Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
Halloween is this Monday–have you bought candy to give to trick-or-treaters yet? I’ve done the comparison shopping so you know where to the best deals are.
And for those who are new to the neighborhood, you’ll go through a ton of candy. If anyone has a good estimate of how much, please share in the comments!
GOOD
Duane Reade on Cortelyou and E 16th: Small selection and just a few items on sale, and those same items can be found for less elsewhere. Best bet: Tootsie Child’s Play bag, 26oz, $4.99 (with card, through 10/28).
Dollar Stores on Cortelyou: The two dollar stores both have the same giant bag with over 100 pieces of non-name brand hard candy, lollipops, and gum for $7.99, which is the greatest bang for your buck, if not the tastiest candies.
BETTER
Walgreens on Church and E 21st: A few things are on sale if you can find them. Best Bet: Fun or Snack Size candy (Hershey’s, Mars, or Nestle) up to 12.5oz, limit 4 with a coupon in the circular, $1.99 each (through 10/29).
MET on Cortelyou btwn E 16th/17th: They have the same Mars Fun Size bags also on sale for $1.99, no coupon needed, but the Hershey’s Snack Size bags are $2.99 (sale through 10/29).
BEST
Rite Aid on Newkirk and Marlborough (pictured above): Enormous selection and quantity of sales. Best bets: Hershey’s 8-packs are $1, Dum Dum Pops bag of 250 is $8.99 (with card, through 10/29).
Target at the Junction: With printable coupons available online, you can get the biggest savings, but even without you can find the best deals here. Best bet: Super jumbo mixed candy bags, 157-piece Mars mix, 185-piece Hershey’s mix, and selected others, $13.49 (through 10/29).
- Mary
Tags: Halloween
Posted in Local Business |
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
You might not think of Newkirk Plaza as a the place you’d buy nuts, dried fruit, and fancy butter, but maybe that’s because you don’t know about Plaza Gourmet Foods. Previously called Kings Candy and Nuts, the shop changed its name over the summer, but Karim, pictured above, says just about everything else has stayed the same.
For one thing, they’ve still got the best baklava in the area, which comes from a bakery on Nostrand Ave. They’ve still got a great selection of bulk nuts–Karim says cashews and pecans are the best sellers. The still serve hot coffee, and have chocolates and cookies and biscuits that you can’t find anyplace else nearby.
What they’ve added since they first opened last year is Hershey’s ice cream, which is very popular–there aren’t too many places to grab an ice cream cone in the area, so keep this in mind if you’re walking around with the kids.
There are also comparatively inexpensive dairy products, like milk, yogurt, and cheese, plus smoked salmon and sausages in the refrigerated case. They’ve also added bulk candy bins, if you have a craving for chocolate covered raisins or gummy bears.
Plaza Gourmet Foods
31 Newkirk Plaza
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 7am to 9pm and Sundays, 9am to 7pm
- Mary
Tags: Newkirk Plaza, Plaza Gourmet Foods, shopping
Posted in Food & Drink, Local Business |
Friday, October 14th, 2011
What does it take to turn your home into a bed and breakfast? Jorin and Alexandra Reddish opened The Isabella this month on Argyle between Ditmas an Newkirk, and Jorin shared some insights as to how you go about it.
Why did you decide to do a B&B?
Owning a two-family home requires a certain amount of investment and commitment. We rented out the ground floor apartment to two great tenants during the first four years that we owned the house. Having a tenant requires you to be available if a pipe bursts, the heat doesn’t come on, etc. That was a pretty good run, but after the last tenant left we wanted to weigh our options and see what it would be like to do something different with the space.
Friends of my in-laws run another bed and breakfast in the neighborhood and told us that they rarely had vacancies. We also saw frequent postings on the neighborhood bulletin boards looking for places to stay for the holidays, new additions to the family, and other large family gatherings.
This venture would require an initial investment and a commitment of time. Also, it would provide us some flexibility if we decided to go on a long vacation. You don’t want to have to deal with the heat not coming on in October if you are on safari in Africa. After some back and forth, we decided to give it a go ourselves and see if this was for us.
Read on for more about how to turn a home into a B&B…
- Mary
Tags: B&B
Posted in Local Business |
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
Ben emails that there’s space available in the Ditmas Workspace, the occasional headquarters of this blog:
If you’re a local writer, designer, or entrepreneur looking for a place to work–starting at $200/month–we hope you’ll consider checking it out.
The workspace occupies a beautiful professional office space on the corner of Ditmas Avenue and East 17th Street. The amenities: a desk, chair, wireless Internet, printer/scanner/copier/fax, tea and coffee, a quiet space to work, and a community of writers, editors, telecommuters, bloggers, graphic designers, and other professionals.
More info on its website, and here’s a writeup in the newsletter Brooklyn Based.
Or email LZS@ditmasworkspace.com for a tour or more information.
- Mary
Tags: Ditmas Workspace
Posted in Local Business |
Thursday, September 29th, 2011
The commercial space on the ground floor of 1600 Beverley Road, at E 16th St, has been vacant for a while, but upon walking by, it seemed to have been rented.
Augustus Moy of Real Impact Real Estate confirmed that it had. He said that it’s been rented by “a collective of 3 or 4 doctors” but that it’s still being built out.
We’ll post any further information about the practice moving in or when they’re expecting to open, but it’s great to see that there will be a business there now.
- Avi
Tags: doctors, openings
Posted in Local Business, Real Estate |
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
What will you wear on October 31 to promenade down Albemarle or Glenwood Roads with the rest of the goblins? I can tell you where to start your search.
Cortelyou Discount (1116 Cortelyou Rd, between Stratford and Westminster) has costumes and decorations right inside the front door. The sales lady mentioned more Halloween costumes are expected next week.
S & S 99¢ Store (1318 Cortelyou Rd, between Argyle and Rugby) also has costumes and decorations on a front aisle. The costumes aren’t original, but if your child wants to be a super hero, check it out.
Duane Reade (1517 Cortelyou at E 16th) has a Halloween aisle. While there, stock up on Halloween candy–can anyone estimate how much you go through with trick-or-treaters?
Rite Aid (1419 Newkirk Ave at Marlborough) has teenage and adult costumes. I bought a witch’s hat with feathers around the brim.
Target (1598 Flatbush Ave) has had Halloween gear out since school started.
Toy Space (1410 Cortelyou Rd between Rugby and Marlborough) only has the few pretend play costumes they keep in stock year round. The sales representatives didn’t expect more costumes, which is too bad.
Newkirk Plaza also lacked an appealing Halloween selection.
If you are willing to travel, Monk’s Trunk (23 Hawthorne Street, at the Parkside Ave stop) has a great selection for the 4T and under set. I picked up a sea otter costume that reportedly garnered its previous owner tons of Halloween fame.
For those who are crafty, you might be able to scrounge something clever up at a thrift or consignment store like Canal Jeans in Midwood or Black Bear in Windsor Terrace, or piece something together yourself with materials from Save-a-Thon (824 Flatbush Ave near Caton), though it gets mixed reviews. If you know a good resource for costume materials, please share it in the comments.
Hint to parents looking to stock their Pretend Play closet: Hit the stores November 1 for bargains on overstocked fireman and princess outfits.
- Amber
Tags: costumes, Halloween, shopping
Posted in Kids, Local Business |
Saturday, September 17th, 2011
Happy first birthday to Max and the whole crew at Qathra!
- Mary
Tags: Qathra
Posted in Community Event, Food & Drink, Local Business |
Thursday, September 15th, 2011
Attention current and potential small business owners: CAMBA’s Small Business Services has a new schedule of free workshops and classes for the fall.
There’s a series on how to use social media to your business’ advantage, and one on managing basic financials statements, plus several standalone workshops on topics like applying for CAMBA’s small business loan and writing a business plan. (There are also a few workshops for homeowners that are worth checking out.)
Additionally, there’s an intensive 10-week business plan development course that starts Monday, September 26, is held on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and costs $300. Following the 60-hour course, you will have an investor-ready business plan, and be well on your way to starting your new business.
Classes are held at CAMBA’s office at 884 Flatbush Ave, 2nd Floor (corner of Church Avenue). Registration is required. Call 718-282 2500, or email smallbiz@camba.org.
- Mary
Tags: CAMBA, classes, small business
Posted in Local Business |
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
With school back in session, for many of us that means summer is over and it’s time to go back to work. If you haven’t already found a child care solution, we have compiled a list of local daycare options.
The list isn’t comprehensive; it doesn’t include nannies, parent-run co-op preschools, or many home daycares. Other resources you may use to find the child care option that matches you include: Cortelyou Moms Yahoo Group, Ditmas Park Parents, or the Flatbush Family Network.
We also maintain a list of schools for every age group.
If you know of a daycare not on this list, please let us know. We’re not endorsing or verifying the quality of the child care centers, but if you would like to provide your input, please do so in the comments.
ABC Daycare, 1019 Church Avenue, 718-284-5168
Elemental Arts Montessori, 364 Argyle Road, 718-484-0942
Honeydew Drop Preschool, 1113 Church Avenue, 718-941-2177
Cortelyou Early Childhood Center, 1110 Cortelyou Road, 718-282-6077
Kids Etc, 1331 Flatbush Avenue, 718-693-8446
St.Mark’s Head Start and Universal Pre K, 2017 Beverley Road, 718-287-4911
Marilyn Lil Corner, 35 Tennis Ct #3I, 718-287-2910
How They Grow Daycare, 50 East 19th Street, 718-462-0991
Babies Laine Daycare, 68 E 19th St #3A, 718-462-4043
Ccns Depaul Headstart, 231 East 17th Street, 718-693-5488
Rory’s Room, 3003 Ft. Hamilton Pkwy, 718-435-4950 info@rorysroom.com
Brooklyn College Day Care, 2806 Glenwood Road, 718-434-1693, collegecommunity@yahoo.com
Montessori School of Midwood, 2825 Bedford Avenue, 718-253-3242
Children’s Corner, 69 Stratford Rd, 718-287-9611
Higher Level Daycare, 2401 Beverley Rd, 718-856-4064
The Learning Experience, 412 Kings Highway, 877-350-4113
East Midwood Hebrew Day School, 1256 East 21st Street, 718-253-1555
- Amber
Tags: daycares
Posted in Kids, Local Business, Schools |
Saturday, September 10th, 2011
How do you give a tour of the site where so many lives were lost–and where, following terrorist attacks, you once worked?
Neighbor Mark Levy is the paterfamilias of Levy’s Unique New York, our neighborhood-based tour guides who are responsible for crawls and giant Bananagrams (rescheduled for October 1) far and wide. This week on the LUNY blog, he writes about giving tours of the World Trade Center in the years since September 11, 2001.
Mark had worked at non-profit and city agencies, and following the attacks on 9/11, he was assigned to work at the site conducting damage assessment on buildings nearby. After an early retirement in 2002, he formed the tour company with his sons.
Since then, he and the other guides have given tours of the site, and though the technology has changed from binders to iPads, the emotions have stayed the same. Mark has a hopeful outlook about the future of the site, and how they’ll give tours of it, so be sure to check out his post, and contact them if you’re interested in a tour of the site in the spring.
- Mary
Tags: Levys' Unique New York, September 11
Posted in Local Business, Neighborhood History |
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
After developing iPhone apps and e-books, neighbor Kris Waldherr recently branched into Android development. The Goddess Tarot, her first Android app, is now available on Android Market, on sale half-price through September 9 for $1.99. It’s been designed to work on both Android phone and tablet—a two-for-one app. Congrats Kris!
- Mary
Tags: apps, Kris Waldherr
Posted in Local Business |
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
Last summer I spotted a table of soap at a one-day flea market in Greenwood Playground. Tara Kelley and Clinton Boisvert, a husband-and-wife soap making team who live in our area, were debuting bk soaps, their locally made, castile soap. I bought unscented body wash and laundry detergent, laundered our clothes, showered, and felt clean…yet not stripped. I recently interviewed Tara and Clinton and came home with more soap, raving to my husband how this soap will solve all our eczema issues.
“I thought you were an unbiased journalist,” he said.
Let me make this disclaimer upfront: I’m a fan of The Brooklyn Soap Company.
Why they started
Tara, fed up with her husband’s chronic eczema and her psoriasis, looked for relief in her great-grandmother’s soap recipe. Tara grew up watching her grandmother make soap, so the process felt familiar, natural. She mixed ingredients, tweaked and adjusted the family recipes until she found a formula that soothed their ailments. Finally, she found the exact balance that cleared their skin.
Once the soap worked for them, they decided to sell it to Brooklyn. Even people not suffering from skin ailments could use clean, natural soap. The recipe Tara developed is now the backbone for bk soap’s castile body wash and laundry detergent. Customers regularly give her feedback about the benefits they have–literally–felt on their skin.
Click here to read more about the soap recipe, and find out where the soap is available
- Amber
Tags: bk soaps
Posted in Health & Fitness, Local Business, Neighbor Profiles |
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011
Monk’s Trunk, the children’s consignment store just off the subway at the Parkside stop, is celebrating its first anniversary this Saturday with an industrial-sized stoop sale, where you’ll find loads of gently used infant and toddler clothes, children’s books, puzzles, toys, and baby gear at unbeatable prices. Most clothing items will run about $2-3, and prices will drop over the course of the day. Get there early for the best selection.
Profits from the sale will go to the Prospect Park Playground Committee.
The sidewalk sale is being held in conjunction with the annual Hawthorne Street Block Association Street Party, so the entire block will be closed off to cars. Fun stuff at the block party includes:
* Free BBQ, hotdogs, cotton candy, popcorn, and other treats for the kids
* New York Fire Department truck will be on hand at some point during the day
* Free face painting and games
* Free puppet show by Alphabet Arts at 12pm and 3pm
Monk’s Trunk Children’s Consignment
First Annual Sidewalk Sale
Saturday, September 10
Starts at 10am
Flatbush Avenue at Hawthorne Street
- Mary
Tags: Monk's Trunk
Posted in Community Event, Local Business |
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
Bon vivant, bartender, and veteran member of the T.B. Ackerson team, Cameron Honsa can’t wait to talk to you about the new selection of spirits!
Just in time for the long weekend, Cole Chilton tell us that T.B. Ackerson now carries spirits!
“Just as with our wines, we will focus on handmade, artisanal selections,” he says. “We are excited to learn everyone’s palate as we move forward in this fun, new area!”
They finished stocking their first round of selections at 11pm last night, so you can stop by today to pick up whatever you need for the holiday weekend.
If spirits aren’t your thing, be sure to check out Cole’s recent piece about selecting wine for a Labor Day barbeque. Or just ask when you’re in the shop!
T.B. Ackerson Wine Merchants
1205 Cortelyou Rd
718-826-6600
- Mary
Tags: T.B. Ackerson, this post just made me thirsty
Posted in Local Business |
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
The new neighborhood vet is ready to see patients in her brand new location on Church Avenue. Dr. Courtney Perry is still putting the final touches on the PAWSitive Veterinary space, but she and her staff are available for many services already. When I stopped by, a cat was resting in a cage in the back, and a tiny chihuahua had just come in with his family.
When everything is up and running (and it will be soon) they will offer a full range of preventative and wellness services:
Wellness exams, vaccinations, intestinal parasite testing and control, FeLV/FIV testing, mircochipping, nutrition, routine surgical procedures, and dental care. We can also treat your pets should they become sick from illness or injury.
Dr. Perry and her staff are all friendly, caring folks–you’ll be putting your pets in good hands. Congrats on the new space, and welcome to the neighborhood!
Their hours are:
Monday: 12-8pm
Wednesday and Friday: 9am-5pm
Saturday: 9am-2pm
PAWSitive Veterinary of New York
1103 Church Avenue, between Stratford and Westminster
347-559-7729
pawsitiveveterinary@gmail.com
- Mary
Tags: vets
Posted in Animals, Local Business |
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
Rekoda, the new grocery store on that prime corner of Church Avenue and East 18th Street, is now open. Sara Nordmann, intern at the Church Avenue Business Improvement District, sends the above photo and this note:
We’d like to welcome them into the neighborhood and encourage local shoppers to head over and try some of the produce on display. The location is convenient for after-work dinner shopping. Red plums are two for $1 and they look delicious! The store also offers groceries in addition to fresh fruit and vegetables.
Rekoda Grocery
1801 Church Ave at E 18th
- Mary
Tags: Church Avenue, groceries
Posted in Food & Drink, Local Business |
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011
Hard to believe that next week is September, but parents looking ahead to the first day of school on September 7 better start believing it! As you get ready to check items off your back-to-school shopping list, consider staying in the neighborhood. Several dollar stores in the area have sales going on right now that beat nationwide chain stores–but even their regular prices beat the chains most days, anyway.
Consider the old standby, the marble composition notebook. At Office Depot, 100-sheet notebooks start at $2.49, while Costco has them for $1.33.
At S & S 99¢ Store (1318 Cortelyou Rd, between Argyle and Rugby), they have them on sale right now. Different brands and styles range in price, from 2 for 99¢ to 89¢ a piece.
Want something more colorful? Cortelyou Discount (1116 Cortelyou Rd, between Stratford and Westminster) has several notebooks in bright colors at the everyday price of 79¢.
This is just the tip of the bargain iceberg. If you have a lot to buy, you’ll probably find most of what you need just a short walk away. True, it’s hard to beat Staples (1011 Flatbush Ave at Tilden) for their 1¢ one-subject spiral notebooks, which is the deal through August 27. However, keep in mind you have to spend $5 first, and the limit is 6 notebooks.
Anyone notice any other great local deals on school supplies?
- Mary
Tags: kids, school supplies
Posted in Local Business |
Friday, August 19th, 2011
We’re in the business of loving small business in this neighborhood, so a contest by Good that asks people to share their favorite small business seems like something you guys might be interested in.
They’re looking for a photo and the story behind the business, and then readers select the favorite, which wins a $100 gift certificate from Etsy, a Good t-shirt, and a year’s subscription to their magazine.
Here’s the info, and here’s the submission page. If you enter, let us know!
Thanks for the tip, Loren!
- Mary
Tags: contests
Posted in Art & Music, Local Business |
Friday, August 19th, 2011
Just last year, a major crackdown on supermarkets by the Department of Consumer Affairs revealed that 70% of inspected stores in Brooklyn failed NYC requirements for pricing. Now the DCA is saying there’s been hardly any improvement.
The most common violations are failure to mark proper quantities and provide required accountability information on food packaged in the store, adding tax to items that are not taxable, charging the wrong prices at check-out scanners, failing to affix price tags on individual items, and maintaining inaccurate scales or failing to make scales available to customers for products sold by weight
To force compliance, they want to create the Grocery Shoppers Have Overcharge Protection (SHOP) Act, so that every time a consumer is overcharged, they would get both ten times the amount of the overcharge and that item for free.
In our area, a couple of supermarkets came out fine: Met on Cortelyou was inspected once, with no violations; same with Flatbush Food Co-op. But according to the DCA report, some, from smaller markets to big chains, are probably taking you for a ride. Be sure to check your receipts!
If you notice that your supermarket is overcharging you, here is the complaint form you can file with the DCA.
Click here for the list of local offenders.
- Mary
Tags: groceries, reports
Posted in Local Business |
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
According to a recent NY1-Marist poll, yes, yes we do want a Walmart in Brooklyn. 65% of adults polled in Brooklyn said they’d support a store opening in their neighborhood, and 78% said they would shop in one if it were to open.
However, of those same people polled, only 39% thought a Walmart would have a positive impact on their community.
Out of all the borough polled (see full PDF), Manhattan was the least receptive to the idea of a Walmart in their ‘hood.
A report by Public Advocate Bill de Blasio says Walmart drives down wages and benefits in the neighborhoods where it sets up shop. But in an economy like this, do people prefer lower prices, and any job they can get? Would you go out to East New York for low, low prices?
- Mary
Posted in Local Business |
Monday, August 15th, 2011
This social media update certainly sums up a lot in a brief exchange. Neighbor Matt McSorley sends this along:
This showed up in our Google+ in the “Nearby” section (if you haven’t used G+ yet, this is comparable to checking the local Tweets). I’m guessing that Ms. Deirdre updated from her cell phone, which auto-corrected “Dunkin” to “sinking.”
- Mary
Tags: Dunkin Donuts
Posted in Local Business |
Monday, August 15th, 2011
Brooklyn saw record rainfall yesterday–JFK recorded 7.8 inches, the most ever for a single day–which means a lot of water causing a lot of problems. I saw some mammoth puddles that are still trying to drain, which will be tough since it’s supposed to rain some today, but that’s only the beginning. What can homeowners do about flooded basements and clogged gutters? Here are some places to seek help:
Gutters
(First two are recomended on Flatbush Family Network)
Jimmy of Pronto Roofing
771 E 9th St
(718) 421-0005
Jimmy of Dibra Construction
(718) 407-9223
Almac Hardware will connect you with people who can handle either task.
2 Newkirk Plaza
(718) 434-1736
Plumbers
The city has tips for cleaning up after a flood, as does the CDC. Sump pumps are available to rent at Home Depot, but you might check with Almac first.
Robert of Belaqua Mechanical
(917) 865-8202
Anyone have additional suggestions for reliable plumbers or roofers who can help with these services?
- Mary
Tags: plumbers, roofers
Posted in Local Business |
Monday, August 8th, 2011
Ditmas Detective Solved: S&A Fish Market, originally uploaded by carryboo.
This one turned out to be a stumper, so I’ll try to go easier on you next time. The fish and lobster are a part of a sign for S&A Fish Market at 1623 Church Ave, a couple doors down from Bobby’s, near East 17th Street. S&A has, they tell me, been there “a really long time.” Anyone been shopping there for a really long time?
- Mary
Tags: Church Avenue, fish
Posted in Images, Local Business |
Monday, August 1st, 2011
If you walked past Church Ave and East 18th Street recently, it was probably hard to miss the new, fire-engine red awning wrapping around the northeast corner of the intersection:
The vacant retail spot formerly occupied by a mattress store appears to have been rented–and the neighborhood appears to be getting another grocery store:
The stretch of Church from Flatbush to East 17th already has so many groceries, bodegas, markets, etc. It seems unlikely that one more would be sustainable. Then again, I’m always amazed by the number of groceries, bodegas, markets, etc. that survive together in any given block of New York City. The nice, new awning’s a sign of a good start, though (pun not intended).
Another good sign–from a quick glance above the store, it looks like the building’s apartments are also getting a renovation. While that intersection certainly has its downsides, anyone looking for a newly renovated apartment right across from the train might want to keep their eye on this building.
- Avi
Tags: Church Avenue
Posted in Local Business, Real Estate |
Friday, July 22nd, 2011
Just a heads up that there’s a Groupon deal available today for The Castello Plan: $55 for a wine- or beer-tasting package for two (normally $112). It includes:
- Tasting flight of 5 half pours
- Wine or belgian beer
- Cheese & charcuterie board
- Three small plates included
Snatch one up and maybe bring someone who’s never been before.
In general, I think it’d be great to see more of our local businesses on Groupon. If you own a business or want to encourage one of your favorites to get a deal going, you should check out GrouponWorks, their site for business owners. Just make sure to do your homework and figure out if a daily deal is right for you. There is some skepticism about whether it results in enough new repeat business to justify the investment.
- Avi
Tags: The Castello Plan
Posted in Food & Drink, Local Business |
