Author: dailyslope

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It’s been more than a decade since the “Dyke Slope” moniker made sense. The Cattyshack is now shuttered. And despite sheer numbers, New York is definitely not the gayest city, relatively speaking (see linked infographic, left column). Nevertheless, Park Slope is still considered the leading edge of the Outer Boroughs gay community (along with Cobble Hill). So there are plenty of nightlife and other social options in Park Slope for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered folks.

Two of the top options include Ginger’s Bar, which has been praised for its reasonable prices, a good jukebox, video games, and pool table, along with monthly drink specials (not to mention a Sunday Bingo night with Luscious Lola); and Excelsior, a gay and lesbian cocktail bar that has an outdoor garden and porch. It’s a New York Magazine Critic’s Pick and has been praised as being a lot more “neighborhoody” than some other options, allowing gays, lesbians and their straight friends a comfortable spot without pumping music or “seedy” trappings of some more well-known bars. Likewise, the bartenders are known to reward courtesy and respect with excellent customer service (and possibly buybacks).

If bars are not your scene, check out the Park Slope LGBT 20-30’s ‘Non-Scene’ Meetup which is designed for “cool young LGBT folks in Park Slope” who otherwise generally have to commute to Williamsburg or Manhattan to meet each other: “Central brooklyn – Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Flatbush – has its own vibe, and some really great places to hang out, and Park Slope is the center of it all. So, why not hang out with each other here?”

Jean-Michel Basquiat was born in Brooklyn Hospital on December 20, 1960, and lived in Park Slope. In his teenage years, he attained notoriety as a graffiti artist; his work, signed SAMO, was humorous and poetic. And though some modern-day Park Slope graffiti writers say Basquiat Lives, and some blogs refer to him as a “Park Slope native,” the artist actually had very little connection to Park Slope, it turns out.

A lot has been made about Basquiat running away from Park Slope at age 15 (not 17), but apparently, that was a very short stint of sleeping on park benches in Washington Square Park; after being arrested, Basquiat was returned to his father in about a week. By another account, after he ran away from home, he stayed a few hours at a local radio station until the employees called his father. Moreover, it’s not really clear whether he ran away from Park Slope, since this timeline says the family actually moved to East Flatbush (East 35th Street) in 1966, at which time, Jean-Michel would have been only 6 years old, max.

In 10th grade, Basquiat dropped out of Edward R. Murrow High School in Midwood. His father kicked him out and he stayed with friends elsewhere in Brooklyn.

In the picture, you see his father, Gerard Basquiat, who was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His mother, Matilde Andradas, was born in Brooklyn to Puerto Rican parents. And this mod-looking photo shows the Basquiats at home at 553 Pacific St., which according to the NYPL Digital Gallery, is Park Slope:

Source NYPL Digital Gallery

So that’s between 3rd and 4th Aves, right around the corner from Target – whether that counts as Park Slope may be open to discussion.

Jean-Michel Basquiat died on Friday, August 12, 1988 in his loft on Great Jones Street. He was 27 and his autopsy report listed cause of death as “acute mixed drug intoxication (opiates – cocaine).” But after all that, it turns out that his body rests much closer to Park Slope — Basquiat is buried in Greenwood Cemetery:

Photo: Brooklyn Daily

Photo: Megan the Librarian

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of selling a car in NYC, there are a few things you might want to do aside from posting that beautiful black and orange ‘FOR SALE’ sign in the window.

Pretty much any attempt to sell your own car is a royal pain. One obvious approach is to post it on Craigslist, but it’s debatable whether it’s worth the time/hassle of dealing with potential scammers and time-wasters. There are some specific websites where you can post your car (sellmycar.com, nothingbutcars.com) but be prepared to get calls from dealers hoping to sell you a replacement vehicle. You can try the classic “flyers with rip-off contact info” approach and post it at coffee shops and neighborhood stores; you’ll get responses, but it’s the whole process of dealing with people that is annoying. People will say they are coming but never show up… Some will subject you to endless negotiations … Some will bounce checks … the list goes on.

Before you attempt any of the above, get your car detailed; that will insulate you against aggressive negotiators, who will have fewer complaints and problems to haggle over. You will get more clicks on Craigslist or autotrader.com. Even if it costs a few hundred dollars for a thorough detail, you can fold that in to your asking price.

If you put a FOR SALE sign in the window, make sure you park your car in high traffic areas at high traffic times so you get the most eyeballs – think Seventh Ave on a Saturday. One caveat – apparently there’s a rule against posting a ‘for sale’ sign in your window while the vehicle is parked on the street, and you may get fined $45. We haven’t confirmed any fines doled out, but if it can happen anywhere, it will happen in Park Slope.

Finally, do some comparative shopping to find out how much your car is worth. Search Craigslist for cars exactly like yours, and find out how much they are asking. Price yours competitively compared to theirs. Make it the best deal on the block.

Get more advice from Brooklynian.

Photo: Brooklyn Paper

Tonight may be the last night for a great Park Slope bar. Recent reports said that Dec. 31 would be “last call” for Timboo’s. Owners Timmy Hodgens and Bobby Booras say their main reasons for closing down is because they are ready to retire, and also because they are sick of harsh city inspections, according to the Brooklyn Paper.

Their bar was one of the few places you could still find reasonably priced drinks, like a bottled beer for only 3 dollars. It was one of the only laid back, reasonably priced hangouts in an area where most of the new hangouts were ritzy and expensive. The bar was a hub for many people of the Irish community as well, including immigrants and iron workers; after work, they could sit back and enjoy a cold one while singing along to some songs with some piano accompaniment. It was also a great place to watch football and gather with friends, and was named one of the best bars in Brooklyn. A more thorough history and analysis can be found on Here’s Park Slope.

One reviewer on Yelp described his experience with Timboo’s like this:

“Okay, I just moved in right above this bar last night and after carrying things up to the 3rd floor, I needed a beer, and I headed downstairs to Timboo’s. It’s a dive, if you don’t like ’em, you won’t like this place. But I love Dives. Cheap drinks and interesting people. Right away the bartender, Tara, introduced herself and starting talking to us – super nice. She introduced me to the regulars, who yes, all have probably been regulars here since well before I was born. They all gave me a hard time (jokingly) because I was rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays against the Red Sox. All of them were nice guys and provided some entertainment for the evening in between innings…”

Where is the best place to watch the Prospect Park Fireworks at Grand Army Plaza? Read below…

Source: ProspectPark.org

Brooklyn’s “biggest party,” featuring fireworks and more, gets underway on Saturday, December 31 at 11 p.m. at Grand Army Plaza (Interactive Map). Right around 11 p.m., entertainment and hot refreshments start at Grand Army Plaza. According to the folks at Prospect Park, the best locations for watching the fireworks are:

• Anywhere in Grand Army Plaza
• Inside the Park on the West Drive
• Along Prospect Park West between grand Army Plaza and 9th Street

To get to the fireworks by train, take the 2 or 3 to Grand Army Plaza station, or the Q to 7th Ave. Station (Flatbush Ave.). Buses B-41, B-71, and B-69 can also get you to Grand Army Plaza.

The New Year’s fireworks, sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, aren’t the only fireworks visible from Brooklyn. The more distant midnight show, over the Statue of Liberty and organized by the Grucci family, are visible anywhere on the Brooklyn waterfront where you can find a view of the sky over the statue, according to the Brooklyn Eagle. So  parts of Red Hook, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway are fair game for watching.

Read more here (ProspectPark.org): ProspectPark.org

Photo: John Hodgman and friend in Weather Up, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. (sarahbibiable.com)

F’ed in Park Slope attended that Bored to Death cancellation party last week at the Brooklyn Inn, and scored an interview with John Hodgman. Not many of the Q&A exchanges are substantial, but Hodgman’s thoughts on the Pavilion stand out:

KD: What do you think about The Pavilion?

JH: Get it together, Pavilion … I’ve been there. I went there to see Arthur Christmas — great movie, by the way — there is no business in Park Slope that I want to support more. There’s nothing more essential than having a good movie theater. And there is also no reason why it should not be an incredible space. I’ve been there a few times, and I’m like, “this isn’t so bad,” but theater 8 — it’s like Led Zeppelin was in there.

KD: It’s disgusting.

JH: I can’t believe what happened. And I don’t know when it happened. It looks terrible, like a snuff film was shot in there. And I really urge them to get it together, because I want to go there everyday.

The fact that the Pavilion is a dump (and may have bedbugs) is not new … but maybe having some celebrity encouragement will help the Pavilion decide to “get it together.”

Source: Park Slope Lens

Marcelo A reports on Park Slope Lens regarding the Steve’s C Town near Continental Car Service on 9th Street: “There’s a girl there who’s particularly good at efficiently packing the boxes for delivery.  She doesn’t waste an inch of space.  I complimented her ability one day.  She replied in a very dry, unemotional, factual way, while still packing.”

“‘Tetris,’ she said. I’m awesome at Tetris.'”

Photo: Joe Hume, Brooklyn Magazine

Amy Sohn, author of Prospect Park West: – A Novel, was just interviewed by Brooklyn Magazine and gave her take on the “best of” Park Slope. For example, she says her favorite place to people-watch is Grand Army Plaza on a Saturday, on the stone benches: “I do laugh at the line at the coffee truck and the Blue Moon Fish people who start lining up at the crack of dawn,” she says, “But mostly the people make me happy. I like public space. It reaffirms my love of Brooklyn.”

Other notable faves:

AMY SOHN’S FAVORITE PLACE TO DRINK: Vinegar Hill House. Her husband had the ice-cold martini and she got one of those fancy cocktail drinks. “This bar is one of the few places where it really is worth it that your bartender takes ten minutes to fix the drink,” she says.

Favorite restaurant – Al Di La. Her standby that never gets old: “I love that everything is delicious and that they never have a bad night.”

Favorite grocery store or farmer’s market: Park Slope Food Co-op for the cheese selection and organic snacks (she even likes doing her shift to quiet her “writer’s overactive mind.”

Favorite coffee shop – Cafe Martin: “This shop needs its own reality show. It’s like Cheers … “The only downside is that it’s so small you cannot discuss movie pitches there or someone will steal them.”

Favorite local celebrity – Peter Sarsgaard (apparently also a Park Slope Co-op member)

Favorite date spot – Thistle Hill Tavern: “Romantic but not in-your-face romantic.”

Most intriguing local character whose name you do not know – The Park Slope Stoop Sale Sign-Ripper: “I once heard him speak aloud and was stunned at his voice’s melodiousness. The guy could do Mitsubishi Galant voiceovers for a living.”

Best weekend night out when you don’t feel like traveling far – The Vanderbilt, for its Manhattan feel, wine list, and meatballs.

Read more at Brooklyn Magazine.

The observer investigates:

“Whole Foods is coming to Brooklyn, building a huge new store right in the Park Slope Food Coop’s backyard. The Observer went shopping last night to see whether the coop’s mythic savings might save it from the micro-greens giant, even if it means working that infamous two-hour-and-forty-five-minute shift each month. We grabbed all the staples, headed for the express lane—15 items or less, please!—and tallied up the totals to see how the grocers fared.”

Check out the delicious slideshow.

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, bingo (More info) 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.

Brooklynian’s very own madman has collaborated on this Digg-worthy project:

“Palin Bingo! My friends and I put this together today. Please
pass it around to anyone and everyone you can before Thursday’s debate.
I’m hoping it gets picked up by some political blogs.”

View topic – Palin Bingo! :: Brooklynian.com | Brooklyn Blog and Message Boards

Since we all know it’s super uncool to be starstruck or otherwise impressed with celebrity while living in NYC, we will just blithely and offhandedly state that YOU MISSED GOSSIP GIRL filming right down the street:

“Sadly, you are too late,” writes filmlover44. They were filming on
Tuesday and Weds at Prospect Hall. We did get to see many of the stars.
They took up the entire block between 5th and 6th and the block between
Prospect and 17th on 6th Avenue over the highway. I think that they
took up more space than most movie crews take up.“

Just sayin’. Not a big deal, of course.

Read more: OMG OMFG Gossip Girl [Park Slope Message Board on Brooklynian.com]

Carmen writes on the Park Slope message board at Brooklynian.com: “Ok. I get it. Owning a car in nyc is not only an exercise in patience, but also means that you need to deal with the fact that you’re car is going to get destroyed parking it on the street …

So I’m sitting in my car, parked, today waiting for alternate side parking to end … I see minivan pull up beside the car in front of me (sort of) and I realize she’s going to try to wedge into the spot left in front of me (very tight.) She proceeds to try about 4 times to just back straight into the spot, then appears to give up, and not only hops up on the curb, but then hits my car about 5 times WHILE I’M SITTING IN IT and she’s trying to park. Basically, it was bumper cars between be and the car she was pulling behind. I mean, this was enough force to actually slide my car backwards a slight amount.

So I get out and throw up my hands like “wtf” and the woman just looks at me and goes “Oh I’m no good at parking this big van” as she walks away. I was so outraged that I didn’t respond. A large part of me would love to go back and call the cops but I know they’re not going to do anything since this seems to be common practice but seriously- would you try to park like that when the owner of the other vehicle is SITTING IN IT?!”

View topic – On hitting people’s cars while parking :: [Brooklynian.com | Brooklyn Blog and Message Boards]

Is he a regular killjoy, or just a natural part of the Brooklyn street ecosystem? Pastoralia writes on the Park Slope Message Board at Brooklynian.com:

Has anyone seen this guy? He’s white, got a slight build, knobby knees, usually wearing a large gardener’s hat?

This past weekend I was walking back from the gym and he was going to every street post and tearing down people’s Stoop Sale signs. What’s the deal? I was going to confront him but I was already late and he has the sort of weasely little face that makes you immediately dislike him. He walked up 7th street between 6th and 7th Ave. I’m not sure if he lives there or was off to rip down other people’s signs.

And these were for stoop sales that were currently happening… this really pisses me off. What gives him the right? If a cop comes and rips a sign down because it’s illegal to be on city property- that’s one thing (and they have better shit to do than waste time doing this) but when some one man army thinks he knows what’s better for all of us– that’s F’d up.

LINK: Stoop sale sign ripper (Park Slope Message Board; Brooklynian.com)

8thandprez writes: Did anyone notice that the new parking regs in Park Slope are really much worse than before? It used to be that half the blocks (from 4th ave to 7th ave) were Mon-Tues street cleaning and the other half were Thurs-Fri. That made for a nice logical sequence where you would park on one set of blocks and then move to the other set of blocks.

Now, however, the 4th ave to 7th ave blocks are Mon-Thurs and the other half are Mon-Tues. So, for some strange reason we’ve got Monday street cleaning along the entire length of the streets. Sunday car moving is going to be a real nightmare now.

Thanks, DOT!

Read more and comment:

Parking Regs Are Back, Monday July 14 (Park Slope Message Board at Brooklynian.com)

From Chowhound (posted by redgirl):

Our sushi restaurant of choice is always Geido on Flatbush. The fish is so fresh and the staff are fabulous. However, once in a while when I’m working in the South Slope (south of 9th St.) and want some lunch, I’ll go to the sushi bar at Kiku (near 12th?). Well, Kiku must be upping their game because when I was there today, they were producing plates of food and having a professional photoshoot for them – they were amazing art plates. And then my usual plate came out – a tuna/av/cuke/ roll, tobiko sashimi and 2 pieces of yellowtail sushi and it was so whimsical and good! The guys behind the counter seems liked real pros and it was serious sushi time in there. I’m happy that there seem to be at least 2 really good sushi houses in the Slope. I also noticed that another one is opening on 7th Ave. near 5th St. where another (mediocre) sushi restaurant closed.

Park Slope area sushi wars (Chowhound.com)

Brooklynian Contest (hint: FREE VODKA)

Sweetest Tabby Found Lost in Prospect Park****Update****

FOUND: camera bag w/Pentax camera @ Union + 7th

Brooklyn Burger Bar is now…

Net options aside from TWC

Read more on the Park Slope Message Boards at Brooklynian.com

benzapp writes: “It’s fermented tea. It’s expensive, tastes like crap, and claims to cure everything. Thus, it appeals to the rich and those addicted to Park Slopish consumer culture.”

“That said, it’s less than half the price at the food co-op if you really want the stuff.”

Not through being cool: Park Slope Forum | DailySlope.com Message Boards

Courtesy of Sterling2000, next door in Prospect Heights. Is your building next?

LINK: Our Building is Switching to Biofuel (DailyHeights.com message board)

EasternPkwyQ writes on the Prospect Heights Forum | DailyHeights.com Message Boards:

“Mr. Mooney received an eviction notice on October 30th, giving him 30 days to get out. Apparently, the landlord raised the rent from $xxxx to $xxxx and Mooney countered with an offer of $xxxx. The response he received was the eviction notice.”

“Seems pretty extreme – I’m sure they’re hoping that American Apparel’s good buddies at Starbucks or some such place will take over the location. It makes me nauseous.”

“For me, this is a tremendous loss of a lovely neighborhood gathering spot. It may not be the hippest or the most glamorous, but it’s such a great place to meet and talk to your neighbors – people from all backgrounds gather there and actually interact with one another. I have met some wonderful people there who I now count amongst closest friends.”

“The landlord is Lina Fang of Johore Realty – the same person (or at least so I hear) that has evicted Royal Video. I don’t know what else they own, but I certainly plan to boycott whatever takes over these leases and I hope others will do the same. This isn’t Manhattan and we live here because it’s not Manhattan and we want local business owners who actually contribute to – and care about – the neighborhood and the people in it. Mooney’s does that and this is a tremendous loss to Prospect Heights and Park Slope.” Read more on this thread: Mooney’s Evicted! (Brooklynian.com)

Extra! Is it too early for a real Irish wake? Come mourn at the semi-official Brooklynian.com Happy Hour – 7 p.m. – Thurs, 11/15/07 – Mooney’s last hurrah

According to nkotsonis, posting on the Park Slope Forum | DailySlope.com Message Boards:

“The city, in its infinite wisdom, has revoked the permits we had for the planters along Union Street. They have given us 30 days to remove the concrete planters.”

“The reason they gave was that there must be no obstructions on city property. Since the sidewalks are owned by the city, we must remove the planters that have been there for over 25 years.
So in 30 days, the planters from BHS all the way to Tasti-d-Lite and the bench will be removed. The planters across the street at 92-7th Avenue will also have to be removed, because they were on the same permit.

“So say goodbye to the planters from Bank of America down to NuNu Gallery. If anyone knows how to stop this, please do so. It’s a shame that there will be no plant life allowed on these corners.”

Find out more, and comment: City has revoked our permits (link)

Source: Brooklynian.com Main Index -> Park Slope Forum | DailySlope.com Message Boards

Over the past few weekends, people holding stoop sales have been burned by a guy (or these guys) passing fake bills, according to posters on the Brooklynian message board (see this thread for details: stoop sale counterfeit $ scam– beware)
The first report was by spec* in Prospect Heights: “a few folks had a stoop sale today on the corner of park and vanderbilt. turns out when one of us tried to use some of the $, she learned we had been given two fairly undetectable counterfeit 20$ bills in the sale– and given back the counterfeiter 15-18$ in change on two separate occasions…”

Click the link for descriptions of the counterfeit bills (and bill passers): stoop sale counterfeit $ scam– beware Comments (11)

Brooklynian.com Main Index -> Prospect Heights Forum | DailyHeights.com Message Boards

How is the food, anyway?

LINK for further posts and comments: brooklyn burger bar closed again

Brooklynian.com Main Index -> Park Slope Forum | DailySlope.com Message Boards