HI, I am buying in Bay Ridge and was wondering whether anyone living there has recommendations for:
-electrician
-plumber
-stores (food, hardware, whatever)
-hair stylist
-fav restaurant
-your favorite anything

Thanks!


Comments

  1. Welcome! We moved to Bay Ridge a bit over a year ago from Cobble Hill and recommend the following:

    Electricians: Alpine Electric
    Plumbing: Sessa

    Restaurants/Stores:
    Elia – upscale Greek
    Tuscany Grill: not original, but very genuine, fresh and local ingredients – you can taste the difference – its excellent
    Pearl Room for its oyster bar
    Saint Germain!!
    Le Petit Oven!! – for something like The Grocery
    The 95th Street Farmer’s market: for fish,bread, grass fed meats, honey, and veggies/fruits
    Century 21
    Robicelli’s
    Piazza Mercato
    Paneantico
    Ivy Bakery
    LIttle Cupcake – great coffee and croissants – cupcakes are too dry and the icing too sweet
    Garden Nurseries 2 of them: 1 on 5th and 82nd? and the other – bigger one – on 6th Avenue in the 70s
    ChipShop!!
    Nouvelle – Asian/French fusion
    MyThai
    Tanoreen!!
    Agnanti Meze
    Jean Danet Patisserie for cakes/brick oven pizza, etc.
    Nino’s for the best pizza anywhere.
    Kaleidoscope – great toy store
    Brooklyn Art Shop for artist supplies – 5th Ave and 80th

    Things to do:
    art gallery 364
    Shore Road -playground, picnics, bike riding/rollerblading
    window shop
    eat!

    There’ more, too. We’re happy here and think you will be too.

  2. Well, it depends on how las minute you are talking about. When Ivy first open she was not as known and you could walk in grab some cupcakes and go. Now she has quite a following and she askes that you order a day in advance. But check out her website. http://www.ivybakery.com.

    i agree about the cupcake shop – no flavor to their cakes. ivy’s are out of this world.

  3. Italiana…No, haven’t tried Ivy, will now that you recommend – it’s nice to have something local for last minute get togethers.

    I’m not fond of Little cupcake. Not into that kind of icing. It’s very similar to Magnolia that so many people line up for and I don’t understand why.

    I usually get all my cakes from:
    Blackhound, which has the best buttercream icing. (www.blackhound.com) or
    Bruno Bakery (http://www.pasticceriabruno.com), the favori cake is my favorite, hazelnut mousse.
    Cheesecake from Eileen’s http://www.eileenscheesecake.com- (forget juniors) and her chocolate chip cookies are the best.
    Cupcakes – I’m addicted to the cupcakes from The Chocolate Room in Park Slope http://www.thechocolateroombrooklyn.com/

    When’s lunch??

  4. I grew up on in Bay Ridge. Here are my picks:

    Coffee/Pastries: Little Cupcake on 91st and 3rd Ave

    Hardware-Ridge Paint Hardware on 91st and 3rd-If he doesn’t have it, nobody does- Real Old fashioned hardware store that’s been in the neighborhood since 1938. He also fixes screens and makes house calls (installs locks, etc)

    Shopping-Century 21

    Health foods-93rd and 3rd- a little store well stocked with vitamins and health foods

    Pharmacy-Bridge Pharmacy on 90th and 3rd Ave

    Supermarket-Foodtown is ok, but a little expensive-fairly good meat department and deli

    Health and Beauty Aids-Morris Discount, 93rd and 3rd

    Hair cutter- Ann Charles Salon (On 93rd Street, off 3rd Ave)

    Pizza- Ninos, 91st and 3rd Ave

    Nail Salon- On 91st and 3rd, next to the hardware store, and Little Cupcake

  5. Welcome to the neighborhood!
    As someone else pointed out, it varies greatly depending where you are. Some streets are so quiet, you should tiptoe when you walk on them and other streets, you can’t hear yourself yell. I’ve lived here almost all my life and have seen the nabe change, some for the better and some for the worse.
    I’ve lived in the high 70’s, low 70’s and now in the 90’s…I’ve been all around town.

    Recommendations
    -I don’t use anybody local for elec., Plumbing, etc. – so can’t recommend anybody in the area.

    -Hair cutting and all my beauty regiments (which some say, I should get more of), I hate to admit, are done in Manhattan. But there are plenty of salons on Third Avenue.

    -Stores – You can find anything in Bay Ridge. My favorite store of course is:
    Century 21 (86th St. btwn 4th & 5th Aves) – Who doesn’t like buying designer duds at a discount. If you don’t have at least on C21 shopping bag in your house, then you are not a true Bay Ridger.

    Dry Cleaner – Tina’s (Third Ave btwn 95th & 96th) – cause I live near there…and she’s great.

    Shoemaker – not sure of the name (78th St & 3rd Ave). I still trek down there. Not cheap, but I like knowing that an Italian man is fixing my sole.

    Supermarket – I don’t shop at supermarkets. I don’t buy prepackaged food. But each area has a local supermarket. Fruits and Veggies – I’m so grateful for the new Farmer’s Market on Thrid Avenue and 95th Street. I was schlepping tomatoes all the way from Manhattan or Park Slope.

    Hardware – Have to agree with above poster and say True Value on Third and 79th Street

    Food!!!!
    Best ‘Grandma’ Pizza – Nino’s (Third Avenue and 92nd Street) – Thin Crust Square.

    Paneantico (91st Street & Third Ave) – my sister swears they have the best coffee. Their salads are good. Hubby loves the Italian cookies. The ones without the sprinkles sell out the day after they get them.

    Kareem (86th Streeet & 4th Ave) – after shopping at C21, I often stop and get a Middle Eastern nibble. Tight space, always crowded, always delicious. In the winter, the lentil soup warms the tummy.

    Polinca – (Third Avenue, 73rd Street) Polish food. Below average prices (entrees for under $9) don’t mean run of the mill food. On contrary, good food, good vibe.

    Chip Shop – (Third Avenue, 73rd Street) Fish and Chips done the right way. Don’t ask for Hush Puppies, you will get laughed at.

    Chianti (86th Street & Third Avenue) – Used to love this place (Chilean Sea Bass). They’ve fallen out of favor with me, because of the crappy experience we had last time. I shouldn’t have to ask 12x for water and get attitude for it.

    India Passage (Third Avenue & 74th Street) – Haven’t been there in a while, but when I lived near there, we went often. The food was good. I fondly remember the mulligatawny soup.

    Pearl Room – (Third Avenue , 80something) Went there once, Food was good

    Bakery – I’m a dessert snob and haven’t found anything to my standards. (I also hate to admit, I buy all my party cakes in Manhattan)
    Your Bakery – (86th Street btwn 5th & 6th Ave) – Key Lime Pie is finger licking good, though.

    Favorite things to do:
    Pack a picnic dinner and sit by Shore Road watching the sunset.
    Walk around looking at the pretty architecture.
    In winter and after a very heavy snow fall (12” or more), go sledding down the hills of Shore Road.

    Congratulations on your new home and again, welcome.

  6. We love Blue Water plumbing. He is based in queens but he comes out to BR.

    love the hardware store on 79th and 3rd. its a true value. They have knowledgable workers and have gone in there with many questions, and had them answered every time.

    Resturaunts –
    Tanoreen -voted best middle eastern food by zagats this years
    nouvelle – former sushi chef from nobu works there.
    chip shop – great english fish and chips and imported beer
    San Germain – traditional french fare. Always packed for brunch
    the family store- a middle eatern deli. Great everything!
    Robicelli’s- gourmet and organic food. Fair trade coffee and tea. they have gorceries as well as take out.
    Cafe cafe – coffee shop and tea.

    yoga- http://www.shantibaby.com; michele teaches in different locations in BR.

    Green Market is on 94th and 3rd every satruday.

    The Store Front- various art classes and art shows: http://www.thestorefront.cc

    Welcom to the nabe. We moved from PS three years ago and love it.

  7. Yes, I agree with all. My wife gets her nails done at Marinas on 5th…its at 5th and 76th I think.

    We have a Chip Shop also! You have to go there. Chianti is one of the best Italian restaruants around also.