Closings: Home Hardware / Ambro Supply

Anbro Supply and Home Hardware located on the corner of 41st street and 8th Avenue has permanently closed it's door and the property has been sold. The store was already established when I moved into the neighborhood in 1970. The family owned store was the last decent full service Hardware store along 8th Avenue and a go to place when you needed anything from keys being made to shovels. Another sign that change as well as memories of the past are quickly disappearing. It is not known what the new owners of the property will do on that corner. Soon every last vestige on 8th Avenue that is not Chinese will disappear.. 

Art in the Hood: Bees for Sunset Park

Someone recently pointed me to the iron fence that surrounds the D train station at 9th avenue and 39th street. I had not noticed before then that that the gate and the fence had a bee motif and that the gates had been made to look like honeycombs riddled with Bees. The installation apparently dates back to 2012 and the station attendants weren't even aware that it was there. The artist Christopher Russel has some fine pictures of it at his website. Most users of the train probably haven't noticed it either as the rush to the station to catch the train. The New York Times did a writeup on the gates when they were put up. If you haven't seen them or were unaware they were there you can visit the station and take a look. 

Store of the Day: The Mug Cafe, it's not Starbucks, it's better..

For a long time I have complained about the fact there is no Starbucks in Sunset Park. One was going to come here five years ago or so and then Starbucks went into a recession mode and scrapped it's plans to open one here. Enter The Mug Cafe located on 4th Avenue between 58th and 59th streets. The place offers free internet and is open from 6AM to 10PM Monday through Saturday and Sundays until 4PM. The hours are equivalent to the Starbucks in Bay ridge on 75th street. For a road warrior like me who needs to do stuff on my laptop and access to wifi it fits the bill rather nicely. The price also happens to be right, $1 for a cup of Colombian coffee and reasonably priced pastries to go along with it. AND they also serve pizza. This is no hole in the wall either. The place is nicely laid out and spacious with plenty of tables and outlets to plug your laptop in so you can keep your battery charged while working, just like that "other place". So, if you're looking for an alternative to that "other" place that won't break your wallet and even serves pizza besides the traditional fare, this is the place to go. If we don't patronize our local businesses they won't last. So if you're in the neighborhood I urge you all to try it out. Oh, and did I also mention they make deli sandwiches as well. How cool is that? Try getting a deli sandwich at that "other" place. They also have  joined the cybermall on our website. If you want to check out their menu, by all means drop in and check it out. If you drop in on the place and patronize it, please tell them you saw it here and I sent you..

 

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Year of the Horse Celebrations Scheduled for 8th Avenue Tomorrow .

Tomorrow is the scheduled day for Chinese New Year celebrations along 8th Ave. As it has been for quite a few years now the four hour celebration will probably start on time and finish a bit late. It is a great photographic opportunity if you haven't been to one of these celebrations. You should show up a bit early. The Avenue is usually clogged with people by the start time at 11AM. There will be many featured speakers on the stand setup at the corner of 50th street and 8th Avenue. Mostly local and city celebrations. Expect our new Mayor De Blasio to show up along with our Borough president and all those vote hunting politicians whom we seem to elect and re-elect with boring frequency even though they don't do much for the neighborhood at all. Definitely bring your camera. Expect Lion Dancers and a variety show by school children as well as martial arts demonstrations at the event. It is one opf the more colorful and memorable events of the neighborhood. And as I mentioned before. BRING YOUR CAMERA!