SCH Meeting Recap

Thanks to Russell from RePop for reporting back on Wednesday's meeting.  Here's a recap, in his own words: The Society for Clinton Hill General Membership Meeting at St. Lukes was interesting  but I didn't realize we were going to have to speak so my nerves took up most of my attention span.  But, it was a fantastic opportunity for people in the hood to become acquainted with each other and the new businesses that have opened up here in the last few years, some of which I had never heard of before.  We all took turns presenting a speech about our businesses, why we chose Clinton Hill, and what we feel our responsibility is to the neighborhood.

All of the vendors listed below set up tables showcasing their wares. The restaurants offered samples of food.  We of course over did it with a crazy Victorian display providing an example of just about everything we carry, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Chairs and the large folding screen.  (why we insisted upon transporting the entire store....i'll never know)

Hakeem Jeffries, our New York State Assemblyman was the guest speaker and conducted a brief question and answer period about the changes happening to the neighborhood, specifically focusing on the positive in the gentrification of Clinton Hill, as it seems to be a community that can marry change and remain a "community."  "If we keep our dollars IN the community."

In attendance were the following new businesses (in addition to RePOP): Beezu Children's Clothing (CUTE!  I WISH THEY MADE THESE CLOTHES IN MY SIZE) Choice Market Clinton Hill Hardware Crunch Fitness (WHY?????????????????????????????) Embora Wellness & Movement Studio (you definitely HAVE to talk to these people - yoga, fitness, acupuncture, massage and personal training) Head Over Heels (hot shoes and couture) L'Epicerie du Quarter (yummy quiche!) Madiba (delicious crab cakes and to die for samosas) The Outpost  (way cute manager) Rice (not new) Tillie's (not so new either - 10 year anniversary party to be announced soon) Urban Spring (organic cafe) 4W Circle of Art & Enterprise  (one of 20 national African American based performance and exhibition venues - open to all and rental of space available for let's say - DANCE) Yu (high end midcentury modern)

Wish I could report more, but that is the gist of it.  Oddly enough, after unloading the van, we ended the evening at Reign which was hosting it's second Gay Wednesday party.  People did not start arriving at the club until well after midnight, but it actually was GAY.  Carl and I were the caucasian representatives and i was the only one who actually danced on that amazing lighted floor.  My bad ass white boy moves managed to clear the upstairs club (LOL) so we retired downstairs for one last drink and hit the hay.  (Isa was Sexxxy Back by the way in ripped fish nets and black cape!)

Thanks, Russell!

SCH Events This Week

1. Society for Clinton HillNew Business FAIR Wednesday, November 15, 7:30 – 9:00 PM St. Luke's Church Parish House 259 Washington Ave. (between Dekalb/Willoughby)

Come meet our area merchants, hear about their businesses and view or sample their wares. It's a great opportunity to sign-up for a fitness program, get new ideas for holiday gifts, and try some special foods. Support our local merchants! Merchants include (among others):

Beezu Children's Clothing Madiba Restaurant Burger 67 Peace of Mind Books Choice Market The Outpost Clinton Hill Hardware Repop Vintage Gallery Crunch Fitness Center Rice Restaurant Embora Wellness Studio Tillie's Coffee Shop Head Over Heels Urban Spring L'Epicerie du Quarter 4W Circle of Art Yu

Word has it that there will be some interesting demonstrations of how to whittle that waist, some great discount coupons, delicious food samples and much more.

See you there!

2. COME TO THE COMMUNITY FORUM ON ATLANTIC YARDS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 7 PM HANSON PLACE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (Hanson Place and Saint Felix Street)

Join your neighbors for a community meeting on the Atlantic Yards arena and high-rise development proposal.

FEATURING:

* An update on the Federal eminent domain lawsuit and other legal challenges. * City Hall and Albany update from elected leaders * A presentation by the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods on the environmental impacts the project would have. * Q&A session

INVITED SPEAKERS:

* Incoming 57th District Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries * 44th District Assemblyman Jim Brennan * 52nd District Assemblywoman Joan Millman * 18th District Senator Velmanette Montgomery * City Councilwoman Letitia James

SPONSORED BY: Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association • Bergen Street Block Association • Brooklyn Bears Community Garden • The Brooklyn Christian Times • Brooklyn Vision • Carroll Street Block Association (5th-6th Ave.) • Dean Street Block Association (4th-5th) • Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn • East Pacific Block Association • Fifth Avenue Committee • Fort Greene Association • Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus • Park Slope Neighbors • Pratt Area Community Council • Prospect Place Block Association Atlantic Yards Task Force • Sierra Club • South Oxford Street Block Association • South Portland Block Association • The Society for Clinton Hill • Times Up! • Warren St. Marks Community Garden • Reverend David Dyson, Pastor of Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church

(Note: The Business Fair sounds cool. I may try to stop by before I dine at Bonita!)

Do we really need $900 bags? Or does it matter?

This post by Clintoncentric:For those of you who’ve already been in Stuart & Wright, or read about it on this blog or in the New York Observer, this will sound like old news. But I actually hadn’t gone in until this Saturday, when I met some friends for drinks at Stonehome Wine Bar. I got there early, and in need of killing time, I wandered into this new, amazing boutique that seems to have appeared from thin air. I wasn’t in the market for clothes — I generally can’t afford boutique clothes unless they’re heavily discounted or I’m searching for a birthday present for someone, and can justify spending $40 on a shirt, because that’s how much T-shirts at boutiques cost on sale. But I could play the guessing game, so I flipped through the rack, and tried to guess how much each item cost. I was pretty right on with the dresses—all were in the $200 to $300 range, but when I opened up a leather bag, with handles that look like bridles, I thought to myself, surely this can’t be more than $500. I was wrong. It was $895 — more than my rent. (Yes, I have it that good here!)

Now, before I begin this spiel, and it is a spiel, let me make two disclaimers.

1. I know the owners are locals, and I wish them nothing but success, even if that success baffles me.

2. I have bought things at Cloth, and while it was still around, Sodafine, but in general, I’m the wrong person to be writing a critique about a boutique, since my idea of shopping is going to the Tanger Outlet Mall on Long Island, where I just did my once-every-three-years shopping spree this weekend. Sure everything I bought was made in Macau, and yes millions of women own the same thing as me. That’s the sucky part about industrially manufactured clothes, and the beauty of boutiques: you get one-of-a-kind threads, often handmade by someone locally — like a fine, artisan cheese, something I don’t mind splurging on because I like food more than I do clothes…which in a round about way is leading to my point.

There is not one restaurant in Fort Greene or Clinton Hill whose dishes come close to the $30 range—which is up there on the chi-chi scale. So how is it that this store can sell $900 bags?

I tested this “no fancy restaurants should equal no fancy boutiques” theory on my husband Mike, who quickly shot me down with a lecture on “the beauty of capitalism” — basically, that you can put a store anywhere you want, and charge anything you want, but the market will dictate whether it will last, and if people are buying this stuff, who am I to diss it?

Fine, maybe I needed to work on my logic, and really pinpoint what it was that made me so distressed about this store. Perhaps it frightens me that there is a market in FG/CH for $900 bags, and I have been naïve to think that there isn’t. And I’ll admit, that is definitely part of it.

But I also had to consider Suzy Hanson’s theory in the NY Observer piece about Stuart & Wright and other Brooklyn boutiques. In it, she writes, “Women who live in Brooklyn chose ‘creative fields’ over law or Wall Street. The boutiques make them regret that decision, even though they tailor themselves to the tastes of those who made it. From the lushly lit storefronts of Smith Street, Seventh Avenue and now Lafayette, the message is: Even freelance graphic designers deserve Diane von Furstenberg.”

Now, I’ll be honest. I did choose a creative profession and I don’t make a ton of money and that’s partly why I moved to Brooklyn and it bothers me that I can’t afford everything I want. But I would be more angry at myself if I didn’t follow my passion just so I could earn more money and tote a $900 bag, so that’s not really on my list of grievances about this fancy boutique.

What is on that list, is change. I feel a deep affinity for this hood, despite its lack of amenities. In fact, it’s what I love about it. Or what I used to love, because Stuart & Wright, to me, is really the beginning of the Smithification of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill.

Or should I say the Manhattanization? As the NY Times reported this Sunday, locals are incensed over the prospect of upscale stores taking over Fulton Mall. As one man explained, “When they close down all these local shops that cater to our hair, the clothes we buy, the food we eat, where are we going to shop?” Ms. Cruickshank asked. “Round up 10 people here, and I guarantee you they won’t say they want a Banana Republic. We don’t want another Manhattan. Let Brooklyn be Brooklyn.” (hear, hear!)

There are really two things being said here: one is that this Manhattanization of Brooklyn is really a whitening of Brooklyn, and that by installing upscale chain stores you’re uprooting discount, ethic chains like VIM jeans. But the other, equally salient point this man is making is that Manhattan has basically become one big mall for rich white folks, while Brooklyn remains both ethnically and economically diverse — i.e., the real New York.

This diversity is what I love about FG/CH. But I also love the fact that when I walk to the farmer’s market on Saturday, DeKalb feels relaxing to me. It’s not crammed with boutiques, bars, gourmet food stores, antique shops and urban gardening centers — though I’m sure they’re all coming, which is wonderful for small, home-grown business owners and, yes, residents like me, who will enjoy supporting shops that cater to my needs. (Primarily my artisinal cheese needs.)

But there is also something to be said for a neighborhood that doesn’t cater to your every last whim. As one of Mike’s basketball buddies complained to him recently, a new sushi joint has opened up in East Flatbush, which is predominantly Caribbean. Why, this friend wondered, did they need to open a sushi joint, when he could easily get sushi in Park Slope? Why did his neighborhood — why does any neighborhood — have to mirror the Manhattan model of convenience?

The Luddite in me, the one who enjoys the tradeoff of having fewer stores in exchange for more sidewalk space, more breathing room, and more of a distinct personality from every other hot neighborhood in Brooklyn and most of Manhattan, is saddened by the prospect of $900 bags, and it’s disheartening.

That’s it. My spiel is over. But I’m curious if anyone else is thinking the same thing, or feels differently.

Apology from RePop, CH Meeting

Russell at RePop just dropped me a note -- he was bedridden with food poisoning this weekend, and apologizes for closing early on Saturday. ALSO, I am once again unable to attend this week's Society for Clinton Hill meeting. (Sorry- I have class!!.) Will someone email us notes to post??

Society for Clinton Hill

GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, October 19, 2006, 7:30 p.m. sharp

St. Luke's Church Sanctuary

Washington Avenue (between Dekalb/Willoughby)

This Wknd in CH

Party at Blue Bass!

Blue bass is 5 weeks old! And we have a whole bunch of new stuff!Blue Bass Vintage is having a party!

We just got back from a huge shopping trip and have successfully operated a store for five weeks, all reasons to celebrate. Along with great new winter gear, we'll have beer wine and a new line of urban tee-shirts and hats. So come and enjoy our refreshments, our company, and all of our new clothes. The party is this Saturday and we'll tap the keg around 7 p.m. We are located at 431 DeKalb Ave (enter on Classon). Directions are at www.bluebassvintage.com or you can call us at 347.750.8935 if you get lost.

See you then. Meredith & Sara

(know of stuff happening around town? drop me an email - clintonhillblog [at] gmail-dot-com)

RePop Halloween Party + READER SALE

Russel of RePop has drafted up a little invitation to RePop's Halloween soiree, which includes deals for both party attendees AND CHB readers!

RePOP will become a Bordello of Blood on Fri. Oct. 27 from 8pm until dawn and you, fortunate reader, are invited. My doors will be open for shopping with 10-20% off all merchandise until 10 o'clock with a frightening prize to go to the Best Costumed patron. After 10 I will allow those, in costume only, to partake in my bar of flowing poisons and dance macabre. Those costumed will be hosted by the risen souls of Joan Crawford and Christina Crawford to the thrilling grooves of DJ Simone and special guest DJ's until the dawn of All Hallow Weekend. Attend to meet thy most pleasurable drunken doom in a vintage paradise, if you dare. Costumes Required. Dogs Optional. Art Exhibition details to follow. This Friday the 13th until Sunday all Clinton Hill Blog readers will receive an exclusive 20% discount on all collectible merchandise, furnishings, decoratives, jewels and vintage dress with mention of the holy blog. Come partake in the $5 costume trunk to help finish or inspire a costume. $20 authentic Mexican Wrestling and Ultraman masks, IMG_303.jpg and of course various prices for doll heads!! IMG_0321.jpg Come on in and pick a scary baby! Tis the season!

Karen's Body Beautiful: Myrtle

When I first moved to the Hill, Karen's Body Beautiful resided in a tiny storefront on Clinton Avenue north of Myrtle. I was thrilled to see her move to an exponentially larger site on Myrtle earlier this year -- the store is spacious, peaceful and warm, and really makes sense on our ever-changing Myrtle Ave. The absolute coolest thing about Karen's store is the fact that she creates ALL of her products right there, on-site! A modern kitchen sits directly behind the front counter, allowing shoppers to watch her work her magic.

Getting to know Karen:

When did the store first open? I know it was originally in a different location. We opened the first store in February 2004 and the current location (our expansion) in Feb 2006.

How did you learn to make your own beauty products? My friends and I tried it once, and nothing turned out correctly. My husband and I spent our 2003 summer vacation (from teaching High School History) learning how to make personal care products. We bought books and ingredients and did lots of experimentation. We signed the lease on our original location on Clinton Ave in November 2003. Since we were still teaching at the time it took us 2 months to make enough products to stock the store and we opened in Feb 2004. It was very exciting because we taught at the same school in the history department, we would come home make shower gel, shampoos, body butters, etc. and drive them over to the store every day. Out of the experience making the products off site (at home) and hauling them to the store did we decided that it would be wonderful to put the kitchen in the store to streamline our production and we thought the customers would get kick out of actually seeing the products being made.

Do you live in the neighborhood? If so, how long have you been here? I live in Bed-Stuy. I've lived there for 2 years.

What have been some of the challenges in owning your own business in Brooklyn? On of the challenges is maintaining a daily production schedule to keep up the our internet and in store demands. Since we make all of our products from scratch in the store we have to be open daily making products in order to fill internet orders and keep the store stocked. It takes alot of work and time to hand-make and package thousands of soaps, lotions, candles, etc.

Favorite place to eat in the neighborhood: My favorite place to eat is ABistro* on Carlton and Myrtle. The Senegalese Fried Chicken and French Toast (on Sunday Brunch) are FABULOUS!

What would you love to see open in Clinton Hill? There are sooo many things Myrtle Ave needs! A few more restaurants (including a vegetarian one) and bars are necessary to generate more foot traffic to support businesses like a butcher shop, flower shop, clothing stores, gourmet fruit and vegetable grocery store and bakery.

Any insider info on what else will be opening on Myrtle? A new hair salon that caters to white hair will be opening soon on Myrtle between Waverly and Washington. I also know that several flower shops and a butcher are very interested in opening on Myrtle.

I see the shop is quite roomy. Do you ever offer classes, seminars or events? We have KBB Spa Days where a masseuse and an esthetician come in to do spa treatments, birthday parties, and seminars on health and beauty.

What's your most popular product? Our Body Scrubs are most popular. They are very moisturizing, they exfoliate, soften and leave you with brand new skin.

If you were a flavor of ice cream, what flavor would you be and why? Hmmm... I dont eat ice cream any more, but my favorite dessert is a mango, pineapple and strawberry home-made smoothie sweetened with agave and stevia with a dash of lemon essential oil.

KAREN'S BODY BEAUTIFUL 436 Myrtle Avenue Between Clinton Avenue & Waverly Avenue Tel: (718) 797-4808 Hours: M-Sa 12p-8p; Su 12p-5p

* When ABistro first opened, I visited several times and absolutely loved it! The service and food were both top notch. For some reason, I haven't been in awhile. Thanks, Karen, for reminding me!!

An Exciting Surprise

After BklnJay wrote about LaFu, I decided I needed to check it out for myself. When I first moved to CH, I spent quite a lot of time around that corner. It didn't hurt that I had friends who lived across from Moe's, and CH wasn't home to quite as much as it is today. However, in the last year I've been down there less and less. So I was surprised to see all the new stuff with my own eyes!

It seems that only male bloggers have mentioned the new Stuart & Wright boutique in Fort Greene, which led me to believe that it only carried men's apparel. But NO! I peeked inside, and definitely saw lots of lady-tops, high boots and peep-toe shoes!

SWOON! I love that they kept the old sign up outside.

Here's more info.

Um, when did Fillmore open here?

And now for Mullanes. Well... I like the outside design a lot. The inside looks like... any Murray Hill pub. Here's the menu and the hours:

I do like that they're serving food. How many times have you been at Rope and gotten superdrunk because you haven't eaten dinner first? Um, OK, maybe just me (and a few other readers -- you know who you are).

On the OTHER side of the LaFu intersection, next to Academy, is THIS:

This looks cool. The exterior kind of reminds me of HK, in my former neighborhood.

I still haven't tried Le Bagel Delight. They're soooo witty!

At first, I assumed S&W was in the former cleaners closer to CH at Cumberland and Lafayette.

But no. Instead, there's a 7-11 moving in there!!!

Not sure how I feel about this. I'm sure it will be cleaner and bigger than any bodega in the area, and probably less smelly and stocked with more practical stuff (ie it won't have that entire aisle dedicated to those religious candles).

Looks like I'm spending my weekend in LaFu.

Who's Your Doggy?

The new pet store, Who's Your Doggy, is now open on Willoughby and Adelphi! Owners and staff offered free hot dogs and took photos of all their doggie visitors at the Grand Opening. They offer a wide variety of high-quality pet food, and best of all, are eager to please. Staff will order any food desired if not in stock, and encourage pet owners to stop in and ask for what they need. The store plans on adjusting stock as needed based on customers' requests.

They'll also be open at 7am a few mornings a week -- perfect for swinging in on the way home from Ft Greene Park. I know I've been caught more than once sans pet food, and have had to run to Associated to pick up a box of Meow Mix to tide me over before heading to work. Blech.

Businesses on this block don't seem to last very long, but I think the pet store meets a need for neighbors there. Wishing them luck!

Now we just need something similar within Clinton Hill's borders! (WYD delivers, FYI)

Who's Your Doggy 197 Adelphi St. (at Willoughby) 718-522-5244 no website as of YET

Vintage Store Update!

Last month, fellow CH blogger Clintoncentric discovered a new vintage shop, Blue Bass Vintage, getting ready to open on Classon at DeKalb! Jay and I checked it out last weekend and took a peek inside.

The ladies tell me they have a grand opening party scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9 from "7pm 'til whenever!"

They promised to email me with more details... stay tuned.

UPDATE:

(I have to go to a bachelorette that evening, so if any readers attend, please email us pics and reviews!)

Blue Bass Vintage Clothing 431 DeKalb Ave (enter on Classon) Brooklyn, NY 11205 347-750-8935 bluebassvintage@gmail.com www.bluebassvintage.com

Music/Vespa-Fest

OK, so this upcoming party lies more in Gowanas than Clinton Hill, but is being thrown by BrooklynBretta, a supercool scooter shop. AND, the shop owner, Nicholas Mendizabal, lives right here in Clinton Hill!CAH4OFPD.jpg Recently, I asked him a few questions about being a small business owner, and living in the Hill:

How long have you lived in Clinton Hill, and what brought you here? I've lived in Clinton Hill for 2 years, and before that Greenpoint for previous 6. I moved to Clinton Hill to be closer to the shop. Working late is typical, even the 2 mile commute to Greenpoint proved to be too far!

What do you do for a living? I own and operate NYC's best scooter shop :)

How did you come up with the idea for Brooklynbretta? I knew there was a need for a scooter shop here.

How did you pick the shop's location? Sackett Street between 3rd and 4th is ideal because it's on a commercial block where we are able to do our own thing. Being part of a string of retail shops presents its own issues - so I avoided it.

Any tips for small business owners? Doing the math helps a great deal. Having a worst case, best case, and a most likely case really helped keep fiscal expectations in line. Starting a small business is relatively easy, keeping it going is another challenge . . . I would also recommend businesses with 'seasonality' be avoided. Maintaining the proper staffing can be difficult.

Craziest story resulting from owning a business: It has to do with someone asking to use the rest room 'for just one moment'. I can't possibly sanitize this story for you, so going any further is a little difficult.

Favorite Clinton Hill Hangout: My favorite restaurant is Zaytoons, those guys make some good schwarma!

What do you hope opens in the neighborhood? A Belgian mussel joint. They always have the best beers . . . and with a pot of moules - they're perfect.

Pookiellama Report: Local Sauce

Perhaps you've noticed the bearded man sitting at the northern end ofthe Fort Greene Farmer's Market, a respectful distance from the "legal" merchants, these past two Saturdays. Perhaps, like me, you at first didn't wander over to see what he was hawking in case it was, say, a self-published novel or something equally scary. But hopefully curiosity (or, in my case, a curious husband) won out, and you walked over. Cause if you didn't, you missed out on this:

CIMG2249.jpg

Homemade, limited-edition, organic hot sauce, brewed right under our noses on Hall Street by local artist Matt Miller.

Matt moved to Clinton Hill in August 2000, to attend grad school at Pratt, and has been making hot sauce for the past three summers from peppers that he grows himself. He began with a small batch of only 94 bottles - made with peppers grown from seeds from "crappy Associated scotch bonnet peppers" - which he gave to family and friends and sold at work. He now makes two or three different small batches a year. Starting with a "general idea of the basics of how a hot sauce is made", he trawled web sites to see what other hot sauce brewers were up to, and eventually settled on his own formula. He wanted his sauce to be "natural, and made with high-quality ingredients". Matt, who names El Yucateo and Cholula as among his favorite commercial hot sauces, works mainly on his own, aided and supported by his girlfriend, family, friends, and "a team of Oompa Loompas (for Packaging and Quality Control)."

IMG_0714.JPG

To come up with a name and logo for his creation, Matt explains, "First I thought of the hottest object in the universe, and then translated it into Flanders-speak. Next I photographed a sculpture I made from some peppers I grew, to get the logo. I guess I wanted people to get a chuckle out of the packaging too."

Matt had two varieties of hot sauce for sale the weekend that I ran into him at the Market. One was lighter, with a citrus flavor, and one was smokier and a bit spicier. Both are excellent - they have tons of flavor, not just heat. Devil's Doodad will keep for up to a year in the fridge.

Will the Devil's Doodad empire expand? Matt says it mainly depends on how his pepper crop does each year. At this point he only sells his sauce at the Fort Greene Farmer's Market and at his job, and doesn't turn a profit, though he breaks even.

chocolate05.jpg Matt will likely be at the Farmer's Market again this Saturday, though he says his supplies are running low.... So get there early if you want the Doodad! You can also send him an email, with "hot sauce" in the subject line if you would like to reserve a bottle or get on the hot sauce mailing list that he is setting up.

This post contributed by hey mama.

Neighborhood Wishlist

As the area gets better and more and more residential developments are being built, I still feel that Clinton Hill is missing a few good quality shops and services. So here's my wishlist for the neighborhood:

  • a good dry cleaner
  • a CVS
  • a Trader Joe's or a Wholefoods

I know there's a couple of small pharmacies and there's Karrots for natural goods but it's still not quite the same.

So what's on your wishlist for the Neighborhood?

[lesterhead's wishlist, in addition to the above:

  • used book store
  • garden shop
  • upscale florist/flower shop
  • most of all: BICYCLE SHOP. Ever seen the lines at the Prospect Hts shop on Vanderbilt for spring tuneups? This would make a real killing.
  • hip hair salon
  • Goldie + Mac store]

FINALLY - Cool Oddities in the Hood

creepy doll heads repop window BrooklynJay tipped me off to a postcard he found at Zaytoons for a new store called Repop.

Via the website, the place looked amazing -- the perfect place for picking up some random trinkets and vintage housewares. It looks like the kind of place only available in East Williamsburg. Not anymore! Yessssssss...

As discussed earlier, this place is technically NOT part of Clinton Hill. I suppose it would be considered Wallabout or Navy Yard. Either way, it's close enough to call our own. (Look for a post soon about that whole area between the BQE and the Navy Yard. The whole area is ripe for cool scenes like Repop!)

Partners/owners Russell and Carl moved to the neighborhood from Kansas City, where they worked for and owned similar shops. Repop, which just opened in mid-July, is eventually slated to become part bar, allowing patrons to shop while they drink. The shop is so great right now on its own that I hope they expand to a space next door for the bar. buttons! Repop is the type of place you could spend hours in, literally discovering something new each time you turn around. Items big and small are packed in -- from furniture to dishes to buttons to ancient doll heads and dismembered doll parts, not to mention vintage frocks and owl-feather hats, plus religious statues.

Inventory is changing constantly. Best of all, the guys are super honest. BrooklynJay found a valuable camera for $20. When he politely informed Russell that the camera was worth a few hundred bucks, Russel shrugged and said, "Yeah. We only mark up 10-20% of what we pay for the goods." ancient mirror The owners have a keen sense of humor as well. The back of the store features a small wall display unit filled with old Fisher-Price little people (you know, the smaller, swallowable ones from our youth, as opposed to the gigantic ones in stores now). You can't pass something without a chuckle. little people!

Repop 68 Washington Avenue Bkln, NY 11205 718-260-8032 Wed-Sun, 11am-7pm