Happy Holidays!

We'll see you in the new year!

1103 Cortelyou Going Rental

Looks like those fancy pants condos on Cortelyou and Stratford aren't selling. A quick look at their website shows 9 of the 12 units have not found buyers. Solution? They're going rental.

We checked out a few model apartments last year during their work-in-progress phase and weren't too impressed. Small bedrooms, loud Cortelyou, and the whole place seemed like it was sitting on the neighboring houses. Oh also the building is kind of ugly. We did love the common roof deck though, with Empire State Building views.

Rental seems like the way to go with this place. Plop down $2300 a month for a 2 bedroom and if after a year you're cool with the loud buses and neighbors who can see how much salt you put on your potatoes, buy away.

Crimes Against (Q)-Manity: The Spitter

The criminal I encountered on the B train this week makes our previous offenders The Pole Leaner and The Toe Stepper seem saintly. This guy, slob of all slobs, got onto the train in Manhattan and immediately made himself at home. He started by laying across the two seater window bench but forgot that he was taller than 3 feet, so he tried out the 3 seater, propping his feet up on the seats nearby as a way of rewarding all of us who love to sit on shoe scum. Watching him squirm around and try to find a comfortable position on the train was like watching Goldilocks test out the different beds. I just kept wishing three big bears would come on this train and eat this guy.

Anyway, you'll be glad to know he finally found a suitable position (pictured) and slept or pretended to sleep like that for quite awhile. When we went over the bridge he woke up long enough to blow his nose and then throw his snotty tissue on the ground. A normal rider might think this rude. But you have to remember, these criminals against (Q)-manity usually aren't bright enough to comprehend that the world doesn't revolve around them and MTA workers aren't giddy with excitement over the chance to pick up their disgusting trash. So now this slob is out a tissue. But as I mentioned just a second ago, he's an idiot. So he failed to plan ahead in the event that more saliva and mucus would be accumulating in his gross nose and mouth. So now this guy is picking his nose (pictured) and flicking his boogers on the seats and floor around him (that he will lie back down on in a few moments). And the icing on the cake came when Slobby McDisgustingson leaned forward and spit all over the floor. Several times. I gotta say, we were expecting throw up, so we were somewhat relieved to just see this. I couldn't help but wonder, though, what strands of DNA could be found in his loogie. Probably traces of meat-packing club-goers, toilet bowl rims, and McDonalds. Lots of McDonalds.

I'm posting extra picks of this week's awful commuter in hopes that some woman out there who is currently dating or may date this jackass will see how he behaves in public when he thinks he's alone. Ladies, reconsider that special date he planned for you at Olive Garden. It's not worth the free breadsticks.

Our Old Neighbors Think We're Paranoid Caucasians

A big thanks to Brownstoner, who linked the blog entry What's it like in Flatbush? I knew I would find something interesting in this post, but I did not know I would find my former next door neighbors! Patrick and I lived last year (Sept. 07-Sept. 08) on Ocean Avenue at Beverley Road and shared a common wall with the first couple interviewed. That's right! We are included in the group of "paranoid Caucasians" who have been moving into that building and who may be the reason for the newly installed security cameras.

This was such a neat interview because even though we lived next to this couple for a year and even chatted regularly with some of their extended family who also live in the building, I never heard how they felt about their white neighbors or where they like to eat or how much they pay for rent. This story was like being a fly on their wall or putting an empty glass up to the wall our apartments shared and listening in to their conversation (does that even work?). In case you were wondering, the newly renovated apartment was ours and it had the most wonderful kitchen I've ever had (brand new Frigidaire appliances). While I'm sure they've raised the rent from the $1150 we were paying, there's no way it's $1400.

This blog entry, along with part 2, in which Anne Pope from Sustainable Flatbush is interviewed, really makes me proud of our neighborhood because the diversity and beauty are brought up over and over again.

Ice Skating In Prospect Park

We went to Wollman Rink in Prospect Park this weekend to get in a little ice skating session and were surprised to see no crowd at all. Maybe it was because we got there with only 30 minutes left in the 2-6 p.m. session. Whatever the reason, we had plenty of space to practice our backflips and triple lutzes. Or just awkwardly skate around while barely staying on our feet.

Christmas Trees Are Here!

For those looking to add a little holiday cheer to their homes, Ditmas Park Blog has a list of nearby Christmas tree sellers. Not included on the list is Almac Hardware in Newkirk Plaza, who just got their first shipment in this morning. We got a beautiful 7 1/2 foot Fraser Fir from them for $60 and we saw trees as low as $40.

A piece of handy advice given to us from one of our neighbors: bring your tree stand to the lot to make sure the trunk fits. This would've been especially helpful for us to know beforehand because the guy from Almac, as nice as he was, didn't chop enough off for ours to fit.

Vegan Eats: Cafe Tibet

We've given Cafe Tibet several chances to impress us with their limited vegan offerings. There is so much to like about the place. It's as close to the subway as you can get without sitting on MTA property, it serves Tibetan food, which is pretty unique, and they just re-did their menu to answer all the annoying "is it vegan?" questions we have been asking since they opened. But we've never been impressed with the food, which outweighs all issues of atmosphere and location.

Katie says . . . I ordered number 24, Tenchur Logo Patsel, which the menu described as "Spicy tofu stir-fried with cabbage and carrot. Seasoned with garlic, ginger, cilantro and other spices." Just like number 26, which I had a week or two ago (Tofu Mix Veg "Freshly cut vegetables stir-fried with ginger, garlic and hot spices") it was not spicy and was actually pretty bland. The tofu had no flavor at all, and there were only about 5 small cubes of it anyway. I would recommend both of these dishes to someone who is just getting over a stomach virus and wants something plain and basic. For those seeking a tasty dinner that they could not prepare in their own kitchen, however, I would try a different restaurant.

Patrick here. I tried #27 (Shogo Ngopa), "spicy curried potatoes with spinach, stir-fried with onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes". The dish wasn't bad but it also wasn't worth the 8 bucks. Maybe they were out of fresh spinach when I ordered, because I basically got a few leaves and a ton of potatoes. The curry sauce was good, but the whole thing didn't feel like a balanced meal. Spinach and chickpeas would be nice, but that's not an option.

I also ordered an appetizer, #2 (La-Phing), "a popular street snack; extracted from mung beans. Drizzled with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic with Tibetan hot sauce." This was just a horrible mistake. This "street snack" turned out to be a bowl of jello-like blobs that had been tossed around in chili sauce. Very spicy. Really gross texture. No good.

The service is normally great. There's a really nice girl who is very helpful and patient when explaining what each dish contains. She wasn't there last night, though. Instead, we were waited on by two young girls with not-so-great English. We were the only table in the restaurant, but we still had to flag our waitress down to get more water after our cups had been sitting empty for at least 5 minutes or so.

We had such high hopes for this place, but we're finally giving up.

Food: C-

Service: C-

Value: D

Atmosphere: B+

Cafe Tibet || 1510 Cortelyou Road || 718-941-2725