MTA Lets Us Down Yet Again

I had to be in Manhattan at 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Stupidly, I relied on the MTA to get me there. I thought I took the necessary precautions. Knowing how unreliable subway service at our station has been this year, Katie and I scoured the Newkirk Ave station for weekend service advisories late Friday night. No such signs were posted. There were signs about service changes that happened weeks ago, of course, but no new signs. So we figured trains were running normally.

Then we got to the station Saturday at 2:30 and saw those last minute, hand-written signs taped onto the turnstiles. "No Manhattan trains at this station. Please take the Coney Island bound train to Kings Hwy for Manhattan service." Of course. How stupid of us to think that we could just show up at the station and hop on a train without any problems.

So we waited for a Coney Island bound Q train. Saw several Manhattan-bound trains pass us as we moved slowly to Kings Highway. And the worst part of it all? When we got to Kings Highway, a Manhattan-bound Q train took off without waiting for anybody from our train to get across the tracks. The lack of respect the MTA has for their paying customers is just embarrassing. After the bullshit they made us go through to get on a Manhattan-bound train, the least they could do is keep a train at Kings Highway an extra 2 minutes to let people on.

So exactly 33 minutes after arriving at the Newkirk Avenue station, we were on a Manhattan-bound Q train passing through Newkirk Ave. 33 minutes to get back where we started. And of course I was late to my 3:30 appointment.

What's so infuriating about all of this is that we did our part. We went out of our way to look for service advisories and the MTA let us down by waiting until the day the changes were taking place to announce them. Completely unacceptable.

Tonight's Best Bet: The Loom @ Sycamore

If you still haven't checked out Sycamore's basement/performance space, tonight is the night! That's when local band The Loom will bring their banjos and french horns and mandolins and so many other pieces to the Whiskey Cellar in Sycamore. Denmark folk artist Julie Bo will open at 8 and The Loom will play closer to 9. Listen to their songs beforehand and get ready to sing along because these folks have crafted some pretty catchy melodies. An awesome band in an awesome venue. Sounds good to us.

More info here.

Questionable Police Tactics in Kensington

This account comes from a friend of a friend who was arrested at Ocean Parkway and Beverley Road for having a knife with a three-inch blade in his pocket. He writes:

I had just crossed Ocean Parkway on Beverley Road (a block from home) when a cruiser pulled up to my left. They asked me to come to the car and put my hands in the air. I did so and the officer in the passenger seat took the knife out of my pocket, looked it over, and told me that I couldn't have it. He also asked for my ID. I told him the knife was an artwork, a gift from my boss, and for use at my work. They repeated these things in a mocking tone, as if they thought I was lying to them. They said they would have to take it, and I asked if there was any possible way that I could somehow get it back after some period of time. They told me "no."

The passenger side officer asked if I wanted a summons or to be arrested, and I told him a summons would be enough to drive the point home. They asked me to sit on the sidewalk and I did so, waiting for them to sort things out. After about five minutes they both got out of the car and the driver handcuffed me. They told me they would take me to the precinct and let me out in a couple hours. I was held at the precinct for about four hours, then transferred me to central booking where I was for eighteen hours. When I was first at central booking and my arresting officer was still present, he said to me, "We both know what you have that knife for: self-defense." I argued with him, but I figure we were past the point of no return then.

Twenty-four hours in custody, culminating in eighteen hours on a freezing cold concrete floor covered in piss with the lights down low. Always at least twenty other guys stuck in there with me, nice enough people but charged with assault, domestic violence, and all this serious shit. Eating stale bread with a single slice of American cheese on it. And try sleeping on solid concrete with twenty screaming prisoners around you.

I served two days community service, in the end. Add that to my full day in jail and the court date I have in June. All together that equals one big waste of time and money.

I know we have only one side of the story here, but it sure does sound like the policemen involved in this incident wasted a good amount of taxpayers' time and money, going out of their way to put a guy minding his own business through a lot of trouble. Then again, maybe these guys were actively (or proactively) trying to protect the 66th precinct. This area is no stranger to knife problems, after all.

Vegan Eats: Strictly Vegetarian

We've discussed Four Seasons (we love it), we've lamented the loss of Veggie Castle, and now it's time to turn our attention to Strictly Vegetarian, which is also on Church Avenue, across from Four Seasons and a few doors down from the littered, abandoned Veggie Castle lot.

You really can't go wrong with any of the vegetables. The collard greens are always excellent. Pumpkin is great too. But no one goes to Strictly Veg strictly for the veggies. The protein options are good and similar to the mock meat options at other Ital restaurants, but they occasionally leave something to be desired. The tofu with veggies is boring (as many tofu dishes are without the right sauce) and the curry beef chunks are a little too dry. The chickpeas are great though, and have a consistency like black eyed peas. Don't miss the lo mein because it's delicious. The rice and beans and macaroni sides are great options as well. The servers fit a lot of food into the small container, which costs $6 and is slightly larger than Four Seasons' small container. And be sure to get one of the homemade juices, which are in styrofoam cups in the refrigerator behind the counter. We recommend the tamarind. Super sweet with a gingery aftertaste.

As far as the customer service goes, we've had some mixed experiences at Strictly Veg. Sometimes the people behind the counter look at us like we're the offspring of Donald Trump, eyeing real estate in the area. But the time before last the guy behind the counter was enthusiastic and friendly, asking me midway through my meal how I liked everything.

One cool thing: the small space and counter-top style serving arrangement produce lots of local flavor as all sorts of characters pop in and out. Some hawk reggae CDs, some talk religion (this weekend we overheard, "I'm just here to serve Jah"), and a few even buy food.

And if you don't like Strictly Vegetarian, all you have to do is cross the street and try again.


Strictly Vegetarian || 2268 Church Ave || (718) 284-2543‎

Filming in Flatbush: Comedy Central's Michael and Michael Have Issues

Westminster Road between Beverley and Cortelyou was a hot spot for filming yesterday. I thought I was going to check out "Blue Valentine," starring Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, but that crew was gone by the time I got there. In their place was the cast and crew for the new Comedy Central show "Michael and Michael Have Issues," including Michael Showalter, who was standing in the street smoking a cigarette and wearing a flannel bathrobe. The other Michael of the show, Michael Ian Black, came out of the house later, once filming inside wrapped.

The series, which also stars the nicest funny lady in showbiz, MADtv's Arden Myrin, premieres in July.

Gang Signs on Rugby Road

We recently noticed this blue bandana tied to a fire escape in front of a building on Rugby Road between Newkirk and Foster, a possible sign of Crips activity.


And a few months ago we spotted graffiti on a B68 bus that said "Fuck Crip OK Bitch." Very well could have been the work of a 12-year-old who just learned about Bloods and Crips. But it also could've been scrawled by an anti-Crips gang member. Similar mentalities, after all.

Last year when we lived at Ocean and Beverley we found a message in our building that read "C (Up Arrow), B (Down Arrow)" or vice versa, meaning "Crips up, Bloods down."

Does this mean our neighborhood is overrun with Bloods and Crips? Probably not, although it's a safe bet to assume Ditmas Park has some amount of gang activity. So what can you do? Don't park your red car on Rugby Road.

Marlboros Off Marlborough

Cops pulled over two guys on Ditmas Ave. Friday and found 58,000 packs of Marlboros inside their truck, part of a massive operation to sell tax-free cigarettes.

The Post reports "Marvin Whatley, 30, and his brother Marlon, 32, were arrested after cops discovered the haul -- worth $580,000 on the street -- in the truck on Ditmas Avenue in Flatbush."

Filming In Flatbush: Royal Pains

It's springtime, which means you can expect more of those flashy "No Parking" signs to pop up around the SWARM streets, as film and television production crews invade the nabe. Yesterday the new USA show "Royal Pains" was filming on Argyle between Beverley and Cortelyou. According to TV Squad, the show is about "a doctor who is on-call to some of the most demanding patients around, the richie-riches who live in the fashionable Hamptons of Long Island."

The shoot yesterday involved a scene with the beautiful Reshma Petty carrying a huge x-ray machine up a house's steps and asking for help from Paulo Costanzo, who I recognized from "Joey" (I knew watching that show for 2 years would pay off). Not sure which episode was filming yesterday (my guess would be episode 4), but the series premiere is June 4.

Ditmas Park's Newest Venue: The Whiskey Cellar at Sycamore

I finally checked out Sycamore's basement space this past weekend and wow, it's a beaut! The room is intimate, but not small by any means. When I stopped by there were 4 rows of wooden benches facing the stage, but they can be moved and rearranged to accommodate the various performances hosted there. One long L-shaped bench wraps around the side and back of the audience area. An antique wooden cabinet with bottles of whiskey sits just off of stage right. And the whole place is lit by candles resting over the L-shaped bench. It is far and away the nicest basement in a bar this blogger has ever seen.

My first experience in The Cellar was pretty great. I crept down the steps as quietly as possible to a completely silent room. 20-30 people were watching a guy on stage with a guitar and the highest falsetto I've ever heard come out of a man's mouth. Next to him was a girl who kind of looked like Bjork. Her hair was parted over half of her face and her head was sunken in bashfulness. She was playing a saw with a bow. The only thing I could think was "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Then at the height of the awkwardness came a loud "pppphhhbbrrrtttt." I looked over to see the culprit- a baby whose mom was now cracking up. People near me started laughing and pretty soon the whole room was giggling. I don't know the guy who was performing, but my snap judgement was that he took his "art" very seriously, so It was pretty hilarious to see his gift to the world interrupted by a loud baby fart.

The band I went to see, Mattison, was amazing. And I was really surprised that at the beginning of their set, when I was still upstairs in the bar, I couldn't hear the bass or drums at all. Hopefully the neighbors above and around Sycamore are appreciative of their soundproofing efforts with the Cellar. Other spots on Cortelyou should take note (looking at you, Solo and Vox Pop).

For the full list of shows at the Cellar, check out sycamorebrooklyn.com.

Unveiling Newkirk Avenue's P.S. 217

The giant black netting covering Newkirk Avenue's P.S. 217 has finally been lifted, allowing passersby to get a glimpse of the beautiful elementary school. Renovations on the 1925 structure have been underway for sometime now. And while scaffolding still covers the entire building, maybe the netting removal will give aggravated neighbors a glimmer of hope that the early morning jackhammering they've had to endure will come to an end soon.

Vox Pop Re-Opens With A Bang

We were super excited to see Vox Pop filled to the brim with hip, young music lovers Saturday night. We haven't seen that many people on Cortelyou and Stratford since the frolic. Even around midnight there were 50 or so people livening up the outdoor area and a bunch more inside taking advantage of the $2 beers.

We saw a good amount of flannels and fedoras, confirming our previous hunch, but there were also plenty of regular folks rounding out the mix. It seemed like a pretty young crowd overall (median age: mid-20s maybe?), which was a nice change of scenery from the older Sycamore set. Not that we have anything against people with baby strollers (we'll leave the stroller wars in Park Slope).

Anyway, consider the official re-opening of Vox Pop a major success.

MTA Now Encouraging Riders To Race Through Atlantic Avenue Terminal

Last night we encountered a potentially dangerous new practice the MTA has adopted at the Atlantic Avenue Terminal.

If we get to a station in Manhattan and it looks like the B just came we sometimes take the D and transfer at Atlantic. It's a long walk, but usually an interesting one, especially with the MoMa satellite exhibition. Last night as we were getting off the D and heading up the stairs to transfer to the B/Q, we heard the following announcement:

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is a Stillwell Avenue-bound Q train approaching Atlantic Avenue."

Strange, we thought. We've never heard that announcement before. We couldn't hear it in the main terminal, only on the Atlantic-Pacific platform where the D dropped us off. We knew the B/Q platform was a good 3-5 minutes away, but we figured if they were making the announcement there it meant everyone who could hear it had a chance of making the connection to the Q. So we ran up the stairs and jogged quickly through the terminal at a speed that would not have been possible if it was the slightest bit crowded. We raced down the stairs to the Q/B platform just as the Q train was closing its doors and taking off without us.

So if a couple of able-bodied young folks like ourselves couldn't make the connecting train after running through the station, why would they make that announcement? It seems like it will only encourage people to sprint through the station and potentially hurt themselves or others along the way.

Maybe in the future they could add to the announcement, "You have no chance of making this Stillwell Avenue-bound Q train, so take your time."

Hipsters To Invade Ditmas Park Saturday

Don't be startled if you see a sudden influx of hipsters on Cortelyou this weekend. They're just here for the indie bands Saturday night. There will be a music marathon at Vox Pop starting at 5 pm, featuring Rene Collins, members of The Prigs, and The Loom (who we like). And Brooklyn band Mattison will bring their smooth sounds to Sycamore's whiskey cellar at 9. We've been loving the songs on Mattisons's myspace page, kind of a blend between Joan as Police Woman and Minnie Riperton.

But can our neighborhood handle all this excitement? There's already a thread on Brooklynian about the loud bass coming from live performances at Solo. Neighbors farther down Cortelyou have emailed Ditmas Park Blog, complaining about live music spilling out of the newly-reopened Vox Pop. And we all remember the famous Sycamore backlash that had some people talking about a neighborhood boycott of the bar if it continued to host late-night live music sessions in its backyard. That situation escalated so quickly that Sycamore's owner had to issue a public apology promising a curfew on backyard activity.

Sycamore has done its part by moving live music to the basement. If I drop by Vox Pop I'll do my part by closing the door behind me. Excessive noise we can curb. But if it's hipsters you're concerned about, keep worrying. Now that our neighborhood is on Brooklyn Vegan's radar, expect to see more leather jackets and keffiyehs around the hood.

Flatbush Shots: Rugby Road

We've been enjoying the pictures on flickr from neighborhood photographer Paul Dorfman, including this spring shot of the corner of Rugby Road.