This Year In South Slope: 2014

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.