SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

The new Boost Mobile at 1505 Sheepshead Bay Road opened up earlier this week. They’re still waiting on a sign to be installed, but business is up and running.

We’ve all seen the ads that are – literally – everywhere, so I don’t need to tell you what Boost is or how they differ from other cell phone companies.

This particular Boost is owned by Craig Shulman, who also owns the Boost Mobile at 3703 Nostrand Avenue (off of Avenue X).

It was previously an independent retailer of several phone services including Boost and Sprint, and closed in October.

Shopping cart in need of rescue.

I can’t be sure about this, but I think this building at Sheepshead Bay Road and East 16th Street used to be the H & R Block office.

I was kidnapped and brought here to help with the office cleanup. That explains the toilet paper and the paper towels that I’m loaded up with. The big question is: why are they even bothering cleaning this dump up, anyway? The last I heard this entire strip is set to be demolished by Acadia management. They’re just waiting for Citibank two doors down to vacate and the whole place is going to be razed. Anyway, that’s the word we’re getting behind these bars.

If anyone on the outside knows more, let me know. I’m loaded with some of the finest fluffy, white stuff you’ve ever seen (known by the street names of Charmin and Bounty) and as soon as you load me up in the getaway truck, I’ll hook you up real good.

Armenian restaurant Garden Bay Cafe (1788 Sheepshead Bay Road) has renovated its location and tossed up a new sign. According to a member of the family that owns the restaurant, they’ve also done some work on their menu by expanding the offerings. We hope that doesn’t mean they’ve removed classics like the blackened trout Village Voice gushed over. (UPDATE: Apparently the sign isn’t finished yet. It should be ready in about a week.)

Down the block, Ginger Rose Hair Design Studio (1804 Sheepshead Bay Road) has closed two thirds of its storefront operation for renovations. They’re still open for business and expect to finish the work in about a month.

We also just got word that Chop Stix Stir-Fry, Asian Noodle, Sushi, & Grill … err… Chop Stix (3790 Nostrand Avenue), formerly known as Peking Kitchen, got its hands on a liquor license and is now serving up sake and other booze.

Finally, it looks like Brand Z For Less (1805 Avenue U) got an extension to its lease. The sign that went up a few weeks ago saying “Must Vacate January 31st” now says “Must Vacate February 28th.”

We all know how much our readers love hearing about Sheepshead Bay’s cellphone stores. So we’re absolutely giddy to pass on this groundbreaking story: as of this past Monday, February 1, the Verizon Wireless – Paging Zone Premium Retailer at 1517 Sheepshead Bay Road is under new management.

Igor Budiyanskiy and Dima Meksin bought the business from Gary Vugman and are promising customers “lower prices and a better customer service experience.” Budiyanskiy lives in Sheepshead Bay, and the two have been operating another Verizon Wireless location at 159 Bedford Avenue.

Okay, okay, so it’s not earth shattering. But it’s always good to hear that the area is getting some fresh blood (especially when it means a new cell phone shop isn’t opening). Best of luck to the new owners.

Last week we wrote that we walked by Fuel Restaurant & Juice Bar at 1715 Sheepshead Bay Road and they appeared to be closed. We said we weren’t sure if it was a permanent closure, a renovation, or something else. As luck would have it, they reopened. Apparently there was a problem with a broken pipe that forced them to close for less than a week. They’re now fully reopened and operating as usual.

On a side note, we got a call from the business’s owner, Talyan Yialztz, who was none too happy about our reporting. He claimed it was inaccurate and made him lose business. If that’s true, we regret any inconvenience and remind all of our readers that unless we note confirmation from the business owner or an authority (which we usually attempt to provide), all of our information is based on simple observation.

- with additional reporting by Arthur Borko, who demands credit for everything but never gets it. Ever.

The restaurant with the most redundant name in Sheepshead Bay, Fuel Energy, looks to be closed. For the past several days, the establishment also  known as Fuel Restaurant & Juice Bar at 1715 Sheepshead Bay Road has had its gate down and door locked. It seems strange that they’d be out of business, seeing as they’re the only health-oriented cooked food spot anywhere near the Bally’s gym (across the street). However, when we stopped by there were workers inside who had torn up all the seating, counter tops, and equipment. For the sake of the meatheads and health freaks out there, we hope it’s just a renovation.

(Photo courtesy of Ben Salomon)

Not all escapee shopping carts end up frolicking the streets of Sheepshead Bay or telling their stories to journalists. Some get pushed around, damaged, abused, hit by cars, and left for dead.

This shopping cart, now known only as Jane Doe, was found on the sidewalk under the Sheepshead Bay Road train station overpass. An eyewitness said he saw this shopping cart cahorting with the two drunken revellers from last week. Another eyewitness told us that this cart was just a hard working cafe table. If anyone is able to do a positive I.D. of this sad cart, we might be able to find her next of kin.

I think subway platforms – especially Sheepshead Bay train station’s – make great scenes for photography. Gary Wong proves my point with this photo taken just a few days ago. He writes on his photoblog, The Wong Way, “With the temperature in the low 20s and the wind fiercely blowing, these people were smart and stayed in the stairwell while waiting for their train.” For those interested, check out his site. Wong has challenged himself to take and publish one thought out photo per day to document his 29th year of life. He’s going from birthday to birthday. Also, you can subscribe to his Flickr stream.

Potpourri Women's Sportswear Leaves Smelly Sheepshead Bay Rd

Due to an offensive smell — and an even more offensive rental rate — the Potpourri Women’s Sportswear store will be closing its Sheepshead Bay doors for the final time, tomorrow.

Standing in her store nearly emptied of its stock, one of the owners, Elsa McGlone, said:

After so many years, we are very sorry that we are leaving. Our regular customers already know we are leaving. It’s because of the smell. They [the landlords] are not doing anything about that smell and nobody wants to shop, here, with that smell. That’s not for a clothing store. It’s coming from the two stores next door. On one side, there is a fish smell, and on the other there is a sewage problem. Sheepshead Bay is not like it used to be.

In truth, the horrendous stink could be detected even by passersby on the sidewalk. One woman, who stopped to look at the clothing in the foyer area window display, said just before she covered her nose and mouth, “Uggh, it smells like dead rats, over here, still after all this time. Even with 60 percent off, I’m not going in there.”

When asked if the sad demise of her store had anything to do with rental rates going as high as $3K a month, the owner balked, “Three thousand? Try eight thousand! Such rent is not for a women’s clothing store on Sheepshead Bay Road.” She added that her store is not going to shut down for good, since they are looking for a suitable place to relocate,  and promised to let us know as soon as they find a new spot.

The stock has left the building, but the stink remains.

Potpourri owners post sign thanking customers.

At the end of the month, Cafe Glechik of Sheepshead Bay will be opening its doors to the public. The 1655 Sheepshead Bay Road location is the first expansion to the Brighton Beach Ukrainian restaurant, and is going to be much larger, spiffier, and boozier, according to a Grub Street writeup:

After a little more than a decade in Brighton Beach, Café Glechik will bring Ukrainian dumplings and some of New York’s favorite soup to Sheepshead Bay at the end of the month. The second location will serve the same menu, but will feature two floors of seating to better accommodate large groups and a liquor license to keep them entertained. The owner made special trips to the Ukraine for the décor, so expect a display of Eastern European kitsch that outdoes the diminutive original.

The current Cafe Glechik (3159 Coney Island Avenue) was visited by Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Channel show, which you can watch at the cafe’s website.