Lots in the news about cars this week. Here’s a great one I saw on Calyer Street on Saturday! Photo by Lucie Levine
Peter Pan‘s donuts are beloved far and wide, but drivers at the intersection of Bedford and Lorimer were serving up donuts of a different kind on Friday night. After Brooklyn Automotive High School’s car show ended at 9pm, teens on bikes blocked the intersection, and at least three cars sped in circles, doing donuts, as hundreds looked on.CBS2 has a video of the scene.
Image: Author’s Personal Peter Pan Donuts Collection
Almost every visitor to Greenpoint has one specific stop: Peter Pan Donuts. The Manhattan Avenue shop is literally one of our claims to fame even without Tina Fey’s affections. There have been documentaries and shorts made about it. Their doughnuts have appeared on lists from here to Japan. Their summer ice cream sandwiches are things of beauty. And best of all, the price has still remained $1.10 for one doughnut, with a filling breakfast or lunch for under $10. As someone who lived around the corner for seven years, I frequently stopped by for a hangover breakfast or mid-afternoon pick-me-up (yes, doughnuts are snacks in my world). I’d noticed over the past couple of years, new flavors began appearing on their hallowed shelves, and they were definitely worth noting. Continue reading →
The prestigious Zagat Guide’s prizes for the city’s best eateries for 2017 have just been announced and one of the winners is a Greenpoint institution: Peter Pan Donut & Pastry shop (727 Manhattan Ave.) was named as the city’s premiere location for donuts. Peter Pan received a 4.5 for food, a 3.7 for decor and a 4.1 for service. The runner up, Orwasher’s Bakery, in the East 70’s in Manhattan got the same scores for food and service as Peter Pan, but scored lower on Decor. Peter Pan’s unique decor has not changed much in generations and the timeless quality to the place is one of its many attractions. Continue reading →
There will be holiday lights on Manhattan Avenue this holiday season because about seventy-five local businesses dug deep into their pockets. Just after Thanksgiving the firm Illuminations by Arnold will begin hanging the holiday lights along the avenue thanks to a group of local merchants who took the task on themselves. There was an outpouring of support for lighting the avenue, which we saw a lot of in response to a previous Greenpointers story.
The businesses that contributed will hang a flyer in their windows so be sure to show them some love in your Greenpoint holiday shopping. Patronizing these establishments is a way of saying thank you to these local heroes. Continue reading →
Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah at Brooklyn Bazaar (Photo: Erik Keithley)
Why waste your time sitting around at a laundromat when you could be experiencing all that our awesome neighborhood has to offer! Instead of killing time waiting for your jeans to dry, head over to your app store, download the WashClub appand schedule a laundry pickup! WashClub comes right to your door for pickup and drop off—they offer tailoring services, dry cleaning and basic laundry. So there’s no reason you should be spending your precious time doing any of the above when WashClub can tackle it!
So if you want to leave the fluorescent lighting, the heavy bags & bottles of detergent in the past, here’s 10 way-more-fun-than-laundry things you could be doing in Greenpoint:
1. Catch a show at Warsaw (261 Driggs Ave.), and try some of their delicious pierogis over a couple of beers! With some great shows coming up—like Dragonette, The Struts and Austra—there are plenty of options no matter what kind of jams get your soul moving!
2. Get your bowl on over at The Gutter (200 N. 14th Street)! In addition to bowling, they’ve got special events every week, including trivia, and not to mention a full bar for all of your drinking needs! Continue reading →
Donna Siafakas, the owner of Peter Pan Donuts & Pastry Shop (727 Manhattan Ave.) and Nick Giannios, owner of The Greenpoint Floral Company (703 Manhattan Ave.) are two long-time local residents and successful Manhattan Avenue merchants who are trying to give back the community at holiday time, but they’re learning that things ain’t the way they used to be.
Siafakas loved the holiday lights that used to signal the start of every holiday season on Manhattan Avenue. She related to me how local merchants used to all chip in and collect money for the lights as a thank you to customers who supported local businesses. In those days, Manhattan Avenue business owners were locals with families and had deep ties to the community. Years ago a civic minded local Jewish merchant used to organize the lighting drive and collected the money, which most local store owners were only to happy to contribute.
Giannos and Siafakos have tried to keep the tradition alive, but times have changed and so has the willingness of merchants to fund the holiday lights. Siafakas said that she was shocked by the resistance to contributing for the avenue lights. She does not want local shoppers to chip in, and feels that it’s a way for store owners to show their love for the community; but fewer than half the businesses have contributed so far, and some shop owners told her outright that they would not contribute because they did not celebrate the holiday season. Continue reading →
Weird to think that all that white stuff on the ground is half melted less than a week later, but here’s the low-down on that $200/night igloo that you’ve probably seen retweeted ad nauseum all week. The most surprising thing about all of this is that AirBnB has other igloos around the world that are up to code.
Peter Pan’s crullers are ready for their beauty shots. Photo via Christopher Lee for The New York Times.
The treasure that is Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop is not a secret to anyone who’s lived in Greenpoint for more than two months, but it was recently given the New York Times treatment. Donuts! Must be a Brooklyn thing. Especially when they’re leafed in 24-karat gold.
Important Food News Flash: As of last Friday, Greenpoint got itself a second donut shop. Yep, that’s right, after many years of plain sailing, Peter Pan has finally got some competition!
Moe’s Doughs Donut Shop (126 Nassau Ave), situated at the corner of McGuinness, is a family-run operation headed by Egyptian-born owner Mohamed Saleh, who has lived in the neighborhood for over 25 years. Continue reading →
There will be holiday lights on Manhattan Avenue this holiday season because about seventy-five local businesses dug deep into their pockets. Just after Thanksgiving the firm 
Donna Siafakas, the owner of 
