509 Myrtle Avenue between Ryerson & Grand. They can be reached at (718) 783-1936.
Still undecided on your New Years Eve plans? There’s something on Myrtle Avenue for everyone, parties and activities from fam to glam. Check em out, from straight out Old School Party, to glam parties, to the final steam engine blow at Pratt Institute.
Click here for full list of happenings (click regularly keep up-to-date on last minute additions).
If you are drinking this holiday season, use a Designated Driver. And that can include a cab driver. The NYC Department of Transportation has now made it very easy to find the nearest car service to get you home after a night on the town with just two taps of your phone.
The app’s find-a-ride feature uses your phone GPS to identify the closest TLC-registered car services no matter where you are in the 5 boroughs, making it particularly useful in areas where cabs can be had to find at night.
Visit ‘You the Man’ to add app to your Android or iPhone or to read more.
And don’t forget, if you are looking for a car service close to home, Myrtle Car Service and Pratt Car Service offer safe, reliable and fast door-to-door service:
Myrtle Car Service, 525 Myrtle Avenue (rear entrance on Grand), (718) 230-8100
Pratt Car Service, 562 (between Emerson & Classon), (718) 789-4900
Finding the perfect gift for someone isn’t always easy. Many Myrtle Avenue businesses have gift certificates available to their stores which represent an incredible selection of products and services, including restaurants, beauty salons, gift and clothing stores, nail services and more, a gift card is a perfect present.
For the foodies, fashionistas, techies, pet-lovers, shoe-lovers, bikers on your list–Myrtle’s got you covered. Consider picking up a gift card or certificate today.
Visit your favorite Myrtle Avenue store to pick yours up today.
It’s no doubt that we have some of the cutest office visitors (see pic above!). And we suspect that this won’t end anytime soon, considering our recent, um, expansions. BIG CONGRATS to three of our MARP colleagues and their families on the births of Timoteo (born in August), Ida (born in October) and Roslyn (born in November).
So, to all our recent adult visitors who’ve expressed fear of drinking the water at our office, it’s safe again (!), at least for now. 😉
cover and inside photos: Polish Bar of Brooklyn
Whether for a party, a small gathering of friends, a date or part of your weekly or bi-weekly ritual, Myrtle Avenue is where it’s at for beauty. Please walk-in or call for an appointment:
Jenny’s Nails, 154A Vanderbilt Avenue between Myrtle & Willoughby, (646) 591-3136
Mega Nails, 383 Myrtle Avenue between Clermont & Vanderbilt, (718) 596-1383
Nails By Tina, 479 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue & Hall, (718) 636-1212
Polish Bar of Brooklyn, 475 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue & Hall, (718) 622-5363
Polish Nails, 361 Myrtle Avenue between Adelphi & Clermont, (718) 596-6328
Shic By Soketah, 564 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson & Classon, (718) 875-6845/6
Have you tried the delicious ladyfingers at Zaytoons? These rolled phyllo dough sensations are baked to perfection–filled with fresh cashews, drizzled with warm syrup and topped off with pistachio sprinkles.
Guaranteed to be a hit at the holiday party or any time.
Zaytoons is located at 472 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue and Hall Street. They can be reached at (718) 623-5522.
(cover and inside photo: Just Because Salon at 141 Carlton Avenue)
“I think that the most important thing a woman can have- next to talent, of course- is her hairdresser.” (Joan Crawford)
“A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life.” (Coco Chanel)
“Your hair is winter fire,
January embers.
My heart burns there, too. (Stephen King, IT)
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. (Kahlil Gibran)
Hair style is the final tip-off whether or not a woman really knows herself. (Hubert de Givenchy, Vogue, July 1985)
Oh, so many odes to hair. And whether it’s regular hair maintenance, wanting to try something new with it, an upcoming holiday party or a consultation because you’re thinking of a big or small change for the new year — do not hesitate to visit the hair salons on Myrtle Avenue. Straight hair, curly hair, long hair, short hair, dry hair, normal hair, brown hair, blonde hair, purple hair…hey, they’ve got you covered.
549 Myrtle
between Steuben & Emerson
(800) 927-1373
Gloria’s Salon
352 Myrtle
between Carlton & Adelphi
(718) 403-0000
507 Myrtle
between Ryerson & Grand
(718) 237-2815
456 Myrtle
between Waverly & Washington Avenues
(718) 802-9200
158 Hall Street
between Myrtle & Willoughby Avenues
(312) 912-8410
141 Carlton Avenue
between Myrtle & Park
(718) 722-7810
564 Myrtle
between Emerson & Classon
(718) 875-6845/6
563 Myrtle
between Emerson & Classon
(718) 875-6845
The Owl & the Pussycat
154 Vanderbilt Avenue
between Myrtle & Willoughby
(718) 522-5697
The lots shown in orange have new buildings either planned, with permits filed, or are currently under construction.
Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill is seeing quite a number of new buildings proposed for sites that were once parking lots or home to one-story buildings. As of today, there are five buildings either under construction or with permits filed with city’s Department of Buildings. All of these private construction projects will be underway at the same time as the city-funded Myrtle Avenue Pedestrian Plaza is under construction, which broke ground this fall. Below is a summary of where all the new buildings are rising:
523-525 Myrtle Avenue
525 Myrtle Avenue: The former site of Myrtle Car (which can now be found just around the corner in the rear storefront of 519 Myrtle Avenue, facing Grand Avenue) will be transformed from a parking lot to a seven-story mixed-use building. The proposed plans, which have yet to be approved by the DOB, call for a mixed-use building that has 22 residential units, sitting above 2,100 square feet of commercial space. An additional 500 square feet of community facilities space is also proposed.
531 Myrtle Avenue, replacing the former White Castle building.
531 Myrtle Avenue: As previously reported, this corner site that housed White Castle (which closed its doors on 11/25/2014), will see a five-story mixed use building. The plans filed back in May 2014 by architect Karl Fischer, called for 6,000 square feet of ground floor retail, with 27 residential units above. However, a new developer, Greystone & Co., has taken over the project and said that the architect has been replaced, with new building plans not yet submitted. According to The J Companies, the development’s construction managing firm, demolition will begin shortly after New Year with construction beginning in the spring of 2015.
501 Myrtle Avenue, corner of Ryerson Street
501 Myrtle Avenue: This corner property, at Myrtle Avenue and Ryerson Street, is currently home to the one-story Sapolo Restaurant. Plans filed last week with the DOB call for a five-story addition. The additional floors will house 11 residential units, with 1,700 square feet of commercial space remaining on the ground floor. These plans have only been pre-filed with the city and have not yet been approved.
504 Myrtle Avenue: A new building will replace the one-story commercial building that housed the former Pratt Station Post Office, according to building plans filed in late November. Plans called for a six-story building, with 141 residential units, 115 parking spaces and 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail. However, according to Madison Realty Capital, the building plans may change and include a larger number of units that could be added through the city’s inclusionary housing bonus which would set aside a portion of the apartments at “affordable” rents.
490 Myrtle Avenue, corner of Hall Street.
490 Myrtle Avenue: Construction is almost finished at the topped-out seven-story building on the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Hall Street. The building will have 93 residential units, with 19,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space. The ground floor will house the returning Associated Supermarket and a new TD Bank branch.
Myrtle Avenue Pedestrian Plaza: The 25,000 square feet of new pedestrian space on the south side of Myrtle Avenue between Grand Avenue and Emerson Place is under construction. Click here to read all about this $6 million project and the planned construction schedule.
Brrr, baby it’s COLD outside. Stop in at Barking Brown for warm women’s and men’s outwear, such as hats, scarves, gloves and socks. It’s pretty much guaranteed that they will have something to keep you warm, dry, comfortable and stylish for even the coldest days.
Barking Brown is located at 468 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue & Hall Street. Please call (718) 638-3757 for more details.
This photograph, from 1940, is part of New York City’s vast collection of 1940 tax photos. In 1940, the city took on an ambitious project of photographing each tax lot within the city. Fortunately for us, these now historic photographs help us to see how neighborhood looked more than 70 years ago.
The shot here is of Myrtle Avenue, the south side of the street between Waverly and Washington Avenue. The storefront on the right, with all of the small glass panes, is now home to the new Optical Gallery. Next door to the left, today you will find Thai 101 Bistro and Clinton Hill Hardware. The storefronts have changed a lot of the years, and the Myrtle Avenue “el” train is now gone, but what you can still find today is the beautiful cast iron facade at 448 Myrtle Avenue.
Interested in more local history? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to catch our weekly #ThrowbackThursday posts.
