College Bakery in Cobble Hill (Closed)

When I was 16, somewhere around 1971, I lived in Fort Lauderdale and had an Italian boyfriend from Brooklyn who was incredibly exotic. He was thin as a rail, had a two-foot wide Afro, wore tight, low-cut t-shirts and elephant bell-bottoms with custom-made multi-colored platform wingtips.

My short-haired, tank-top and flip-flop wearing school chums hated him but he was too weird to beat up and who knew if he has a switchblade in that Afro or not.

He once took me home to Brooklyn to meet his 12 (or maybe it was 13) brothers and sisters and all of their names ended in “y” or “ie”: Charlie, Butchie, Dottie, Jimmmie, Margie, etc.

DiSalvo Italian Bakery in East NY

Everything about them was exotic also but one thing that stood out was a nightly ritual practiced like a religion. Each evening at 6 or 7pm we gathered at one of the sisters’ or brothers’ homes in the kitchen around a cheap, beat-up Formica table surrounded by mix-and-match chairs. A steaming pot of Chock-full-of-Nuts coffee was put on a potholder and white, string-wrapped boxes of pastries  were put out.

Other family members dropped by and stories were told all night long. My family does not, and never did, “visit” unless someone got married or died. We still don’t. We forget birthdays with amazing consistency and regularly promise to remember the next time. I see my brother once a decade and when we part we cry and make more promises to see each other more. But we don’t.

Court Pastry in Cobble Hill

The feeling of closeness I felt around those tables comes back to me every time I see someone carrying a white box tied up with bakery string and it makes me ever grateful that I finally moved to Brooklyn.

The shot of College Bakery was taken right before it closed suddenly a few years ago. DiSalvo and Court Street are still open.

Please share your stories about bakeries with us and visit our 718 Brooklyn Store to see photos.

Park Slope Zip Code T-Shirts, Totes and More for the Whole Family

Show off your neighborhood pride with our new 11215 Park Slope Zip Code Section in the 718 Store. Oversize totes are perfect for shopping at the Food Coop or Back to the Land and we’ve got t-shirts for mom, dad, baby and even the dog. They make great gifts for friends and family or even for yourself.

In August of 1963, Dimitria and her husband came from Greece and opened their little dream restaurant. The Coca-Cola Company generously supplied them with a fancy sign with 3-dimensional letters and the Coke logos.

Forty-one years later they are still here. Hamburgers still sell for only $1.75 and a soda is just .50 cents. I spent an hour or so enjoying a cream soda at the counter and watching Dee’s knarly, water-soaked hands skillfully make sandwiches piling on generous amounts of tuna and chicken salad.

She is camera-shy and was reluctant to talk to me at first.

“My name? They call me Dee. I don’t even remember my name. Oh yes, Dimitira. We’ve been here for over 4o years and never closed one day. Not one. Well, maybe a half day
in an emergency.”

The neighborhood is mostly Italian and Dee knows every customer’s name and what they order. “Coffee Lenny? Burgers for the kids Maria? The usual Jimmy?”

Located on Nassau and Russell, Sunview is currently closed by the
health department and the future is uncertain.

NOTE: Sunview Luncheonette was closed.

Visit the Greenpoint Section at 718Store.com or see more Greenpoint Photos in the gallery.

There was always room on one of the few red leather stools at the counter in my favorite mini-diner Donuts Coffee Shop. It closed January 2008 and was located at 212 Fifth Avenue at Union.

I went to the Donut Shop when I felt little, lost and blue. When the weather was dark and moody and I’d been huddled in front of a cantankerous computer for way too long. I knew the miniature diner would welcome me warmly into its greasy sweet arms. And Jean would always say, “What can I get you Mommie?” like she has known me forever when in fact, she probably did not.

She smiled knowingly when I answered, “Diet Coke with lots of ice, burger rare, fries extra well.” “Nothing like ice, even when its cold out” she whispered conspiratorially. She would overfill a battered 1950s plastic tumbler with the happy sparkling cubes.

As usual, the food slid down too fast and I was always sad when it was over. On the way out I always noticed the cheerful tray of donut Os and I wonder why I’d never had a donut in the Donut Shop. Now I never will.

Visit the Donuts Section in the 718 Store

Show your Brooklyn pride with some attitude with this funny play on the classic “I love (heart) nyc” t-shirt. this and our other great items make great gifts for urban dwellers, expatriates and tourists. Get them in the store here I F’n Love BKLYN Tees & Gifts

718 Brooklyn is looking for people to sell our great photos of Brooklyn in stores, galleries, on the street and at street fairs. If you are interested, call Kit Kaplan at 718-513-9845.

We are proud to announce 718 Brooklyn is now sponsoring the new Official Wonder Wheel Store featuring t-shirts, gifts and apparel for the whole family. The products feature the famous Coney Island Wonder Wheel in Brooklyn with photography by Kit Kaplan at 718Brooklyn.net, Visit the Wonder Wheel Store.

Check out our new Carroll Gardens Designs including Ringer Tees in Black, Red and Navy trim in the Cobble Hill Neighborhood section of our store.

Show you love Brooklyn with our I Love Brooklyn women’s ringer tees from Hyp are made of 100% fine cotton jersey. Available in Pink, Yellow and Mint. Men’s I love Brooklyn T-shirts, gifts and accessories also available. Only $24.99.

Hi, I am a Brooklyn girl but have resided in Massachusetts for over 20 years now. Even after all of this time, I consider Brooklyn to be my home town. I love going back from time to time and seeing the old neighborhood. My fondest memories are of taking the train to Coney Island with my friends and sitting on the beach with a hot dog. Back then a 10 year old could do something like that without any fear. I also remember playing stick ball and opening up the Johnny Pump on a hot summer day….I love Brooklyn. I carry these memories with me and love passing them on to my children.

Michele McKeon