The bar with the coldest AC

Hey all,

It’s hot and a holiday weekend so we’re going to keep this short and sweet.

Read on to learn about the fire at Bar Birba, ideas of where to cool down and a new bakery with a pay-what-you-can bread program.

This heat is dangerous, scary and proof that natural deodorant sadly does not work (for us).

Today will have a low of 84 degrees, tomorrow is looking at a low of 81. Look out for your neighbors, close your curtains, and make sure your beer is cold.

• All libraries are local cooling centers, meaning they have air conditioning and you can hang out in them for their whole open hours.

• The cultural center in the middle of Herbert Von King Park is also a cooling center, open 10am-6pm. The sprinklers at the playground are just near the entrance to the culture center.

• The hours of NYC Parks outdoor pools have been extended until 8:30 pm this week until Saturday, July 4.

• Use this map from the city of its “Cool It! NYC” program (incredible name), where you can search by zipcode for the leafiest blocks if you do have to be out walking around in the heat. Certain streets and corners of the neighborhood have very little tree cover, which adds to higher temperatures and poorer health outcomes.

  

• If you need an AC unit or have an extra one to give away, contact Bed-Stuy Strong for their AC redistribution program.

Other fun places to stay cool:

• Milly’s: Milly’s Neighborhood Bar on the corner of Bedford and Greene has delightfully ice cold air conditioning — and the grilled tiger prawns with roti are unmissable.

• Trad Room: The bar and restaurant at 266 Malcolm X Boulevard has very chilly AC and great Japanese food.

• BKLYN BLEND: Get a chilled smoothie on Tompkins before heading to Herbert von King.

A two-alarm fire on Franklin Ave last Thursday destroyed a new restaurant due to open this month.

The electrical fire began at 2.30am at 338 Franklin, just near Greene Ave, ripping through the brand new Chinese restaurant JD Eatery and Slip (JD seems to stand for “joint dream”) — and damaging the neighboring wine bar Bar Birba.

Bar Birba posted photos and video of the aftermath, writing on GoFundMe that the bar “suffered significant damage as our walls needed to be opened up, our bathroom destroyed and we had water enter from the building next door.

“Luckily we have insurance that should cover the cost of our fixes and inventory but are in limbo for loss of business which might not be covered and we are stuck waiting to sort out paperwork. Our real priority right now is making sure our staff is taken care of while we sort things out with insurance.”

JD Eatery has not yet responded to Bed-Stuy Stoop and it’s unclear if and when it will be able to continue with the opening, described as “Modern Chinese cuisine featuring artisanal soup dumplings, shareable small plates, and unique Baijiu cocktails.”

That location has felt a bit cursed. It used to be Borough, a New American spot, that was never very busy. Then for the last few years it was a Martha’s Mexican, before one day becoming Penelope’s (exact same menu and identical decor? Possibly the same restaurant with a different name?) before the signage changed to Italian restaurant Martha’s Osteria for about three seconds — before a new sign popped up just days before the fire, declaring Chinese food and cocktails coming soon. Hopefully those soup dumplings are still on their way.

• New bakery Part Two, a sister to Textbook Bakery on Hancock, just opened at 406 Marcus Garvey Blvd. Their hours are 7:30am-5pm, seven days a week, and they have a pay-what-you-can bread program.

• Doris, a bar on Fulton known for its backyard and being a Spurs watchspot, was “robbed and ransacked” earlier this week. They are now back open.

• Several other spots are closed for summer vacation. Dinner Party restaurant in Clinton Hill is shut until July 6 and Welcome Home bakery in Bed-Stuy will reopen July 8.

Thanks for reading Bed-Stuy Stoop — it’s been really cool seeing how readers have responded after we launched last month. Always keen to hear ideas, feedback, complaints and tips via email or text the Bed-Stuy Stoopline (929) 274-1779.

If you like what we’re doing so far, we encourage you to upgrade to a paid subscription — currently $50 annually or $5 per month. We have big reporting plans for this summer and fall and your support will help make them a reality.

This month, 5% of proceeds will head to a GoFundMe for a father and daughter in Bed-Stuy who are facing eviction after her mother died.

Until next week!