Banker St.
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July 25, 2007
July 23, 2007
Vinnie's Pizzeria: a model for changing neighborhoods
This is about a Williamsburg establishment, but I use it since I have no good Greenpoint one just yet.
Let me go on the record as saying that our house hates Anna Maria's Pizzeria on 7th and Bedford. Hates it. Last possible destination for pizza, ever. Too greasy, for one, but for two - the guys that work there are horrible. Rude, imperious, slow. I know that their customer base consists of individuals who are, for the most part, rude, obnoxious and demanding, but not all of them are. If you don't want to serve the local population then move somewhere else.
On the other hand, further down Bedford between 8th and 9th is Vinnie's. Better pizza. Less people. People who work there are human. Vinnie's, however, had a major strike against it: they closed at an hour unspeakably early for the Bedford corridor - 8 or 9 pm.
Things started looking up for Vinnie's earlier this year when they installed an ATM that only charged 99 cents. And then, one day, the boyfriend came home and said, "Someone new is working at Vinnie's." How did he know this? Signage indicating NEW LATE HOURS! VEGAN FRIENDLY! BE CREATIVE IN YOUR TOPPINGS! The later hours - not 3am, just midnight - meant that Vinnie's is a realistic dinnertime or post-concert alternative for us, as well as for the hundreds of people who get off the L train and walk down Bedford to go home. The people for whom dinnertime is not 5pm, or 6pm, but 7, 8, 9pm (or later). People who also likely despise Anna Maria's, and once they find an alternative, won't patronize them ever again.
Now, Vinnie's is still Vinnie's. Locals who came in for their tray of lasagne for a family event can still get all of that. And if you act like a jerk, they'll treat you like one. They didn't need to stop being Vinnie's. But with a small adjustment, the business can still be viable, and make that Bedford Ave. rent. More importantly, a member of the neighborhood will still be able to stick around, instead of being driven out.
And I won't even go on a rant about how ludicrous it is that you can't get pizza after 8pm in Greenpoint.
Brooklyn Blogade shout-out
Although I think Miss Heather is super-awesome, the whole idea of a bunch of bloggers sitting around talking about themselves was generally less than appealing. Which is why I haven't made it to a previous blogger summit; I mean, the Times may have been snarky about it, but - come on, with good cause. (That doesn't mean that I don't think bloggers and blogging is pointless - quite the contrary. Um, yeah.)
So I was thrilled that Sunday's event in Greenpoint was outstanding. I was not familiar with every blogger or every blog; there was a diverse group of subjects presented; and the bloggers themselves were diverse (e.g., not a bunch of young white kids just out of college and new to NYC). Having Kevin Walsh from Forgotten NY there to present some North Brooklyn tidbits was also a great touch. And the food was FANTASTIC.
The next one is in Bed-Stuy in September. I'll be there.
July 19, 2007
new noise regulations
After the most recent incident with Studio B crowds, we received something very interesting in the mail. It is a request from the city for more information, and gives us an option to have them come to our house to check noise levels during the time the club is open - they actually ask you what time the noise generally occurs and that they can come to our house to measure it.
Either it's about the new noise regs, or other people have complained and they're one step away from issuing citations to the club.
Or both.
[Just be a good neighbor. Every other bar in New York City has a sign saying, Please respect our neigbhors and enforces it. This goes for the rest of the Greenpoint newcomers.]
July 17, 2007
the greenpoint hotel
I'm adding this here as a public service, because people Google for it all the time. It shows up in backpacker guides as reliable budget lodging, and it shouldn't (I'm not sure it ever should have).
IF YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE GREENPOINT HOTEL, YOU DO NOT WANT TO STAY THERE. It is not safe, and I don't say that about much of NYC. Go to the Greenpoint YMCA instead. They have a hostel. I've had friends stay there dozens of times. It's perfectly fine, and the price is unbeatable.
I have this photo because I used to work in real estate and one of our landlords (who owns many loft buildings all over Brooklyn) also owns this hotel, and their office was in the hotel. So I had to go there to pick up leases and keys and drop off checks. Never ever took clients there (which they could never understand). I'd have them meet me at the Ash Box instead.
July 15, 2007
food and drink update
1) Key Food Offering Delivery: In addition to a marked increase in hours, they are now offering delivery, for a $4 charge. That would make it well worth your time if you did not have a car. They are also trying to offer more prepared meals. I know some people have issues with Key Food, but I still find it a more satisfactory shopping experience than the Garden or anywhere else.
2) The Black Rabbit: I saw this establishment listed on a recent Greenpoint map, and didn't notice it in real time until tonight, driving the boyfriend back from Woodside. The listing I saw said indicated it was also a restaurant, but research has proved that it has food but is essentially a bar. I don't want to say, "Just what we need, another bar," but that's exactly what I'm thinking right now. We.do.not.need.another.bar. I do not want Greenpoint turning into the Lower East Side, where people come from outside of the neighborhood and take over the neighborhood with inconsiderate noise and thoughtlessness every night.
3) On that note, the bar across the street from us on Franklin St. is now open. I don't know what it's called; the sign just has a picture of a diamond on it. We keep meaning to go in, and at some point will actually get around to it.
4) Brooklyn Label has umbrellas for its outside seating now. However, the liquor license has not shown up yet. We have gotten over our need to eat there every weekend as well as once or twice during the week, especially when the prices went up, the weekday menu got stripped down, and the food quality dropped a bit. Don't get me wrong, I am still thrilled they are in my neighborhood, and still have a love affair with the Chili Colorado - I just think that on some level they are not quite hitting the target for every other day in the week that is not Saturday or Sunday brunch. For example, for a while they were offering Steak Frites for about $13 or $14, and it was *excellent*. That's the kind of thing I'd like to see on a regular basis, at a price I believe is reasonable for that item.
On some level, I appreciate that the weekday menu items are cheaper than the same items on the weekend, but since I live here and know this, it kind of irks me that I am paying more for the same thing when I am there for brunch. What I would appreciate is more selection during the week at a more reasonable price. One final tip: if you are ever there during the week and are attracted to the specials, be sure to ask what the price is BEFORE you order it.
I did not mean to turn this into the Brooklyn Label blog entry.
5) Cafecito is going to start offering an arepa menu next week! There's a press reception next Friday I am unable to attend, but it sounds super-yummy and might eliminate fruitless trips out to Jackson Heights in search of the Arepa Lady.
July 09, 2007
the weekend at Studio B
FRIDAY NIGHT
The boyfriend was coming back from a work event, and had phoned when he was leaving. About an hour and a half later, I'm starting to be concerned that he's not home yet, combined with being concerned about the noise from the street outside. There's more than the usual volume of murmuring, loud shouting, bottles being thrown, traffic backing up.
I'm about to pick up the phone to call 311, when I hear a key in the door. The boyfriend had been home for about half an hour, but was on the corner monitoring the shouting and bottle breaking. 311 told him that he had to call 911 because of the bottle throwing. The boyfriend also noted that everyone from inside the club appeared to be on the sidewalk.
The cops did show up about 20 minutes later but at that point the crowd had dissipated and the bottle breakers had headed elsewhere.
SATURDAY NIGHT
We came back from babysitting my niece and nephew in Jersey around 2am (their parents had gone to Live Earth). Banker St. was as busy as it would be at 8pm on a Friday night. Cabs are pulling up and discharging people on the corner every few minutes. We are trying to unload the car with a SUV impatiently waiting for us to move away from the trunk so they can pull up to the bumper and park behind us. I stood on the sidewalk waiting for the SUV to park, because it was full of girls wearing club gear, and didn't trust them to not ding the car.
It wasn't that hot but we shut the windows and turned on the air conditioning because in the hour it took us to get ready for bed, the noise was ridiculous. People standing in the middle of the street hugging. People having conversations for 10 minutes as they get into a cab, blocking traffic, causing drivers to honk. Etc.
Sunday morning, the street was full of trash. i mean, FULL OF TRASH. At first I thought that one of the newly-supplied city garbage cans that stand on the corners of Banker St. and Franklin St. had blown over, but they were there (and full to the gills). The street was full of hundreds and hundreds of club postcard fliers EVERYWHERE. Studio B has gotten good about cleaning up the sidewalk right in front of the club, but the residual trash that goes down the block to 239 Banker (which is unoccupied) and the industrial properties across the street are now accumulating trash after busy nights as well.
Some calls to 311 are on the list for today.