If you have not tried the homemade, freshly squeezed lemonade at John’s Donut & Coffee Shop, you are missing a treat. A pretty tall cups runs less than $2–ice cold, substantial lemon flavor and pre-sweetened.
John’s is a popular old-fashioned neighborhood diner. Affordable, good, hearty meals like eggs, home fries, toast and coffee plus tip for $5.
John’s Donut & Coffee Shop is located at 481 Myrtle Avenue, on the corner of Hall Street. They can be reached at (718) 638-0412.
Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument unveiling, November 14, 1908.
Over a century ago, in 1908, a new Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument was unveiled in the center of Fort Greene Park. The monument commemorates more than 11,000 people who died here in the neighborhood during the Revolutionary War. For seven years during the war, the British held American prisoners aboard ships in Wallabout Bay, where the Brooklyn Navy Yard sits today. Due to lack of hygienic conditions, sanitary food, water and rampant spread of disease, thousands of prisoners lost their lives aboard these ships. Remains of some of those killed aboard the ships were moved to a crypt that sits below the monument.
You can read more about the fascinating history of the prisoners and efforts to memorialize their lost over at “On the Ground History” blog.
From 11/12/14 through 11/18/14, contractors will be excavating and installing catch basins (pictured above) on Myrtle Avenue between Hall and Emerson.
There will be No Parking signs posted on Myrtle Avenue between Hall and Emerson. Truck loading and unloading, as well as passenger pick-up and drop-off are allowed in No Parking areas.
If you have any construction-related questions, please contact the DDC Community Construction Liaison (CCL) Ronnell Madison at myrtleplazaccl@gmail.com or (718) 857-3283.
If you’d like to receive updates on plaza construction and its impacts on Myrtle Avenue, please sign-up here.
ODA Architects, who have designed a new building for the northwest corner of Myrtle and Vanderbilt Avenues, have released a rendering for the new mixed-use building. The building will have 8,100 square feet of new commercial space and 3,200 square feet of community facilities space on the ground floor. Upstairs will be 45 new housing units, spread across 41,000 square feet.
The very contemporary design is a stark contrast to the neighboring 19th-century homes and row buildings found in Wallabout Historic District, which includes the properties sitting just next to the site. It’s also quite different than other new buildings construed on Myrtle Avenue in the past few years, including 379 Myrtle Avenue (which houses Walgreen’s), Pratt Institute’s Myrtle Hall, and 490 Myrtle Avenue which is currently under construction and will be home to the returning Associated Supermarket at Myrtle and Hall Street.
This site is not located within a historic district and is not subject to any design review process with the City.
The Runner will be using their wood fired oven to create classic Thanksgiving dishes.
If you’re looking to not spend Thanksgiving in the kitchen but want to enjoy a traditional holiday meal, then Myrtle Avenue’s restaurants have got you covered. The following restaurants are accepting reservations for Thanksgiving day and can provide you turkey and all the fixings, without all of the work.
Want to enjoy Thanksgiving meal in the comfort of your own home? Check out Myrtle Avenue’s small markets, including Peck’s and Greene-ville, which are offering up prepared food items to-go.
The Runner
The Thanksgiving menu is available as prix fixe per person, or you can place a reservation for a group of 6 or more, for one flat rate. You can view their menu here. The three course meal features soup, turkey, brioche stuffing, housemade cranberry sauce and more than half a dozen sides to choose from. Click here to make your reservation
The Runner, 458 Myrtle Avenue. (718) 643-6500.
Putnam’s Pub & Cooker
Putnam’s has been serving up a traditional Thanksgiving menu in their cozy holiday-decorated space for the past few years. They’ll be offering up the same this year, with a menu that includes the holiday’s mainstays – turkey, stuffing, pie – along with their regular menu and special seasonal cocktails.
Putnam’s Pub & Cooker, 419 Myrtle Avenue. (347) 799-2382
Maggie Brown
Maggie Brown’s chef is preparing a special Thanksgiving menu that includes all of the day’s favorite menu items. The restaurant has been a favorite Thanksgiving Day dining spot in the neighborhood for years.
Maggie Brown, 455 Myrtle Avenue. (718) 643-7001.
If you must leave your bike outside, don’t lock up to the same bike rack day after day, switch locations and look for well lighted and conspicuous places to lock up. ALWAYS lock the bicycle frame to the rack – Don’t just lock the wheel – a thief will leave the wheel locked to the bike rack and steal the rest of your bicycle.
The stronger your lock the longer it will take a bad guy to compromise it, they do not want to risk being caught, so a good quality lock will deter a thief and cause them to seek out an easier opportunity. A good lock buys you time – but even a strong, expensive lock can be compromised by a determined thief. To defend against a determined thief, reduce their opportunity by storing your bike inside at night and when it will not be used for a few days.
To be vigilant and to combat bicycle theft the NYPD has the Operation ID- Bicycle Registration program, call or visit your local precinct and ask to speak with your Crime Prevention Officer to register your bicycle in the program. If you represent a community organization or bicycle rider group, please contact our office via email: Crimeprevention@nypd.org or call (212) 614-6741 to schedule a customized registration drive for your organization.
These tips are courtesy of NYPD Crime Prevention.
Photo: Clinton Hill Simply Art Framing
Every Thursday you can get an instant 50% off any picture frame glass replacement at Clinton Hill Simply Art & Framing Gallery. This means that you can replace or upgrade any picture frame glass, including UV, reflection control, museum glass or acrylic or glazing at 50% off.
Clinton Hill Simply Art & Framing Gallery is located at 583 Myrtle Avenue between Classon and Taaffe. Please call (718) 857-0074 for more details.
There’s nothing like crunching into a delicious fresh fish sandwich at Duncan’s Fish Market. If the combination of the seasoned just right fish and the tangy store-made tartar sauce weren’t enough, at $4.25 the heaping sandwich is extremely affordable. Choose between whiting, porgies and snappers. Lots of tasty sides and desserts including macaroni and cheese, potato salad, string beans, banana pudding and red velvet cake available.
One side of the store is prepared foods. The other side of Duncan’s has fresh seafood, from shrimp, fish, scallops and more.
Duncan’s Fish Market is located at 385 Myrtle Avenue between Clermont and Vanderbilt Avenues, and can be reached by phone at (718) 923-1115.
UPDATE: DDC indicated that no work is scheduled for this week in order to “resolve unforeseen field conditions.”
If you have any construction-related questions, please contact the DDC Community Construction Liaison (CCL) Ronnell Madison at myrtleplazaccl@gmail.com or (718) 857-3283.
If you’d like to receive updates on plaza construction and its impacts on Myrtle Avenue, please sign-up here.
Photo: Try Harder NYC exhibition at Gnarly Vines, 2014
We are seeking paintings, drawings, photography and works on paper to present in our 3rd Annual Black Artstory Month exhibition series. Selected works will be featured in exhibitions at 10 businesses on Myrtle Avenue from February 1-28, 2015. This year, we’ve brought on curator Ali Rosa-Salas to spearhead program development for the entire month. The theme, “Where I’m From: The Black Artstory of Myrtle and Beyond,” will celebrate the centuries-long black arts tradition on Myrtle Avenue and its surrounding areas. We are currently seeking visual art that explores the concepts of time, travel, time-travel, and transition.
Please submit the following materials by November 30, 2014 to Ali Rosa-Salas, alsalas08@gmail.com, ATTN: Black Artstory Month Submission:
*Application materials must be submitted in a zip file or PDF*
1. Brief Artist Statement
2. Resume/CV
3. Up to 4 artwork images with index listing title, medium, and dimensions for each piece.
Selected works must be ready to hang.
For more information and to submit please contact Black Artstory Month organizer Ali Rosa-Salas: alsalas08@gmail.com.
Peck’s Pecan Pie.
Already thinking about the delicious Thanksgiving meal you’re going to enjoy at the end of the month? And already dreading all of the grocery shopping, cooking, and clean-up? Don’t despair, because Myrtle Avenue’s shops and restaurants will help you enjoy your favorite holiday dishes without all of the hassle. You can also find a list of Myrtle Avenue restaurants that will be serving a special Thanksgiving dinner menu over here.
Jive Turkey at Greene-ville Market – Only A Few More Left (as of 11/24/2014)!
If you’re like us, you miss former Myrtle Avenue restaurant Jive Turkey all year, and the longingness for their delicious deep-fried Turkey just grows even more each November. After becoming a Clinton Hill favorite, life ended up taking Jive Turkey to Chicago, where they quickly reopened shop and fortunately, for us, have begun selling their turkeys nationally. You can still grab their turkey’s in the neighborhood just in time for Thanksgiving at Greene-ville in Brooklyn. Contact Greene-ville for the full details on when you can pick your your prepared, deep-fried turkey at this Myrtle Avenue grocer.
Greene-Ville Market, 373 Myrtle Avenue, between Adelphi & Clermont. (718) 222-3733
Peck’s – Order by November 20th!
The specialty food shop has already posted their full Thanksgiving menu, which you can pre-order from starting today through November 20. Everything is available, from full organic turkeys ($6.99/lb), to sides (including stuffing, potato gratin, cranberry sauce – all $8), to the breads (including corn muffins $9/dozen), and even dessert (pies $35/each). Or you can make it very simple and choose their Thanksgiving Dinner Bundle for 4, which includes an entire meal for $230. Visit Peck’s in person or on their Facebook page to get full menu and ordering details.
Peck’s, 455A Myrtle Avenue, between Waverly & Washington. (347) 689-4969
Brooklyn Eats, the upcoming comfy ping pong eatery located at 474 Myrtle Avenue which specializes in delicious dishes priced at $8 to $12, plans a November 13th opening.
A 10/18 restaurant tasting featured a few of the restaurant’s menu offerings, including Chef Coughlan’s 3-cheese mac & cheese, fried pickles, hearty red bean chili and stuffed mushroom. Ping pong table action was in full effect.
Ping Pong table at Brooklyn Eats. Photo Credit: Fort Greene Focus.
If owner, Paul Perez, Sr., above, looks familiar it’s because he’s born and raised in Fort Greene (Cumberland Hospital) and is co-owner of Myrtle Avenue’s Energy Fuel Restaurant. Paul is very passionate about the neighborhood, including investing in it. If Chef Coughlan looks familiar, you may have had a chance to taste and love his delicious fare at Park Slope’s now defunct, Fort Reno.
Keep your eye on the blog as there is lots more to report as we inch closer to opening day.
Brooklyn Eats is located at 474 Myrtle Avenue between Washington Avenue and Hall Street.
From left to right: Brooklyn Eats owners Paul Perez, Jr., Paul Perez, Sr. and Carmen Nunez with Chef Tim Coughlan, 2nd from left.
Cover Image (seen on homepage) Credit: Fort Greene Focus.
A delicious lunch at Waza Sushi & Ramen ranges from $4 to $15. Popular lunch bento boxes consist of miso soup, salad, shumai, California rolls and your choice of a great number of entrees, including salmon, tofu, shrimp, chicken, beef teriyaki, tuna, beef negimaki and lots more! Substitute brown rice for white fro a just a dollar more.
Filling and yummy.
Waza Sushi & Ramen is located at 485 Myrtle Avenue between Hall and Ryerson and can be reached at 718.399.3839.
Oh, those hand rolled and freshly baked on premises bagels! Can’t get enough of them, and they are at Bergen Bagels on Myrtle. Bergen Bagels is located at 536 Myrtle Avenue between Grand and Steuben. Stop in and grab breakfast and lunch faves, such as the lox, tomato and cream cheese bagel above which is steal at $3.65.
Bergen Bagels offers baked goods, coffee, appetizers, coldcuts, and gourmet salads. Bergen Bagels makes their bagels and breads, muffins and cream cheeses from scratch. Bergen Bagels does not use preservatives in their products. All baking and preparation is done on premises. Catering orders are also available.
Bergen Bagels is located at 536 Myrtle Avenue between Grand and Steuben and can be reached at (718) 789-9300.
photo credit: Brooklyn Magazine
A recent 10/29 article by Brooklyn Magazine votes Charnier Corey, owner of Leisure Life NYC, the men’s clothing, leather goods, accessories and art boutique located at 559 Myrtle Avenue, one of Brooklyn’s 50 top fashion influencers.
The article features the most fashion forward amongst us who it says are “making a mark in the world of fashion and just the world in general” and those who are “proving that while there may be no singular ‘Brooklyn look,’ there is still an awful lot to look at coming out of Brooklyn.”
Early this month, Leisure Life was voted the coolest by business and technology news website, Business Insider.
Leisure Life’s designs, many by the store’s owner, are largely inspired his love of vintage fashion and sports memorabilia.
Leisure Life is located at 559 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson Place and Classon Avenue. Stop in or call (347) 725-3167.
Oh, yes, it’s that time of year again. The NYC Marathon will pass through the neighborhood this coming Sunday on November 2nd!
Of course we’ll see some familiar faces running again this year (former Executive Director Blaise Backer) and brand new faces running the race this year (including Gerry Rooney, owner of Putnam’s Pub & Cooker).
Gerry is creatively using his inaugural marathon race as an opportunity to invite fellow neighborhood runners back to Putnam’s for free massages and desserts after the race on Sunday. Putnam’s will have drink and food specials all night long for everyone, as well as a masseuse on hand to help racers work out the aches and soreness from the race.
Also, there are plenty of other options for pre-Marathon and post-Marathon excitement on Myrtle Avenue!
With Myrtle Avenue being just a few blocks away from the marathon course at Lafayette Avenue as well as at Bedford Avenue, it’s ideal for grabbing brunch before or after the runners pass through the neighborhood.
Check out a complete Myrtle Avenue dining directory for many other fantastic choices.
To all the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill 2014 Marathon racers out there: CONGRATS and very best!
Hey Kids & Parents: Join A Kid’s Dream Hair Salon for a ‘Spooktacular Halloween Party’ on Halloween, Friday, 10/31 from 6pm-9pm– dancing, food, games, music, toys, sweet treats and costume contest. $5 entrance fee, party people.
Costume Contest:
1st Place: 50% off services, which include mani, pedis, candy facials and more; 2nd Place: 25% off services; 3rd Place: 10% off services.
Call A Kid’s Dream to reserve a space or for more of the spooktacular details: 800.927.1373 or check out their website, akidsdreamnyc.com.
A Kid’s Dream is located at 549 Myrtle Avenue between Emerson and Steuben. Please call 800.927.1373 for more details.
Please click to read about additional Myrtle Avenue Halloween activities here.
How does one ensure that the input of older adults is included in important, Myrtle Avenue-specific initiatives and programs? Ask them! This isn’t a new concept, but certainly a very necessary one. With 5 neighborhood older adult focus groups completed, 5 more scheduled, and a commercial corridor of merchants primed to offer specials and perks to older adults, it’s exactly what the we’ve been doing as we look to designate Myrtle Avenue as one of the city’s next Aging Improvement Districts.
We want to hear from you – what do older adults need to lead productive lives in the communities where they live? Give us a call at 718-230-1689 or email info@myrtleavenue.org for more information.
About Age Friendly Myrtle Avenue
Age Friendly Myrtle Avenue aims to create safe, inviting, engaging places for older adults in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill communities. The first phase of this work includes information gathering through community consultations with residents, businesses, and service providers. With this information, MARP, in partnership with a Community Advisory Board, will develop a set of strategies that will lead to new senior programming, services, and general awareness to their needs, designating Myrtle Avenue as an Aging Improvement District.
MARP is grateful for the support of the New York Academy of Medicine the New York Community Trust in our efforts to engage and serve our community of older adults.
Artists – are you intrigued by ‘what’s behind the gates’ at the Brooklyn Navy Yard? BLDG 92’s Visiting Artist Program grants access to artists who wish to use the Yard—both the site itself and the heritage it holds—as inspiration for the creation of work on-site in any medium including, but not limited to, photography, painting, music, dance, sculpture and writing. This program is offered once per year, and the duration is flexible. Applications are available now, with a deadline of 11/24/2014. BLDG 92 is holding an information session on 10/30/14 from 3-5pm, and interested applicants are encouraged to attend. Click here to read about past visiting artists and their works.
Photo (above): 2013 Brooklyn Navy Yard Visiting Artist Jackie Weisberg.
Photo (main page): 2013 Brooklyn Navy Yard Visiting Artist Travis MaGee.
The Department of Design and Construction (DDC) just released a Community Advisory Notice for Thursday, 10/30. Water service on Myrtle Avenue between Waverly and Classon will be interrupted at approximately 7am and turned back on as late at 4pm.
If you have any construction-related questions, please contact the DDC Community Construction Liaison (CCL) Ronnell Madison at myrtleplazaccl@gmail.com or (718) 857-3283.
If you’d like to receive updates on plaza construction and its impacts on Myrtle Avenue, please sign-up here.
After years of advocacy work by MARP, NYC DOT completed its own safety plan for Brooklyn’s Park Avenue in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.
Following the release of MARP’s Park Avenue Pedestrian Safety Plan, DOT released its official plan to improve safety. Last month, DOT began to implement that plan with the installation of bollards along select parking area exits to reduce conflicts with pedestrians. Over the past two weeks, DOT completed the plan, including the:
The above changes follow previous improvements, also completed by DOT:
In addition to MARP, many groups played a part in this victory for street safety. We would like to thank Architecture for Humanity, Pratt Institute, the Design Trust for Public Space, the Park Avenue Safety Advisory Committee, Greene Hill School, Brooklyn Community Board Two, and the 1,100 people who signed our petition. This work would not have been possible without strong community support.
Of course, there is still more to do to help make Park Avenue safer. We will continue to advocate for additional safety enhancements that require capital funds, such as reconfiguring the “Crossover” at Grand Avenue and repairing the areas under the elevated BQE.
Burger and fries from The Runner.
Don’t delay. This is the last week of Dine in Brooklyn, and if you snooze, you’ll most certainly lose (at least at these incredible prix fixe prices). The Runner, Lola Brooklyn, Five Spot Soul Food & Supper Club, Los Pollitos III, Zaytoons, Maggie Brown and Mojito Cuban Cuisine are just a few of the Myrtle Avenue area mainstays + one newbie (The Runner), but also very much a goodie, serving up delicious multi-course fare. $25 for dinner nd 2-for-$15 prix fixe lunches. Check out the Dine in BKLYN website for a complete list of participants and menu details: http://dineinbklyn.com/.
The Great PUPkin at Fort Greene Park. Image Source: PUPS.
Halloween is always a blast on and around Myrtle Avenue. Adult-, child- and family- friendly activities abound. Over 15 Halloween happenings from October 25 to 31st, check them out. Hope to see you on the Avenue: enjoy!
From kid’s Spooktacular party at A Kid’s Dream, to Halloween Rum tasting at Gnarly Vines, to Halloween festival at Trilok, to Halloween-themed trivia night and Thriller dance contest at Putnam’s, to sexiest costume contest at Five Spot, to craziest leggings and t-shirt dance and yoga classes at Move w/Grace, to pumpkin carving and costume contests at Maggie Brown and The Emerson Bar, to candy giveaway stops at Myrtle Car Service, Just Because Salon, Klevor, Corkscrew Wines, Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Polish Bar of Brooklyn and Tipsy, to the Fort Greene Park Conservancy and PUP’s annual Halloween Festival plus doggie costume contest…you are bound to have a BOO-tiful time on and around Myrtle Avenue.
Here’s a full list of Halloween happenings up and down Myrtle Avenue, October 25 thru October 31. Click each for details, and please check in regularly for any additions.
In addition to all of the textiles, textures and treats which is Jill Lindsey, did you know the store is also a café? Stop in for delicious pick-me-up coffee and tea morning brews, tasty baked treats and now lunch–like the citrus salad, chickpeas, feta and chili salad and almond torte pictured above. Each day features different delicious items, so please stop in!
Jill Lindsey is located at 370 Myrtle Avenue between Clermont and Adelphi and can be reached at (347) 987-4538.
