The summer is over… Wow was that fast. At the end of every summer for three weeks until Labor Day we have the 18th Avenue Feast. Unlike many street fairs where the vendors are on tour all summer, this fair has mostly local vendors, serving their finest dishes. Since this is the heart of the Italian neighborhood, the food is amazing. One of the first people
I encountered was the man who hand dipped chocolate creations and candy apples right in front of you. Your mouth watered as he stirred the chocolate in a huge vat. When we arrived it was still day time but within minutes the sun set. As soon it became, dark crowds of people appeared. I really wanted a sausage and pepper sandwich. On every block there were 
vendors selling these. We finally found a local vendor who made the most amazing sandwich. Although it cost a fortune, it was so fresh and sweet. After that Little Eric decided he wanted to go down a huge slide. Only catch was he did not want to go alone. So he got his dad to climb the narrow stairs and sit on a patch of material and down the slide they went, three times. Then it was time to win a live fish.
(without a bowl or food) After this I managed to find a Spanish guy who was cooking steak on this huge kettle fire. The steaks were huge and he flipped them like pancakes. Before we left some two hours later, I had to have some zeppoli. Now zeppoli have to be hot and fresh straight out of the pot. They were great.
In the midst of this fair was the Shrine that was the now hidden motive for this feast. For years the church was the center of the community and it was a joyous church celebration (and money maker) that was clearly the point of the feast. It has been rumored that the wise guys collected great sums of money from the store owners (about 10% of the gross yearly income) to give to the church. That practice has faded and now each vendor pays around $2000 for a slot in the fair. This neighborhood has changed and there is a large Asian population which was also felt at this fair. The Mexicans also showed up with their sweet corn pancakes.
Earlier this week I stopped by the gardener’s house that was mentioned some
time ago. He is a year older and his garden is as beautiful as ever. However, this year he was very tired and found it difficult getting around except with the use of a cane.
Coney Island is now standing ready to reinvent itself. How long or how that will happen is unknown. All the rain and hurricanes made business slow this summer. The City closed the beaches for nearly a week while storms passed by. None the less, people still appeared on the boardwalk. One person caught my eye. He would frequent Coney
Island during the summer months and loved to dress for the occasion. With his colorful dog and bird he sat enjoying the remaining hours of sunlight. Donna Summer was in concert here last week and she blew people away singing all the songs she had become famous for. So that is the news from Brooklyn.
I encountered was the man who hand dipped chocolate creations and candy apples right in front of you. Your mouth watered as he stirred the chocolate in a huge vat. When we arrived it was still day time but within minutes the sun set. As soon it became, dark crowds of people appeared. I really wanted a sausage and pepper sandwich. On every block there were 
vendors selling these. We finally found a local vendor who made the most amazing sandwich. Although it cost a fortune, it was so fresh and sweet. After that Little Eric decided he wanted to go down a huge slide. Only catch was he did not want to go alone. So he got his dad to climb the narrow stairs and sit on a patch of material and down the slide they went, three times. Then it was time to win a live fish.
(without a bowl or food) After this I managed to find a Spanish guy who was cooking steak on this huge kettle fire. The steaks were huge and he flipped them like pancakes. Before we left some two hours later, I had to have some zeppoli. Now zeppoli have to be hot and fresh straight out of the pot. They were great.
In the midst of this fair was the Shrine that was the now hidden motive for this feast. For years the church was the center of the community and it was a joyous church celebration (and money maker) that was clearly the point of the feast. It has been rumored that the wise guys collected great sums of money from the store owners (about 10% of the gross yearly income) to give to the church. That practice has faded and now each vendor pays around $2000 for a slot in the fair. This neighborhood has changed and there is a large Asian population which was also felt at this fair. The Mexicans also showed up with their sweet corn pancakes.Earlier this week I stopped by the gardener’s house that was mentioned some
time ago. He is a year older and his garden is as beautiful as ever. However, this year he was very tired and found it difficult getting around except with the use of a cane.Coney Island is now standing ready to reinvent itself. How long or how that will happen is unknown. All the rain and hurricanes made business slow this summer. The City closed the beaches for nearly a week while storms passed by. None the less, people still appeared on the boardwalk. One person caught my eye. He would frequent Coney
Island during the summer months and loved to dress for the occasion. With his colorful dog and bird he sat enjoying the remaining hours of sunlight. Donna Summer was in concert here last week and she blew people away singing all the songs she had become famous for. So that is the news from Brooklyn. Have a wonderful Labor Day.
