This Year On The Stoop: 2014

It’s been a busy year in Park Slope. In 2014, we saw a lot of businesses come and go, again watched the neighborhood become one big film set, watched development continue to march along 4th Avenue, waited and hoped for Vision Zero to make a difference, and considered the merits and problems of imbibing hooch with your pooch.

Check out some of Park Slope’s 2014 highlights, as seen from the stoop:

• Biggest openings: Shake Shack, Calexico, Luke’s Lobster, Two Boots.

• Biggest closings: Tea Lounge, Video Gallery, Leaf & Bean, Chip Shop, Boing Boing.

• Biggest crimes: $1,500 in stolen jeans, a jerk attacked a senior on a subway platform, fro-yo robber got 68 years, teens arrested for mugging middle schoolers, a man was shot on 6th Ave, a woman was mugged but left a thank-you to those who helped her.

• Biggest freakouts: Ebola comes to the Slope, bed bugs on the subway.

• Vision Zero: A senior was struck and killed on Flatbush, a woman seriously injured in a hit and run on 4th Ave, a cyclist hit a dog and baby carriage on 9th St, a mechanic was killed in a hit and run on 3rd Ave.

• “Avoid walking in the dark or bad weather.”

• Seniors have suffered through eviction, deteriorating conditions, and more at the Prospect Park Residence.

• We got the full ride on the R back!

• A DOH ban on dogs at The Gate got neighbors barking mad.

• Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park: stalled, going again, not holding our breath.

• Oh and yeah, Barclays is still in the running to host the Democratic National Convention. Ack.

• The Bergen Tile building is kaput.

• The most expensive home ever sold in Park Slope went for $10.8M this year.

• Workers at the Aria apartment building on 4th Ave won a settlement for unpaid wages.

• An electrical fire caused awful damage to Cog & Pearl, which remains closed.

• Who’s that drunkenly singing Let It Go?

• The 4th Ave McDonald’s closed and was demolished to make way for an apartment building…

• …and while yet another big residential building is slated for 4th Ave…

• …is there still room for car repair shops along the strip?

• Then and now on that same avenue.

• Snakes!

• Thoughts on replacing a garage with rentals on Union Street.

• First shuffleboard, then curling.

• Local bodega cat says, “I’m the Queen of Park Slope.”

• Where to get the biggest pizza in the neighborhood.

• Well look at that, we can finally see the 4th-9th subway station again!

• The end of the Brooklyn Lyceum?

• We welcomed the 78th Precinct’s new Commanding Officer, Captain Frank DiGiacomo.

• Concerns about speedy cyclists in Prospect Park were raised again.

• To sell or not to sell the Pacific Branch library building…

• Illegal clothing donation bins were all over, but City Council is cracking down on them.

• Release the pooper snoopers!

• The Kentile Floors sign came down.

• A year after Sammy Cohen-Eckstein’s death, legislation was passed to change the speed limit to 25 mph.

• Police and teen interactions grew heated around John Jay.

• Organics recycling collection spread to our area.

• Some faces of MS 51 ended up printed on the side of the school building.

• Seriously, can we get some more businesses on 7th Avenue already?

• It snowed so much, but it looked pretty cool way back when, too.

• Rest in peace: Rynn Berry, Albert Cabbad, Felipe Castro, Ruhshona Kurbonova, Winnifred Matthias.

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