This Year In South Slope: 2014

This Year In South Slope: 2014
Photo by joycekaye
Photo by joycekaye

What a year, South Slope! In 2014, we cheered on neighbors as they rescued an abandoned pup, and then cried when she met a tragic end. The condo brigade continued its march down Fourth Avenue, wiping homes and old church buildings off the map. We saw a lot of businesses come and go, rallied to save a beloved high school, rocked out with Blue Lightning, and so much more. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane, with our annual South Slope Rewind.

• Biggest openings: Buttermilk Bakeshop, Table 87, Walgreens.

• Biggest closings: 7th Avenue Art Supplies, Has Beans, Parco.

Organic waste recycling expanded across the Slope.

• Neighbor Deb Goldstein showed us the tasty side of gluten-free.

• Fail to yield? The 78th Precinct was watching in January.

• Neighbor and local Councilman Brad Lander continued his rise in NYC politics.

Snow, snow, snow, snow, snow…and fireworks with a side of snow.

• We said goodbye to six homes on 11th Street and 4th Avenue as they were demolished for a new high-rise.

South Slope bars were the place to be.

Photo via Help Dottie NYC
Photo via Help Dottie NYC

• Neighbors Brett and Ashley Affrunti rescued an emaciated Dottie the dog from 17th Street in February, nursed her back to health, found her a loving new home, and were then devastated after Dottie’s untimely death.

• Neighbors were rolling as signage for “Bagle” Factory appeared on 5th Avenue.

• Suzanna Schumacher’s new Sidekick Series shared stories of homeless pets who found their forever homes.

• We learned that an Associated Supermarket would fill the space gutted by fire in 2010, but as of this post, we’re still waiting on the rumored December opening.

• Those illegal donation bins were popping up everywhere, but someone on 14th Street really hated the things. Really.

Toby’s Public House celebrated six years in South Slope.

• The Monro celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day with a Limerick Lass.

• New Voices Middle School won a $1,000 Love Your Block grant to help beautify the area in front of their school.

• Right next door, PS 295 received an amazing $141,000 grant to fund in-class music instruction for grades K-5, and an after school band.

• The Tasti D-Lite robber was sentenced to 68 years in prison.

• From Awwesome to Time Lord Tech, we explored some of our local wifi names.

ali alwae 5th ave 13th street bodega.jpg
Photo by Christine Bush/South Slope News

• 2014 brought new owners and a new look for a deli on the corner of 5th Avenue and 13th Street.

• Did you smell smoke in April? It was Jersey’s fault.

• We got to know local musician Rob Farren and his band, Isle of Rhodes.

• Our neighborhood gentrification was complete after this graffiti started popping up all over the place.

• 4th Avenue got a little bit greener.

• PS 10 joined schools across the city in Common Core protests.

• Neighborhood restaurants shined during this year’s Taste of Fifth.

• We couldn’t help but wonder why 5th Avenue’s Key Food was always out of food.

Blue Lightning 703.jpg
Photo by Christine Bush/South Slope News

• Two words: Blue Lightning.

• Although current students and alumni put up an epic fight, 52-year-old Bishop Ford High School closed its doors.

• After a woman was mugged by a group of teenage boys on 12th Street, neighbors and business owners turned out in droves to help.

• A participatory budgeting win scored air conditioners for PS 10.

• Did your street smell like rotting fish in April? It was all because of the pretty trees.

Letter of Marque’s pirate troupe brought free theatre to the masses in area bars.

• We met neighbor Karin Feldman and her mom, who are bringing Jewish Heritage to life at Oranim Jewish Early Childhood Program.

• So long, former Strauss Auto building. Hello high-rise condo.

Team CALEB knocked their 2014 fundraising goal out of the park, as they worked to keep a beautiful South Slope boy’s memory alive.

• Freddy’s continued its quest to turn the neighborhood into “Art Slope.”

• Artist Megan Webber made chalkboards across the Slope something to talk about.

• PS 124 welcomed spring with an fun family carnival.

DaveD Portrait 2
Photo by Jeff Bush

Neighbor David DiCerbo talked about his company, Destination Backcountry Adventures, which helps weary city dwellers escape the concrete jungle for a bit.

• We got a scare when 5th Avenue’s Eagle Provisions building went on the market for $9 million.

PS 10 got “Happy” in 2014.

• We discovered karate, community, and hope at Amerikick Park Slope.

• Attack of the pregnant tarantula!!!

Captain Tommy Ng took over command of the 72nd Precinct.

• Green-Wood received a visit from a creepy clown.

11-year-old neighbor Laura Sternbach proved that you don’t have to be an adult to show the local library a little love.

• We ate our way though the Slope with blogger Stacy Blundell.

The Mars Bonfire’s Dean Perry told us where to find the most rock and roll place in the neighborhood.

Applewood Piglets by Jeff Bush
Photo by Jeff Bush

• And the award for cutest piglets in the universe goes to…

• South Sloper Josiah Signor introduced his first feature film, Bastards of Young.

• We saw bumps, bruises, and brilliant vehicles at 2014’s Open Source Soapbox Derby.

• We grabbed a drink with one of our favorite bartenders, Heather Leo.

• City council passed legislation to reduce citywide speed limits.

• We caught a glimpse of the Frost building’s future commercial space.

• PS 295 2nd graders visited a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, and we got a laugh watching them taste a $220 seven-course tasting menu.

• There was the whole goat head thing over 9th Street and 5th Avenue.

• Latin Kings members were charged in a brutal 2013 stabbing near De Blasio’s home.

4th ave 9th st subway station, no scaffolding
Photo by Jeff Bush

• Neighbors cheered as the scaffolding at 4th Avenue/9th Street came down.

Two inspiring New Voices 8th graders are helping locally, but thinking globally.

• Two fast-footed PS 107 students were honored at this year’s Reindeer Run.

• No spinning for you! Disks in Slope and Vanderbilt Parks welded “in the interest of safety.”

• It was another awesome year for 22nd Street’s Holiday Light Spectacular.

• From pay phones to wifi hotspots.

• Rest in peace: Rynn Berry, Alex Pozzan, Ruhshona Kurbonova.

Have a wonderful New Year’s Eve everyone, and we look forward to seeing what 2015 brings.