Cinco de Myrtle

Some memories of my Cinco de Mayo on Myrtle this year. My friend C. and I thought, what better place to have a Cinco de Mayo lunch than Castro’s on Myrtle between Ryerson and Classon? The place may look like a hole in the wall from the outside but its hidden charm is its colorful backyard which is best enjoyed at this time of year and manages to transport you South and West before you can say margarita. C. had the quesadilla and I had the chicken with pipian sauce which tasted like a cilantro-y curry.

No supermarket in Fort Greene?

Someone alleges in a letter to the New York Times that there is no supermarket in Fort Greene. What planet is this person living in? If the Pathmark at Atlantic Center and the Associated on Myrtle and Ryerson to name a few aren’t supermarkets, I’m not sure what is. If you read the full letter though you’ll see that the author is an apologist for development that is currently controversial in the neighborhood. But why lie for that cause?

Chez Lola: Mural and Café au lait

Chez Lola is the restaurant at 387 Myrtle Avenue. My friend C. works there and I love to stop by during her shift for cafe au lait and a mimosa. The place is well adorned with huge paintings by the owner Charlotta.

Will we have a new Congressman?

Myrtle Avenue is in the news again as Kevin Powell announced his candidacy for Ed Towns’s Congressional seat at an event at the Five Spot last Sunday. Ed Towns, our current Congressman, has been in office representing our Congressional District for about 26 years!

Many believe that the odds are not in Kevin Powell’s favor but Kevin hopes to make waves by energizing the 98% of the district’s voter base who *don’t* vote in the district’s congressional elections. Apart from age and generation, one big distinguishing factor between the two politicians is that Ed Towns endorsed Hillary Clinton for President while Kevin Powell helped Brooklyn for Barack win our district for Obama in the New York Primary. The event was charming in its cosmopolitanism as Kevin demonstrated his ability to speak several of the languages spoken in C.D. 10 (including Spanish and Haitian Creole) and expressed a strong desire to support appropriate policies regarding countries of interest to the district.

Clinton Hill Town Hall Meeting about Bell Verdict Tonight

6:3O pm

Brown Memorial Church

484 Washington Ave at Gates Ave

Organized by Councilwoman Tish James

Dope Jams monthly party last Saturday

Dope Jams is a vintage record shop on Myrtle and Classon which hosts a deejayed free monthly house music party. This month’s was held Saturday night.

No more karaoke at Five Spot?

Karaoke night at the Five Spot on Myrtle and Washington has peppered my thursday night myrtle shuffle for the past year. Though I haven’t been a regular, I’ve sung Purple Rain on that stage and to the degree that I was going to the Five Spot, that was the night to do it. This Thursday I expected more good times with friends I hadn’t seen in a while (including the one who coined the phrase “myrtle shuffle”). We found out unfortunately that there is now a $5 cover charge. We were told at the door that there would be karaoke but the karaoke man has apparently been axed. The crowd was as motley and unique as a myrtle crowd can be: hipsters, Pratt freshmen girls eager to sing “Like a Virgin”, homies from Walt Whitman. The $1 PBRs were still there. That and the signature raucus live band. But Karaoke night is no more. No more voluminous catalogs from which to choose unforgettable singalong oldies, no more lyrics screen. Just when I thought I had (almost) everything I need on the strip, I have to travel to Park Slope or to Korea Town in Manhattan when I feel like singing.

My Little India closing in 4 days

My Little India is a furniture store at 96 South Elliott Place, corner of Fulton Street in Fort Greene. They have been around for a few years and although I have never been able to afford any of their India-imported furniture, I have always enjoyed walking through the store. The rumor mill has it that their rent was tripled. They are liquidating everything at 50% and there are 4 days left.

What’s the Myrtle Shuffle?

A friend of mine who used to waiter at Il Torchio calls my practice of hopping from spot to spot when I come back from a long day’s work in Manhattan “the Myrtle Shuffle”. A beer here, a burger there but lots of love everywhere. I’ve lived in Fort Greene/Clinton Hill for 11 years, 4 of which have been on Myrtle. At first there wasn’t much to do and I hung out mostly in the city (first 3 years) and then on Dekalb when all the restaurants came. Then last summer (07), a critical mass of restaurants and businesses piled onto Myrtle. Now my friends have a hard time peeling me off of what was once “Murder Avenue”, especially in the winter. I have been a blogger for a while now and I thought I’d start sharing my Myrtle adventures. The wider playground is of course Fort Greene/Clinton Hill i.e. Dekalb, Lafayette and often Fulton so expect some of that laced in too.

Oh and the header picture was taken in the bathroom at what has now become a favorite, Rope.