City Living: Crown Heights

Photo credit: Urbanite

Photos by Marie Claire Andrea (More images in Thursday's edition of amNewYork)

By James Yolles

Special to amNewYork

For a glimpse of Crown Heights, stand on a weekday afternoon outside the Kingston Avenue subway station, where residents stream onto Eastern Parkway, Frederick Law Olmsted’s sweeping, tree-lined boulevard that divides the large central Brooklyn neighborhood roughly in half.

There, Haitians, Hasidic Lubavitch Jews, African-Americans and whites emerge from the station. They head home, onto quiet streets of row homes, apartment buildings and housing projects, and onto avenues peppered with curried goat restaurants and kosher fish shops. The pulse of reggae music fills the air as traditionally dressed Lubavitchers go to pray. The diversity of Crown Heights’ population and streets alone makes it worth a visit.

It’s a neighborhood filled with promise, yet still working to turn a corner since the racially fueled riots of 1991.

The geography and makeup of Crown Heights can be confusing. The neighborhood straddles two community boards, two City Council districts and two police precincts. In every case, Eastern Parkway is the divider. Though technically part of one large neighborhood, these two areas have little to do with each other.

“This neighborhood has worked hard to pull itself up to get going in the right direction,” said Suzanne Spellen, a Crown Heights community activist. “The glory days are not behind us because we’re really in our glory days now.”Essential Visit

The Chassidic Discovery Tour

305 Kingston Ave., 718-953-5244, jewishtours.com

This is a unique opportunity to step inside a world most New Yorkers know little about. A rabbi will guide you through life in the Lubavitch community, among other interesting features.

Real Estate

Like many other neighborhoods, Crown Heights real estate was hit hard by the economic downturn. An example can be found on East New York Avenue, where vacant condos that were supposed to sell for $250,000-$350,000 were obtained by the city to house homeless families. Additionally, many Crown Heights residents who were priced out of Manhattan are now moving back since prices have fallen in the recession, said Greg Todd, an associate broker with The Corcoran Group in Fort Greene. Still, Todd says that he sees strong potential in Crown Heights.

To rent

$600

Studio on St. Marks Avenue with lots of light

$1,000

One-bedroom on St. Johns Place, completely renovated, two blocks from the No. 3 train

$1,650

Two-bedroom on Dean Street, newly renovated, on landmarked block

To buy

$318,000

Studio duplex condo on Park Place, completely renovated, on quiet block

$398,000

Two-bedroom condo on Park Place, new construction, in elevator building

$650,000

Two-family house on Lincoln Place, needs some work, one block from the No. 3 train

Contact: Greg Todd, The Corcoran Group, 718-496-5139

To Play

Places to meet friends, have a drink and relax are few and far between in Crown Heights. A recent influx of young residents has led to the opening of a few spots that have helped invigorate the nightlife scene.

Tavern on Nostrand

813 Nostrand Ave., 718-778-7160

Half a block into Crown Heights South, Tavern on Nostrand is a popular 4-year-old dining and after-work drinks spot that came under new ownership in March. There is an intimate, neighborhood feel at the bar, where Tuesday-Friday happy hours offer $5 well drinks and $4 beers. An owner said a name change is coming soon.

Washington Commons

434 Park Pl., at Washington Ave., 718-230-3666

You have to look carefully for this low-key bar on a Washington Avenue corner. The only indicator that there’s something going on inside is the small chalkboard listing happy-hour specials. The newly opened bar features a generous 3-8 p.m. happy hour seven days a week, where it’s $2 off all drinks. Instead of the usual standbys, there are 16 rotating beers on tap from Cooperstown, Chicago, Germany, Belgium and Vermont, among other places.

Franklin Park

618 St. Johns Pl., 718-975-0196

Part old mechanic’s garage, part outdoor beer garden, Franklin Park has a typically laid-back Brooklyn feel, partially thanks to the music (think Mark Ronson and Marvin Gaye). The beer garden is routinely packed on summer weekends, where many patrons sip Sixpoint Craft Ales from Red Hook.

Though there are a surprising number of restaurants in Crown Heights, few manage to stand out, but here are several worth a visit.

Abigail Café and Wine Bar

807 Classon Ave., 718-399-3200

This bright, airy spot, which opened a year ago, offers a diverse, affordable selection of wines and tap beers, along with an ambitious menu that often hits the mark. The roasted monkfish with a pea puree and roasted radishes is a refreshing summer dish. Abigail also offers a jazz brunch, and holds various weekly events that are detailed on the Web site.

Chavella’s

732 Classon Ave., 718-622-3100, cash only

This small Mexican restaurant serves flavorful food to a neighborhood crowd. In the tacos ($3), the vegetables are fresh, and the sauces are vibrant.

David’s Brisket House and Deli

533 Nostrand Ave., no phone

Though it’s just over the Atlantic Avenue border into Bedford-Stuyvesant, this old-school joint is worth mentioning. Inside this narrow, informal spot, you’ll taste some of the best pastrami and brisket sandwiches ($7.50) outside of Katz’s in Manhattan. Thinly sliced brisket, doused with juices, on rye with mustard and a pickle from David’s is a true New York City lunch.

The Islands

803 Washington Ave., 718-398-3575, cash only

There are a seemingly infinite number of West Indian restaurants serving jerk chicken and other specialties in Crown Heights, but this one is the best. You might have to wait for a seat at this restaurant across Eastern Parkway from the Brooklyn Museum, but it’s worth it. If you’re looking for an authentic taste of West Indian Crown Heights, order the jerk chicken platter ($8) and a Ting — grapefruit soda — to drink.

Q&A

Valerie Bowers, a 65-year-old former librarian, has lived in a three-story row house on Dean Street in Crown Heights since 1949.

What was the neighborhood’s character and flavor like when you were growing up?

It was more integrated. There were more white people. They’re starting to move back now. … You had bakeries, butcher shops, individual greengrocers and ice cream parlors. We didn’t have to leave the neighborhood to shop for clothing, which you do now. It was just a safe, friendly place to live.

Are there still remnants of that Crown Heights?

With all the crime problems we had in the ’70s and ’80s, this has been a stable community. So many of the properties have been passed down by families through generations. I still know my neighbors on either side from a long time ago. It’s not a transient place.

Is there anything you’d like to change?

Nostrand Avenue. I would like to see a better variety of commercial stores. I don’t know how many roti shops, how many nail shops there are, but there’s hardly any variety.

What do you think attracts people to this area?

The neighborliness. It’s a real community.

If someone had a few hours to spend in Crown Heights, what would you suggest they do?

Walk around. I would go down Dean Street, turn right at New York Avenue, and just look at the houses.

To Shop

Again, the lack of quality retail in Crown Heights is a concern, but the diversity of the neighborhood results in a variety of stores that add flavor to the neighborhood.

Beri Outlet

500 Prospect Pl., 718-622-3494

The outlet store for Dumbo’s Bluberi and Prospect Heights’ Redberi sells fashionable off-season vintage and designer women’s clothing, bags, shoes and jewelry. Clothing is up to 60 percent off, bags up to 50 percent, shoes up to 40 percent and jewelry up to 30 percent.

Judaica World of Crown Heights

329 Kingston Ave., 718-604-1020,

judaica-world.com

A block from the Lubavitch headquarters is Judaica World, one of the best places for Jewish items in New York City. It sells, among other items, menorahs, mezuzahs, Sabbath candleholders, yarmulkes, and Jewish books and music.

Raskin’s Fish Market

320 Kingston Ave., 718-756-9521,

raskinfish.com

Since 1961, Raskin’s has offered a wide variety of fresh kosher fish, pickled vegetables and other Jewish specialties. This is a taste of the real old Jewish New York that, for the most part, long ago left the Lower East Side.

Brooklyn Beverage Barn

1423 Bedford Ave., 718-783-0101

Another former auto garage turned drink-themed establishment, Brooklyn Beverage Barn has a selection of beers from breweries such as Flying Dog, Dogfish Head, and St. Peter’s — a rarity in Crown Heights.

To See

Weeksville Heritage Center

1698 Bergen St., 718-756-5250

Three historic homes from one of the first free black communities in the country still stand in the northeastern section of Crown Heights. Named for James Weeks, who bought the land in 1838, the village was once home to about 500 residents.

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

145 Brooklyn Ave., 718-735-4400

The attractive museum features child-friendly exhibits that teach visitors about Brooklyn, its ethnic groups and cuisines. Children can also learn about area stream and woodland creatures and see live frogs. A performance theater, gift shop and cafe are within.

Jewish Children’s Museum

792 Eastern Parkway, 718-467-0600

This is a state-of-the-art, hands-on environment where children can learn about the Jewish faith, traditions, holidays and kosher foods. They can also eat at a kosher deli.

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Pkwy., 718-638-5000

Housed inside a grand, 1895 Beaux-Arts building, this is the second-largest art museum in the city. It features permanent collections of paintings by prominent artists, ancient Egyptian works, and masks from Africa and the Pacific Islands.

Grant Square

Bedford Avenue at Dean Street

See several pieces of historic Crown Heights here: a statue of Ulysses S. Grant on horseback, the former Unity League Club headquarters and several examples of classic Crown Heights North architecture.

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