Can you believe it, brokesters? It’s already the middle of August, and that also means you’ve already had plenty of Sundays to wile away with neighborhood recommendations from Bushwick brewers, Prospect Lefferts and Gowanus pie potentates, the future old-timers of Sheepshead Bay, Bed-Stuy coffee mongers, and Fort Greene comedians alike. It’s not over yet, we’re just letting you know that if you haven’t yet gotten to try out any of our perfect summer Sundays, you’ve only got a handful of Sundays left in the season to do so!
With that said, we’ll get right to it with a latter-day saint of Crown Heights, Shannon Mustipher. With the help of her beverage savvy, Glady’s (788 Franklin Avenue) has become a neighborhood staple, nailing a combination of tiki kitsch and Caribbean authenticity. Mustipher’s business is booming, but for her, Crown Heights has always been about the people and the scenery. “Folks from the islands, new transplants from all walks of life – we all peacefully coexist. Then there’s the architecture, the greenery…I just love walking around and taking it all in.”
“I seldom eat before noon,” Mustipher tells us of her Spartan breakfast regime. “That said, Colina Cuervo (759 Nostrand Avenue) is solid and super cute. Great decor, friendly staff, dee-lish coffee and tea, and a menu of pastries and small plates served in a bright and airy room.”
We second that. Their $6 cafecito is a cup of coffee (Counter Culture!) and a fluffy bread roll with passion fruit cream. It’s the perfect, light start to your day, so it won’t slow you down before Sunday adventures. Now, the Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway) made our list for Prospect-Lefferts, but it’s also worth mentioning here, because Mustipher adores it. Besides the great permanent collection, she’s ga-ga for exhibits featuring local artists.
“Kehinde Wiley, Basquiat, and Mickalene Thomas are among my recent faves—issues and subjects that are accessible and relevant to the neighborhood, and cater to a global audience. That Saul [Bolton] has a restauraunt in there is icing on the cake!”
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Sure, so you’re a little west of Crown Heights—but you can’t do the museum without also visiting Prospect Park. “It’s gorgeous for a walk, a bike ride, or a picnic,” says Mustipher. “Love all the athletic facilities on or adjacent to the grounds. And the design and landscape design, which is by the same team as Central Park, is masterfully executed for whatever mood.”
You’re probably heading there on a Sunday if you’re reading this, but as an added bonus Mustipher gives a big thumbs-up to the greenmarket at Grand Army Plaza. “Even if just to take in the colorful inspiration afforded by the produce.”
So now that you’ve got in some morning exercise and worked up an appetite, it’s time to hit up one of Mustipher’s favorite spots for a midday pick-me-up, the Crabbyshack (613 Franklin Avenue).
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“Such a cute vibe. One of the owners is an ex-interior designer and prop stylist, so the space is bright, cheery, and super tasteful.” And as for the food? “Total yum. I grew up spending my summers in Charleston, and it takes me back! Their style of seafood boil is my total jam. Love the corn side ($3).”
Spend your Sunday afternoon wandering down Franklin to hit cool stores galore. Mustipher loves Hullabaloo (711 Franklin Avenue) for its books, and Suzette LaValle (726 Franklin Avenue) for its selection of quirky gifts, clothing and jewelry.
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As afternoon drifts into evening, drift eastward toward Nostrand for a drink at Mustipher’s favorite watering hole (besides her own, of course), King Tai (1095 Bergen Street). “A great place at all hours, solo, for a date or to gather with friends,” Mustipher tells us. “Everyone working there is beyond sweet. The interiors are hella cute.”
Mustipher recommends their cheap happy hour ($4 craft beer on tap!) and their awesome tiki-leaning cocktails, paired with a selection of bar snacks. “I have to restrain myself from going there more than 2 times a week. Total win.”
For Mustipher, the best kind of Sunday ends at home, with a lovingly cooked meal. “I’m not a huge going out person. I like to cook. At one point, I contemplated working as a chef.”
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But if you haven’t got an apartment nearby, or you’re dying to make dinner plans in the nabe, Mustipher picks Mayfield (688 Franklin Avenue). “Their oyster happy hour is the biz, and the service is reliably welcoming and warm from the moment you step in, consistent from the tables to the bar.”
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