RealTours: A Day in Crown Heights with Shyda Hoque.
Aug 19, 2015
Morning– On a perfect day, I will start the day with yoga at Brooklyn Yoga Collective on Franklin Ave. All their classes are sliding scale and have mats for you to use without charge. There are classes all day long and this space is a very peaceful way to start the morning. I will then hit my favorite breakfast spot Colina Cuervo. I love everything here including the coffee. The owner Jorge Salaema intergates latin american food and the empanadas are incredible!
Noon– I usually hop on over to Cafe Forte to meet a friend. Fernan Royo and Peter Forteopened a much needed counter service eatery and almost everything on the menu is made from scratch. It is nice to support Chef Forte as he is also a a chef at the Garden to Café Program with the New York City Department of Education.
Afternoon– I stop by Hullabaloo Books and find both old and new gems to read next. Little Zelda’s Michael de Zayas opened this with community support and crowdfunding. A bookstore was needed in Crown Heights and they host readings and workshops. Also they rely on volunteers to help keep the doors open! I will then take a walk up Eastern Pkwy to the Brooklyn Museum or on a nice day to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. In the winter I will stop by the Brooklyn Flea Holiday market aka Winter Flea next to 1000 Dean and grab some hot cocoa.
Dinner– Cafe Rue Dix was one of the first spots I hit when I moved to the hood. Lamine Diagnese and Nilea Alexander have poured their heart and soul into this Senegalese resturant and you literally feel that you are not in New York. The ambiance is amazing and the food is authentic and, though I usually order the stewed chicken, everything on the menu is delicious and fresh!
Nightspot– Berg’n would be the place to go at night. It was not only voted by Jetsetter as one of America’s Best New Beer Hall. It has everything for everybody including a coffee bar that sells Parlor Coffee and Blue Marble Ice Cream and 4 differenet food vendors from Smorgasboard. Trivia Night Tuesdays are always a fun night!
Hidden Gem– Dean Street between New York Ave and Nostrand. Just walking on that block will lift your spirits and has to be one of the most beautiful blocks in NYC. It is also on your way to Brower Park and The Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
