Author Archives: Svetlanna Farinha

Church Avenue in Brooklyn is a popular main street shopping line for local residents of the surrounding neighborhoods of Flatbush/Ditmas Park, East Flatbush and Prospect Park South. The shopping avenue which spans from 36^th  street to about E. 98^th street is particularly a big hit with the West Indian and African population of the  surrounding areas since many of the businesses are of Caribbean and African ancestry and provide respective products including groceries, restaurant and beauty services. In fact, if you take a stroll along Church Avenue you can hear the friendly shouts and conversations, in various caribbean dialects, from shoppers as they bustle along with bags filled with products.

To see a census of the stores click Census_of_Stores

This main shopping avenue has been the home to many shops for over decades. One can find shoe stores, men and ladies clothing, discount stores, Korean and Latin grocery stores and delicatessens (deli’s) just to name a few.

Bobby’s Department Store, a discount retailer, has been on Church Avenue for over 30 years

Lately there have been changes to some stores. On Church Avenue between E. 16^th and E. 18^th streets there have been newly opened stores within the past three weeks, and renovations while other vendors face challenges. Thankfully, this section of the avenue, like most other sections, was not affected by Hurricane Sandy.

On this one-block stretch there are about 20 businesses. These include 99 cent City variety store, Dunkin Donuts, H&R Block, Cohen’s Fashion Optical which opened two weeks ago and Bobby’s Department Store which has been at its 1601 and 1628 church avenue locations for 36 years. The Department store has two stores across from each other and people flock from all over Brooklyn to shop at Bobby’s, a discount retailer of a variety of products ranging from detergent, to electronics to home wares and baby clothing.

In the past year, Bobby’s has renovated and expanded its store at 1628 church ave. to house more products and make the shopping experience easier since the store is always crowded. This is a good sign. It suggests that commerce in the area is steady if not rising.  Most of these stores have remained present on this block for 7, 10 and 20 years and new stores are moving in. But while some stores are seeing progress others are facing challenges.

Barry, owner of Barry Accessories which sells African DVDs and CDs says things aren’t easy. Barry has been at his location for 7 years. Recently his business got a face-lift  Barry Accessories shares a part of Cohen’s Fashion Optical’s lot along with S&A Perfumes and Watches.

The newly opened Cohen’s Fashion Optical on Church Avenue and E.18th street.

When Cohen’s took over the lot, they redesigned the building canopy and Barry benefited from the new, sleek, gray and white canopy. However, he said that the downside is that the canopy isn’t as long over the sidewalk as it used to be so now it doesn’t cover his products and protect them from rain when he lays them out on the sidewalk and he has no money to fix it. When asked if he thinks things are going to get better for him he replies with a saddened shake of his head, and says he doesn’t know. With African movies now streaming online it is impossible to tell if Barry Accessories will see a brighter day.

Other businesses however are doing well and the area seems to be doing well. New stores have opened, some stores are renovating while delis have extended open grill hours to cater to demand. The area seems to be prospering and those stores that are facing challenges, such as John’s Stores. which is a combination of two stores, ( like Bobby’s) and has been on the block for a number of years is re-strategizing, downsizing and focusing on only a select few products. John’s Stores used to be a convenience store and always has a line for the New York Lottery, but now, the store is focusing on its lottery sales and has done away with shelf products and packaged goods. The aisles and shelves have been stripped and there is empty, constructive space in the store. ( a representative for John’s Stores was not available for comments).

As the holidays lure around the corner, shoppers continue to flock to Church Avenue, to Bobby’s Department store and also to 99 cent City to purchase home items to decorate for the season.

Click below to view photos of the local shops

http://portal.sliderocket.com/CTPNP/ChurchAve-Stores

Dressed in a grey Maryland Redskins T-shirt, with official dark red text of the team, Grandma Claudia Powley,70, sits upright on a cream, tweed fabric couch awaiting her first Thanksgiving dinner, ever. 

Dearie’s first Winter

It’s that time of year when we travel and gather around friends and family to enjoy each other’s company, stuff ourselves with lots of food and be thankful for health and life. But this year, the Bouchers of Castlewood Drive, Upper Marlboro Maryland have something extra special to be thankful for: Grandma Claudia, or as she is homely called—Dearie.

Dearie, 70, with her dark, mellow skin and silver-grey locks came to the United States of America on Tuesday November 20 from Guyana, South America. She is happy to be with her elder daughter, Vanda Boucher and grandchildren Laureni 24, Lyn 19 and Lawrence 21 and her brother Bertram among other relatives celebrating a new holiday, but what happened earlier that day was, for the family, a triumphant surprise of payback.

Longtime family friend Karen (also from Guyana), 41, came down to Maryland to visit from New York City unawares of Dearie’s arrival. That morning, after a nights rest, having driven in late on Thanksgiving eve, Karen got a cheerful shock when she saw Dearie stepping into the kitchen. Roars of laughter and screams filled the air as Karen could not contain her excitement while at the same time showcasing her resentment of being deceived, but nonetheless excited as she yelled with a Guyanese dialect, “why didn’t y’all tell me Dearie was coming—Dearie morning—wait I’m gonna text Penny now (Dearie’s other daughter who still resides in Guyana)—why didn’t she tell me and I spoke to her yesterday.”

After the outburst Vanda responds, “Because you always going to Guyana to surprise Penny so we decide to pay it back to you and surprise you.”

Now Dearie, Vanda, Karen and other relatives are gathered around the table laden  not with popular Thanksgiving dishes like candied yams, but with popular Guyanese foods: creamy mac n cheese, stuffed eggs (deviled eggs), Guyanese fried rice, potato salad, fried chicken, sweet golden corn kernels, Jollof rice ( a Nigerian red spiced rice since Laureni’s boyfriend is Nigerian) and a juicy turkey stuffed and overflowing with bunches of grapes.

The Thanksgiving Dinner Spread

After prayer everyone loads up their plates and settle in to watch the NFL Cowboys versus Redskins game. It is this time that Dearie sits on the couch beaming at everyone around her. She says in her Guyanese dialect, “I’m enjoying my first thanksgiving very much. When I see them eat, 2,3,6 s plates of food. They eat plenty food. But, I was expecting it. I heard about thanksgiving, about all the fancy dishes, family coming over and all and I’m enjoying myself, my first thanksgiving. I get to see my brother who I haven’t seen since 2009 and I get to meet my granddaughter’s boyfriend (of 6 years) for the first time. But I don’t like football, I prefer to watch something else. I’m looking forward to more thanksgivings. But I won’t help cook, my grandchildren will cook for me. Now it’s time for me to be taken care of.” Dearie was enjoying her first thanksgiving, but it was a little trying since there was no running water.

Repping the Redskins

The family prepared thanksgiving meal and spent the entire day (and night) with no running water since the main water pipeline in the neighborhood broke and the water was shut off. To compensate households for the inconvenience, boxes of 1 gallon bottled water were distributed by the water company. The bottled water was used in the kitchen to cook and in the bathroom for hygiene proposes. Thirteen people in one house with no running water and bathroom runs was a difficult situation, but it did not damper the day.

Boxes of Water

As night sets in and everyone has eaten their fill they’re all fully focused on the game. Screams and shouts of “Hold on to the ball” and “Be careful R.G.” flow over the air. At commercial breaks random conversations rise, from Laureni asking “water come back yet?” to Bertram saying in a Guyanese dialect “in hockey from the time they leave the net they fighting.”

Dearie looks on with a smile on her face, snuggled next to her daughter Vanda.