Hello again, and happy back to school. Dispatch returns today after a brief end-of-summer hiatus.
Yesterday morning, I was so happy to see cheerful kids heading into their first day of school. I was also delighted to once again have the daily weekday presence of our amazing local crossing guards.
Then last night, walking on DeKalb, I saw the light from downtown beaming up into the sky, and thought back to being a seventh grade city kid on the fourth day of school on September 11, 2001. Thinking of those lost, and of those still grieving in our city today.
Now, onwards to the September action around here.
Cool kid store/bar Million Goods opened last night on DeKalb
I stopped into the (free, public) opening of the very chic menswear shop/wine bar Million Goods last night. Having a bite outside at neighboring Saraghina Caffe beforehand provided prime people watching as a real fashion crowd streamed in.
Million Goods already has a space in Greenpoint, and a cool kid following that comes along with it. So, it was quite a scene for night one.
Once inside, it has to be said that they did a beautiful job with the renovation. The ground floor is a moody lounge, with a long bar and plenty of table seating, plus a landscaped outdoor garden. Natural wine is served. Naturally.
To shop, you ascend a red steel staircase to the brighter retail floor. For the opening, they’re doing a special collab with Lee 101, the premium line of selvedge jeans from American classic Lee.
This arrival is interesting in that it’s a unique kind of business for the neighborhood, and something a little glossier than what we’re used to around these parts. But it’s also just interesting as a venue in general, with the hybrid bar/shopping of it all. Dispatch will be watching closely!
The bike lane on Ashland is finally done
After a long, bureaucratic saga, the city has finally completed the bike lane on Ashland, right by the Peter Jay Sharp Building/Whole Foods. The project dragged on for years – I tried to read all the details to understand why it got tied up for so long and frankly felt confused and like I was going to fall asleep. What’s important is that this intersection was a mess (people called it “Crashland”) and now it’s hopefully going to be a lot better. Apparently, one can now bike 5.5 miles from Sunset Park to DUMBO in protected lanes.
Lula Mae is becoming… a sports bar?
Myrtle Ave’s Lula Mae announced in June that they would no longer be serving Cambodian food, as their Cambodian chef was leaving the country. In an interesting twist, they will now become a sports bar. The new menu has burgers and wings, though the Cambodian dry rub fried chicken is sticking around. On Thursdays, burgers are $10.
This Weekend: Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival
The Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival is taking place on Saturday, from 3-7 p.m. It’s in the park, and is free with no RSVP required. It’s supposed to be in the high 70s and overcast tomorrow, which seems ideal for some outdoor jazz.
Neighboring News:
-The ramen shop taking over the Chuko space on Vanderbilt will be called SSRP, per Grand Army Gazette. It’ll be run by the owners of Ozakaya and Nourish, which I never knew were related.
-The Brooklyn Library’s Central Library at Grand Army Plaza now has a “craft library” where you can borrow craft supplies. You can take out things like a button maker, crochet supplies, and a screen printing kit.
-There was a crazy and upsetting catnapping of a bodega cat in Park Slope.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the weekend. As always, send tips to hello@dekalbdispatch.com.