Where: Hungry Ghost, 253 Flatbush Avenue

When: Friday, May 18, 8 - 10 am

come meet your Prospect Heights Neighborhoodr Editors at the Hungry Ghost for morning coffee talk! it’s going to be a beautiful day out so why not join in for a quick bite and friendly discourse?

say hi to Jeannie, Alisha, and Jen tomorrow!

good to know the former Top Chef star hangs out in the hood!

Our friends over at Brooklyn Based made a list of great outdoor bars. We love everything on the list, but wanted to show a little love to our favorite Prospect Heights outdoor spots:

Franklin Park, 618 St. Johns Place (at Franklin)

Washington Commons, 748 Washington Ave (btwn Park and Sterling)

Soda Bar, 629 Vanderbilt (btwn St. Marks and Prospect)

Le Gamin Cafe, 556 Vanderbilt (btwn Dean and Atlantic)

Hot Bird (close enough!), 546 Clinton Ave (btwn Atlantic and Fulton)

606 R & D (soon!), 606 Vanderbilt (btwn St. Marks and Prospect)

What are your other neighborhood favorites?

Inspired by the rain outside and the severe ankle jab I received on the subway from a golf umbrella this morning, I present to you my tips for proper umbrella use.

1. Inspired by the rain outside and the severe ankle jab I received on the subway from a golf umbrella this morning, I present to you my tips for proper umbrella use.

2. Hold the umbrella upright and tightly. The handle should be fairly perpendicular to the ground and centered on your body. This achieves maximum dryness for you and minimum water runoff onto other people. Of course, you may need to adjust for wind, but try to maintain a smart posture.
3. Do not text and hold an umbrella. Do not drink coffee and hold an umbrella. Do not hail a cab with your umbrella. Just use your umbrella to stay dry.
4. Close the umbrella before walking inside or down into the subway. If you don’t, you block the door and make it more difficult for others to pass. To close your umbrella properly, pull off to the side of the sidewalk (out of the way) and close as expediently as possible. Do not shake it out. Tie up your umbrella with whatever closure is attached to it or a rubber band if necessary. If you have a bag in which to place your umbrella, do so, and people will think you’re classy.
5. Avoid sudden movements. When you stop short or wheel around suddenly, several things happen: water flies, people get spoked, and you anger people (especially those without umbrellas). You already have this luxury of staying dry, so make a point to not indulge in this luxury at the expense of someone else.

Read the rest of the tips here. Prospect Height-ers, do us proud and change the culture by doing umbrellas right!

Join us to learn how your skills and passions can be used to change the lives of hundreds of students.

Monday, May 21, 2012 6:30pm 61 Local 

Your contribution of $10 supports Brooklyn public schools and includes one drink and food

*editorial note: this event though not located in Prospect Heights, is of dear importance.

Technically Park Slope, but it’s on the border so we’ll let it slide:

citystories:

Not generally a fan of big banks, broadly speaking, but credit where credit is due:

I entered the Chase on Flatbush and Park to close a ($12 monthly fee!) Chase checking account I’ve been holding onto out of sheer laziness. Based on my last experience closing an account, I expected a shuffle amongst tellers with limited authority, each offering a miniscule step forward, the need to talk to someone else, and prolonged attempts to convince me to change my mind.

Instead, “Jonel Ramus, Licensed Banker,” immediately offered me a seat, assuring me that he could handle the matter. He expressed regret that I was choosing to close my account.  I prepared myself for the car-salesmanesque persuasion onslaught — but instead he merely asked, “Do you still have a place you can cash or deposit checks? I just want to make sure. Because lots of places will try to charge you for that. “

And when he saw I have a Chase credit card, he told me something I hadn’t realized: I can cash checks at any Chase for free as long as I have any Chase account, including the credit card.

While I was sitting at his desk, my phone’s Mint.com app dinged the alarm that my Chase credit card had been hit with a fee, which I believed to be erroneous, related to a problem I thought I’d resolved. He offered, without prompting, to call the credit card division on my behalf and got it removed.  Even though it took him about 10 minutes to place the call, argue my case, and wait for a decision that would ultimately cost his bank and benefit me, he did it cheerfully.

His assistance went beyond what I expected and he seemed sincere, especially because there was never a moment when I felt like I had to defend my decision to close the account, no lecture or warning about the credit card — just genuine helpfulness.

If you’re a Chase user in the general Prospect Heights / Park Slope area, I recommend you visit Jonel Ramus, Licensed Banker, for all your big bank banking needs.