If one wishes to visit Crown Heights, the Nostrand Avenue stop on the A or C subway line will drop you off right at the northern most tip of the neighborhood, at the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Fulton St. Another option would be to take the 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, B, D, N or the R to the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center Station. From there, one can walk eastward along any of the streets cutting across Flatbush Avenue between the Barclay’s Center and Grand Army Plaza. This route, while admittedly more time consuming and tedious, captures the gradual shift from gentrified Flatbush to Crown Heights. I decided to take this route, walking along St. Marks Avenue from Flatbush Avenue to Nostrand Avenue.
From my time spent in the neighborhood, no other institution seems more central to the Crown Heights community than religion. During the course of my walk, a string pizzerias and delis popped up and then receded every few blocks. However, this food desert doesn’t lack houses of worship. Baptist and Methodist churches come in the form of derelict storefronts and crumbling stone churches.
Location 1: Royal Bakery & Roti House at 618 Nostrand Avenue
Date: February 12th
Time: 4:05 – 4:25PM
The Royal Bakery, according to Yelp, is “where the locals go”. The traditional Trinidadian bakery offers coconut rolls, roti and sponge cake. Behind the counter stood a Trinidadian woman and at the far end of the counter was another man engaged in conversation with a male customer. Hanging on the wall behind the men was the flag of Trinidad. The woman took my order (two coconut rolls) and granted me permission to take photographs. There was no seating area so I remained standing. While there, the main event was the conversation between the two men, who spoke of politics. Occasionally the woman would interject with her opinion. For the duration of my visit, the place quiet with little foot traffic. The few customers who did shuffle in were regulars, as indicated by their casual relationship with the employees.
Who is here: The locals (Yelp didn’t lie.)
Location 2: Connecticut Muffin at 615 Nostrand Avenue
Date: February 12th
Time: 5:30 – 6:30PM
The Connecticut Muffin located at the corner of Nostrand Ave and Bergen St., struck me as being oddly out of place. I recognized the coffee house franchise from its two locations in Park Slope. The café is spacious, with several round tables and one large communal table. The space is large enough for customers to keep to themselves. At 5:30, when I walk in, there are only two women sitting in the café, both charging their phones. I order a small coffee and become the third patron to do so. The large selection of pastries offered remains untouched as right outside the glass doors, lay authentic and inexpensive bakeries like Royal Bakery. Over the course of an hour, one group of three white males walk in and joke with the barista. Shortly after, another group of three walked in. After an hour, I left the establishment, witnessing no major shift in mood or occupancy.
Who is here: People who want to charge their phones and to drink crappy coffee.
Who is not here: The locals.
