cherrypatter nyc

 

i am no lover of street fairs, and usually when i see them coming i run the other way. i don’t actually understand why new york city supports them. the same stuff all the time, blocking up the streets, producing lots of garbage and i don’t actually know who enjoys them. i know, this is how a lot of people make their livelihood but i do sometimes wish it could be a little more inspiring. 

well, atlantic antic won’t be cleaner or less crowded (if anything it is even more overpacked) but it is definitely a lot more fun than the usual fair though if you are craving some overcooked corn or you really cannot live without your funnel cake you can get it here too.

this year’s festival will have 10 different stages with live performances all day long with all kinds of music (blues, rock, country, etc…), stuff for kids (pony rides, story telling) and then there will be some local crafts as well as goodies available from the amazing shops that line the street.   the hula hooper above is from mr. momotaro and his dancing girls, an act last year that was part of last exit bar and lounge’s line-up. they’re supposed to be playing again this year at 2 p.m.  i definitely want to see that.  see my mini guide below for my favorite place s in this cute boerum hill neighborhood.    atlantic antic, along atlantic avenue from hicks street to 4th avenue, brooklyn, new york, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  all photos above courtesty of auster*events.

there will be plenty going on along atlantic avenue with the atlantic antic, but just in case the street fair shopping is not doing it for you, there are so many excellent shops lining atlantic avenue within boerum hill that it was very difficult to pick which ones to highlight.   basically all you need to do is walk from court to 4th avenue along atlantic and that could easily occupy an entire afternoon, with a few little diversions a block north or south on hoyt and bond.   and the food too along atlantic is pretty good though maybe not in the same category as the shopping.  there are a few treat options which i didn’t mention below (they aren’t my favorites but lots of people rave about them so i thought should put them out there). they include  blue marble and  betty bakery and the newish clover’s fine art gallery and cafe, complete with a super duper fancy clover machine.

in this mini guide, my top spots for food are listed below, and a few good stores as well.  i am mostly super excited to introduce my new feature — a map. yes, it seems basic, but i so didn’t want to use google maps which while useful and very easy to use, just are ugly, and i wanted something a bit cuter.  so here they are.  i am sure they will need some tweaks and things but for now it’s here.  many thanks to serena for her guidance on all things maps, to rachel l. for all help in both creating the legend for me and just endless hours training me on photoshop (this is what law school doesn’t do for you) and to rachel g. for actually making it appear on my page.  yay!!!

food:

nicky’s vietnamese sandwiches:  really very excellent bahn mi sandwiches. i don’t really recommend anything else there except for maybe their vietnamese iced coffee, but the sandwiches are excellent.  311 atlantic avenue between smith and hoyt streets, brooklyn, new york, .

building on bond: i keep reading about this place as great, and that they have amazing whoopie pies which are one of my favorites.  as an added bonus there’s bingo night every monday so i will be there soon.  112 bond street between pacific street and atlantic avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

nunu chocolates:  brooklyn flea regulars, nunu’s salt caramels are extremely addictive.  this fall, they are converting their existing small shop on atlantic into a beer and wine bar where you get to watch the chocolate being made. fun.  529 atlantic avenue between 3rd and 4th avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

shops:

acorn toy shop: i could go on and on about the most beautiful toys in the world which all reside here at acorn.   they also have beautiful clothes, and fantastic staff and will help you pick the perfect present for any child.  323 atlantic avenue between hoyt and smith streets, brooklyn, new york, .

layla: gorgeous silks, bed linens, excellent jewelry (j. got me the best chain ever there) and even a small bathroom shop across the way makes this a good shop for mums and girlfriends.  86 hoyt street between atlantic avenue and state street, brooklyn, new york, .

annie’s blue ribbon general store: the store with everything but it’s all cute and affordable and fun.  365 state street at bond street, brooklyn, new york, .

when we moved back to park slope way back in 2004 and we were living at the corner of 4th avenue and president, it was bizarre.  definitely not like the old hood had been in the late ’80s, and it was all good. instead of passing by the incredibly expensive but alluring anik or searle, i had diana kane and eidolon which were quite appealing, and definitely not as pricey.  and then sometime that next spring i had goldy + mac, very dangerously right up the block from our apartment. 

what i love about goldy + mac is not only that it is incredibly affordable (many tops range from $60 to $100, and usually at the bottom of that range), the designs are super cute, and trendy (but not too crazy) and they move clothes super fast so you can come by every two weeks and they will have something new.  the shop is not overcrowded, well laid out mostly by color, and i can always, always find great outfits.  goldy + mac’s clothes may not last forever, but i usually just go in and buy a few things a season to spruce things up, wear them to death, and by the time the next year rolls around i’m totally in the mood for something new.

on my latest visit, it was all about greys and purples and comfy sweaters.   goldy + mac had renee c sweaters, long striped purple and grey cardigans that i can imagine wearing all fall, peppe peluso wooly lavender sweaters and more lightweight shulami cotton-like cardigan.  goldy + mac always has an excellent top selection though they do have some pants especially staples like ones from bcbg.  they have lots of great affordable denim.  they have a few dresses and coats. i was enticed by a sweet pea brown patterned v neck and bright yellow light weight peacoat by tulle.  goldy + mac has also always carried lots of basic undershirts and some t-shirts from michael stars which are super comfy if not super long lasting.

goldy + mac has plenty of accessories  like voluspa candles, pacifica tibetan mountain temple butter, some fun jewelry and right now great scarves in that fall theme of deep purple and greys as well as some turquoise.   i also really like their bags which are also very reasonably priced – stephanie johnson metallic clutches and leather fringe purses by big buddha.

goldy + mac has also recently created a small section for kids called goldylocs and macaroni with tutus, butterfly wings, little pjs, blankets and bath toys.  now that it is definitely chilly, i think i need to do a little wardrobe upgrade.   goldy + mac, 219 5th avenue between union and president streets, and 396 7th avenue between 12th and 13th streets, , brooklyn, new york.

i know it may be hard to believe, since i do try to talk about the best this or that, but the john derian company inc. is really truly one of my very very very favorite stores of all kinds. i think that i have only held off writing about it for so long  because i was worried the shopkeepers wouldn’t be so willing to let an unknown blogger take photos, but happily that was not true.   further reinforcing their deity-like status in my mind in that success has not gone to their head.   john derian’s shop has the greatest little tidbits of everything, with much that is beautiful but other items reflect his eclectic sensibility.   while many of john derian’s goodies can be found on line and at shops all over new york like autoand cog & pearl, i really recommend a visit to his wonderful shop.   some day, i would love to meet john derian. i imagine that days spent designing, collecting and just coming up with ideas of what’s fun or beautiful must be one of the best jobs in the world.   his house looks pretty excellent too.

the big thing, and the thing that i am guessing made him super dooper successful, is the decoupage that john derian designs.  using antique prints of flora and fauna, old maps and other images, john derian uses decoupage (the cutting and gluing images to a surface) on many glass objects.   there are endless john derian decoupaged plates, platters and dishes of all sizes, as well as really lovely paperweights and coasters but there are also vases, fireplace screens, and lamps and even wall hangings.  i am definitely obsessed with some day having a john derian cake stand (we need more space!).   these decoupage pieces are perfect gifts because it is so easy to find an image to suit whomever you’re trying to please, and the prices are not outrageous — a paperweight can be as little as $30. 

what’s great about the shop is there is so much more than just decoupage. it is packed, but not crammed, with all sorts of other beautiful or quirky treasures for the home.  there’s plenty that you don’t need but you just want to have like the rogues gallery anchor key chains for $75, large ceramic pigeons, frogs and mushrooms for the garden, goats milk candles by cire trudon, books that look like ancient hard cover books but are just painted wood, leather ottomans in vibrant colors, hand milled soaps by beekman 1802, lovely wooden and pearl astier de villatte spoons and forks that would be a perfect house gift.  and then there are some useful things too that you just shouldn’t leave with out like letter press gift tags and gorgeous wrapping and tissue paper and some fun things for the kids.  even the mops and brushes john derian has in the shop feel like luxuries.

because i just am the biggest fan every (well i am not the only one who adores john derian), i am making an exception to my one store one post rule and will have post number two on all things derian in a few weeks.  i’ll share some pictures of the treats that john derian has in his dry goods store.  the good thing is that if you go in person, the two shops are right next door to each other so they can both be seen in one go.   john derian company inc., 6 east 2nd street between 2nd avenue and the bowery, manhattan, new york, .

as i’ve mentioned before, our family has this pizza friday tradition.  while sometimes it has to be local (and last friday i endured two boots which while extremely family friendly really leaves something to be desired in the taste department), we try to make a bit of trek out of it both for better pizza and for adventure.   with all the press around saraghina this summer (here, here and here), we had to make our way out to bed-stuy to see for ourselves.

and we were very pleasantly surprised.  while maybe not as wonderful as roberta’s, saraghina’s atmosphere is pretty close.  the very warm design using lots of recycled materials and great mixes of woods and metals was very appealing.  saraghina also has a great backyard which in some ways feels like a mishmash that somehow comes together into an attractive space.  our kids were endlessly fascinated with the ladders overhead, the huge toy fire truck and the big piles of stuff. 

back to the neapolitano pizza, which was definitely in the very good category.  worth a huge trip on its own? probably not. but combined with the great ambiance, extremely lovely service and the potential for a really good meal, saraghina’s definitely worth a visit every now and then. we’ve had the margherita served with mozzarella di bufala a few times. very tasty.  i also had the capocollo which was my favorite covered with these  curly and salty ham strips which contrasted well with the tomato sauce. i wasn’t crazy about saraghina’s crust which was a bit too soft in the middle for me but that could just be my issue with neapolitano in general.  other saraghina pizzas have included the ortolana (eggplant and zucchini which many have said is too soggy and bland) and one with prosciutto and funghi. 

in addition to pizza, saraghina has a constantly rotating list of appetizers and other goodies. on the night we were there, we had the panzanella salad which was nothing special, and they also had on offer a fennel salad with shaved parmesan as well as a grilled octopus salad. both of those looked mighty tasty.  a pasta dish that our neighbors had also looked excellent.

and on our first visit to saraghina earlier this summer they didn’t have alcohol, but during our more recent trip beer was on offer so i’m guessing their liquor license is in order.  saraghina is all cash so come prepared but you don’t have to bring much as everything is super reasonably priced (most pies are between $13 and $15). and with all the news about how up and coming bedford-stuyvesant is and how it didn’t suffer so much during this latest economic downturn, saraghina will be a good place to have on the radar.   saraghina, 435 halsey street near lewis avenue, brooklyn, new york, .

shake shack is not exactly a revelation for anyone who knows anything about the new york food scene, but i’m very happy to report that it continues to be as good as it’s ever been, and i’ve been coming here from the very very beginnings when it was just a hot dog cart.   my office used to be right around the corner on broadway and 25th (oh how i miss those food days, such a better location then being in gowanus though i do benefit from no commute) and so of course i went into beautiful glorious madison square park every chance i could.  how could i not investigate the food activity there, and until shake shack there was none.

my preferred meal at shake shack is a single shack burger which has that special sauce, always the best looking and tasty tomato slice and then of course a great meat patty.  when shake shack first opened, i never thought i would like one of these fast food burgers. i like my burgers medium rare, super juicy and covered in cheddar (i don’t think i have ever even had a hamburger at mcdonalds, as a kid i always got the fish filet — i know, gross, but what can i say).  but eventually i tried the shack burger and i’ve been hooked ever since.  for a while, i was going once a week before the lines were crazy and we could just sneak out of the office for a quick lunch.

in addition to the burger, i really love shake shack’s cheese fries.  that cheese sauce, which looks so much like 7-eleven’s is just another animal altogether. it feels fake, but you can feel better about yourself (well as long as you don’t care about the calories) knowing that even though that cheese tastes like it should be artificial it is really, most likely, made of all real ingredients. i mean really, i don’t think that danny meyer would allow you to eat fake cheese.

and finally, if we can actually manage it, we end our meal with a hot fudge sundae.  although shake shack always has these crazy flavors (we tried the the other day — not a success), i tend to stick with the tried and true vanilla.  that sundae is a classic, it is always the same, and it is always delicious.  

since i no longer work nearby and with the huge lines (they can be more than an hour), we now do shake shack as a family outing.  one parent gets to stand in line (that’s usually the preferred position, as you get to read or hang out with no kid duties), while the other hangs out at the great little playground on the other side of madison square park.  once the waiting and playing are over, we then hook up for the perfect family meal.  both kids devour their burgers, and we all dig into that sundae.   although the madison square park location is by far my favorite, there are a few other shake shacks now which have inside seating (the one at madison square park is outside so beware of the weather conditions though when it is raining there is often no line) and there is gossip that one is opening up in dubai.   shake shack: madison square park, southest corner near madison avenue and 23rd street; upper west side, 366 columbus avenue at 77th street, both in manhattan, new york.  also in citifield (mets stadium), 12301 roosevelt avenue, queens, new york.  .  plans are also in the works for another location in nolita at 47 prince street at mulberry street.

we spend many of our weekends in new york hunting down the best playgrounds.  we travel all over to explore the newest, the most fun, the biggest and the wildest play areas in the city (we are so tired of our local one at j.j. byrne parkwhich isn’t so great anyways).  if we hear or see of a new one, or a good one, we’re there. it doesn’t matter how far or how old.  we are especially fond of a couple over in tribeca, several in central park (we haven’t been to the newly designed ancient playground near the metropolitan museum of art so that might get added to the list).  when we’re across the pond on our annual trip to see the rellies we’re exploring the amazing diana memorial pirates playground in kensington gardens, our favorite luxembourg gardens or the even more fun playground at parc de la villette.   if only someone could pay us to review playgrounds around the world we’d be in heaven.

as i roamed through the east village this summer, i was surprised to see what looked like a super cool playground finishing up construction.  i hadn’t ever really noticed kids over in this neck of the woods, but whatever, i’m sure they’re there, and when we came back last weekend there were plenty.  what was even better was how great this playground is.  with a $1.5 million upgrade, the playground has been fully redesigned by the parks department architect gail wittwer-laird. she did an excellent job.

the new and hugely improved tompkins square park playground has funky looking equipment with some great new features that we don’t often see in new york like this pole that spins around like crazy, oddball monkey bars, lots of little climbing walls and a seriously upgraded sandbox with the nicest sand i’ve seen in new york (we’ll see if that lasts).  best of all, the playground is well designed for all ages  (there are 4 different play structures) and the placement allows the parents to see the kids pretty easily from wherever you are.  after spending more than four hours there without boredom, we might need to return again too (i also loved the farmer’s market that’s right there on avenue a).  for ideas as to where to eat and shop nearby — there are tons of options – see my mini guide below.   t0mpkins square park playground, st. marks place and avenue a, manhattan, new york.

before moving to brooklyn, the far east village was totally my stomping ground. ten years ago, this part of town was a little less gentrified, a little rougher around the edges, and that allowed for smaller shops anda few restaurants to really thrive without worrying about whether they could pay the rent.  that all became more difficult with the renewed interest in the area.

however, now with the economy slump in full swing, that change has helped to preserve a little bit of this grittiness. i have been wandering around the area for the past few months, rediscovering old favorite spots, andfinding new ones. it seems that even since last year, that a few more interesting spots have opened up as other fancier places have closed.   i could easily spend hours in the east village, so the list below is just a teeny tiny sampling of the fun treasures here.  i tried to stay close to tompkinssquare park, with my new favorite playground, but if you venture a bit further east things are even a little more interesting, particularly on the food front.

food:

yerba buena: we just tried this well regarded latin spot for the first time last weekend, and despite being their earliest and youngest customers ever (i don’t think they see too many 2-year olds as they were shocked when we asked for a plain quesadilla), the food and cocktails were super.  j. loved the miso cod and i loved the guacamole and my yerba buena mojito.  we cannot wait to go back as adults only.  they also recently opened a second branch on perry street.  23 avenue a between houston and 2nd street, manhattan, new york, .

lula’s sweet apothecary: for the vegan with a sweet tooth, lula’s is a super charming little ice cream soda shop with flavors like maple nut, rum raisin and ginger molasses.  they serve shakes, hot fudge sundaes and egg creams too all with over-the-top friendly, patient service.  516 east 6th street between avenues a and b, manhattan, new york, .

redhead:  after so much talk, andwith bruni’s final review giving it his blessing, we were super excited to try redhead out last week.  andthere were some highlights. we loved the strawberry salad with sweet sticky almonds and the most delicate cornbread i’ve ever tasted. we didn’t love the surly service or the dried out fried chicken, but i think we need to give it another go. the space and laid back atmosphere are super appealing and it keeps getting accolades so maybe it was just a bum night.  349 east 13th street, manhattan, new york, .

shops:

cloak & dagger:  with beautiful fall colors,  well cut silk blouses, tailored skirts, and the cutest shirt dresses as well some lovely coats, this store is really a must visit. and while some of the outfits are on the young side and nothing is cheap (in the $140 to $300 range), there are definitely a few work eligible items that would be worth the splurge (well, maybe not the rompers).  441 east 9th street near avenue a, manhattan, new york, .

the upper rust:  great antiques mixed in with a few new goodies.  the treasures for me here were the large collection of various glass containers for all sorts of things. cannot wait to indulge sometime soon.  445 east 9th street near 1st avenue, manhattan, new york, .

autumn skateboard shop:  while i know nothing about skateboards, if i had to recommend somewhere to go for someone obsessed this is the shop. they are a back-to-the-basics skateboard place with a selection of the main brands and some local designers too.  makes you feel very east village (or just old)  just to be in there.  436 east 9th street near avenue a, manhattan, new york, .

when pregnant, i cannot say that finding that perfect outfit was particularly easy.  as i have mentioned before, i think i checked the whole city out and while i found a bunch of casual, o.k. stuff, finding anything glorious was nearly impossible even if i were willing to pay the price (pea in the pod just didn’t do it for me).  my two high end favorites were  veronique and cadeau(now closed) which both had pieces with amazing quality and style but were a little too inaccessible pricewise so i limited myself to sample sale finds. 

only at the end of my pregnancy with s. did i find capucine in tribeca which is not cheap but just seems like good value.  this extremely well edited store has a great aesthetic and is filled with a fantastic selection of super attractive, just-what-you-would-want-to-wear-if-not-pregnant, maternity clothes.    way back when, i lived in a pair of cords from capucine, and on my recent visit they had some great looking jeans including those pictured above by revive and myer.   capucine also had a wide array of great looking tops with excellent colors (lots of greys, purples and greens) and brands like menonove, 3j workshop. they also have a nice array of purses (leaders in leather) and some shoes (the ubiquitous but useful repetto).

capucine also has a small array of kids clothes with the most beautiful, exquisite pieces for babies though they go up to age 6.  the gorgeous linen, cottons,silk and wool pieces included brands like serendipity, rooster nyc and ketiketa.  i also loved those adorable, modern sleep sacks above by som baby.   while my friend living in paris had given us a great one of these sleep sacks, i never found one even remotely appealing in new york so this was a find.  they would make a great gift.  

capucine also has a pretty extensive, high end furniture selection downstairs.  i loved how well designed the space was with great little vignettes for showing off the various sheets, pillows beds and cribs with gorgeous rugs, wonderful art work and accessories.   the furniture selection was pretty much what everyone expects these days on the modern side (oeuf,, etc…) but capucine had a bunch of more unique items like fantastic beanbags chairs from 3 sprouts, night lights in the shapes of bees and cars and wall stickers from nouvelles images.  the range at capucine makes it easy to pick up presents, or just to indulge the baby or yourself.   20 harrison street near greenwich street, manhattan, new york, .

our house is pretty crazy full of color. we have this super funky, very modern, leather and very round, very bright red rocking chair.  we have our beloved funky orange and white cabinets from the now defunct canadian designer, these giant fruit pillows (they are much more appealing than they sound), our lovely red stokke tripp trapp high chair and last but not least the red, orange and white backsplash that we just installed to help minimize our very ugly cherry kitchen cabinets (this is a newish condo so no use ripping everything out right now).  and i know it sounds like there is no way this all works, but it in fact all does look pretty put together (not in that oh so popular modern design way though).   maybe someday i’ll be brave enough to share a few photos once we replace our ancient and well worn sofas and the ikea carpet which needs to go.  all this might just have to wait till the kids are a bit bigger.  

in my never ending quest to add more storage to our apartment (which feels smaller and smaller every day), i have been fantasizing for a year now about taking the plunge and getting a perfect color piece from wonk, a furniture store in dumbo with a new outpost in williamsburg.  i am obsessed with the beautiful lacquer (and colors) on the woods, as well as the amazing craftsmanship that goes into these brooklyn designed pieces.  using gorgeous wood in beautiful simple finishes, wonk’s furniture is clean, modern and functional.

wonk carries all the basics — dressers, tables, desks, beds and my favorites are the various shelving combinations.  i was looking at a piece kind of like this but double in height, and with a lot more color.    their staff will help you to design something based on your wood, color and fixture preferences.  while we decided to hold off just then when the economy was tanking –  wonk’sdesigns to suit are not cheap (ours was going to be around $2,500).  however, off the rack pieces are little more than crate and barrel or west elm (and a definite ikea upgrade) but so worth it for the quality.  wonk, 160-a, n. 4th Street, ; 68 jay street between front and water streets, , both in brooklyn, new york.