Ikea Campaign hits Grand Army Plaza.

I am fortunate enough to live five minutes from Prospect Park. And on a gorgeous day like this, I decided to ride my bike around the park before sunset. As I was entering near Grand Army Plaza, I noticed an oversized structure resembling a cardboard box in front of the Brooklyn Library.

Turns out, its Ikea’s campaign for the new Brooklyn (Red Hook) location opening June 18. The box has the notated “Home is the most important place in the world.” and the Ikea logo. The headline of the box reads “Unpack June 18th.” I snapped a few photos to show you the outside and inside, because inside lies a fully furnished apartment including shelves, tables, bed, and other misc. furniture. (Make sure to click on the picture again to see it larger)

They even let you walk around and check it out, including price tags on every item. I like this approach, and look forward to seeing the store in reality next week!

Update. Abigail Wine Bar.

Open for friends and family only tonight, I stopped by the new wine bar on Classon Ave. I met Jason, one of the owners (and his mother) and explained how thankful I was for a place like his to go to in the neighborhood. So nice! The place has a huge center low-tabled bar that is very open and friendly. Candlelight, and dark wooded tables, exposed bricks walls. Open till midnight, and serving all three meals. This girl is excited.

UPDATE #2

A friend of mine works there! Last week, I stopped by to eat and chat a bit with one of my favorite people. I had the goat-cheese-stuffed South African Pepper, Pappadew, and it was delicious. Also, they have nice bread, great lighting, and great music. The owner is always available for a conversation or two, and it is so relaxed I probably stayed there two hours. Great time.

I beat Thrillist.

Check it out, Abigail made The List on Thrillist today.

“Food: Abigail Café and Wine Bar

Opens Friday at 807 Classon Ave, at St. John’s Place; 718.399.3200
From the gal behind the WV’s Camaje, this wifi’d-up cafe w/ basement live music lounge is serving breakfast and small-plate lunch/dinner like kobe beef burgers, smoked mac ‘n cheese, and herbed-chèvre-stuffed Peppadew — a recently discovered, spicy/sweet South African delicacy whose raging success only furthers our crippling dependence on foreign fruit.”

The sky has fallen, and it brought beer.

Actually, no, but a beer garden plopped itself down into my ‘hood. On Franklin Ave. A place to drink that is actually attractive (with outdoor seating) on the border of Crown Heights. Ha. I seriously thought I was going to have to settle for a six pack next to my open window to get the effect of having a decent place to go in my hood.  Check out their site for more pictures. Anybody want to go with me? Cheers to BK!

Write up in Time Out.

Totally unfair.

I just saw my neighbors (BTW she works for the MOMA!) one bedroom apartment and it is huge! So big. Alcove kitchen, bedroom twice the size of mine, and a large living room area. WHAT!! I asked her how much her rent was, and it was about $20 more than mine. This is the biggest travesty of all. She even has a decent view north towards Manhattan. I just don’t have anything to add here…I do have a bigger closet. Drat, it’s no use, I feel like the girl with the shitty lunch bag in the cafeteria.

It was good.

The show was good, Katie and I would probably have enjoyed it more if we were “maybe 8 years older”. It had some nice moments where he uncannily plays the role of his grandmother, mother, father, brother, and psychiatrist. A true one-man show. An auto-biographical representation of his life as a Renaissance geek in a society that shuns it. The impersonations and cute analogies made it a fun story-telling experience.

On my way into my apartment there was a Russian Blue feline waiting for me, trying to work his way into my apartment. He looked just like this picture, do you know him? Very peculiar. I then meet the nicest girl in my building (the only one in a year of living here) Amy who tried to help me find the owner. He/she could not be found. To be continued…