Midnight Transit Update

According to the MTA, the B is still out of service but the Q is running normally. We'll see how long it lasts this time...

Trains Down Again

Well, that was quick. B train service has been suspended again due to "smoldering cables." I'm not sure which cables are smoldering, but I imagine that you don't want to ride a train with ANY smoldering cables. The Q train, meanwhile, is now running along the D line from Sheepshead Bay to Dekalb... in other words, no where near us. We'll let you know when service resumes. (Sigh.)

Ahoy, trains!

Both the B and the Q have resumed service, though you can expect delays, naturally...

(Thanks for the photo, Dynishal!)

PLG: "A Good Neighborhood To Get Stuck In"

Today's New York Post has a collection of blizzard stories from around the city.  Here's a nice bit about our neck of the woods:

Residents in the closely knit Prospect Lefferts Garden community emerged from their homes early yesterday after realizing that motorists had been stuck in their vehicles overnight.

They went from car to car offering food and drinks, as well as the use of their homes for rest or bathroom breaks.

"This is a good neighborhood to get stuck in," said Ellen Neipris of Rutland Avenue. "We came out of our house this morning, and were shocked to see people sleeping in their cars. We went to get food and coffee. Everyone is doing what they can."

Full story here. (Thanks, Andrea!)

(Photo: JJ Katz)

 

Snowpocalypse Transit Update

The B, Q and Franklin Avenue Shuttle are all still out of service. The 41 is running but there is no Limited service.

Be warned, the roads are still in terrible shape. It took an hour to go from Parkside to 7th Avenue on the bus, mostly because people continue to drive stupidly. I was stuck behind an 18-wheeler parked on the corner of Parkside and Flatbush, an accident at Empire between a car and a bus and a half-dozen different cars that had no business in snow that deep and got what they deserved (except all of Flatbush was paying the price along with them). Perhaps Mike Bloomberg, before telling us all to suck it up and wait patiently for the plows, should remember that he is a billionaire who has everything done for him and cars with flashing lights to speed his travels.

The dollar vans are running, though not as many as usual. Last night my van charged $3 and was a bargain at that price.

I'm about to head out into the snow with Sid. We'll be walking.

Q and B Train Woes

In case you're wondering, Q train service has been suspended from Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue Station and Dekalb Avenue Station in both directions. And the B has been suspended entirely. Stay tuned to the MTA website for updates.

Damn, good coffee. And HOT!

Been meaning to mention this place for a while. Local bakery La Baguette (near the entrance to the 2/5 train at Sterling Street) has been in the hood for about 2 years now. Not only do they have some of the best coffee around, they also sell (gasp!) BAGELS. Sure, it's no H&H, but it's certainly passable if more of the "bagel shaped bread" variety than a true NYC bagel.

Like many neighborhood shops, where La Baguette truly shines is with their Caribbean, specifically Haitian, specialties. They offer a wide variety of meat patties, corn pudding, rolls, doughnuts, etc. most of which is made on the premises.

As a bonus, they also make a pretty decent cheesesteak if you're looking for lunch.

Possible Serial Rapist in PLG / Flatbush

The Daily News has reported that a serial rapist is on the loose in PLG.

We are aware of a rape at 11 Midwood at around 2AM last Friday - approximately 2 years after an attempted rape in the same building. There have apparently been three other rapes in the area and the descriptions of the assailants are sufficiently similar that they are treating the investigation as if it is a serial rapist. The activity has apparently been centered around Midwood between Flatbush and Bedford.

For a sketch of the suspect and more info, see Serial Rapist on Prowl.

People's Choice: New Face on an Old Place

Though very little else has changed, Exquisite, the steam table Jamaican place across the street from the Parkside Q (218 Parkside (gmap)), has changed its name to "People's Choice."

Actually, I can't say how much has changed inside - I haven't been in since the new sign went up - but I can tell you that nothing else is different on the outside. They better not have changed anything about the saltfish bake, once cited by the NY Times (and confirmed by me) as one of the top sandwiches in New York.

Thanks, Sam.

Mama Louisa, That's a Tasty Sandwich!

I don't get out to New York Avenue nearly often enough because Mama Luisa's Hero Shoppe (609 New York Avenue (gmap)) is, by far, my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. And you can't even sit down.

The whole not-sitting-down thing, combined with a four-avenue schlep and the prospect of insane waiting time for a sandwich that you then have to carry home or eat on the sidewalk like a savage pretty much sums up why I go so rarely but when I do...

For about $7 you get a gigantic hero and it is a good goddamn sandwich, providing that rare combination of quantity, quality and value. On my most recent trip I got two heros: an artichoke parmigiana and broccoli rabe and sausage. I would recommend either of them for a convicted murderer seeking advice on a last meal. I don't know why I am inclined to give good advice to a murderer.

I expected the shop to be full of Kings County Hospital employees but it seems like much more of a neighborhood place. It is also quirky in that it is kind of a bodega with a random assortment of crap packing every available inch of wall space. I strongly suggest calling ahead because the lines can be long, the staff is lean and it can take 45 minutes for your sandwich to come out. It will be worth the wait, regardless. You can find a menu below the fold.