Streetlevel: Crown Heights Bar Goes to Bed Early
Crown Heights bar Franklin Park will open its doors for the first time this Friday—and will close at 2 a.m., according to the bar’s website. We were wondering if its 2 a.m. closing time had anything to do with the fact that most of its space, 1,200 square feet, is outside. The inside is 800…
Crown Heights bar Franklin Park will open its doors for the first time this Friday—and will close at 2 a.m., according to the bar’s website. We were wondering if its 2 a.m. closing time had anything to do with the fact that most of its space, 1,200 square feet, is outside. The inside is 800 square feet. Last week, the New York Post reported that the city’s traditional 4 a.m. closing time “is facing its last call because community boards are approving liquor licenses for new establishments only if they close at 2 a.m.” Totally lame, unless you live next door, of course. Franklin Bar co-owner Matthew Roff, who also co-owns Southpaw in Park Slope, told us the earlier closing time was more of a business decision, to initially gauge the street life in the area before staying open all night. At any rate, from 3 p.m. until 2 a.m. Franklin Park will be serving these beers on tap: Coney Island Lager, Kastel Rouge, Green Flash IPA, Schneider Weisse, Raddelburger, Ommegang, Six Point Righteous, Blue Point Toasted Lager, Original Sin, Jever, O’hara Irish Stout and Stone Pale Ale. The bar and beer garden is at 618 St. Johns Place, a few blocks from the Brooklyn Museum. Bring it on.
Franklin Park Bar & Beer Garden Coming to Prospect Heights [IMBIBLE]
Last Call: 2 a.m. Closing Time a Sobering Reality [NY Post]
I relish the chance to mug hipsters. I’ll take the atari shirts right off their backs and punch them in their concave chests for good measure.
I live in this neighborhood, and the reports of it being dangerous are greatly exaggerated. Yes the reports of tension in the neighborhood are true, but for the most part this neighborhood consists of people just living their lives, which is one of the things that makes it so fun. You see working people, homeless people, hipsters who don’t see the sun before 3PM, thugs & drug dealers, Hasidics, Latins, Asians, Whites, Blacks, and Arabs. Some days I hear the call the prayer a bit north of me and other days I hear the cathedral bells from the west. The point is that it is very difficult to codify the area. Also, it’s all block from the Brooklyn Museum and the park. If you want to feel safe all the time stay in Williamsburg where you can talk about how ironic it is that you moved to New York only to end up in a shack with siding surrounded by other White people from Ohio living next to a nuclear disposal site and an oil refinery.
Biff, I’m sure when you do, you’ll have an open mind. No neighborhood is perfect, and no one ever said otherwise. As 11:16 notes, CH is a very large neighborhood. The new businesses on Franklin are a welcome addition, but are actually too far from where I live to be an everyday trip on foot, and I live about in the middle of the neighborhood. Obviously any area that large is going to have a variety of everything, good and bad.
Montrose Morris falls into the trap every single time…
Can’t wait to try this place out.
Thanks Montrose. I’m relatively new to Brooklyn and admittedly haven’t yet had a chance to venture out to as many different areas as I want to, which is why I appreciate the insight posters like you and faithful (and posters like 11:16) give regarding your neighborhoods. I find it odd that people take pleasure in bashing other ‘hoods, especially when they haven’t even been to them. It makes me wonder what’s wrong in their own lives.
Crown Heights is a huge area. This bar is in NW Crown Heights, and believe me Prospect heights has been extending in the direction of CH pretty rapidly in just the last year. PH is becoming unaffordable to the young and hip who do not work in the financial sector. So more and more a moving a bit further East. Franklin is the next stop after Atlantic – so it makes sense that this area is beginning to quickly gentrify. In fact that is why I moved with family to this area. It looks like Franklin will be the Vanderbilt equivalent soon – we have many new restaurants that have opened recently – and I spoke with the owner of a new Italian restaurant that will soon open on Franklin and Prospect. Looks lovely inside. Regarding crime – this part is no worse than prospect heights believe me. My cousin used to live in PH and complained that there was always some sort of vandalism/ robberties going on. NW Crown Heights is great because its a place where you actually know you neighbors and we look out for each other. At least that is how it is now. Yes there is some riftraft out there, but also know there is a heightened foot patrol police presence in NW CHs because its residents (through the Crow Hill Community Association) wanted to better the quality of life of the community. And believe me it is better today than just 1 year ago.
Crown Heights is a huge area. This bar is in NW Crown Heights, and believe me Prospect heights has been extending in the direction of CH pretty rapidly in just the last year. PH is becoming unaffordable to the young and hip who do not work in the financial sector. So more and more a moving a bit further East. Franklin is the next stop after Atlantic – so it makes sense that this area is beginning to quickly gentrify. In fact that is why I moved with family to this area. It looks like Franklin will be the Vanderbilt equivalent soon – we have many new restaurants that have opened recently – and I spoke with the owner of a new Italian restaurant that will soon open on Franklin and Prospect. Looks lovely inside. Regarding crime – this part is no worse than prospect heights believe me. My cousin used to live in PH and complained that there was always some sort of vandalism/ robberties going on. NW Crown Heights is great because its a place where you actually know you neighbors and we look out for each other. At least that is how it is now. Yes there is some riftraft out there, but also know there is a heightened foot patrol police presence in NW CHs because its residents (through the Crow Hill Community Association) wanted to better the quality of life of the community. And believe me it is better today than just 1 year ago.
Wouldn’t doubt it, Biff, not from the Crown-Heights-(where I’ve never been, but I’m so scared)-bunch, who seem to get great joy from bashing someone’s home. As faithful said, “at least we don’t have to worry about ignorant, racist idiots becoming our neighbors”.
Faithful, I hope you at least check up on this blog, it’s important that the creeps don’t win. I do think the focus has changed alot, not just in terms of neighborhoods, but in coverage of the things I came here for: old houses and everything to do with them, neighborhoods and their histories, not just the next new condo, and Bklyn as a mega-community, with all of it’s diversity, strengths and weaknesses.
Party on Wayne! CH is finally gettin some….