Clinton Hill Chill Blog

Inspired by Grandmother, Three Cousins Open Clothing Store

Brooklyner — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:48:12 +0000

After six years of selling their original designs to other stores, three cousins fulfilled a dream and opened their own shop, the Fashion Library about three months ago, and business has been great.

The three young men, all in their twenties, became clothing designers about six years ago, after working at odd jobs such as working in a car wash or watering in order to earn money for fabric.

The journey to their shop began when one of the cousins, Roshawn Mussington was taught to sew by his grandmother, Pearl Henry, when he was eleven years old and living with her in Kingston, Jamaica for two years. When Mussington returned to Brooklyn he began to make original and distinctive things to wear as a hobby.

When Rosh, Mussington’s nickname, graduated from Tilden High School in 2005 he decided to turn his hobby into a business. He asked his cousins to join him in his venture, teaching them the ins and outs of sewing.

After six years selling their wares, they decided to open up their own place.

“That was our whole dream, to have a store of our own,” said one of the cousins, Mckenson Cadet, 24. “We were even talking about selling out of the garage at home; we wanted it that badly.”

The cousins spent about a year looking for the perfect location for their store in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights and the Fulton Mall in Downtown Brooklyn.

“Nobody wanted us,” Cadet said.

They finally settled on a space in East Flatbush on Snyder Avenue just off of Utica Avenue. They did a lot of the interior construction on their own, putting down flooring, taking out wood paneling, painting the walls, and building shelving and placing mirrors on the walls. They had electricians hang their chandelier.

“We risked our whole savings, everything,” said Rosh, 25. “We decided it was all or nothing.”

Now their customers are coming from all over New York and New Jersey, too. From Harlem, the Bronx and beyond people are scrambling to acquire the Rosh brand name from the Fashion Library. During Christmas there was so much demand for the $200-and-up jackets, $100-and-up button-downs and $70-and-up hoodies that Cadet and Rosh had to sew like crazy to restock their inventory while the third cousin, Jermaine Clarke ran the store.

Unfortunately their grandmother did not live long enough to see the success of her grandsons.

“We came from nothing — she would feel really good,” Mussington said.
“She would be proud to say, ‘These are my grandkids,’” Cadet added.

Clinton Hill Café for a Peaceful, Delicious Meal

Brooklyner — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:40:39 +0000

Clinton Hill is so full of surprises it would be surprising to still find someone surprised by the surprises that are still being revealed. Suzanne Hamlin if the New York Times described Clinton Hill in the following beguiling way:

“Sandwiched between Fort Greene and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill in Brooklyn might just be the quintessence of urban living in New York City. It is affluent and not so, seedy and grand, ethnically diverse, a magnet for artists, musicians and filmmakers, and rich in architectural style.”

Clinton Park Cafe

Being such a hot spot it is no wonder that Clinton Hill is also home to some of New York’s most intriguing culinary adventures. Take, as an example, the Clinton Park Café. Located at 274 Hall Street, this traditional American style eatery serves up fabulous breakfasts that include amazingly fresh freshly squeezed orange juice, salads, eggs, waffles, pancakes and soups. There is a separate “wrap” menu, and lots of great food for dinner and lunch, too.

Owners Steve, Antigone and Roland are warm and welcoming, offering a brief description of the rest diner’s concept. Out in Astoria, Queens, going out to the diner is a Greek pastime, but at the Clinton Park Café the diner is something else, winking towards the influences from the Greek, such as Gyros, Souvlaki to Challah French Toast.

Try it. There is something for everyone at this tranquil, lovely café/diner. For more information call (718) 622-0185.

New Clinton Hill Eatery Speedy Romeo to Open Next Week

Brooklyner — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:45:03 +0000

The planned Wednesday opening of Speedy Romeo has been postponed until next week on January 24. Stop by and try the famous homemade mozzarella which made such a splash this past summer at the Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasboard. In addition to the tasty mozzarella, chef Justin Bazdarich and his partner Todd Feldman will be offering seasonal pizzas and entrees influenced by Italian cuisine, cooked in their specialty wood-burning brick oven.

Bazdarich says his goal is to serve “every food that customers will crave.”

Speedy Romeo Pizza

Other dishes to expect on the not-yet-completely-worked-out menu will be grilled half-chicken, strip steak with salsa verde, and grilled chicken Parmesan. There are also planned some amazing pizza toppings like wild-mushroom with mozzarella and egg, potato-lardo, and their specialty, the Saint Louie, which includes Provel cheese, homemade sausage, and salami.

And where does the great name come from? Romeo reflects the special connection the restaurant has to the flavors of Italy. Speedy is because the restaurant is housed in a former auto shop, where presumably the cars were repaired quickly. Although the outer façade still boasts automobile logos, the interior is completely redesigned with the help of Hecho Design.

Speedy Romeo, 376 Classon Ave., near. Greene Ave., Clinton Hill; 718-230-0061

The Arbuckle Mansion in Clinton Hill’s Historic District

Brooklyner — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:11:05 +0000

Arbuckle Mansion

Looking for a great place to live in Clinton Hill? How about something with not just style, but also with history? Check out the Arbuckle Mansion which has been transformed into a center of modern living called the Clinton Renaissance Condos.

Located in the Clinton Hill Historic District, this building is one of the major historic buildings in the district. It is also one of the most celebrated of the Romanesque Revival style homes in all of New York City.

Completed in the year 1888, it was built for the affluent coffee seller John Arbuckle. The lovely design was executed by the well-known Brooklyn architect Montrose Morris.

Summary of Community Board Two Meeting

Brooklyner — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:44:05 +0000

Wednesday night’s meeting of the Clinton Hill/Fort Greene was a busy one, as concerned citizens addressed some of the neighborhood’s most pressing issues.

• A moment of silence was held to remember Harold Greene. Deacon Greene was not only a past member of CB2, but he was also a former president of the tenants association of the Farragut Houses. He was remembered as a man who always had a smile.

• Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a recently opened restaurant, is requesting permission to open a sidewalk café on the plaza. Probably not controversial, but a review of the plan is being made by the Land-Use Committee.

• Walter Mosley, district leader with hopes of succeeding Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries’ seat when he runs for Congress this coming fall, was anxious to let everyone know that it is likely that the New York State primaries will be moved to June 26 instead of the historical September, which has implications for voter registration, campaigning, fund raising, and turnout.

To see what else was discussed see the blog post on The Local.

Success Academy Aggressively Advertising in Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Brooklyner — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:08:22 +0000

The Success Academy, a charter school with plans to open up a new branch in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, has begun an advertising campaign to get the word out. Near Clinton Street on Atlantic Avenue the Success Academy placed an advertisement on a bus shelter promoting a “proven record of success,” as well as hanging doorknob hangers on neighborhood homes declaring, “Apply Today! A New Public School Choice for Your and Your Neighbors.” There was also included the URL for the website of the elementary charter school as well as information about how to apply.

There is nothing unusual about this ad campaign, says a spokeswoman for the Success Academy, Jenny Sedlis. It is just in a new location.

“We do parent outreach every year through direct mailers, bus shelters and other MTA assets, knocking on doors and holding info sessions,” she said. “In Brooklyn where we are not well known at all, this is the most effective and efficient way to get the word out about our schools and what we offer.”

Parents Protesting the Success Academy

The campaign to get the word out comes on the heels of a December decision by the Panel for Educational Policy allowing the Success Academy network of schools to open two new schools in Brooklyn; one in Cobble Hill and the other in Bedford-Stuyvesant. There were many parents and educational groups that were in opposition to allowing the Success Academy to take up more space in regular public school buildings.

Nets Corporate Headquarters Moving to Downtown Brooklyn

Brooklyner — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:20:28 +0000

New Corp Headquarters of the Nets

Now that the New Jersey Nets are officially the Brooklyn Nets, it is a no-brainer that their corporate offices, which handle the business side of the team, should also be situated in Brooklyn. Beginning next month 15 Metro Tech Center will be the new corporate headquarters of the Nets.

A long-term lease was signed this week for the entire 11th floor of the 19 story building situated in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. The 35,145 square foot space will be the centralized location for the 150 employees of the team and of the Barclays Center, the playing venue for the Nets which is still under construction.

The CEO of the Nets and Barclays Center, Brett Yormark said in a statement that,

“MetroTech is a terrific environment in the heart of Brooklyn’s business district and a convenient location for our corporate headquarters. We look forward to being part of the continued renaissance of downtown Brooklyn.”

The Nets are scheduled to inaugurate their new arena at the start of the 2012-2013 NBA season. Jay-Z is going to kick off the grand opening of Barclays Center later on this year, while David Diamante will be the official announcer of the Nets. (Diamante owns a Fort Greene cigar shop owner.)

“Having the corporate offices of Brooklyn’s first professional sports team since 1957 downtown will be a ‘net positive’ for the neighborhood,” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Real Estate Stats for Brooklyn and Clinton Hill, 2011

Brooklyner — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:40:12 +0000

Arias Park Slope Sold for $57.9 million

According to a popular Brooklyn blog, the largest commercial property sale in Brooklyn during 2011 was the $123.9 million sale of a group of self-storage buildings in the Gravesend, East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant and Clinton Hill neighborhoods. The purchase was made by the real estate investment trust CubeSmart from Storage Deluxe. The sale took place in October.

The second largest sale was of a luxury rental building on 150 Fourth Avenue in Park Slope. The purchase was made by Invesco Real Estate, which is an independent investment management company, for $57.9 million. The building, called Arias Park Slope, was sold by its developer Iconic Group.

What may have been the largest real estate sale in the history of Sheepshead Bay was for $28.5 million for the Super Stop & Shop on 1702 Avenue Y.

The Great Brooklyn Car Service List

Brooklyner — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:58:59 +0000

Everyone knows the best way to travel in New York, if you aren’t chauffeured around in your own personal limo that is, is by taxi. And the best way to get a taxi is to call a local car service who will drive up to your location fast and take you where you want to go.
If it’s a regular day or evening, calling the car service in your own neighborhood is the fastest and best choice. But sometimes there’s more than the usual number of people needed rides, like on New Year’s Eve, for instance, and you might need to call a cab from a neighboring community.
Car services are a bit different than regular taxi cabs. The largest difference is that they do not use meters, so it is important to establish what the price will be before you even get in the car- even better, when you are still on the phone calling the cab to your location. Drivers are licensed, and take cash and in many cases also credit cards, (check this out first), and show the name of the company in the cab. Don’t forget to give a tip.

Taxis, Car Services in Carroll Gardens

•   (718) 237-8888, LINDENBAUM SUPPLY CO. INC.
•   (718) 834-0333, COLUMBIA STREET CAR SERVICE INC
•   (718) 643-1113. COBBLEHILL CAR SERVICE INC.
•   (718) 243-2094, BLUE CAR & LIMO INC
•   (718) 797-0777, ADVANTEDGE CAR & LIMO INC

Taxis, Car Services in Clinton Hill

•   (718) 230-8100, MYRTLE AVE CAR & LIMOUSINE SERVICE S, CORP
•   (718) 789-4900, PRATT CAR SERVICE INC
•   (718) 230-4499
•   NEW BELL CAR SERVICE CORP
•   (718) 230-8244
•   EVELYN CAR SERVICE INC
•   (718) 398-4015
•   LUXURY CARS GROUP LL

Taxis, Car Services in Crown Heights

Car Services in Brooklyn Drive You Places

•   (718) 771-3000, MICHAELS CAR SERVICE INC.
•   (718) 771-2299, BED STAR DRIVERS ASSOC INC
•   (718) 774-3959, DELINCE CAR LIVERY SERVICE CORP.
•   (718) 493-2500, CATCH AH RIDE LIMO INC
•   (718) 493-1133, MELMAC SERVICE GROUP CORP.

Clinton Hill Resident Wins BAM Facebook Contest

Brooklyner — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:12:35 +0000

Mark Snyder, former mid-westerner, upper west-sider and now Clinton Hill, Brooklyn resident was the winner of the grand prize of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s “Ultimate BAM Fan” on Facebook this week.

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Saying that “I didn’t even know it was a contest,” Snyder continued, explaining that, “I just wanted to write about BAM and my experience about it.”

Snyder will receive a membership to BAM, movies “on-the-house” at the BAM Rose Cinemas, plus a $300 Chase Gift Card.

Snyder is a playwright with a day job in Manhattan. He explained that the BAM ad campaign, “BAM and Then It Hits You,” which has appeared all over New York in recent days, inspired him to write his “love letter” to BAM on Facebook. The ad campaign comes to celebrate the 150th anniversary of BAM, and asks New Yorkers to remember an experience they had at BAM which they have never forgotten.

Snyder recounted the first time he went to BAM, to see Barbara Stanwyck in “Ball of Fire” at BAM Rose Cinemas. Here is an excerpt from Snyder’s winning essay which was entitled “A Cornucopia of Options.”

“I think the reason BAM feels different is the diversity of the audience—it reflects the community that it’s in,” he said. “It doesn’t feel so important.”