A week ago, I learned about "The Secret Garden" grand opening at nearby Lockwood Shops.
Shops and eateries in Astoria, Queens are often "spaces" beneath (or adjacent to) apartments...
Some occupy a nook on a side street, off of the main Avenues. A newcomer might walk down the street and peek around a corner to see a "tucked away" store or restaurant... which all the locals already know about.
So it is with Lockwood: a curious oasis. (How convenient for those people who live down the street!)
On the floor, small paper signs with "arrows" directed shoppers towards the rear of the shop, to the "garden".
I love little nifty spaces like these! Racks of merchandise were for sale, and a salesgirl was prepared, carrying an iPad and credit card swiper.
The other widely-advertised aspect of the shop & garden are its weekend Coffees!
Organic coffee roasters from Queens purveyed 2 types of brews: Cold Brew of Colombia Timana De Huila beans, and Iced Pour-over of Kenya Muchagara beans. Each one necessitated careful preparation. On his iPhone, Lewis investigated their website and discovered that their African beans are from fair-trade/organic plantations. Lewis sipped the cold brew: black (no cream). I ordered the pour-over. Despite Kenya's coat of arms featuring a lot of pointy weapons, their coffee is not "sharp" with bitterness. Ha ha! It had fruity notes.
We shared a cannolo (singular form of cannoli), which they filled "on the spot"; the cream was flavored with candied orange and chocolate chips.
Sitting on stools at their communal table, we admired the surroundings. Birds twittered, music played, strings of lights adorned the garden walls and railings (indicating night hours), and greenery abounded. The neighboring apartment buildings were interesting. One had a mature grape arbor. Bird feeders hung from the fire escape of another. A lazy dog rested on a lower fire escape. We saw a black butterfly.
We were so "swept up" in the moment, surrounded by cheerful and chic folks from the neighborhood, that we called Lewis' childhood friend (and fellow Astorian), Ly. He hurried over to join us.
We took our time admiring the form-fitting outfits of visiting cyclists (above), and then strolled along Astoria's Broadway to Socrates Sculpture Park. (See my July 20, 2013 entry to learn about the park). It was the first Saturday of the park's weekly Farmer's Market, which continues until the end of harvest season at Thanksgiving.
Considering the season, the offers were "just beginning", but offered lots of strawberries! The art classes were busy! (above) Kayakers paddled nearby on the East River. Not finding the food we wanted, but hungry nonetheless, Ly suggested going downtown to Chinatown for lunch. Great idea! (Some folks might cringe at a 30-minute subway ride for brunch, but not a New Yorker who appreciates the pleasures of well-made food amidst the city's swaths of crappy over-processed "junk food").
Sitting on stools at their communal table, we admired the surroundings. Birds twittered, music played, strings of lights adorned the garden walls and railings (indicating night hours), and greenery abounded. The neighboring apartment buildings were interesting. One had a mature grape arbor. Bird feeders hung from the fire escape of another. A lazy dog rested on a lower fire escape. We saw a black butterfly.
We were so "swept up" in the moment, surrounded by cheerful and chic folks from the neighborhood, that we called Lewis' childhood friend (and fellow Astorian), Ly. He hurried over to join us.
We took our time admiring the form-fitting outfits of visiting cyclists (above), and then strolled along Astoria's Broadway to Socrates Sculpture Park. (See my July 20, 2013 entry to learn about the park). It was the first Saturday of the park's weekly Farmer's Market, which continues until the end of harvest season at Thanksgiving.
Considering the season, the offers were "just beginning", but offered lots of strawberries! The art classes were busy! (above) Kayakers paddled nearby on the East River. Not finding the food we wanted, but hungry nonetheless, Ly suggested going downtown to Chinatown for lunch. Great idea! (Some folks might cringe at a 30-minute subway ride for brunch, but not a New Yorker who appreciates the pleasures of well-made food amidst the city's swaths of crappy over-processed "junk food").
We lunched at a Shanghainese restaurant, called 456, on Mott Street
From the extensive menu, we chose spicy beef tendon, fried turnip cakes, juicy soup dumplings, squid/shrimp noodles, and a scallion/egg pancake stuffed with piquant-tasting beef. And tea.
By great coincidence, Ly needed to buy new sunglasses and optical frames, and swank retailer iLook was diagonally across the street from the restaurant! We sauntered over and he made his decisions/purchases.
Their superior level of hospitality and customer service was impressive! Bottles of complimentary water rested in a tub of ice cubes, a Nespresso machine dispensed beverages, their restroom was immaculate, and they had plenty of guest seating. A staff of 7 routinely made sure that Lewis and I were comfy, and that Ly had an easy time comparing frames. They gave him a padded tray to carry his selections, ushered him to their optometrist, and sized the frames. One pair of frames (of a particular color scheme, that I picked out for Ly) was being ordered from another location. But, the store manager gave Ly a similar pair to wear, in the meantime, during Ly's vacation to Cancun, next week.
$600 and 2 items later, we crossed Lafayette Street (named for the Marquis de Lafayette who aided America's Revolution) and strolled up NYC's Broadway. Ly paused for some bubble tea, and I snapped a picture of the place's sleek green tiles.
We popped into Dean & Deluca, and I had the handsome pleasure to get acquainted with Alex, the Charcuterie Manager. After Ly's purchase at the Apple store on nearby Prince Street, he suggested walking north to 14th Street. 'Twas a perfect day for walking such a walkable city. As we neared Union Square, it was almost 5 o'clock and seemed the perfect time to zip into Trader Joe's--without crowds! (Don't try that on a weekday). Great timing!
Always a pleasure to pursue through, I stood on TJ's briskly-moving check-out line (see above), while Lewis and Ly traipsed around, exploring the aisles, and deposited things in the basket that I kicked along the floor, as the line progressed. Passing (and partaking of) the free chutney and coffee samples, I neared the Checkout.
Just as the TJ's staffer pointed me towards the next available cashier, the boys trotted over with the last of their purchases. The whole escapade was completed in under 20 minutes! It afforded us time to pop into TJ's Wine Shop, next door.
Best deals: sparkling red wine $4.99, and TJ's own brand of Chardonnay $1.99!
(Interestingly, Lewis asked an employee if they stocked sparkling red, the man said No, yet I determinedly found it).
One block away, we grabbed the subway uptown (back to Astoria). By the time we got home, it was 7:30pm and STILL SUNNY! Love that about summertime! People (like below) still used the day to their advantage (Astoria has a plethora of roses)... and we did, too.
In fact, Ly had such a good time with us, that he texted me at 10:30, asking if he could come over to my place. Our trio enjoyed movies and ice cream. A sweet end to a June night.
By great coincidence, Ly needed to buy new sunglasses and optical frames, and swank retailer iLook was diagonally across the street from the restaurant! We sauntered over and he made his decisions/purchases.
Their superior level of hospitality and customer service was impressive! Bottles of complimentary water rested in a tub of ice cubes, a Nespresso machine dispensed beverages, their restroom was immaculate, and they had plenty of guest seating. A staff of 7 routinely made sure that Lewis and I were comfy, and that Ly had an easy time comparing frames. They gave him a padded tray to carry his selections, ushered him to their optometrist, and sized the frames. One pair of frames (of a particular color scheme, that I picked out for Ly) was being ordered from another location. But, the store manager gave Ly a similar pair to wear, in the meantime, during Ly's vacation to Cancun, next week.
$600 and 2 items later, we crossed Lafayette Street (named for the Marquis de Lafayette who aided America's Revolution) and strolled up NYC's Broadway. Ly paused for some bubble tea, and I snapped a picture of the place's sleek green tiles.
We popped into Dean & Deluca, and I had the handsome pleasure to get acquainted with Alex, the Charcuterie Manager. After Ly's purchase at the Apple store on nearby Prince Street, he suggested walking north to 14th Street. 'Twas a perfect day for walking such a walkable city. As we neared Union Square, it was almost 5 o'clock and seemed the perfect time to zip into Trader Joe's--without crowds! (Don't try that on a weekday). Great timing!
Always a pleasure to pursue through, I stood on TJ's briskly-moving check-out line (see above), while Lewis and Ly traipsed around, exploring the aisles, and deposited things in the basket that I kicked along the floor, as the line progressed. Passing (and partaking of) the free chutney and coffee samples, I neared the Checkout.
Just as the TJ's staffer pointed me towards the next available cashier, the boys trotted over with the last of their purchases. The whole escapade was completed in under 20 minutes! It afforded us time to pop into TJ's Wine Shop, next door.
Best deals: sparkling red wine $4.99, and TJ's own brand of Chardonnay $1.99!
(Interestingly, Lewis asked an employee if they stocked sparkling red, the man said No, yet I determinedly found it).
One block away, we grabbed the subway uptown (back to Astoria). By the time we got home, it was 7:30pm and STILL SUNNY! Love that about summertime! People (like below) still used the day to their advantage (Astoria has a plethora of roses)... and we did, too.
In fact, Ly had such a good time with us, that he texted me at 10:30, asking if he could come over to my place. Our trio enjoyed movies and ice cream. A sweet end to a June night.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Don't be shy: leave your comments :)