Being the size of a small whale in the summer greatly limits my ability to get around much. I went into Manhattan about four weeks ago with a list of places to hit, got to Babies R Us and Whole Foods for lunch, and then gave up from exhaustion and went home. That said, I have been around Park Slope a lot.
In addition to being preggers, we moved, which creates a list of needs that range from an expensive portable AC for the whale-mama to those little mirror clips so that the mirror doesn't bow out and make me look even fatter than I am. I have been hunting and gathering in this 'hood for weeks, and I wanted to share with you the little tidbits of joy I have found at various establishments. Give these folks your business--they are golden.
1. Leopoldi's Hardware, 5th Ave between 7th and 8th Streets: This place looks insane inside; they literally have stuff stacked floor to ceiling but their peeps know exactly where everything is. The two Leopoldi brothers run it, their mom works there, and I know of at least one Leopoldi son who works there. They are Brooklyn-y (love the accents), helpful, and will get what you want if they don't have it. And the place has that glorious smell of hardware stores that I remember from growing up--like fertilizer and dirt and manliness. They rock.
2. J&R Appliances, 7th Ave near Union Street: A small space that pales in comparison to Best Buy and Lowes and those other mega-stores, but they are awesome. Has been open since the 40's and the guys there will get anything for you that those big stores have and they'll match the price, provide free delivery, and walk your shiz up to your apartment. We bought a mac daddy portable AC from them and it was a dud. They sent a repair guy within two days of our call, he confirmed it was a dud, and they called Friedrich and argued with them for a new one b/c they knew I was pregnant, irritable, and would probably go on a killing rampage if I didn't have an AC. If it hadn't been for them, we'd be out $600 and be waiting around for an eternity for a new AC via those Friedrich guys. I heart those guys at J&R. For real.
3. Park Slope Yoga Center, Union Street b/t 6th and 7th: I have been doing yoga pretty regularly since I was 22 (13 years!) and have been in a lot of studios. PSYC is not pretty--I'll admit that--but after practicing at OM and Jivamutki in the city the lack of commercialization at PSYC is a breath of fresh air = I can go in there w/o feeling the need to buy a pair of $100 yoga pants. Their props are only okay, but their teachers are great. Also, if you buy a class pass they aren't yoga nazis about it--if you don't finish the pass in the allotted amount of time they're generous (unlike OM, where you couldn't use a class past the expiration date to save your life). Also, if you buy a class card while preggers they give you two years (!) to use it up b/c they know your life and your free time are about to be flushed down the toilet upon the birth of your child. Beautiful.
Just had to give some shout-outs. These little things have meant a big deal to me lately.
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