Atim sent us this montage of new stuff in stock. Go see it in person: Calabar Imports. 820 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11238. 718-638-4288.
1pm – 9pm daily.
647-649 Washington Ave.: from Rag Assortery to Object of Condo Lust
Ben did some detective work and found job records stating that 647-649 Washington Ave. has permits to build a 7 story, 70-foot-high building, with 8
apartments and 12,200 total square feet: "My guess is they would make
these condos and not rentals, based on the size of the apts." Probably not news, but it’s new to us, so it’s news. Get it?
And check out this C of O from 1947 [click it to enlarge]… first-story permissible use is "rag and paper storage"; the second story is "rag assorting." Hey, no rag assorting downstairs!
Stand-up: Standing Room Only on Washington Ave.
In New York Press, Lionel Beehner writes on the Brooklyn Comedy Company (BcCo), a weekly stand-up at the Ripple Bar, on Washington Ave. between St. John’s Pl. and Lincoln Pl.: "A comedy scene grows in Brooklyn … the brainchild of a 26-year-old Bed-Stuy native, Elon James White … Since (November), he’s hosted a weekly stand-up show at the Ripple Bar in Prospect Heights … recent shows have been standing-room only."
"… larger comedy clubs in Manhattan operate on the bring-your-own-crowd
rule. ‘Here’s there’re no weird policies … [We’re
just] here to do comedy for comedy’s sake.’"
"The audience at the Ripple Bar is mostly young and African-American
(when I entered, one of the comedians pointed at me and said, ‘Don’t worry, no one’s gonna…’
then made his hand into a gun and pointed it at his head)."
[Car Service] ProHo to UES: Name Your Price
Following up on last week’s car service thread: 7th Ave. Car Service quoted me a 45-minute wait, so I took a chance on International (Wash Ave., 718-230-8484). Got picked up, as promised, in about 5 minutes, by a beat-up (and still not warmed-up) minivan. I asked how much to 70th. My Ecuadorian driver said, "how much do you usually pay?" Hmm. $28? "OK." No wait, that’s the JFK rate. How about $25? "OK! No problem." Also, this guy really knows how to work the exits.
ProHo car service reviews and war stories are taking place in this discussion thread.
[Menu] Restaurant GEN: Best Sushi in PH?
Somehow, the restaurant topic in the forums mutated into a sushi thread. Restaurant GEN, a relative latecomer at Washington and St. Marks, gets very high marks. sje says the quality, service and prices are "excellent" and overall a bit better than Geido on Flatbush. kestrel_ agrees, even though GEN doesn’t steam the edamame. However, 11238 is a "roll gal, so when the roll selection is at a minimum, I get cranky."
This inspired us to upload a Restaurant GEN menu. [Download menu_restaurant_gen.pdf]
Note they are closed Mondays. 718-398-3550. No liquor license yet; are they "OK" with "BYOS"?
Washington Ave.: 100% HUMAN HAIR. WE ALSO HAVE ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES
Ben writes us: "I’d like to see more info about Washington Ave. and what’s going on there. It’s beginning to develop and get the good kind of shops we need." Any new developments?
"Also, I notice there is lots of new construction in that area … I know one site near prospect place is slated to have 12 condos, I don’t believe anything more than excavation has been done yet. Any details?"
Please tell Ben about Washington Ave. Also, Photo Credit: the amazing lightningfield.com NYC photoblog. Click the photo to visit that site.