The name is not the only thing that makes the Mei Dick Barber Shop of Mott Street great. There's also the fact that one must descend a pretty ominous set of stairs to reach the subterranean salon; that the sign slants up above your head as you do, and that the barber pole is backed by a piece of reflective metal so that, glimpsed at night from a certain angle, it is not one barber pole, but three. 
EV Grieve takes a look-see at the Holland Bar situation. [EV Grieve]
Some more typical anti-New York behavior from Bloomberg's City Hall. [NY Post]
More Coney Island soap opera grist, with developer Joe Sitt maybe going down to defeat, finally, but (of course) making a profit in the process. [NY Post via Curbed]
A handy City Council political corruption guide. [Queens Crap]
People from City Island call the proposed new City Island Bridge a "monstrosity." They're right. [NY Times]
A new location for A&S Pork Shop. [Gowanus Lounge]
The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Fort Greene Park is rededicated and relit. [Brownstoner]
The future of fabrics is on Coney Island Avenue. So, according to this wonderfully colorful and optimistic sign.
Warning to potential patrons: There are NO appliances within.
There's a lot to say in support of Pintchik Harware of Brooklyn. It's old. It's odd. It's a great hardware store. It's weirdly, garishly yellow. And it boast associations with Brooklyn literary figures such as Jonathan Safran Foer and Jonathan Letham. What other hammer-and-nail shop can you say such things about?
One thing it isn't, however, is bike-friendly. One of the most-used bike paths in Brooklyn, the one that runs along Bergen street, passes right by Pintchik. But so many trucks are constantly delivering and unloading so many things to Pintchik every day, that they inevitably clog up hundreds of yards of that bike path. (See a line of said trucks above. The picture was taken on a Friday afternoon.)
I understand that trucks must do what trucks must do, and American runs on trucks and blah, blah, blah. But I have little to no patience with any gas-consuming vehicle who thinks it's OK to idle or stop in a bike lane. To me, it's no better than an able-bodied person parking in a space reserved for the handicapped; you're trading a lesser-advantaged person's safety for your convenience.
If trucks can't find a place to unload the first swing around the block, well, just keep trying. Or double park on Flatbush. The bike lane is not an option. And the owners of Pinkchik should be policing their delivery men with this in mind. Don't believe me? Ask the oracle.
A wonderful Chinese joint on the Bowery. Inside, some delicious roast pork waits for you for a mere pittance.
Sorry to ruin anyone's weekend with this news, but a considerate reader sent word today that the Upper West Side's P&G Cafe will be closing for good this New Year's Eve.
This is disheartening news. Certainly, we have known for some time that the venerable old bar's landlord's wanted them out. But a recent visit to the tavern showed the owner, Steve Chahalis, as confident he could reopen in another nearby location.
But our helpful reader reports that Steve had failed to save the bar and it will cease to exist after Dec. 31 2008. A party is being planned. There is apparently still a glimmer of hope that the P&G will rise again on 86th and Amsterdam, but apparently there will be some gap in time before that happens, if it happens. For all those who love P&G, I think it's best to attend that party.
On Flatbush. Too bad about the plastic casing. It protect the neon, but dims the sign's
brilliance.
Pasilalinic-sympathetic Compass has posted a hauntingly beautiful photo essay of the gritty south side of Ellis Island. Definitely worth a look. 
This Stop 1 deli on Flatbush Avenue has its priorities, and an attractive appearance isn't high up on the list. Comfort, though, is!
In order to make room for an air-conditioning unit, the "D" and "E" in "Deli" have parted company, and, what's more, the "D" is almost pushed of the sign entirely. Gotta keep those Cold Cuts and Cold Beers cold, I guess.
What is going on with Vesuvio Bakery?
The iconic Soho bakery—once owned by renowned civic activist Tony Dapolito, and most recentl operated as a kind of cafe by Andrew Veniopoulos—has been closed for five months. Signs in the window have mentioned necessary renovations and the mending of the coal ovens. OK. But it's taken a very long time. And now the shop's status has taken a decidedly weird turn.
There are shoes in the window.
That's right. Shoes. Fancy schmancy, Boho shoes. A framed sign reads: "Win a pair of hand-painted silk shoes while winning the chance to help in the fight against breast cancer. Peter Fox shoes hand-painted by Tracey Asai." Another sign indicates that 50% of sales will go to the Carol M. Baldwin Cancer Research Fund.
A good cause, I'm sure. Perhaps Veniopoulos decided to give over his store to a charitable venture while he prepares to reopen. But the whole display lends itself to the abiding rumor that Vesuvio will not see the light of day again. Inside, the tables, chairs, counter and coffee machine look ready to go. A recent story reported that the shop will reopen by Christmas. I hope so. It would make a nice present.
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