Vines & Voices 007
An important question regarding the most famous Sagittarius in the neighborhood + this week's roundup.
Welcome to Vines & Voices, your weekly dose of the latest buzz in South Brooklyn. Curated by CSJ, this free newsletter will land in your inbox each week with everything you need to know — and a little more. Got a tip? Some juicy news to share? An idea you think we should cover? Hit us up at info@courtstreetjournal.com. Your voice is part of the story.
This Week’s Slow Read
I wrote about Alcove, a space in Park Slope where remote workers and entrepreneurs can book thoughtfully designed “private productivity” pods as easily as booking a workout class. This summer, Alcove will open its second location as part of a partnership with Hilton. Full story for paid subscribers here.
The Roundup — But First…
We need to talk about something: Mark Iacono owns 400 white T-shirts.
This week, Iacono was interviewed by The Michelin Guide (v on-brand) about his New York favorites – places to eat, hidden gems, Lucali’s most memorable guests. Iacono is giving slight sad boy vibes throughout the interview. He says that he dines everywhere alone. He calls his late grandmother “the angel on Lucali’s shoulders.” There is a heartwarming anecdote about him paying for the meal of a woman who reminds him of his late grandmother – and finding out this woman is recently widowed and dining out on what would have been her 50th wedding anniversary. :( !
We learn that in addition to being Lucali’s leading man, he is its plumber, electrician and go-to maintenance guy – none of which is sad, but highly practical and a testament to his work ethic and general know-how. Eventually, he is asked to share something most people wouldn’t know about him. His response:
“I’m pretty much an open book. I have no secrets. I have 400 white T-shirts.”
400 white T-shirts. There is no follow-up question, there is no explanation. Just “400 white T-shirts.”
I am guessing a chef needs several, maybe a few dozen white T-shirts because making pizza is messy business. But 400? I have questions. Where does one buy T-shirts in such bulk? What brand are they? What is the composition? Is there a stack — say 100 high — somewhere inside of Lucali? Does he wear one new T-shirt, sometimes more than one, every day? How else will he ever make it through 400 white T-shirts?
400 white T-shirts. Okay! Here is this week’s roundup.
I love this story by The Tatter Textile Library about Elizabeth “Sweetheart” Eaton Rosenthal, otherwise known as The Green Lady of Brooklyn. Rosenthal moved to NYC in 1964 with a pillow, ice skates and a sketchbook – the essentials – and found a job in one day in The Garment District.
She worked as a converter – a pre-digital-era role that involved turning designs into repeat patterns for mass printing – for Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. She and her husband met at Veselka’s in the East Village and went on to open a fabrics store together before retiring in the early 2000s. A New York love story <3
Carroll Gardens is getting a pop-up library while our official one continues to undergo renovations.
Al Capone’s childhood home is on the market for a cool $6,250,000. 38 Garfield Place is a newly renovated townhouse with 6 beds, 5 bathrooms and a solarium on the top floor. Check out the StreetEasy listing here.
Osteria Radisa, a new Italian restaurant, opens next Wednesday, May 27, at 241 Smith Street, where Ruthie’s used to be. Read more about it on The Strong Buzz.
Paige Sargisson is raising her prices starting June 1. The price of gold has gone up significantly (80 percent) since Paige opened her first store in 2021, hence the price raise.
NYC is hosting its Small Business Month Expo next Thursday, May 29 at Center 415 in Manhattan. Free to attend, the expo brings together more than 100 city programs, agencies and partners in the same place, with the goal of helping local operators get city permits and licenses more easily, access to financial and legal assistance, help with government contracting and more. Sign up to attend here.
The Atlantic Avenue BID is hosting a free dance cardio class next Saturday, May 31. Bring your own mat!
