What $1 Will Buy You In Ditmas Park
How recession proof is Ditmas Park? I sent my tweenage boys out with a fistful of one-dollar bills to find out. Their only instructions were to spend $1 or less per item and stay between Church Avenue and Newkirk Plaza. What they found surprised me.
The boys came up with their own two point plan: target stores that look like they’ll carry $1 items, and find the coolest thing for $1. They found household items, beauty products, treats, and more. Who knew that a bag of M&Ms cost the same as a dinner plate?
Food
7-Eleven (547 Coney Island Avenue on the corner of Beverley Road) had a two for $2 Gatorade deal. Each boy drank one to fuel their research.
Deals abound at Newkirk Plaza. At Plaza Gourmet (31 Newkirk Plaza) you can get 10 pieces of ginger candy or a ripe avocado, each for $1.
Nearby, Kim’s Market Fruits & Produce (1521 Newkirk Avenue on the corner of E 16th Street) sells two oranges for $1–the same price as two bags of Doritos across the street at Plaza Deli & Grocery (1508 Newkirk Avenue), but much healthier.
M&Ms can be found at A&T Grocery (741 Coney Island Avenue on the corner of Cortelyou Road), or really, most local groceries, for $1.
San Remo Pizzeria (1408 Cortelyou Road between Rugby and Marlborough Roads) sells $1 slices from 2:30-4pm, Monday through Friday. Basically, your teenager can grab a $1 slice on their way home from school.
Jr. Bella’s Pizza and Pasta (760 Cortelyou Road on the corner of Coney Island Avenue) sells $1 slices 24/7, and I’ve heard from reliable sources that they are worth about $1–though I’ve heard from other reliable sources that the slices are excellent. I guess it’s a matter of taste.
Lots of sugary treats can be had for a George Washington. Dunkin Donuts (1700 Church Avenue at E 17th Street) sells one donut for $1, or a half dozen for $4.
A bagel at John’s Bakery (1322 Cortelyou Road on the corner of Rugby Road) costs just under $1, though it’s just over that if you want cream cheese. Sugar cookies can be had 2 for $1 but the best deal is a bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel. It’ll set you back just over $3 but will keep you satisfied all day.
Home
Hands down top choice for thrift and selection was Bobby’s Department Store (1601 Church Avenue between Buckingham Road and E 17th Street). The boys found dinner plates for $1 each and matching mugs for 50¢, as well as four AA batteries for 79¢. A few doors down, 99 Cent City Closeout Warehouse (1694 Church Avenue) sells two-pack mousetraps for $1.
Almac Hardware (2 Newkirk Plaza) carries #2 screwdriver bits for 99¢ each.
Health & Beauty
Cortelyou Discount Store (1116 Cortelyou Road between Stratford and Westminster Roads) sells large nail clippers for $1. They also have toy dinosaurs for just over $1, if you happen to have a budding paleontologist in your house.
Yang Brothers Enterprises (35 Newkirk Plaza) carries a lipstick and nail polish for 99¢ each (okay, I spotted that deal). They also have rubber gloves for only 69¢.
Malik & Sons (9 Newkirk Plaza) carries Daisy Toilet Tissue by the roll–two for 99¢. Bargain! Bargain! Bargain!
Other
Across the way, you can still buy two postage stamps for less than a dollar (44¢ each) at the Newkirk Post Office (1525 Newkirk Avenue on the corner of E 16th Street)–but with email being free and instant, that hardly seems a bargain.
All over Ditmas Park, rides are still 50¢ which means your child can enjoy two for the slice of after school pizza (and hey, adults can do it too).
The power of $1 still holds strong in Ditmas Park. Of course there is plenty of candy to be had for a buck–but you can also set your kitchen table, start in on home improvement plans, and give yourself a manicure all on the cheap.