A Grilled Cheese restaurant for Lincoln and Franklin

whynot_31

For years, the NW corner of Lincoln and Franklin (aka 788 Franklin) was the site of open drug activity and violence that was pretty intense.

I moved to the area in 2003, and can attest it was violent between 2003 and 2009. Friends who lived in the area prior to 2003 have told me the corner had been the site of violence and drug dealing for literally decades beforehand.

In the summer of 2010, the activities in the immediate area began to be discussed here, on the Brooklynian website:

-Shootings.

-Police Raids.

-Open Drug dealing.

-Police "Impact Zone" observation towers.

-Police foot patrols.

http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/topic/732010-2-shootings-on-franklin-avenear-95-south

http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/topic/police-activity-at-bodega-on-lincoln-and-franklin

http://www.brooklynian.com/forums/topic/drug-spot-on-sterling-place

As the fall of 2010 arrived, the drug dealers seemed to become much more discreet. The business of selling easily concealed, quickly handed-off, thumb-size plastic bags seemed to be falling off.

During each season of 2011, I witnessed fewer and fewer transactions take place. Sales appeared to be on the decline.

During the Spring of 2012, the corner seemed to lose its reputation as a reliable place for strangers to score. What once had been a 24 hour open drug mart, now seemed to be changing.

Most of the time, the site began to host only deals that had been pre-arranged by phone. Customers without appointments began to be restricted to the hours of 1 AM - 5 AM.

Then, a few months ago, the 24 hour bodega that seemed to be the longtime base of the activity (788 Franklin) was struck by a medium size fire, and closed. The few sellers and buyers that remained instantly lost a key source of warmth, cover, cigarettes, and 40 oz beers. Presumably, they went to locations that were more reliable, and provided better accommodations.

Neighborhood residents (such as yours truly) watched with great interest. We predicted that the site would not be vacant for long and when it reopened, it would be different.

A few weeks ago, renovations began. Recently, I learned from a reliable source what it will become: A casual restaurant that specializes in Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Yum.

whynot_31

Attached files

terekete

just walked by and the construction doors were open-- looked like a far-too-nice renovation for the same grimy bodega. interesting.

nothinlikeabklyngirl

Apparently it's the people behind the Morris Grilled Cheese truck: http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2012/09/morris-grilled-cheese-opens-gladys-prospect-heights.html

whynot_31

That food truck has a yummy menu: http://morrisgrilledcheese.com/?page_id=11

and yummy photos:

epiclylaterd

One word: YES.

epiclylaterd

Also whynot, thanks for the detailed history of that corner. Very interesting to see the change going on

eastbloc

Awesome! I just saw the work there today and wondered what it was going to be.

eastbloc

"south Prospect Heights". Nice.

whynot_31

This is my favorite transformation in a while. I congratulate everyone who patiently and cleverly worked hard to make this happen.

...you know who you are

new2nyc

i am jumping up and down for joy right now. in denver i used to have a specialty grilled cheese joint down the block from me and it was an awful awful delicious addiction. i am so excited for this potential upcoming relapse. thankfully its a bit farther away than my last score was so i aim to keep it in check. weeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

whynot_31

I like that the corner will continue to serve its long term purpose:

Feeding people's addictions.

whynot_31

P.S. The grubstreet link says we will get more than just grilled cheese sandwiches

....beer, wine, and sit down service could also happen.

the psycho-ologist

whynot_31 said:

That food truck has a yummy menu: http://morrisgrilledcheese.com/?page_id=11

and yummy photos:

Oh my god that looks so damn good.

I want to say: "Congrat-ul-gentrification-s

you now have a habitable nabe", but then I will get flamed by lowlife sympathizers who will whine about how gentrifiers push out poor and disenfranchised folks.

I say: No one wants to live with lowlife drug dealers/users. They contribute nothing and take everything; quality of life, health , and happiness from a neighborhood.

I am sure if it wasn't for greedy opportunistic landlords price gouging at the signs of gentrification, the poor "disenfranchised" would be just as happy that gentrifiers bring business, and safety and quality of life to most neighborhoods that were slowly languishing under the tyranny of gang and lowlife dominion.

Okay folks FLAME AWAY

homeowner

Who knew that all it took to make a neighborhood habitable was the presence of $10 grilled cheese sandwiches?

I will get flamed by lowlife sympathizers who will whine about how gentrifiers push out poor and disenfranchised folks.

I say: No one wants to live with lowlife drug dealers/users. They contribute nothing and take everything; quality of life, health , and happiness from a neighborhood.

Not going to flame you but simply say that it's clear that the lowlife drug dealer/users have simply been replaced by drunken frat punks .

And, many of the people complaining about the changes are not "disenfranchised" but are people with jobs and families that lived in these communities because they could afford them who now have fewer options for staying in the city. As a college student or young single post-grad, you can opt to split a two bedroom apartment with four adults all paying a share of the rent. As a parent of a family of four, you don't have such options and you live where you can afford. Those folks make too much to live in subsidized or public housing, but make too little to remain in this neighborhood post gentrification. Its also not clear to me what is being contributed to the neighborhood by a large group of the newcomers, other than the creation of a market for expensive sandwiches and craft beer.

None of this is the fault of the grilled cheese folks, but it is sad that folks can't celebrate the coming of new things while at the same time recognize that their presence also signifies the loss of not just the "bad" elements of the neighborhood, but of another working class neighborhood in Brooklyn.

whynot_31

homeowner wrote: None of this is the fault of the grilled cheese folks, it is sad that folks can't celebrate the coming of new things while at the same time recognize that their presence also signifies the loss of not just the "bad" elements of the neighborhood, but of another working class neighborhood in Brooklyn.

It is also tough to blame the neighborhood "activists".

In this case, some neighborhood newbies and long term residents (representing lots of demographics and hues) were able agree on a common goal: "Get drug dealers out of that intersection".

For some the agreement was tacitly reached, for others, it was explicit.

Said "activists" then worked (at times) together and (at times) independently. A variety of methods were used to achieve the common goal.

-Agreement on the methods was not always achieved, or even sought.

-Agreement on allies (police, politicians, etc) was also not always achieved, or even sought. ...yet allies were involved in the effort.

Despite this lack of coordination, as time progressed, the common goal was obtained.

While I believe "we" certainly sped up the timeframe in which the common goal was achieved, in this case, I believe the goal would have been eventually obtained even without "our" efforts.

Likewise, additional outcomes were obtained that were not understood or intended by all participants.

For example, as a result of the perception of the area changing, many of those who have long resided "here" have had to move.

It leads one to hypothesize that if a "west" Brooklyn neighborhood conquers street violence, it will quickly become more expensive.

While seemingly valid, this line of thought could lead to several faulty hypotheses:

-That all (or most) of those who have moved, were complicit in the neighborhood's prior reputation.

and/or

-That all (or most) of those who remain, were complicit in the neighborhood's prior reputation.

and/or

-That all of those who moved did so because they could not afford to stay.

Folks are welcome to think about such things as they eat their grilled cheese sandwich, but if they choose to think about something else ...or nothing at all... that is ok too.

the psycho-ologist

homeowner said:

Who knew that all it took to make a neighborhood habitable was the presence of $10 grilled cheese sandwiches?

I will get flamed by lowlife sympathizers who will whine about how gentrifiers push out poor and disenfranchised folks.

I say: No one wants to live with lowlife drug dealers/users. They contribute nothing and take everything; quality of life, health , and happiness from a neighborhood.

Not going to flame you but simply say that it's clear that the lowlife drug dealer/users have simply been replaced by drunken frat punks .

And, many of the people complaining about the changes are not "disenfranchised" but are people with jobs and families that lived in these communities because they could afford them who now have fewer options for staying in the city. As a college student or young single post-grad, you can opt to split a two bedroom apartment with four adults all paying a share of the rent. As a parent of a family of four, you don't have such options and you live where you can afford. Those folks make too much to live in subsidized or public housing, but make too little to remain in this neighborhood post gentrification. Its also not clear to me what is being contributed to the neighborhood by a large group of the newcomers, other than the creation of a market for expensive sandwiches and craft beer.

None of this is the fault of the grilled cheese folks, but it is sad that folks can't celebrate the coming of new things while at the same time recognize that their presence also signifies the loss of not just the "bad" elements of the neighborhood, but of another working class neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Hmm. I didn't specifically mention the opening of the cheese shop, changed the neighborhood. I was replying to WhyNot's entire post, which chronicled the history of a block with bodegas that either explicitly or implicitly fostered drug/lowlife activity, and the change that has taken place.

"And, many of the people complaining about the changes are not "disenfranchised" but are people with jobs and families that lived in these communities because they could afford them who now have fewer options for staying in the city."

Somehow I don't believe you read THIS part of my post:

I am sure if it wasn't for greedy opportunistic landlords price gouging at the signs of gentrification, the poor "disenfranchised" would be just as happy that gentrifiers bring business, and safety and quality of life to most neighborhoods that were slowly languishing under the tyranny of gang and lowlife dominion

If you did, you would KNOW that I understood the real reason the "low income people" were complaining was because of the landlords taking advantage of the positive changes and NOT the positive changes themselves.

Come on. Do you really think that anyone who works 20 hours a day, whether as a dish cleaner or lawyer, wants to come home to the same drug peddling, addicted asshats who crowd the entry ways of their buildings; blast music all night in the neighborhood; pee in the hallways; destroy property; and otherwise diminish any quality of life to be found in said nabs?

Even when I was a broke ass student (and I'm still a sorta broke professional), nothing irked me more than busting my ass in the service industry all hours of the day then coming home to the same lazy, rude, assholes, who made the idea of rest, ordering food, or even opening your window to get a summer breeze IMPOSSIBLE.

I have a janitor friend, who will be moving to SC, because he is tired of commuting to South Ozone Park after 12 hours of work, only to be unable to even get delivery of food, because the drug addled ass-hats and gang members in his community have robbed one too many of the delivery people.

And don't get me started on all these "so called bodega's" that are really fronts for drugs. I am not saying that some aren't legitimate stores, but I am sure if you search this very site, you will know I am not the only one who has seen anecdotal evidence of Bodega/drug front activity.

the psycho-ologist

whynot_31 said:

Despite this lack of coordination, as time progressed, the common goal was obtained.

While I believe "we" certainly sped up the timeframe in which the common goal was achieved, in this case, I believe the goal would have been eventually obtained even without "our" efforts.

Likewise, additional outcomes were obtained that were not understood or intended by all participants.

For example, as a result of the perception of the area changing, many of those who have long resided "here" have had to move.

It leads one to hypothesize that if a "west" Brooklyn neighborhood conquers street violence, it will quickly become more expensive.

While seemingly valid, this line of thought could lead to several faulty hypotheses:

-That all (or most) of those who have moved, were complicit in the neighborhood's prior reputation.

and/or

-That all (or most) of those who remain, were complicit in the neighborhood's prior reputation.

and/or

-That all of those who moved did so because they could not afford to stay.

Folks are welcome to think about such things as they eat their grilled cheese sandwich, but if they choose to think about something else ...or nothing at all... that is ok too.

See, I love the way you think!

This would be exactly my analysis, if I were:

A) More intelligent and less passionate

B)Paying more attention in my philosophy/logic classes

C) More caffeinated.

I am about the rectify the third issue.

park place

The Psycho-ologist said:

Oh my god that looks so damn good.

I want to say: "Congrat-ul-gentrification-s

you now have a habitable nabe", but then I will get flamed by lowlife sympathizers who will whine about how gentrifiers push out poor and disenfranchised folks.

I say: No one wants to live with lowlife drug dealers/users. They contribute nothing and take everything; quality of life, health , and happiness from a neighborhood.

I am sure if it wasn't for greedy opportunistic landlords price gouging at the signs of gentrification, the poor "disenfranchised" would be just as happy that gentrifiers bring business, and safety and quality of life to most neighborhoods that were slowly languishing under the tyranny of gang and lowlife dominion.

Okay folks FLAME AWAY

No flaming here. I agree with your comments but I am thinking that gouging is really the correct terminology. The forces of money in a society that has capitalism as its fundamental economic system favors price increases if a given market shifts. If you had 10 apartments to rent, how much would you ask for them? Would you take the most money you can possibly get? If not, why not and how would you make a business case to support your argument?

If you look at it closely, you will see that the forces of supply and demand are not to be ignored.

homeowner

If you did, you would KNOW that I understood the real reason the "low income people" were complaining was because of the landlords taking advantage of the positive changes and NOT the positive changes themselves.

Come on. Do you really think that anyone who works 20 hours a day, whether as a dish cleaner or lawyer, wants to come home to the same drug peddling, addicted asshats who crowd the entry ways of their buildings; blast music all night in the neighborhood; pee in the hallways; destroy property; and otherwise diminish any quality of life to be found in said nabs?

Even when I was a broke ass student (and I'm still a sorta broke professional), nothing irked me more than busting my ass in the service industry all hours of the day then coming home to the same lazy, rude, assholes, who made the idea of rest, ordering food, or even opening your window to get a summer breeze IMPOSSIBLE.

I did read your entire post and what I was taking issue with was your use of quotes to describe those pushed out of the neighborhood as "disenfranchised" as if somehow this was some excuse those people had created for themselves to excuse their turning a blind eye to drug dealing that occurred in their neighborhood. In the same way that I'm uncomfortable with your designation of "the "low income people"". That's my particular tic, and I'm sorry if I mis-interpreted your intentions.

I agree that people that work 20 hours a day don't want to come home to loud assholes taking liberties throughout the neighborhood that bring down the quality of life. Again, I just think that if you are describing the affects of gentrification as a positive because "those people" are no longer in the neighborhood, its important to note that those people include more people like your friend the janitor and fewer people like the bodega operators and the people backing them.

whynot_31

I haven't seen a post from catwalker in a while, but find this old one to be a spot on description of what is now gone:

catwalkertexasranger said:

788 deli on Franklin@Lincoln is way better. Drug dealers are not jumpie at all. Almost friendly and always comfortable. Divide their stash inside deli because of the owners friendly attitude and good lighting ensures no dropped rocks or buds. If you don't like nervous come to a relaxed comfortable showroom. No ID needed for a rapper or loosie. Never a parking problem because they lean in and complete the transaction with the car barely needing to come to a complete stop. Make sure to buy your food and drinks elsewhere because they don't carry regular deli items.

I believe homeowner is pointing out that while gentrification is an effective tool against crime, it is not a very precise one.....

I.E. As the neighborhood improves, the janitor who (tacitly or explicitly) worked toward the shared goal is told he must move to an area that lacks $9 grilled cheese sandwiches.

whynot_31

Update Jan 9, 2013:

The proprietor, Michael Jacober, has stated to me that he hopes to open Glady's as early as Mid February.

whynot_31

spaceholder website created

http://gladysnyc.com/

Glady's Sandwich Shop

This confirms that they applied for a Liquor, Beer and Wine lic: http://nyc.everyblock.com/liquor-licenses/sep11-application-gladys-5563578/

...I assume it was granted.

whynot_31

Ok people-

It is now Feb 12, and I am getting hungry.

Have any of you had the chance to look beyond the plywood and see how close this place is to being open?

chloeroyale

Finally something other that a coffee shop lets see if it has a racially diverse costumer base.

whynot_31

I bet you it will serve to whoever likes grilled cheese sandwiches, and beer.

....and has the money for same.

P.S. A friend peeked around the plywood this week. She said it is getting pretty close, but there is still carpentry equipment visible.

chloeroyale

I'm sure they will serve anyone because money is still green but will this business attract a diverse base I will observe and if it does not I will wonder WHY?

whynot_31

I won't.

I know that not everyone has the same amount of money, or the same opportunities to earn money, or the same desire to spend their money on grilled cheese sandwiches.

chloeroyale

I wonder who those people u speak of tend to be ? That's really a hard question isn't it.

whynot_31

nope.

Locally, many of them are already walking from where they live to Barbachino or Mayfield.

....on Vanderbilt Ave, they are eating at Beast and The Vanderbilt.

See you there?

chloeroyale

Nope Won't see me there not my cup of tea for my crew.