Seen from the Stoop: Barclays, Barclays, Barclays!
Detail of Mickalene Thomas’ mural at Barclays via ArtInfo
It happened: Barclays is now open. In the hours since the official ribbon cutting, all of New York media has been photographing the joint, which is particularly useful for those of us who plan never to see the interior IRL. According to the Times, though, the haters are going to miss out on a wonderland of local food vendors. The protesters across the street might argue that one could celebrate Brooklyn’s culinary wonders without spending $6.75 on a Junior’s “special Nets cupcake.” True, but then it wouldn’t be curated by Jay-Z, would it? Meanwhile, in what feels like an attempt to win over the high culture crowd, several new large-scale art projects are or will soon be on display outside the arena. Whether or not that makes skeptics feel any warmer toward the project is TBD — while we wait,we can ponder this important question from the Gray Lady: what does Barclays look like to you?
But while Barclays is certainly the biggest reveal of the weekend, it’s not the only one. Terroir (finally) opens tonight, regaling the neighborhood with wine/charcuterie/very high tables. Further south, and with much less fanfare, SLOPE Cafe also makes its neighborhood debut, featuring all organic everything. Or just count your pennies till the neighborhood gets its first fancy whisky bar, because that’s happening, too — DNAinfo reports Duke of Montrose will open on 5th and Bergen sometime this winter.
