On Dec. 3, 2011, a benefit – reunion was held at The Red Lotus Room in Brooklyn – to help raise funds to help secure a permanent home for The Starlite Lounge.

The video above is from that wonderful night!!!

The Starlite Lounge Family, Management, Staff & Owners -  in conjunction with the filmmakers of the documentary on Starlite – We Came To Sweat – hosted an amazing event full of performances, karaoke, a delicious buffet..,

Guest Deee-Jay Lady Miss Kier started the dance floor pumping & the Legendary Starlite DJ’s, Carlos Sanchez, Donna Edwards and others kept it moving all nite long!!

Now, Starlite Project: Seeking archival material from the community!

If you or someone you know has photographs or video from the inside or outside of the Starlite, or imagery of the neighborhood from a different time we would like to offer you credit in the film or monetary compensation for your efforts to dig them out of storage or where ever they may be.

Please call Kate @ 212-363-0166 or

Email us at: thestarliteproject@gmail.com

INFO ON STARLITE LOUNGE

“The historic Starlite Lounge- the oldest black-owned gay bar in Brooklyn was founded on a principle of non-discrimination in 1959, in Crown Heights Brooklyn.

For over five decades, from civil rights to gay liberation to AIDS activism, the Starlite Lounge has been a a cherished meeting place for social change, for all people from all walks of lie.

And sadly, in 2010, Starlite Lounge was victim to the negative change of rapid gentrification in central Brooklyn. They were pushed out of their Nostrand Ave. location by a new landlord who wanted to carter to the “new” people moving into the community.”

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"The Hole" - The Curious Case Of 341 Eastern Parkway

341 Eastern Parkway aka “The Hole” – brilliantly named by Nick at ILFA - is a very curious case of  “gentrification” and development opposed to community revitalization.

“The Hole” is a vacant, 14,000 foot lot, at the bustling, NE corner of Franklin Ave. and Eastern Parkway – a long time commercial district in the community – that is seeing a recent burst of commercial revitalization in the last few years.

“The Hole” has an interesting history, as it was hoped to be, the grande, visual symbol of  “gentrification” in a “changing” Crown Height’s, by some in the real estate and business crowd.

In 2007, Brownstoner reported that,  architect Gene Kaufman  promised to: “build a new corner,  8-story, steel-framed,  residential condominium building – with retail on the ground floor, containing 80,000 square feet and 61 apartments.”

That plan fizzled, along with the economy.

For 3 years, nothing happened, besides Crow Hill’s lovely mural painting project that enlisted local artist and children to beautify the ugly wooden fence surrounding  “The Hole”.

Yet, it’s neighbor, Fisher’s  Supermarket – the small Mom & Pop like grocery store that’s been at 805 Franklin Ave. for 28 years -  managed to under go a total build out in 2011.

It was renamed Bob & Betty’s, in honor of owner Tony Fisher’s parents who opened the original Fisher’s on Washington Ave.

Perhaps it’s truly about revitalizing a community and it’s existing resources?

Rather than the complete overhaul and the displacement that usually accompanies “gentrification”.

Once again, there’s talk that “The Hole” is back on the market.

In Nov. 2011, according to Crain’s NY, Ofer Cohen, president of the Brokerage firm, TerraCRG Commercial Realty Group, was retained to exclusively market the site.

It was boosted that:  “This is a viable site for either condo or rental development, noted Mr. Cohen.  

Rents would fetch $42 to $45 per square foot, while a condo could get $575 to $600 per square foot depending on when the project launches, according to Brendan Aguayo, a residential broker.”

Sounds swell if you make in the mid six figures, but Crown Heights is an economically diverse community.  And apparently, Mr. Cohen’s vision may have been a little off as he is no longer the exclusive broker.

Yesterday, Pinnacle Realty, has two huge billboards listing their broker, David Junik, as the one to call for information about obtaining 341 Eastern Parkway.

Yes, 341 Eastern Parkway is a very curious case indeed.

“The Hole” sits at the busy intersection of the bustling and growing commercial strip of Franklin Ave., yet no investor seems to be able to close the deal on this piece of  “prime real estate”.

Perhaps their vision needs to be revised?

What do you think should be built at 341 Eastern Parkway?  And why?

Uncommon Indicators Of Gentrification Part II -

At Nostrandpark, we’ve frequently blogged about the many complex issues concerning gentrification, especially in regards to Crown Heights.

One of the lighter & funnier posts on the effects of gentrification being Laurel Brown’s, Uncommon Gentrification Indicators, which was a list of her casual observations that “that gentrification has beset a neighborhood”.

On Franklin Ave. I passed, perhaps, an even funnier indication that your community may be in the midst of gentrification -

when the “grammar police” start correcting the grammar of the graffiti in the neighborhood.

Ironically, the “corrected” grammar is on the recently closed business – 3D’s  West Indian & American Bakery & Restaurant at 743 Franklin Ave. – that may not have been able to financially survive a changing Crown Heights.

Nostrand Park – in collaboration with VAMOS Architects, Masai Marketing, NYC Dept of Small Business Services, and desigNYC – is excited to announce the launch of its new pilot program, Destination Nostrand, intended to beautify, promote, enliven, and enhance Nostrand Avenue:

If you are interested in participating, showing off your artwork, opening up your commercial space, have a business idea that you would like to test out, or if you just want to help make sure that Nostrand looks great on the day of, just let us know: http://nostrandpark.com/destination-nostrand/

Special thank you to DANIEL GERGLEY, NICOLE MACIAS, JENNIFER MACCHIARELLI, and GroundUp Designers for their tremendous marketing and promotional assistance!

To view some of the design concepts for DN, check out our gallery below. Since the project is in its pilot phase, we will only be launching 3 of the concepts, but feel free to let us know which ones you like best:

We’re blogged quite a few times about Bob & Betty’s Food Market – formerly Fisher’s Supermarket pending Grand Opening.

Well, as of this Friday, they’re finally OPEN!!!!!

What are your thoughts and comments on the renovations, food selection, prices etc.?

Fisher’s Supermarket – which is scheduled to reopen this Friday – has been renamed Bob & Betty’s Food Market – in honor of owner Tony Fisher’s parents – the original owners.

The shelves are almost completely stocked with health conscious products – and except for a few minor details, the store looks as though it could open today.

Our picture below, offers a sneak peak at the almost fully stocked shelves at Bob & Betty’s Food Market.

And, if you didn’t have a chance yet, please read our recent post about the owners of Fisher’s Supermarket – now Bob & Betty’s Food Market – over 30 year history serving the ever changing community of Franklin Ave.

ILFA has a great picture of a hand written sign on Bob & Betty’s window, advising customers to follow owner Tony Fisher on twitter for more up to the minute news.

And in the same ILFA post, Nick, also makes an excellent point on “the emphasis for the great event Manuel is planning for Participatory Urbanism at LaunchPad” on  Friday, April 22nd, 6 PM – 8 PM.

Nostrand Park also blogged about the event spearheaded by local urban planner, Manuela Avila. He describes the project  as:  “I’m working on a research-design project called Participatory Urbanism in the neighborhood named “Crown Heights”.

The focus of the project is to start a discussion about public space in the community that has long been neglected and considering the possibility of opening the residual spaces adjacent to the Franklin shuttle as public spaces.”

So, as much as we  love our community being revitalized, revamped and up graded like Bob & Betty’s Food Market, Sweet Basil, Island Thyme, Chavella’s on Franklin Ave.,  Pacific Oasis Cafe, etc. – there is still a true need to join in on Manuel Avila’s discussion on Friday, April 22nd, 6 PM – 8 PM at launchpad – where he will  attempt to address the issues at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Namely the need for:  “STARTING A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LONG NEGLECTED PUBLIC SPACES IN THE CROWN HEIGHTS COMMUNITY” that are not being revamped, revitalized and/or up graded, and what we as a community can do about it.

Photo by: Abeni Garrett - All Rights Reserved - copyright 2011

Fisher’s Supermarket is a Mom & Pop type grocery store located at 805 Franklin Ave. at the corner of Lincoln Place. The supermarket has been a stable presence in this ever changing community for over 3 decades.

And their long anticipated, remodeling of the entire store, is almost finished! The owner, Tony Fisher, hopes to open his gleaming new, eco friendly doors around April 1 on a 24 hr, 7 days a week basis!

You can skip the fascinating history of the ever Changing Franklin Ave. and head straight to the portion concerning what the Revamped Fisher’s will be about.

UPDATE – Fisher’s Supermarket has been renamed Bob & Betty’s Food Market in honor of owner Tony Fisher’s parents – the original owners .  You can read our post on that here, after you finish reading about  Franklin Ave.’s fascinating history.

The Ever Changing Franklin Ave.

35 years ago, Tony Fisher’s parents relocated their store to the safer Franklin Ave. from it’s former location, on the much more dangerous and turbulent Washington Ave, a few blocks West.

When they moved to Franklin Ave. in the 70′s, the whole city was in a financial crisis and almost bankrupt. Many communities were still reeling from the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the Civil Rights movement that had not reached fruition and the Vietnam War.

Washington Ave. was a war zone were many frustrations were vented on the few remaining business left on that Ave.

Franklin Av. and it’s immediate surrounding community – with it’s side streets of factories and warehouses – had always been a solidly blue collar type of community since the huge, old plantations of Brueklen had been sub – divided and sold as land parcels.

Here lived the working class people who either worked for or tolled away in the grand homes of their much more affluent neighbors immediately to the East of Nostrand Ave. – which was then called the St. Marks district – or West of Flatbush Ave in Park Slope.

And even though Franklin Ave.’s racial & ethnic demographic had been steadily shifting since the 1950′s from a mixed community of primarily Jewish, Irish, Italian and a small percentage of Afro-American’s – to a more exclusively Caribbean, African, Afro-American & Latino community – Franklin Ave.’s core economic demographic remained a solidly working class community.

This is the vibrant community that Fisher’s Supermarket opened its doors to in the 70′s.

As the neighborhood continued to change, and many more working class families continued to flee – as a direct result of the the neighborhood becoming a horrible casualty of the crack epidemic in the 80′s – Fisher’s Supermarket refused to move and stayed put.

Even after business after business bordered up it’s doors and closed on Franklin Ave., not to re-open for decades, Fisher’s kept serving the existing community and their diverse and changing needs. From stocking a variety of “ethnic” foods – from the Caribbean, Africa and various Latin countries – to delivering food to their elderly or immobile customers or extending credit to families they knew were in need.

The Revamped & Restocked Fisher’s Supermarket

And in a few weeks – hopefully around April 1, Tony Fisher – son of the original owner – will be finished remodeling the family store.

Fisher’s Supermarket will have a much larger Organic selection, be open 24 hours – as the communities work patterns have changed – and have a focus on fair pricing as Tony wants the revamped Fisher’s to serve the needs of the entire community.

Tony remolded the store with the idea of having a primarily “green” store that’s environmentally conscious and friendly and that has a small town feel with a solid relationship with all the members of the community.

From the produce, the way the store will be lighted and technology used to run the store – the way to refrigerators are cooled etc., will be green and eco friendly.

Fisher’s is only using local farmers from Upstate New York, no more than 50 miles away, to cut down on the supermarket’s carbon foot print.

I eagerly await the grand Opening of Fisher’s revamped and restocked Supermarket!

In the neighborhood where Jackie Robinson integrated baseball, it should be no surprise that African-American history permeates the story of this neighborhood. 

If you have ever noticed the towering, boxy building located at 77 New York Avenue known as “Stuy Park Houses”, you, like us, might have simply written it off as a big boxy apartment building.   Well according to Brownstoner blogger “Montrose Morris” the building is quite significant – though it is not so much the architecture that is signifcant, but the man behind it who is. 

Stuy Park House was constructed in 1975 as part of an urban renewal project  in what was then Bedford-Stuyvesant.  The architect behind the building was, as Montrose Morris points out,  notable black architect, John Louis Wilson Jr., “one of the first African-American architects to have a very public career here in NYC”.

While the architectural prowess of his Stuy Park House might not be regarded as spectacular, Wilson was also the brain-trust behind Boys and Girls High School is (what is still) Bedford-Stuyvesant, and certain landmarked buildings in Harlem.  The history of the man and the building is described in more detail on Brownstoner.  Check it out.

Dec. 26, 2010 – 6:40 AM –

It was the best of storms, it was the worst of storms, it was an age of bureaucratic errors and misscommunication, it was the 1st storm of the winter season for NYC. A storm that turned into despair, crippling all five boroughs and literally bringing the city to it’s knees.

Jan. 12, 2011 – 6 AM

Jan. 12, 2011 – it was the the 2nd storm for NYC and what a difference a few weeks – and a City Council Meeting to investigate what exactly went wrong with the first clean up – can make.

At 6AM this morning Nostrand Ave had already been plowed and salted! The B44 bus had a snow free route as far as my eye could see.

What a difference experience than the Dec. 26TH’s snow storm, when at 6:40 in the morning, I had to trudge through two feet of snow in the middle of un-plowed streets, passing numerous stalled B44 buses.

Do you think the city and the officials responsible for snow removal have learned from the errors they made doing the “clean up” of the first storm on Dec. 26, 2010?

Do you feel today’s snow removal is a job finally, well done?

Thumbnail Photo by: Annabelle Heckler – All Rights Reserved