New bar on Montrose Ave

Boygabriel wrote: No draught beer? isn't that a federal offense?

I don't get it either. They spent months renovating the space to turn it into a bar, and they open with no taps? Hopefully they are not one of those bars that sell primarly "ironic" beers like PBR. It must have taken them months just to search all the city's Salvation Armys for the furniture.

Anonymous wrote: The bar is called Duck Duck. I think it's pretty cool. They said that they will be getting tap beer soon.

I also haven't gone inside because of the lack of tap beer, but I finally went last week. They are having a fund-raiser next week to help pay for the installations of tap lines. Appartently, the state government is now enforcing the law that beer companies can't install tap lines in exchange for carrying their product. Every other bar has gotten away with it, but the newer ones are screwed. Bad timing.

Anonymous wrote: it seems pretty indicitave of the area really. i have lived nearby for a few years and have seen a few half ass businesses open. half a block from duckduck was the shortlived montrose cafe....not badly done just no personality whatsoever....lazy uninterested staff...decent food. they mysteriously closed within their first year despite seeming to do pretty well.

I agree completely. The Montrose cafe was a joke. It was rarely open in the morning on my way to work, and it closed early in the evening (8pm). The one time I went inside, they charged $2 (plus tax!?!) for a bagel w/ cream cheese that wasn't even fresh. I can get the same thing for $1 in midtown.

That space was empty for years, and now is still empty. People think that amenities start to trickle in once gentrification starts, but I don't see it. Most store fronts have been converted into residential spaces. There is no money in commercial spaces, so landlords will concentrate on residential.

My friend tried to rent the Duck Duck space years ago, but the landlord wanted $3K, which is outrageous. Hopefully Duck Duck got it for less. Much less.

I never go past Bushwick ave, so I don't know what's out there. Well, except Asterisk, which is another fine example of an underutilized establishment. They haven't updated their website in 3 years.

There was an internet place on Montrose that also closed down. They only had internet, no coffee.

Wow. I actually sort of agree with all that except for the really uncalled for,juvenile, and untrue bit about "a pile of shit known as Bushwick".
Asshole, has it ever occurred to you that people might find that offensive? I don't live in Bushwick, but know many people who do. And these people really care about their hood and community and are working to make it better all of the time. Many people are. Who the fuck do you think you are? Seriously what an insensitive thing to say. Makes me want to break your fucking neck.

Khim's rules.......i have been to all three but feel like the one on Bushwick is the best....bigger selection,much nicer space,etc.....they are also very friendly and actually end up selling items you ask them to get.

I keep waiting for that area around Bushwick and Montrose to move ahead commercially..change over here isn sssllloooowww! There are three prime spots right around the subway entrances that are for rent..it's amazing to me that more people haven't noticed the changing demographic in that area.....people are dying for better restarants and shops. There is even a spot in the same building that houses Khims thta would be amazing for most any business...

I hope you are right...I have been off Montrose for almost 4 years now....man you wouldn't believe how different it was at the beginning...seriously nowhere to even get decent cup of coffee....

other places of interest:

English Kills Gallery just opened over near Life Cafe on Flushing...opening was last Saturday and it was mobbed....great space.

Potion Cafe on Mckibbon is great for atmosphere..decent sandwiches, but stale bagels.

Crazy and Cool Records over on Manhattan has a decent vinyl selection...

My dream business opening in the hood : Oslo or Gimmie Coffee.

Anonymous wrote:

[quote=Anonymous]it seems pretty indicitave of the area really. i have lived nearby for a few years and have seen a few half ass businesses open. half a block from duckduck was the shortlived montrose cafe....not badly done just no personality whatsoever....lazy uninterested staff...decent food. they mysteriously closed within their first year despite seeming to do pretty well.

I agree completely. The Montrose cafe was a joke. It was rarely open in the morning on my way to work, and it closed early in the evening (8pm). The one time I went inside, they charged $2 (plus tax!?!) for a bagel w/ cream cheese that wasn't even fresh. I can get the same thing for $1 in midtown.

That space was empty for years, and now is still empty. People think that amenities start to trickle in once gentrification starts, but I don't see it. Most store fronts have been converted into residential spaces. There is no money in commercial spaces, so landlords will concentrate on residential.


I worked at the Montrose Cafe, and I'm not sure who you dealt with while you were there, but I can certainly tell you we were not lazy. The reason it didn't open too early was because the owners were too cheap to have the bagels delivered, so every morning the opening person had to go to the bagel store on Graham and Metropolitan (in addition to two other shops off Lorimer) to pick up the bagels, muffins and rolls daily.

So yes they were fresh, everyday. I know this because I personally went and bought them 5 days a week. I have no idea why they were $2, but probably because they weren't a bagel shop, and (stupidly) paid retail prices on nearly all of their supplies.

As for it having no personality, the owners are all boring idiot bankers from New Jersey. We had to fight tooth and nail just to hang a picture that wasn't hideous on the wall.

It closed because they didn't know how to properly run and supply a place like that. They would never buy us enough supplies, so a lot of the time we had to run to the grocery store to buy things, which is a huge waste of money. They also didn't want to pay for air conditioning, so in the summer no one wanted to be in there because it was just as hot as outside. They made a half-asses attempt at getting a wine and beer license, but never followed through with it. I'm sure that would have helped a lot.

I don't know who you were normally dealing with. I loved working there, the bullshit from the owners aside. There was a couple girls who worked there before I did who were really apathetic and kind of bitchy (unless you know them in that case they are lovely of course). Couldn't be me who couldn't prepare the food or count change, I'm a food preparing-changing counting expert. (And I'm nice I swear! Unless you're a jerk that is.) I only worked there from last february until july when they closed, and usually during the day, and almost never on the weekends. It was a pretty sweet job.

They said they were closing for "renovations" but we all knew they were closing for good. They really just didn't know how to properly and efficiently run a business. The food was good, and I can tell you everything was made fresh, and from scratch. We had to prepare it daily. If they just bothered to keep us supplied they might have been okay. But I think they're still paying rent on the space, which I totally don't get. I heard rumors they might be opening something else there, but who knows.

I haven't been over there in a while, so I don't know if there's any work going on. Last time I peeked in it looked exactly the same on the inside. (which is frightening, who knows if they even cleaned in there before they locked the doors)

Subject: please let me know of these spaces if its not too late !

please let me know about these spaces if its not too late !
I am very interested -
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