Appletree Health Food Store in Bay Ridge Moved

I am always the last to know, but just in case I happen to be the next to last to know ->

Appletree Health Food store on 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge moved from 79th Street to 76th Street – their new address is 7613 –  3rd Avenue

 (Hey Ridge tells the story why they moved)

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Stones R Us Review – Brooklyn Cement Work – Our Experience

We needed to get our sidewalk replaced because it has taken a beating from the last two winters. We patched it ourselves last year, but it didn’t look good and it was time to get it done. I researched online through Brownstoner to see who was a recommended licensed contractor for sidewalks. A few recommendations from there showed that a good number of people liked a company called Stones Are Us . People wrote that the company was licensed, did a good job and their price was reasonable. I called Stones R Us and I spoke with Carlos. Carlos took my information and said he would come out the next day and give us a quote. 

The Stones R Us father and son team stopped by to look at our sidewalk. We had four large sidewalk squares that needed replacing – two were 4 inches deep because they were standard sidewalk,  two squares were 6 inches deep because our driveway is in the front of our house AND 4 half squares of cement from the center to the curb section.  In addition, we needed the driveway slope and to pay for the permit to replace a sidewalk.

They asked us if the city gave us a summons – Nope – no summons. We just wanted to fix it up so we had a good sidewalk without cracks.   The two spoke together and then they quoted us $4200.

$4200! 

We were prepared to pay for the job to be done correctly, but the priced seemed high. I had a price in my head which I thought it would be around and this was quite different. After Carlos left, we reasoned that we don’t know what people charge for this type of work so maybe it was a fair price. Stones R Us said they could get the permits and do the sidewalk later that week.

I had to find someone who would share with me the cost of similar work.  I went online and wrote a few e-mails and then I realized I have a super neighbor who has lived in Bay Ridge all her life and she recommended Regal Construction.  I called him, he came to meet me that day and began work 3 days later. (See their work here)

Someone said  Qualita Home Improvement was good. We left a message on the machine for Qualita, but did not hear back from them. We called during regular business house and spoke to the owner’s wife. She told us they would call us later on, but we didn’t receive a call back. I guess the summer is a busy time for home repair.

We called our neighbor’s recommendation and we were quoted less than 1/2 the price that Stones R Us quoted us.  When we asked that licensed contractor to see his previous work, he went into his phone and told us addresses of places he had done in the past. We drove to the different locations and his work consistently looked good so we went with him. Their work was fantastic and beyond my expections. I will post pics of it soon. 

Maybe the price Stones R Us gave us is a fair price for a landmark brownstone home in Park Slope (landmark homes have landmark paperwork that has to be filed), but this is just a regular house in Bay Ridge.  We got our sidewalk done and it came out beautifully (go see).

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18th Avenue Feast Brooklyn August 2015

See the bottom for more Italian festivals in September – there’s a new one in Dyker Heights!

See photos from the 2015 feast.

I am constantly being asked When is the 18th Avenue Feast this year?  The 2015 Feast of St. Rosalie or the Festa di Santa Rosalia or the 18th Avenue Feast  is going to be held on Thursday, August 20th through Sunday, August 30 on 18th Avenue. . The Feast of St. Rosalia takes place on 18th Avenue from 68th to 75th Street from  6PM- 11:00 PM  in Bensonhurst, but most people go between 8:30 and 9:30 pm.  St. Rosalia is the patron saint of Palermo. On the weekends, the feast is open from 11 AM to 11 PM.

Look:  Click here to see this poster bigger and clearer

New Italian Festival in September in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn – click here for more info

Also the San Gennaro Festival in Manhattan is September 10-20th

And also this:

If you are Italian and haven’t gone to the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Paulinus of Nola in Williamsburg, you have until July 19th to do so. See here.

Since you will be in Brooklyn for the Feast, see what other fun things there are to do in Brooklyn.

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Bay Ridge Immersion – July 18, 2015

Some restaurants and shops got together in Bay Ridge and are selling tickets for $25 for the Bay Ridge Immersion Day. Tickets for the food/drink and coupon book are on sale here

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Weekend Walk in Bensonhurst Brooklyn

On 18th Avenue from 62nd Street to 75th Street on Sunday July 19th from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm and again on Saturday July 25th, the 18th Avenue Merchants are having a Weekend Walk Marketplace. I have to find out if they are having the Italian feast this summer on 18th Avenue.

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Ice Skating in the Summer in Brooklyn

Cost – $10 each adult and $8 a kid plus $5.00 for skate rental. 

The rink is open every day and stays open late on Friday night. Click here to see times.

If you decide to go, wear something warmer than I did. I had on a short sleeve shirt and capri pants. The rink is cold – it has to be to keep the ice cold. I would say that I should have worn jeans, a t-shirt and a zip up sweatshirt so I would have been warm enough. (I have the sniffles as a result).

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Avon Lady in Bay Ridge 11209

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Custom Designed T-Shirts in Bay Ridge

Have you ever wanted to have some t-shirts designed for your family and friends?? My friend had the most amazing tee shirts custom designed for us through Alex Marmolejos. He lives in the area and you can reach him on Facebook – AM Print  She said he was so easy to work with, fast and the shirt is sooooo cute. 

I heard that Military Tapes on 79th street and 7th Avenue in Bay Ridge 11209 also let’s you make shirts with you own sayings and pictures, but I have never tried them. 

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Live Rent Free in NYC ~ If You Are Willing to Be A Historic Home Caretaker

But did you know you could live rent free?

Well of course it’s a quid pro quo situation, but it’s a good deal.

Caretakers to he 19 historic homes in NYC live rent free. They don’t pay the electric bill either.

The New York Times wrote that it wasn’t a popular program, but if you think about it, it is a great program for a college student who just graduated or even a senior citizen.  You can use the whole house and yard (if it has one), but your personal items have to be stored in an area and not throughout the home because it needs to maintain the historic appearance. But it’s a great opportunity for a recent grad to live on their own and be able to save their money for a down payment on a condo.

Apply to be a historic home caretaker in New York City  here

Other ideas for rent free living in case you get thrown out of your current apartment.  Also see here  and  here outside of NYC

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Senator Golden’s – Manage Your Own Facebook or Find Someone Who Knows How

Senator Golden’s Facebook account shared the joke below. Senator Golden probably doesn’t manage his own account, so he should find someone who knows how to make him look like a rockstar and not an idiot….His account has been in the news before. 

Just an FYI for those who are hating on gay people…..no one chooses to be gay, they are born that way – look at how hard life is for someone who is gay – no one would choose that. It’s sad that anyone in Golden’s office would think that it was acceptable to share this

Notice that 17 people liked that Golden shared this.  Pathetic. IT”S SUNDAY (try going to church instead of posting stupidity on the web). See news

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Weedwacking with Jesus

We got a new grass trimmer to use on our backyard garden I wanted to use it on the grass that appears between the sidewalk joints as well. In order to do so, I had  to turn it sideways. WHen Lee uses the machine it looks so easy. When I do it, it doesn’t feel right, even though it works. I tried to figure out why I was having difficulty with it.

I asked Lee L How are you so much better at using this on the side?

Lee responded: “I have a lot more experience.”

I know this couldn’t be true because i used similar machines for years at my family’s home in Long Island. I ask  Lee: “How could you have more experience with it than me?

Lee responded with a straight face; “I weedwacked with Jesus for years.”

What???!  I was expecting a real answer. But he always makes me laugh.

I am writing it here because i love reading back the silly stories between Lee and I. He is such a blessing.

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Where can I see fireworks in Brooklyn on July 4, 2015

UPDATE 2017: Click here for other Fourth of July Events in Bay Ridge 2016

What is there to do during the day on July 4th in Brooklyn? 

1) Go to the Beach – if you go to Coney Island, they have the hotdog eating contest between 11 and 1 pm.

2) See the ship parade

3) Have a barbecue

4) During the day In Bay Ridge there is a huge picnic with live music on 82nd Street and Shore Road from 12:00 – 7pm

5) You can shop – Century’s on 86th Street, Walgreens, Rite Aid,, the mall, etc are all open (good if it rains on July 4th)

Where can I see fireworks in Brooklyn on July 4th?

1) You can see the fireworks from the 69th Street Pier on Shore Road in Bay Ridge because the fireworks are on the East side again this year. Get their early because the police close the pier when it gets too full,

2) Fireworks in Coney Island – you can see them at  9:45 pm on the Boardwalk (You can see some of these fireworks from Caesar’s Bay)

3) Bush Terminal Park – 43rd Street and First Avenue Brooklyn

4) Brooklyn Bridge Park – again this place gets very busy so you have to get there before 6 (fireworks start around 9pm)

5) Promenade in Brooklyn Heights

6) For $125 a person (before you say that’s too expensive, it includes food and unlimited beer AND it’s a SWANKY place), you can party on the top of the Brooklyn Grange (it’s the Brooklyn Navy Yard Farm) 7-11 pm 

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