The Week
May 4
Neighborhood Stuff
Still no takers for the old Regal, the ground floor of 4th and Pacific, or the world’s only Burrito Deli/Chabad combo.
Popped into Loved Ones Coffee the other day for a quick cold brew and a slice of matcha loaf*, was reminded that something good can come out of a Blank Street. Usually after it closes.
*does anyone still make good banana bread? Someone should be selling banana bread.
Brooklyn Made is running a pop-up in the Sagumo neighborhood of Tokyo in partnership with Taisho University. If you think your product would be a good fit in Brooklyn Made’s shops in City Point and Industry City (and occasionally Japan I guess) the vendor/artist application is here.
One of the few low rises left on Livingston is for sale as a development opportunity, and several more projects are still pending. I wonder: What percentage of downtown will end up following the familiar playbook of “luxury” units above; wellness/fitness chain + fast-casual takeout chain below? In 2036, how different will downtown Brooklyn be from the Denny Triangle in Seattle, or uptown Dallas, or center city Charlotte? Does it matter?
Image unrelated. I’m mulling over the best way to roll out classifieds. I’m torn between taking email submissions (none so far) and putting out a separate weekly newsletter on substack, or standing up a geofenced Craigslist knockoff that I would moderate. This newsletter will always be free, but if classifieds incur enough effort + overhead, that might merit a paywall. Let me know if you have any thoughts. I already owe one reader a coffee on the subject.
Fun Stuff
Tickets are available for the Roulette 2026 Gala on May 19. There are worse ways to spend a Tuesday than open bar, hors d’oeuvres, dessert, and a champagne toast for a good cause.
The Atlantic Ave Art Walk starts this Saturday and runs until the 17th, from 4th Ave to the waterfront.
The Liberty’s home opener is on Friday at Barclays against the Connecticut Sun, who have one of the most sure-thing merch opportunities I’ve ever seen on their roster.
If you want to see The Boss play Barclays next week, the cheapest ticket in the house is over $250 as of this writing.
Our preferred pizzeria for delivery, Little Pizza Parlor, is having a party to launch their new Pizza Pilz beer brewed for them by Round Table Brewery. Party is Wednesday at the parlor, 5-7pm.
There are still tickets available for The George Lucas Talkshow at The Bellhouse tonight, May the 4th.
The Edna Lewis Festival is running from May 5-10 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the pioneering chef’s cookbook, The Taste of Country Cooking. Most of the events are at BEM in Bed-Stuy, but there is a benefit dinner at Gage & Tollner on Tuesday evening. Pricey ticket but hey, tax deductible and free cookbook.
Immersive sound and meditation tonight at Public Records, should Monday have already proven Too Much.
Civic Stuff
Thing that wasn’t a secret makes anonymous council member mad because they didn’t know.
Much ado about the Goldman v. Lander slapfight in the NY 10th district. The betting markets have Lander as an 80-20 favorite as of this writing.
Transit Stuff
Tradition: Monday to Friday, 9:30 PM to 5:00 AM, there is no G train between Hoyt-Schermerhorn and Church Ave. Trains will only run every 20 minutes between Bedford/Nostrand and Hoyt-Schermerhorn.
Speaking of Tradition: We’re staring at another summer of G Train closures. You’ve probably heard by now. In case you haven’t, the proposed schedule is:
Weekend of May 30: From 9:45PM Friday – 5:00AM Monday, there will be no G service between Classon and Hoyt-Schermerhorn, replaced by a free shuttle bus.
Weekends of June 6, 13, and 20: From 9:45PM Friday – 5:00AM Monday, there will be no G service between Court Square. and Bedford/Nostrand replaced by a free shuttle bus..
Overnight on June 9-11 and 15-17: From 9:45PM – 5AM, there will be no G service between Court Square and Bedford/Nostrand, replaced by a free shuttle bus.
More G (and F) train pain: Look out for partial escalator outages between the ground level and upper mezzanine at Smith and 9th Street Station-Friday from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM. Love to have your only train be an 8th floor walk up.
poppy’s is my banana bread source!