Another One Bites The Dust on 7th: Garfield Farms Market

Gah. Tuesday morning I saw this sign on the awning of Garfield Farm Market, which has been putting the "convenience" in convenience store for as long as I can remember (so at least 18 years). The owner told a friend of a friend that the building owner jacked up the rent. Surprise, surprise.

This place seemed to do a pretty brisk business, what with all the immediate traffic to and from PS321 just a block away, and therefore in the one block perimeter for the 4th and 5th grade out-to-lunchers. Plus, it was the quickest and easiest place to pick up last minute annversary/birthday/Valentine's Day/school performance flowers. 

No word yet on whether a new business is lined up to take over, but this end of 7th doesn't seem to have much luck, with Yogo Monster and Sweet Melissa's still both sitting empty many months after closing. 

FIPS Broken News: BK Juries Are Getting Whiter And It's Changing Things

Twelve Angry Hipsters

This is going to come as a huge shocker, so get ready: As gentrification takes an even stronger hold in Brooklyn, the juries are getting whiter. I mean this is real genius stuff. And no, I can't take credit for this high-end anthropological study, it comes from yesterday's New York Post. They are calling it "The Williamsburg Effect." And it goes a little something like this (hit it): "The influx of well-off and educated white people to trendy neighborhoods such as Williamsburg is rapidly 'gentrifying' the borough’s jury pool — and transforming verdicts, lawyers and judges told The Post."

According to someone, the number of white people living in Brooklyn jumped from 40 to 50% between 2001 and 2012 and they all have to go to jury duty. Also not surprising is the 77% increase in rents over the same 11 year time period. So more white people, more money, more different juries. 

But not in the way you might think. This is really a tale of two juries: grand and civil. 

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More Details About The Chilean Red Lovin' Crazy Lady at Franny's

Since we posted yesterday about Friday night's alarming incident at Franny's, two more eyewitness accounts came our way:

I am happy to see someone report on the Hook Lady at Franny's. I was there, stuck in a corner, and it was TERRIFYING. She threw a managers purse with her hook, threw a bar stool, and threw a glass. It's when she proclaimed to love playing with knives and that it was going to get messy, did everyone start to hunker down, hide in closets, and get under tables. Our part of the restaurant was not able to escape. Perhaps the most terrifying Friday the 13th ever. Also, side note, the woman was the size of Queen Latifah, and her hook was at least an inch and a half diameter. At one point she stood, with her hook in the air like the Statue of Liberty, scream asking if we thought she was crazy. Crazy was an understatement. She was the stuff of horror movies.

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Where Should The Kentile Sign Go?

Photo credit: Tim BartlettThe Kentile sign has been saved, sorta: the sign will be rebuilt elsewhere.  The writers of Fucked in Park Slope came up with some ideas of where it could go:

Smith & 9th Station: A relatively small change to the skyline and the MTA gets to deal with it.

Image via jonathansmithphotography.com

The Watchtower: The World HQ of Jehovah's Witnesses. And it already has a roof capable of supporting a sign. WWJD?

Image via wikipedia

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Rat Race Comes to Prospect Park (It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Borough)

Hidden Cash, the Twitter "game" where a San Francisco real estate investor hides money around your city and tweets clues, enticing people to desperately scramble against each other for 50 bucks and a Silver Dollar while tweeting thanks to @HiddenCash for the opportunity, came to Prospect Parkthis Saturday. At first, it looked like the game would be limited to Central Park:

But before long Hidden Cash revealed that 19 envelopes had been hidden in our very own Prospect Park:

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