Ditmas Park Foodifyers

Monday, March 1st, 2010

This is what happens, The Brooklyn Paper says, when foodies move in:

While the burgeoning restaurant scene certainly succeeds in attracting people to neighborhoods, for Gary Jonas, co-owner of The Farm on Adderly in Ditmas Park, that success has come at a price.

“When we moved here, it was the most-diverse neighborhood in country,” he said, “But we definitely see more people coming in from Manhattan and other areas of Brooklyn. When we signed the lease four years ago, we never could have imagined Cortelyou Road would become an actual dining destination.”

Zukin explained that the kinds of “low-key, homey” places that usually develop in neighborhoods like Prospect Lefferts Garden become instrumental in developing a new sense of community, attracting more gentrifiers, and ultimately signaling to developers that the neighborhood is less risky. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

In 2001, Ditmas Park resident Jan Rosenberg founded Friends of Cortelyou Road to help attract shops and restaurants to the area. A residential neighborhood in western Flatbush characterized by dozens of gorgeous Victorian homes and not much else, many residents had become frustrated with having to go to areas like Park Slope to shop and dine. Rosenberg first approached restaurateurs in Fort Greene and begged them to come to Cortelyou Road.

“I felt that restaurants were going to be what drew people,” she said.

The result? In October 2009, Time Out New York named Ditmas Park one of the best neighborhoods in New York City for food, followed shortly by high praise from the New York Times.

Eateries have become so essential to these communities, that when faced with the possibility of loosing them the community has rallied. Last month, Bread Stuy briefly shuttered until the community helped raise the $10,000 needed to reopen.

“I think that a community wants and needs food — residents are more willing to support or save these business than others,” said Jonas, adding that Ditmas Park’s coffee/bookstore Vox Pop was similarly bailed out of a financial abyss by the community.

- Liena

Tags: commercial, restaurants
See All: Food & Drink, Real Estate

http://onaperegrine.blogspot.com/ “Peregrine”

The gate was half up at the Japanese place today.
Except for the piles of construction materials waiting to be hauled off it looks open and airy with light colored woods and white tiles.
After the “Farm”, “Pomme de Terre” and “Mimi’s” I would have never have guessed that the next two restaurants would be Filipino and Japanese.

Yep Cortelyou is becoming the “next” place.
chefesse

I was eating dinner at The Farm a few months after they opened and struck up a conversation with a couple at the next table. Asked if they lived nearby they said, “no, we live in Park Slope”. In that instant I knew our ‘hood had “arrived”.

Seemingly overnight our eating options went from inexpensive taqueria and mediocre chinese to “wow! interesting!” but “whoa! kinda pricey!” As interesting as these new places are, many long time DP residents simply cannot afford these new places on a regular basis.

But then again, there’s still John’s cheap and delicious “breakfast special” egg sandwich with coffee. “whadda bargain!”
rubyo

These new places are pricey, and you are right that most locals can’t afford to go regularly, but that’s why it’s good that people are coming here to dine from other hoods, otherwise these tasty places would not be able to stay in business, especially in this economy. Running a restaurant is massive overhead. But I would also like to see a cool diner type place. Sorry, but Georges skeeves me and John’s well I’ve already posted my opinion about that place, which horrible. I guess you get what you pay for.
Deb from Ditmas

I think our neighborhood 2-3 years ago. Someone told me about a woman looking for an apartment and was shown one near Foster Ave. Her reply: No, I want to be near Cortelyou where it’s hip.” I knew then that we had arrived.
Deb from Ditmas

Sorry, that should have started “I think our neighborhood became hip…”
Bubbah

Seemingly overnight our eating options went from inexpensive taqueria and mediocre chinese to “wow! interesting!” but “whoa! kinda pricey!” As interesting as these new places are, many long time DP residents simply cannot afford these new places on a regular basis.
———–
I have yet to see a mexican, carribean or chinese place replaced by any of these new restaurants. Last time we had brunch at “The Farm” it seemed to me that the crowd was pretty diverse. African Americans like to eat somewhere nice for Sunday brunch too and, contrary to stereotypes, there are many middle and upper middle class minorities in this neighborhood who can afford to eat out once in a while. The Pakistanis won’t eat in any non-halal place anyway. As for “old time” DPers…they should have plenty of spare money if they paid $70K for their house 30 years ago or are paying $500/mo for their rent stabilized apartment.
Bubbah

With that said, I too wouldn’t mind a regular “diner”. There is Pablo’s at the Newkirk stop, but it gives off a weird vibe to me and closes really early.

As for being able to afford places on a “regular” basis, I have a $600K mortgage to pay, I can’t afford to eat out anywhere on a regular basis anymore except for pizza.

“When we moved here, it was the most-diverse neighborhood in country,” he said, “But we definitely see more people coming in from Manhattan and other areas of Brooklyn. When we signed the lease four years ago, we never could have imagined Cortelyou Road would become an actual dining destination.”

Considering that whitey makes up maybe about 25% of the population in this neighborhood, I still think it’s pretty diverse. By and large, the people coming from other areas, if they’re buying big old houses, are buying them from 60something old white folks who are cashing in, just like I did and just like most of our friends in the neighborhood did. Sure, some of these homes are being sold by minorities, but not that many.
Melissa

My building is on Foster, and though I may seem bias, It is probably one of the hipper co-ops in the hood. The fist person to open ANYTHING with some style and forethought on Foster between E. 17th & E. 18th will surely have a loyal legion of followers from our building… there are still areas in our neighbor hood that are definitely under served. Until we have other pioneers such as Palm de Terre to venture off closer to Newkirk, we’ll just have to suck it up and make the pretty little trek.
MaggE

I moved here from Windsor Terrace, and I’m surprised how much I miss the Windsor Cafe (nice diner). Not at all surprised to miss DUB PIE!!! I begged them to open one here, but no.
http://mmcwatters.com/blog/ Michael McWatters

I’d just like to put in a plug for Salud, a welcoming little place with great food and smoothies, affordably priced, and with friendly service. http://www.yelp.com/biz/salud-brooklyn
bklynartiste

also want to mention connie’s cafe which was recently highlighted on the blog. yeah, it’s a little further away from cortelyou, but supposedly it’s pretty good.

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