Services
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
Yes, this is a terrible picture but you get the idea.
Unless you’re doing a rose petal hoohah at D’mai, Brooklyn nail salons can blend into one another, with better or worse colors, cleaner or crustier foot baths, more or less sadistic technicians. But here’s an inexpensive neighborhood place that deserves a Brokelyn shout out. A basic mani-pedi at Nails by Amy, a newish nail salon on Ft. Hamilton Parkway in Kensington Windsor Terrace, includes a foot massage to rival big-name Manhattan spas, all for the low low price of $19.99 Tues. – Thurs., and $21.99 Fri. – Sunday. Both times we’ve been, were assigned to Jimmy, Amy’s husband. That Amy is one lucky gal — this dude knuckles and kneads your feet into a state of higher being for nearly 20 minutes, and his other pedi skills are up there too. Word from the other massage chairs is that the ladies are just as badass. By the way, Nails by Amy is right around the corner from another Kensington Windsor Terrrace reader fave, Haircare by Yolanda.
Nails by Amy, 2907 Ft. Hamilton Parkway at East 4th St., 718-436-2898
Services
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
I can’t think of anything zippy and Brokelynish to tart this up with, so here’s the info straight up:
FREE SELF DEFENSE CLASS
Saturday, November 5, 2011 from noon to 2 p.m.
Learn skills that can help when faced with a potentially dangerous situation from martial arts instructor Mel Ramsey.
Kings Bay Y at Windsor Terrace
1224 Prospect Ave. (at Vanderbilt)
718-407-6377
www.ywindsorterrace.org
info@ywindsorterrace.org
Food & Drink
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
This is the 26th in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we’re going down south to show off the hidden, small charms of Quarter Bar.
Photo via Yelp
Quarter Bar
676 5th Avenue, South Slope
What it is: A small neighborhood bar nestled between the border of Green-Wood Heights and South Slope.
Why we love it: In addition to possessing an ultra laid-back feel without a lick of pretentiousness, the bar boasts an unassuming nice sized outdoor garden that’s great for patrons to kick back and enjoy a host of libations accompanied by a mid-summer night’s breeze. The bar is also next door to a 24-hour laundromat. How’s that for multitasking? 
Food & Drink
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
The unforgettably named STD Wines & Liquors, photo by Kelly Murphy
When I mention to people that I live in Kensington, people typically think it’s in England, no matter how long they have been in NYC. The small neighborhood stretching roughly from the Prospect Park Parade Grounds to Green-Wood Cemetery may not be the best-known Brooklyn enclave, but what Kensington may lack in Brownstoner buzz it more than makes up for in amazing ethnic food. Within a few blocks you can find authentic Indian, Middle Eastern, Polish, Mexican, Thai, Russian, Greek, and Serbian eats at Brokelyn-worthy prices. Here are some of my local favorites, all within walking distance of the F or G train to Church / McDonald. Sorry there’s no fish and chips.
Services
Ditmas Park/ Midwood/ Flatbush,
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
You could use this. Or just some bags.
The fall leaves have fallen. While you may be enjoying the burnt shades they’re bringing to your yard or patch of grass for now, come first snow, things won’t be feeling so pretty underfoot. So it’s time to rake ‘em up, bag ‘em and… wait for the Dept. of Sanitation to haul ‘em off for some large-scale composting? Nope. That’s been canceled. Luckily, though, some others are filling the void in the composting game. NYCLeaves: Project LeafDrop is running a number of leaf collection spots this weekend and next, so you can bring your eco-material and have it put to good use.
Outings
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
Dancers from the Cynthia King Studio and their vegan slippers (and a sheep).
We’re actually being told to “be there or be square” for the Greenwood Playground Spring Flea Market and Tag Sale on Saturday, and we’re inclined to believe it. This is no ordinary flea the Friends of Greenwood Playground have put together, but a MEGA-Flea, with live music, live dance from the Cynthia King Studio, discounts for local restaurants, prizes, a book-swap and even worm-composting lessons from the Botanic Garden. And, oh yeah, probably a ton of stuff to buy from the vendors selling “treasures, joyous junk, and everything in between!” All this, from 9 to 5 at the playground. We’ll be seeing all you non-squares there.
Greenwood Playground, Fort Hamilton Pkwy at E. 5th St., F or G trains to Ft. Hamilton Pkwy.
Food & Drink,
Free crap
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
Luckily, you don't need all this space to home brew
St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, and your choices to celebrate probably involve drinking of some kind, either by sneaking a cup o’ brew down to the parade or by going to the bar and ordering the drink-and-shot combination with a politically volatile name. Or, instead, you can commit to learning the art of brewing yourself, to save some cash next year, and to feel like your drinking habit is also a productive one.
Tonight, the folks at Brooklyn Brew Shop are giving away free home brew kits and other beer-related schwag for YOU if you can pass a test of craft beer trivia. The shop crew will be holding down The Double Windsor in Windsor Terrace from 7-9 p.m., where they will host beer trivia, and give away free 1-gallon homebrew kits, including ingredients for black & tan, grapefruit honey ale and new juniper- and coriander-spiced “Bel-Gin” Strong.
The Brew Shop opened in 2008 to help city folk brew their own beer in apartment-sized batches. Practice trivia question to get you ready for tonight: What has two thumbs and loves free beer schwag?
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
Find out how Emily Farris got a huge room in Windsor Terrace for $200.
We’re down in Austin for SXSWi interactive this week, on a panel called The Broke Diaries. (Thanks for inviting us, Nichelle!) One of our fellow misers is Emily Farris, the lifestyle editor of the Kansas City Free Press who used to live in Brooklyn and now rents a room in Windsor Terrace for $200 a month. Better still, she found this crazy deal on Craigslist.
Here’s a pic of her ridiculously spacious room, and how she wangled it:
Careers
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
See mom, movies starring Meryl Streep aren’t the only worthwhile things to come out of blogging—one Brooklyn guy just landed a writing job on The Daily Show that started with a post John Stewart liked. For seven years, Kensington journo/humorist Daniel Radosh has been riffing on “pop, politics, sex and so on” at Radosh.net, named one of the top 25 blogs last year by Time Magazine. Especially popular among commenters are Radosh’s “anti-caption” contests, a parody of the New Yorker version in which Radosh solicits unfunny responses from his readers rather than clever ones, which most of them turn out to be anyway.
Back in May, Radosh penned a mock dialogue between a student and Republican party chairman Michael Steele on the subject of gay marriage. As Radosh writes on his site:
Shortly after that I got an e-mail from someone at The Daily Show saying they liked it and would I consider applying for an open writing position. Fast-forward through several rounds of hoop-jumping to last week when I was officially offered, and accepted, the position. I start next month.
His fancy new job means less, if any time, spent on Radosh.net, a possibility that is leaving his bad-caption writers bereft. In fact, it sounds like the blog is sort of up for grabs.
Services
Windsor Terrace/ Kensington
For years, I went to Manhattan salons ($150 a pop for a cut and single-process color) until several neighbors on the local Kensington-Windsor Terrace Yahoo Group recommended Hair Care by Yolanda. After nearly two decades of Manhattan salon visits—including that one time in the ’90s when I went for a cheap Upper West Side haircut and ended up with a “Rachel” that was longer on one side—I decided to give it a try. While the outside of the place doesn’t broadcast chic, owner Yolanda did—and continues to do—a fantastic job with my hair, leaving the bob a little longer in the front and artfully stacking it in back. The whole thing cost $70, less than half of what I used to pay. Hair Care by Yolanda, 142 E. 4th Street, Windsor Terrace, 718-437-4270.
