SouthStuy riddles

anonymous

Hey everybody. I am wondering why there are so many useless stores, nasty unsanitary take out joints and hot tables and garbage on Fulton between Franklin and New York Avenue--when this area borders clinton hill and crown heights and has great transportation options? past Ny Avenue--people seem to take some pride in their community and put garbage INSIDE bags and actually take the time to secure them while before that point-shop owners and the like just sort of dump their refuse in the street--so that it liters the sidewalks etc. I'd also like to know why --outside of Bush Baby--there are no restaurants, bars or anything else that services an eager community that has to go outside the area for take out or or dining or for a vodka and soda-although there are plenty of stores selling bootlegged DVDs, assorted useless bric or brac, and hot tables with old fried food, chinese takeout riddled with roaches and a different fried chicken joint for everyday of the week in a 4 block radius. BushBaby is always packed and pretty successful--why are there no other businesses like them? Why are certain blocks nastier than othere-and what can we do about it?

putnam-denizen

You know I have always thought the blocks you cite are nicer than tge Fulton blocks in Clinton Hill - which are remarkable desolate at night, and have many empty store fronts. The B/S Fulton blocks strike me as having a very vibrant commercial life, altho not one aimed at the upper middle cad about town. both the bedstuyblog and shp bedstuy have lists of restaurants, etc, in Bedstuy, altho few seem to be on Fulton. When I moved to Clinton Hill ten years ago, there were only three restaurants on Dekalb, Myrtle was as bad as Fulton is today, and the Grand Avenue corridor consisted of one cafe and a whole lot of drug dealers. If my experience is any guide, Bedstuy may be a very different place in ten years, but not next year.

And of course a store which is useless to you may be useful to someone else and profitable to the owner. Perhaps you could speak to the owners of businesses you appreciate and see if you could invest in a new venture?

kevin_on_putnam

There's LOTS of stores in those blocks that are good and useful. I've bought delicious banana bread at Abu Bakers, browsed in the fabric store, bought cat food at Petland Discount. There's a great hat store! And I've bought some lovely hand-died t-shirts as gifts. There was a really good fish place up on Nostrand, and we even bought clocks for the house and a throw rug at the discount store at Beford and Fulton. Plus I've seen shoe stores and much more. It's a real shopping street. Not the neatest or the most trendy, sure. I'd love a nice book store or card shop and haven't noticed one yet.

putnam-denizen

Hat store? Where? (Or I could go next door and ask you!)

anonymous

Subject: SHOPS IN BEDSTUY

GO TO WWW.SHOPBEDSTUY.COM TO FIND ALL YOU WANT AND NEED IN BEDSTUY BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE B.S.B.A.


MOD NOTE: Tags fixed and link fixed (".com" added to url).

kevin_on_putnam

Putnam-denizen wrote: Hat store? Where? (Or I could go next door and ask you!)

You can come next door if you bring a glass of wine, but anyway, Al's hats on the corner (sort of ) of Fulton and Franklin it's a terrific hat store, straight out of the 40's with 4 walls filled with glass cases of really nice hats. I bought a 60 buck straw hat that I love and several obligatory Kangols (which I immediately lost)
regards

anonymous

OP here-I know there are some great places. Al's hat store is one of my favorites and there ia nine west and petland discount and I love Melanie's juices and roti's etc. My query was really about store owners on those blocks letting their trash blow all over the street and just the general disarray--while just a block or 2 down by restoration plaza--everything is pretty tidy and neat. There is a tangible pride in the storefronts displays etc. The second part of my query was directed at the lack of restaurants and bars in the area---you have great places like Toukaleur and the shops of lewis Avenue a cab ride away--but why aren't they--or other places-opening up on an avenue with heavy foot traffic near subways etc. Instead we have the suspicious looking business that just moved into the reef location (calling card and travel agent--with one desk set up in the middle of the space and a lot of comings and goings) with a dvd bootlegger across the street and yet another phone card travel agency next to that. How do we get a book store or wine shop or restaurant in those spaces?