Read on for Mayor Mamdani looking concerned during Game 4, a chat with the owner of new children’s pre-loved clothing store Cosmo, $5 flowers to fund surfing lessons and the Juneteenth Black Bookstores Crawl.

The Knicks pulled off the impossible and came back from 29 points down to win Game 4 by one, and Bed-Stuy Stoop is writing this newsletter to the chants of “Let’s Go Knicks” and car horns out the window.

Earlier in the night it was a more somber affair. Bed-Stuy Stoop tried to go to Singers bar to watch the game hosted by city council member Chi Ossé, after his viewing party in Herbert Von King Park got cancelled due to thunderstorms.

The storms never really came but the queue to get in to Singers was a few dozen long.

Why would anyone spend half the game lining up in the hope of maybe eventually making it in? (The bouncer made it clear, no one was getting into the backyard).

Well, it turns out Mayor Zohran Mamdani was there.

The mayor watched the game with Chi, Eon Huntley (a former PTA president who is running for state assembly, representing Bed-Stuy) and Jabari Brisport (Bed-Stuy’s state senator who is running for re-election).

And it was tense for our normally grinning mayor.

“He kept grabbing his chin like that. Looking very concerned,” filmmaker Reid Rohling, who had also headed to Singers to see the game, told Bed-Stuy Stoop.

Rohling said the mayor was also smiling, taking selfies with people and “just chatting it up.”

“People were excited he was there. And surprised he stayed as long as he did,” Rohling said.

“The vibe was a bit dire at halftime when he left.”

Instead of lining up to hang with the new Mr Outside (he watched the Knicks comeback at Peg’s Cavalier in Ridgewood) Bed-Stuy Stoop went in search of other best viewing spots in the nabe.

Despite Ossé’s viewing party in Herbert Von King being officially cancelled, someone still set up an incredible spot with a projector against the handball courts.

A small and quiet crowd was watching, with one very dedicated fan regularly shouting that despite being down 25, the Knicks were definitely going to win. Bet he had the best night ever. His “Knicks in 5” chants did not take off at halftime — but that will be an excellent viewing spot for Game 5.

Another primo spot: the heinous building on the corner of Classon and Greene.

Speedy Romeo and Radicle Wine did the best thing possible with the unsold building across from them, and used it as a screen to project the games this week.

For those unaware, this building has been wildly despised in the community ever since it was unveiled over a year ago, its bedrooms overlooking the street.

Someone even put up a museum plaque on the wall last May, declaring it an art piece titled “New York City Housing Crisis, 2025”. (If you did this, please contact me!)

The price is constantly dropping, now it’s listed for $3.85 million.

Bed-Stuy Stoop watched Game 4 at this spot and there were some technical issues, but it was a beautiful moment when finally the connection came back. Last night was even more thrilling.

At last this building feels like it’s giving something to the neighborhood, and not just uniting us in hate.

Other good spots: big crowd at The Swan on Bedford. Madres, located inside Shipwreck on the corner of Lexington and Nostrand, had a relaxed family-friendly vibe — and good whiskey lemonades. Hatch on Tompkins (the old Bed-Vyne Brew location) looked fun and had a big screen. Plus, several very impressive DIY set-ups where people dragged a projector outside their house and watched with their neighbors.

Bed-Stuy Stoop stuck to western and central Bed-Stuy last night, let us know in the comments the best spots for eastern Bed-Stuy.

This Saturday night is going to be wild. KNICKS IN FIVE!

Children’s clothing store Cosmo opens

Cosmo, a children’s vintage clothing store — think a curated selection of pre-loved kids clothes and some select handmade options — opened this week on Malcolm X Boulevard.

Bed-Stuy Stoop visited Cosmo on Wednesday and met owner Shanna Cooper, a local mother of an 11-month-old. The idea is that clothes will recirculate locally, giving you somewhere to both buy and sell a nice piece that might only fit a few times before your kid outgrows it.

“I genuinely believe that every neighborhood should have something like this” Cooper said.

The store is a lovely Pinterest-y space: a beautiful custom lantern, curtains made of vintage handkerchiefs, toys artfully scattered and nice patterned sofas that would be ideal for lounging and breastfeeding.

Bed-Stuy Stoop was surprised at first to find Carter’s onesies and Target clothes amongst the more expected pricier linen bloomers and color-block overalls. But that’s exactly the point, noted Cooper.

“We are gentrifying the neighborhood by building this space, and so I think part of the phase of pre-build out, pre-signing the lease was very much talking to all of my neighbors, and people who have been here much longer,” Cooper said. That meant keeping some things at lower price points and hiring local staff as retail workers.

She, along with co-founder Caley Clocksin, wanted to make sure any parent could walk in and find something. “Everyone can come in here: there’s $3 t-shirts, there’s fancy occasion stuff.”

They try to avoid buying things that are overly gendered — “we’re not doing a lot of trucks and dinosaurs” — instead focusing on stripes, fun patterns, timeless design, organic materials and special pieces. Bed-Stuy Stoop would desperately love for dinosaurs to be seen as gender neutral, akin to leopard print being a neutral. Some brands they stock and are always keen for: Makie, Bobo Choses, Quincy Mae, Rylee + Cru, Little Planet by Carter’s and Zara.

You can bring in clothes your kids outgrew to sell, they offer 25% cash immediately via Venmo or Zelle or 50% store credit that never expires. Cosmo is also working with Still Good, a local organization that recirculates items for families, and once a month will be co-hosting a free store outside. This month’s, on June 20, will be summer focused.

On Friday at 11:30am they’ll host the popular Jazz Baby music class for infants, and are hoping to do other events — birthday parties, mothers groups, kids yoga, art classes.

“I think there are businesses that are gentrifying, but are trying to be still woven into the history and respectful of the history of what was here once before, and all the beautiful parts of community that still exist here,” Cooper said. “That’s also why I’m excited for it to be a community space too, and I’m requesting that people tell me what they want to see happen here.”

News from the nabe

• Beloved bar Dynaco has begun its rebuild after being closed following a fire in January.

• Barker, a new cafe on Nostrand, got a star and chosen as a critics pick by the New York Times.

• A new 11-story building is being built and another is underway for a two-building project on the parking lot of Brooklyn Gardens on Fulton, that will eventually contain 297 apartments.

• Gladys Books and Wine has been raising money to flood-proof its space.

Best Stooper award

Shout out to one of the Neal boys — they already sell handmade coasters at Clementine Bakery — who was raising money for surfing lessons by selling bunches of flowers outside Clementine on Sunday. Just $5 for a small bunch, $10 for a bigger one. Expect to see him back out there in coming weekends.

Things to do this week

• Friends of Macon Library are hosting a book sale at the library June 13 from 11am-4pm. All proceeds go to the library and there will be books for all ages.

• The Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association is debuting a new summer series called Second Saturdays, with activities and shopping every second Saturday, starting June 13. Bed-Vyne Wine & Spirits will be offering free tastings from 3-8pm.

• Whole Neighborhood Garden on Bedford Ave are hosting a Garden Grooves: Pride Edition on June 13, from 3-7pm. Music by The Queer Vinyl Collective.

• Greene Acres Garden on Franklin and Greene is hosting Nafisa’s Community Meal, where “Nafisa is sharing small bites from her Bengali home cooking” from 12-2pm.

• The NYC Juneteenth Black Bookstore Crawl is starting tomorrow and running until June 19, encouraging you to visit 10 Black-owned bookstores across the city. Numerous local bookstores including Gladys and BEM are participating — head in and grab a “passport” to participate.

• Welcome Home bakery is hosting its first Book Club on Friday.

Bed-Stuy Stoop launched one week ago (check out our interview with Pulitizer Prize-winning Nikole Hannah-Jones if you missed it) and already have over 1,000 subscribers. Thrilled to have you here. 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. Expect that a combination of subscriber only content and free content will be available in the future.

Every month, 5% of all proceeds from subscriptions will go to a different local organization or charity. June will be Bed-Stuy Strong, the neighborhood’s mutual aid group.

On-the-ground original reporting takes time and energy (Bed-Stuy Stoop walked 16,000 steps yesterday!) and your monetary support means we (me) can actually continue doing this properly.

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Until next week. LGK!

In this newsletter we’ll hear from Pulitzer winning Nikole Hannah-Jones about the dozen jobs she’s hiring for her new bookstore, bar and literary salon opening on Macon and Marcus Garvey, Annette Bening filming in Bed-Stuy, where to watch game two of the Knicks and how to get an AC unit.

Firstly, what is Bed-Stuy Stoop?

This is a weekly newsletter focused on the Bedford-Stuyvesant and Clinton Hill neighborhoods (many argue that Clinton Hill, home of Biggie, is technically Bed-Stuy anyway).

The plan is for it to be full of local gossip, small business news, interviews, events listings — and impactful reporting about gentrification in Brooklyn’s best neighborhood.

And I couldn’t think of a more perfect story to kick it off than today’s interview with Nikole Hannah-Jones who is building a Black literary utopia on the corner of Macon Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard.

“I was only ever going to do this in Bed-Stuy,” the Iowa native, who has called the neighborhood home for over 15 years, told Bed-Stuy Stoop.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist is currently hiring for a dozen jobs at The North Star, her new literary salon featuring a bookstore, bar, restaurant, and cafe that she’s hoping will open by September.

“Bed-Stuy is the center of the Black cultural universe right now — if you look at the sheer number of Black filmmakers, Black actors, Black writers, Black artists, who live in this one neighborhood.”

And she hopes The North Star, located at the site of the old Macon Hardware, will be a gathering place for those creatives, as well as bringing artists from around the globe to Bed-Stuy.

“I want people to get off their phones and be in community,” Nikole said.

Nikole is running the business with her partners Rotimi Akinnuoye and Ayo Akinnuoye, of Bed-Vyne Wine & Spirits and Bed-Vyne Brew fame, but she purchased the building herself. Property records show the building sold for $2.6 million in 2024.

“Buying the building is the only way to ensure you can remain,” Nikole said. Black residents made up 75% of Bed-Stuy in 2000 but those numbers have shrunk to 40% in 2023 data. “We talk a lot about the gentrification of housing — we are not talking enough about the gentrification of retail and third spaces.”

For two years she has renovated the space, a process she called “absolutely grueling”, in part because the outside of the building is landmarked. Everything has taken longer and cost more than expected, and she has no outside investors. But holding and maintaining Black real estate was crucial for Nikole.

“Ownership for me is critical for stability, independence, and ensuring no one is kicking us out,” Nikole said. “We are investing so much in this space. People will be in awe.”

The ground floor will feature a bar at one end, a reading room in the middle where food will be served, and a bookstore at the back, separated by heavy curtains. A cafe will run during the day — and a bar at night. Upstairs an apartment will house visiting authors (and another apartment will be available for rent, surely one of the most sought-after in the neighborhood).

On the cellar level are the restrooms, kitchen and a “very, very sexy” speakeasy that will be available for private rentals, designed by Nikole herself.

But while she’s been extremely hands-on in the creation of The North Star — and has her own office onsite — Nikole is looking for staff to to run it. Information about how to apply for the current roles, which include booksellers, baristas, bartenders and a restaurant manager, can be found on Instagram. Applications are open until June 30.

A non-profit called Iola’s Lyceum will run the programming for The North Star and will soon be looking for an executive director.

Nikole’s resume is one of a kind — she created the groundbreaking 1619 Project, is a staff writer at New York Times Magazine, co-founded the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, and serves as the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University. But, this is the first time she’s become a business owner.

“It is the thing in my life right now that excites me the most, so much so that I obsess over every single detail, because honestly, I just need this space to exist,” she said.

From the menu focused on Black-owned spirits to the design, which honors Black writers and even Mrs Hayes, the former owner of the building, every detail is intentional.

“I want people to walk in the space and it doesn’t remind them of any place they’ve ever been — and immediately understand the care and the thought that has gone into everything they’re going to experience.”

For inspiration Nikole looked uptown, to the Harlem Renaissance. That includes the design — think art deco, the modern art period, elegant, gilded — and also the revolutionary art created during the Jim Crow era. She sees a direct comparison to today’s politics.

“People are hurting with everything that’s happening in our country right now,” she said. “They want a place of community, and a place that feels like you’re protected when you’re there. That all of the forces outside of us cannot penetrate this space.”

Often the clientele at restaurants and bars that have opened in Bed-Stuy in recent years does not reflect the long-time Black community. “There’s no sign out here saying ‘no one is welcome.’ So what are the non-explicit signals that a place sends that tells people whether they’re welcome or not?” Nikole asked.

She’s currently reading Unreasonable Hospitality, written by Eleven Madison Park restaurateur Will Guidara.

“I want people to be treated so well when they come into this space,” she said.

For Nikole, being non-exclusionary means stocking the bookstore with romance novels, even though it’s not a genre she personally reads. The coffee shop will sell a “bodega cup” of quality coffee at bodega prices.

“I don’t care whether you’re living in public housing or whether you just debuted your Hollywood film last week: everyone deserves and wants a place of beauty and intellect.”

She said so far she’s received an outpouring of support for the project, from people giving design help to offering to stack shelves of books.

“Every time I’m looking at how much money this place is costing me, how far past our deadline we are on construction, it helps me to keep going because I’m like people are invested in seeing this place exist.”

If you’d like to support the salon before its opening, you can contribute as little as $5 a month and become a North Star Conductor, the founding community of early supporters bringing the project to life.

Once The North Star is finally open, Nikole hopes the community embraces and protects the space — and fills it with joy.

“I hope people will come in, especially on certain nights, dressed to the nines and we are certainly going to party.”

And could a customer drink a bourbon poured by one of the country’s greatest thinkers? “You will absolutely see me behind the bar,” Nikole said. “I might even occasionally make my pound cake.”

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Jump on board the Knicks bandwagon

If you don’t want to be camped out all day for a spot at Fancy Free in Fort Greene, often a Spike Lee and Mamdani hangout— shout out to the people there on Wednesday night who had brought their own seats so they could sit on the sidewalk behind the bar’s gates — there are plenty of other spots in the neighborhood.

Athena Keke’s — the woman’s sports bar on Greene Ave is normally a home for the Liberty games but on Wednesday patrons convinced them that they should have the sound on for the Knicks game instead. They reached capacity and Bed Stuy Stoop watched the last 20 seconds of the game with others standing outside peering in the door.

Poise — the art gallery and record store at 271 Malcolm X Blvd have a cute set up with a projector outside and another screen inside. Free drinks until half time with a cover.

The Swan — The sports bar on Bedford Ave has been getting solid crowds for the Knicks games, was looking pretty full by 7.30pm on Wednesday night

Singers — Join our city council rep Chi Osse for an incredible chaotic screening of the Knicks games in the backyard of Singers, the queer bar on Kosciusko St.

Commune — The bar at Classon and Lexington is back open after health code violations shut them down temporarily last month (the food pop-ups and coffee truck remain closed), but there will be a screen and burgers in the garden.

Fulton Ale House — Seating is first come, first served. Minimum spend of $20 per person and because of the crowds they’ve asked for no kids or pets.

Or stay at home and order a Grandma pizza from Rocco’s — but get your order in early because they had 20% more orders than normal during game one.

Spotted: people who have seen Annette Bening

The eastern corner of Bed-Stuy, particularly around Clifton Place and Franklin Ave has been full of a film crew all week working on 42.6, a romantic comedy about being cryogenically frozen starring Andy Samberg and Annette Bening.

Despite attempting to walk past it several times, so far Bed-Stuy Stoop spotted no stars, although two different security guards declared that Annette Bening was definitely there. Originally the film was to star Jean Smart from Hacks.

Things to do in Bed-Stuy this week

• Chat with Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights Assemblymember Stefani L. Zinerman at The Bush Doctor Juice Bar on Saturday at 2pm. Free ginger shots!

• Dinner Party, which moved recently from Fort Greene to Clinton Hill, is celebrating its 5th birthday this week. They’ll be serving hot dogs, potato salad and birthday cake from 3-8pm on Sunday — walk-ins only.

• After beloved music cafe The REP shut earlier this year, the owner Brooklyn Terry, a dancer and DJ, is hosting a party at The Goodlife Garden in Bushwick on Sunday from 2-8pm.

• Bed-Stuy Cleanups is meeting on the corner of Bedford Ave and Hancock Street at 10am on Saturday, and heading north picking up rubbish and cleaning the street until 11. They provide all supplies needed just turn up.

• All Night Skate, the skate-themed bar at 54 Rockaway Ave, is hosting a Housing Krisis drag show on June 10. “Our queens are doing what they love — performing, serving looks, and earning money to pay their rent. Every tip, every cheer, every laugh helps them move closer keeping a roof over their head!”

And that’s all for this week! Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a subscription, currently the low price of $5 a month or $50 annually. The newsletter is currently free — but expect that a combination of subscriber only content and free content will be available in the future.

Every month, 5% of all proceeds from subscriptions will go to a different local organization or charity. June will be Bed-Stuy Strong, the neighborhood’s mutual aid group. It is currently organizing its annual AC unit redistribution drive. If you need an air conditioning unit or if you have a working one to donate (or can help with delivery or troubleshooting issues), contact them through this form.

Got a tip or story idea? Email me or text the Bed-Stuy Stoopline (929) 274-1779 (save it in your phone and text us photos).

And finally, who is even writing this? You can learn more about me on the About page. We hope you join the Bed-Stuy Stoop community, by reading us and sharing it with your friends and neighbors, and we’ll be back in your inbox next week.