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, January 24, 1974 PHOENIX Page 7ntjoivt \\\\kSPECIAL ATLANTIC AVENUE SECTION 130 Clinton Street, Brooklyn 11201 JANUARY 24, 1974A t l a n t i c A v e . F o c u s !f -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >Ethnic and Artistic Vision TransformedAtlantic Avenue into an Unrivaled BazaarBY EILEEN PLATZStretching from the Expressway to Third Avenue, Atlantic Avenue hosts a network of shops and restaurants, new and old, that make the street a shopping bazaar with an unrivaled assortment of products and services. The steadfastness and longevity of the established merchants and the imagination and energy of the newer shopkeepers have yielded a potpourri of ethnic and artistic vision that promises still more change and developmentAtlantic Avenue was essentially a thoroughfare characterized by heavy truck traffic and businesses serving commercial concern. The trucks, warehouses, sign companies, and contracting firms still prevail, but the shops serving the needs of the mid-Eastern community started to give the Avenue amore personalized, intimate flavor.Attracted by the low overhead and the accessibility of the Avenue, part-time dealers opened weekend antique shops. Visitors to Atlantic Avenue browsed amid 18th and 19th Century furniture and bric-a-brac and sampled mid-Eastern delicacies. Spanish and Cuban restaurants joined the Arabic ones; artists and craftsmen moved into the inexpensive loft space on the Avenue; brownstoners from the surrounding neighborhoods patronized the groceries and shops and frequented the restaurants. Some trees were planted and more were promised. The Atlantic Avenue renaissance was underway!Today, the street still maintains the basic complexion of former days. Four and five story buildings rooted in storefronts and laced with fire escapes still dominate architecturally But next door to familiar faces, are new ones withdifferent stories and wares. Younger businessmen, opening plant shops, craft shops, restaurants and antique stories, have joined the ranks of older merchants on the Avenue%u2014all serving the community with the same philosophy that doing good business means giving good value. And Atlantic Avenue's reputation for good value is well deserved. American oak, Victorian lamps, plants and planters, brass and copper, and a three course dinner, all can be had for the best prices in town.Atlantic Avenue is sprawling and its redefinition is taking place in two major pockets of activity divided by Boerum Place. This clustering o f stores makes shopping and browsing easier, encouraging ricocheting back and forth across the street and between storefronts to examine merchandise and make comparisons.But despite the proximity of the shops, there%u2019s no confusing one with theother. Each has a distinctive atmosphere that suits the merchandise on sale. Exposed brick walls and stucco ceilings punctuate the antique shops dealing in Americana. More formal parlor settings characterize the shops selling period furniture. The fragrance of spices and the old world charm of the marketplace earmark the mid-Eastern stores. An easy familiarity with form and texture is evident in the merchandising of the accessory and craft shops, as is an understanding of light and space displayed in the plant stores.The keynote in all the stores is accessibility%u2014the shopkeepers invite browsing and all their wares are well displayed and easily handled. On clear days, many of the shops spill out onto the sidewalk giving the Avenue the feel of an open air marketplace where browsers inspect, buyers consider and shopkeepers advise.In addition to innovativemerchandising, the Atlantic Avenue shopkeepers possess an amazing knowledgeability about the products they deal in. For some, the business is a family one and the knowhow is handed down as a legacy; for others, the shops are outgrowths of leisure avocations and the expertise comes from exposure and research; for still others, setting up a business was a much sought alternative to a 9 to 5 routine and the learning process as much a challenge as the \The transformation of Atlantic Avenue from a trafficked thoroughfare to a tree-lined boulevard bears close watching. Too often, such a metamorphosis takes place unnoticed. The shopkeepers of Atlantic Ave. are truly pioneers, foregoing the slick, proven path of retailing in favor of a more adventurous, untried route. And for both merchant and customer, there are in %u00adcalculable benefits to be reaped on both sides.s a l e2 5 % -5 0 %off on many[books %u2022 to yopen everydeexc. Manaa'y| 1 2 - 5 : 3 0y& Mixed Media February 2-21m m m m h z mrg%u00a3 9f Atlantic Ave. BrooklynGAULERt f 91 Iff%u00ae!Prints and Paintings January 18 31d J U L IA F O O T E SHAW |IZ1j9, Allan) ic Ave Bro%u00bbtyn G A LLE R Y 91c h ild %u2019 s Pic226 ATLANTIC 237 -2iy656DamascusB a k e r yEstablished 1930Middle Eastern Bread^ PastriesM eat and Spinach PiesDAILY DELIVERIESWholesale and RetailOpen Daily6a.m.%u201c10o.m.idr map andmoreadvertisers%u25a0 %u25a0 *