PLENTY Clinton Hill/Fort Greene

Plenty's Promo Weekend

The PLENTY team spent a great weekend in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene.  Promotion was our primary goal and it partnered lovely with the beautiful weather, friendly business owners and great products & service.

Saturday we dropped off some promo cards and picked up some great items at green in BKLYN, on Myrtle Avenue. You’ve got to meet Elissa if you like to spend where there’s friendly and knowledgeable service and a plethora of environmentally-friendly products. Over at Brooklyn Junior on Clinton Avenue we had a great time with Steve trying to encourage him to start a new product line based on a great display item he created.  We'll see.  We spent time talking with long-time neighborhood resident, Howard Pitsch about his new book, Images of America Fort Greene at the farmers market, where we picked up our tickets for the 30th Fort Greene House Tour.  If you long to lounge outdoors, we suggest you do so at Catherine’s Caffe on DeKalb Avenue. The garden is lovely, the fresh mint lemonade is to die for and the service is great.  The garden at Kif’s on DeKalb Avenue was tempting, but we had just finished eating and lounging and had to get back to the business of promoting Plenty.  Djamal, the owner, informed us that he is making some interesting and major changes to the menu and the interior design in the near future. 

Over on the Clinton Hill side of Fulton Street we received warm welcomes from the new Nigerian restaurant Buka, Outpost Coffee Lounge, Desserts by Michael Allen, Kush French and Pan-African Restaurant, Dajeh Restaurant & Wine Bar, Olivino Wines, Bar Olivino, Just Taste It, Essential Cakes, Autour du Monde Restaurant & Bar, Kat Flower, Flourish Accessories and the ultra modern-designed Chance II Bar & Grill. 

After a brief respite we headed to the Fort Greene end of Fulton Street.   At Courtney Washington we ran into the vivacious Zuri, founder of Zuri’s Petite Spa & Skin Care, one of the many neighborhood businesses that are behind closed doors; and oh, how we love Greenlight Bookstore and the way it lights up the corner of South Portland.  Had a nice chat with Jessica, one of the owners, who was still cheerful at 8 p.m.  Speaking of the corner of Fulton & South Portland, what’s in the food and drink at Habana Outpost? That place was lit up like a major holiday.  We spent some time with Moshood, who’s celebrating 16 years in business and where a celebrity sighting is always possible.  On Saturday night some cast members from BET’s Harlem Heights came through.

Sunday was all about the 30th Fort Greene House Tour. Everything was seamless, from the map pick-up at BAM Garden to the very last house.  There were lines at a few stops, but they moved rather quickly. A free workout was also included, as brownstones soar high without the luxury of elevators. Highlights included a live performance, by American Opera Projects, at A.R.T./New York South Oxford Space, double archways leading to decks, ornate ceiling moldings, outstanding woodwork, and art galore.  A house on Cumberland Street, with a façade that belied the stunning modern interior, knocked everyone’s socks off; and one on South Oxford Street led to a Roman ruins garden that both stunned and seduced.  If you, like I, enjoy the starkness of modern design, get over to Solis Modernist Homes at 174 Clermont Avenue.

With all the goings on we missed the Spring Fling at P.S. 20, the outdoor Brooklyn Flea, and Auction Saturday at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. But that’s Clinton Hill/Fort Greene for ya, plenty of stuff to do (pun intended).