53 Boerum

*This is the first post in a new series called “Out & About,” in which we’ll leave the cozy confines of 53BP to explore and review other neighborhoods around Brooklyn. Special thanks go out to our 53BP friend and beat reporter, Katie, for researching and writing this guest post. Thanks Katie!*

This weekend Brad and I explored the historic district of Bed-Stuy: Stuyvesant Heights. We took the A express (2-3 stops only) from Hoyt-Schermerhorn to Utica, and exited at the Fulton Park side of the station. Even in the dead of winter the park, modeled after London’s Bloomsbury Square, was inviting, especially against a backdrop of a brownstone-lined block. Exploring the many residential streets boasting well-maintained, architecturally varied brownstones reminded me of Park Slope, Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights.

An interesting commercial street is Lewis Avenue, where we eavesdropped on a children’s book reading at Brownstone Books, and picked up an amazing piece of red velvet cake at BrEaD-Stuy, a small WiFi-enabled café that serves an assortment of gourmet coffee, baked goods, soups and sandwiches. Did I mention the red velvet cake? Eating it last night was probably the highlight of my weekend. You can even place orders for cakes. The owner of The Little Red Boutique, a hip, upscale clothing and bath products shop a block away, provided us with some good local info. She recommended Solomon’s Porch (Stuyvesant and Halsey) for lunch where we feasted on BBQ chicken wraps. The sweet onion jam was a nice touch. The service was slow, but it is a nice spot and if you go at night you can enjoy live jazz (note: it’s BYOB).

More about Bed-Stuy:

We were also tipped off to the Royal Rib House at the corner of Halsey and Throop. Having both lived in Georgia, we made a point of stopping by there on the way home to pick up BBQ chicken (yes more chicken) and collard greens to accompany our red velvet cake for dinner. The exterior reminded me of a KFC and it’s strictly take out (it’s small and there’s no place to sit), but the staff is friendly and energetic and the food is tasty and memorable. They serve the best collard greens I’ve ever had. Expect to wait in line and don’t forget to pick up a bottle of BBQ sauce. From there you can take the B26 bus back to Fulton Mall. Note: it’s tricky to find the stop; after failing to board the bus at an illegitimate stop, the driver directed us to a proper stop a few blocks away, and I suspect we looked pretty silly running frantically in front of the bus trying to get to the right stop.

Aside from these places and a number of bodegas, I felt the area lacked services. Perhaps you have to venture over to Fulton St. for more commercial options, such as a grocery store. Applebee’s is on the verge of opening there, and the Home Depot already has a presence in the area. I think one of the most striking aspects of Stuyvesant Heights is its strong community, small town feel. The shopkeepers, particularly those belonging to SOLA (Shops of Lewis Ave.), all seem to interact and watch out for each other. I noticed that Solomon’s Porch catered an event that was being held across the street at Afroart Designs, a boutique that sells African masks and artwork and Senegalese baskets, among other items. And the others diners at Solomon’s Porch all seemed to know each other.

In terms of real estate, a local remarked that she was shocked to learn that a brownstone in the area was listed in the 500K range, which, according to her, was unheard of. I suspect that most of the brownstones in the historic district now hover near the $1 million mark.

- Story and photos by Katie Lapham

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 19th, 2006 at 4:56 pm by lori and is filed under Out & About. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.