Archive for November, 2008
Posted by mamacita
November 21, 2008 at 8:26 pm · Filed under Groceries/Bodegas, Uncategorized
You don’t have to be a vegan to love this healthy little legume. Edamame is a Japanese cuisine staple that when steamed and sprinkled with a bit of sea salt or tossed into a stir fry is a protein packed delight. Well we’re not the only ones hooked on it. It seems Carmen can “eat the hell out of this stuff and would love to be able to run out and buy some” close to her apartment. We know that Trader Joe’s has it, but that is a bit far away if you go through a bag as quickly as Carmen contests, so where can a girl get her fix?
Kelton Flencher suggest Key Foods on 7th and Quigley names Key Food on 5th, Associated on 5th, Union Market and 5th Ave Deli. Honorable out of bounds mentions go to Costco and Fairway, but where do you get your edamame? Let us know in the comments or join the discussion on the Park Slope message board.
Posted by mamacita
November 21, 2008 at 7:50 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
We claimed they were opening yesterday, we were sadly wrong. However, a quick call today has lifted our spirits. Yes! Baluchi’s Indian Food is open! Free delivery in the Slope with a take out/delivery special of $15 for an appetizer, entree, basmati rice, nan bread, and their great yogurt and chutney sauces.Â
Baluchi’s Indian Food
310 5th Ave. (BTW 2nd and 3rd St.)
Call (718) 832-5555 to order
Let us know what you think!
Posted by mamacita
November 21, 2008 at 5:16 pm · Filed under Groceries/Bodegas
Thanksgiving is almost here and if you haven’t started your grocery list we suggest you get to it! SweetTea is already planning for next Thursday’s feast and as a new coop member would like to know how long she should wait to buy her turkey:
it’s my first year as a coop member, and i’d like to get my (small-ish) thanksgiving turkey there. i gather from the newsletter that you don’t order the turkey in advance. on the one hand, I’m guessing it’s a bad idea to wait until wednesday night to go buy one, but on the other hand, I’d like to minimize the amount of time i have to store the beast.
Anyone have experience on how quickly the suckers sell out?
Pitu, a long time coop member, offered this advice:
From past experience, the small ones go first – but even that varies from year to year depending on how many small ones the purveyors supply.
According to NYkittyNY the coop already has 3 different kinds of turkeys in stock, in all sizes. She also had a chance to speak with the buyer for the market:
I spoke to the guy there who was in charge of ordering them, and he advised to get my turkey by at least the weekend, unless I was hoping to get a heritage bird, which wont be in till next week. (At $3.99 per pound, they are an excellent deal compared to elsewhere, but still pricey.)
Sounds like this weekend will be a busy one at the coop. Do you have turkey shopping experiences to share? Join the discussion over on coop turkey talk.
Posted by CriticalTodd
November 21, 2008 at 12:23 pm · Filed under Services
Gowanus Lounge just posted a couple of not-so-nice stories from Park Slope Parents about recent visits to the Methodist Hospital ER. This would come as no surprise to Carmen who posted about her trip to the ER in April:
…I was kind of mortified that the PA was pressuring me into treatment when the plastic surgeon told me I didn’t need them. He was very brief when speaking to me and didn’t look me in the eye once. He basically threw my paperwork at me and walked out the door, at which point I asusmed I was done and left.
While in discharge, I heard the woman next to me complaining that a nurse had said “no wonder you’re on so many pills” when she complained about the tightness of the ID bracelet. Is this place ALWAYS like this? I’m really considering writing a letter to the hospital about my experience (excellent with the plastic surgeon, but terrible with everyone else,) …
Have any experiences, good, bad, or ugly to share? Check them in here: Park Slope Message Board – Methodist hospital ER- not nice! :: Brooklynian.com
Posted by mamacita
November 20, 2008 at 8:39 pm · Filed under Shopping
Local artist and regular Brooklynian member Trainsmoke DeLeon is looking for an ‘intangible gift’ to give. Hum? Interesting. Tis the season and what better way to show you care then by giving present like a membership to a cultural institution or perhaps a subscription to a favorite magazine? Sweettea suggested a membership to Brooklyn Botanical Gardens while Peanuts went for a more personal touch:
Personal Training Sessions; Massage or any other beauty treatment the person may like; tickets to a show/concert; gift certificate to a restaurant
The most interesting idea came from UrbanCowgirl who gave her boyfriend his own Italian olive tree fromNudo. What’s Nudo, you ask?
Nudo is an olive grove. And part of it can be yours.
Adopt one of its trees for a year and you’ll receive all the produce from your tree. Imagine dunking your bread in your own oil from your own tree thousands of miles away on a hillside in Italy.
Want to hear more suggestion for intangible gifts? Check out the Brooklynian Park Slope message board.
Posted by mamacita
November 20, 2008 at 8:00 pm · Filed under Restaurants
Though we had hoped this long awaited Indian food chain was opening tonight, alas we are out of luck. Latest word from the employees I talked to tonight was that it may be opening tomorrow. From the looks of the unassembled kitchen I’m guessing it’s more like next week. Sorry to get your hopes up folks.
Posted by mamacita
November 20, 2008 at 12:57 pm · Filed under Shopping
Pescadarians take note, recommendations on where to catch the freshest fish are pouring in thanks to Gretel who lives near C-Town on 9th, but wasn’t sure if “that is an ok place to buy fish?” Veets fills us in on the C-Town fish facts:
I have bought fish at C Town on 9th street for years and have had no problem They sell a lot of product and the men behind the counter are constantly cleaning and filleting so assuming that the fish come in there fresh (which is a big assumption in any fish store) and are handled properly once they arrive should be ok to buy there. At least that is how I justify it. It is a convenience to not have to go to another store just to buy fish when I am grocery shopping.
Idlewild also chimes in with a few great suggestions:
My first choice is Blue Moon at the GAP Farmer’s Market. After that it’s either Fairway or the Korean’s on 7th Ave between 2nd st and 3rd (corner of 3rd).
Other notable mentions go to Fairway in Red Hook, Fish Tales on Court St, Union Market on 7th Ave, and that “Japanese place on 7th b/t 4th and 5th.” Have a favorite place you like to shop for seafood? Join the discussion on Brooklynian Park Slope message board.
Posted by CriticalTodd
November 20, 2008 at 11:45 am · Filed under Restaurants
Local Indian restaurant chain Baluchi’s is opening up its doors in the Slope today (for takeout at least) over on Fifth Avenue and 3rd Street. There’s a lot of gushing going on at the discussion boards:
ljnd: I have friends from Mumbai, fabulous cooks, who swear by them. I’ve taken friends from Rome and London there – they’ve loved it – and my 10 year old is nuts about it. (But she’ll eat anything with chickpeas.) I’m so excited about this! And they have a website which permits you to place orders online, so when that’s up and running, I am in deep trouble….
peanutbuttercup: OMGOD THAT IS AMAZING
doublediamond: Finally, good Indian in the hood!
Add your own Baluchi’s praise here: Park Slope Message Board – Baluchi’s Indian on 5th Ave opening this week!!!! :: Brooklynian.com
Posted by CriticalTodd
November 20, 2008 at 9:39 am · Filed under Shopping
Need a cart for shopping, moving heavy items, or just hobo’ing around? The Brooklynian.com board’s got you covered.
Poster LJND recommends http://premiercarts.com/ which seems a bit overkill, as Blonkers points out:
If you just want one of the folding carts, you can usually find them at larger hardware, and grocery stores. The big supermarkets in NYC all sell them. They are really a great thing to have in the city for taking your laundry and doing your grocery shopping and they fold up for easy storage in small apartments.
Hate carts? Love carts? Need carts? Discuss it all here: Park Slope Message Board – Shopping Cart/Trolley? :: Brooklynian.com
Posted by Joha
November 19, 2008 at 11:07 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Last week was report card week, and parents in Park Slope were debating the age old question of how or if they should reward their children’s good report cards. Do they give them cash prizes, a special dinner or a big smile and a pat on the back? Naturally there are different schools of thought on this parenting issue. Here are some excerpts from the discussion:
Testiculon: “I use the good report card as an opportunity to tell my daughter how proud I am to be her Dad. I can tell from her face that that is a huge reward.”
xlizellx: “i’m a public school teacher, and i would def. encourage parents to spend time with their kids as the reward rather than give them stuff.”
ringrunner: “I gave them a coupon for 30 cents off a bag of chips“
How do you reward your kids for a good report card? Park Slope Message Board – Brooklynian.com
Posted by Joha
November 11, 2008 at 3:45 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
If you thought Park Slope was all about baby boutiques and fancy frogo, think again. Park Slope has found it’s edge in the form of Forgotten Championship Wrestling, a group committed to restoring the integrity to fake wrestling. These guys want to bring wrestling back to it’s Ric Flair era heydays, “When the fans believed in the wrestlers and when the wrestlers bled, it meant something not just a match where there has to be blood.” Fight night is this Saturday at the already edgy Brooklyn Lyceum.
Discussion goes here: Park Slope Message Board – Pro Wrestling Anyone? :: Brooklynian.com
Posted by Yawp
November 11, 2008 at 1:52 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
“It seriously pisses me off when I wake up at 3 a.m., freezing my balls off. I’ve called him numerous times, but I keep getting this feeling that he thinks I’m lying for some reason.”
This testimonial comes from a discussion at Brooklynian.com. As the quote illustrates, the coming winter can be one of dread for those unfortunate Park Slopers at the mercy of unsympathetic landlords.
Daily Slope is here to help.
According to the New York City Housing Maintenance Code, between Oct. 1 and May 31, a landlord must provide an adequate amount of heat (at least 68 degrees) from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. when the temperature outside falls below 55. If a landlord fails to comply with the code, he or she is in violation of what is called the “warranty of habitability.â€
“Every residential lease agreement in New York carries with it an implied warranty that the premises are suitable for human habitation,†one law coordinator for Legal Services for New York City told The New York Times. The first step in dealing with a landlord in breach of the warranty is to call the heat hot line: 212-960-4800. A tenant has several other options, too. One would be to withhold the rent. Don’t worry, if your landlord takes you to court, he won’t have a leg to stand on because he’s not in compliance with the code.
Another option would be to apply for a “rent reduction order†from the Division of Housing and Community Renewal. Yet another option entails taking your disreputable landlord’s ass to housing court.
We like the last option best.
Is your landlord withholding the warmth? Share your story at Brooklynian.com.
Posted by admin
November 8, 2008 at 11:21 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Somehow we missed the news that Barrio Restaurant now has a Bingo thing going on every Tuesday night at 6 pm (210 7th Avenue, corner of 3rd). Hipsters and parents, take note of your respective “safe†times: there is a “Kids and Families†bingo at 6 pm, and “Adult Bingo†starting at 8PM, with prizes to include t-shirts, games, and “festive cocktails†(for the over 21 crowd).
Bingo isn’t new to Park Slope. There is a well-lit basement bingo parlor on 5th Avenue in Park Slope. At least one “hipster bingo†night seems to have faded into obscurity. And of late, we have been proud to play Palin Bingo, homegrown by madman, a regular on Brooklynian.com.
At one point, online bingo could be played for fun and profit, but the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGA), passed in 2006, essentially prevented online gambling in New York, so that’s certainly one factor that could be driving the occasional resurgence of bingo popularity in Park Slope.
Posted by Joha
November 7, 2008 at 2:49 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
An observation made by Old Time Brooklyn that 7th ave. stores and restaurants in Park Slope seemed unusually dead this week seemed to be consistent with what locals are saying about their recent spending habits. Some comments from the thread “Has Everyone Stopped Shopping?”:
bohuma: “Stopped for everything except essentials. Don’t go out for dinner, cook at home. Brown bag my lunch.”
bullyboy: “We buy groceries. That’s about it.”
WhyFi: “I work in a retail environment, and the pace has certainly slowed…People seem hesitant, waiting to see if we’ve really hit bottom or not, and whether there’s some stability is around the corner. I don’t think that there needs to be a rebound before people start opening the wallets, but they do want to know that it’s not going to get any worse.”
Are you cutting back on the luxuries you once enjoyed? Share your penny pinching ways on Park Slope Message Board – Has everyone stopped shopping? :: Brooklynian.com
Posted by Joha
November 6, 2008 at 4:30 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
A first time poster stopped by the forum this week seeking advice on how to deal with a downstairs neighbor who finds the time to complain about every sound she makes.
japes317: “My fiance and I moved into our apartment in July. In the 3.5 months that have passed since then, we’ve come to find out that we have a downstairs neighbor who is out of her mind.”
The downstairs neighbor reportedly has come to japes317’s door on numerous occasions and tried to get inside the apartment to see what was “going on” as the cause of the noise. To avoid those situations the poster gave the neighbor her number, and has since had to deal with frequent calls of complaint. She wants out of her lease and has turned to the boards for advice. hitokiri was first to offer advice on how to fight back the old fashioned way:
“If she tries to force her way into your apt again, give her a good palm to the nose…If you want to get even more childish, put some guerrilla glue into the key holes of her door lol“
There’s also plenty of grown up style advice in the thread as well regarding ways someone can get out from under a lease of doom. Only the lucky have never had to read up on what to do about a crappy neighbor, so the collective knowledge of the community has been pooled together in this thread. Be prepared: Park Slope Message Board – Insane woman downstairs…can I get out of my lease??? Help! :: Brooklynian.com
Posted by Joha
November 5, 2008 at 4:25 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
The partying in the streets that erupted all over the city last night showed up in Park Slope as well.
MichaelKeys: “It was New Year’s and the Yankees AND Mets winning the World Series all rolled into one here in Brooklyn!”
caaahyoko: “I had the most wonderful bike ride home from Southpaw to Bushwick. The party in the streets extended all the way and my bell got a workout with all the celebratory ringing. As I passed through all those neighborhoods it felt like a sticky cloud of cynicism had lifted into the atmosphere and dissipated.”
Of course it wasn’t all roses for the liberal minded Park Slope bacchanalians. Dismay was expressed over the various anti-gay props that were passed on the historic day:
LadyLibertine: “Don’t even have to be gay to feel stabby over that Arkansas measure. No “unmarried sexual partners” can adopt or foster children. WTF.”
Keep the hope alive on the Park Slope Message Boards – Cheering in the Streets :: Brooklynian.com
Posted by Joha
November 4, 2008 at 1:35 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Perhaps it has come to your attention that there is a sort of big deal election taking place today. Well you aren’t the only one who noticed, as a quick look at any Brooklynian board will prove. Locals have been checking in all day, sharing their experiences:
tapdame: “just wanted to let you know how things went at my polling site. I voted at PS 282 on 6th ave. The line was about 3/4 of the way down Berkeley street towards 5th ave. I got in line at 6:11am and was out the door by 7:05am. I strongly suggest that you know your election district prior to getting in line, as waiting in that line probably tacks on about 45 minutes. “
asking questions pertaining to their local polling site:
Cabaki: “ This is my first time voting in park slope (8th street) so I have no idea what to expect. Is is better to get there when the polls open before work, or after work? How many hours do you think we’ll have to wait on line to vote?”
and giving tips on how to vote best:
henrycurtis: “Don’t wear political clothing, or excess button/pins. It may be considered “electioneering” in the polling place and you may not be allowed to vote.”
So stop by, share your stories and ask your questions at Park Slope Message Board – voting in park slope :: Brooklynian.com
