Has anyone else noticed the fantastic weather lately? If you’re digging this climate as much as we are, you’ll probably love this photo of a blossoming Park Slope, via omphale44 on Flickr.

Currently, people complain that G trains are infrequent, too short, and unfairly truncated during peak hours (it stops at Court Square in Long Island City, Queens on weekdays during the daytime, losing most of its Queens stops between Court and 71st Avenue in Forest Hills, Queens).

The thing is, the G wasn’t always terrible. The trouble started in 2001 with the inception of the V service, which covers the G’s Queens route during peak hours. To make matters worse, the MTA shortened the G train from six cars to four to make service more frequent, resulting in some cramped commuters.

Early this year, the G was out of the service for four weekends in a row while the MTA was making repairs. Shuttle buses filled in the gaps, and the Gothamist interviewed one New Yorker who preferred the shuttle to the G, as it was more reliable. Ouch.

On this Tue of days, we think it’s best to take a time out — and rock out, if possible. Take a look at this YouTube video for Steely Dan’s “Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me).”

Accessible via the A, C, and F trains, DUMBO is a daytime mecca for art and design studios and desirable neighborhood for families. The view of the Manhattan skyline isn’t bad either.

Popular attractions include:

Grimaldi’s Pizza. Famous for its smokey, coal-fired pizza, Grimaldi’s a New York institution. Frank Sinatra was a noted fan.

P.S. Bookshop. If you go there hunting for a specific book, you’re in trouble, but this used bookstore is great for browsing and discovering reads you didn’t know you wanted.

Zoë. For some off-Fifth Avenue shopping, it doesn’t get any better than Zoë, which features such brands as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, and Rag & Bone.

Image via Flickr

We’re famous! And by we, we mean Brooklyn. Brooklyn’s Finest, a cop drama starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, and Wesley Snipes, hits theaters tomorrow. Are you going to see it?

Check out the trailer below:

The words “smoke” and “joint” might not automatically connote barbecue in your mind, but all of that will change after your visit our latest Fort Greene find: The Smoke Joint. Located near the Atlantic Avenue mega-stop, this barbecue house is fast and cheap, with a menu full of tantalizing options. You can pick up your grub for takeout, or make a night of it with sit-down service.

The Smoke Joint’s menu is a carnivore’s delight, featuring such choices as beef and pork ribs ($11–$23), sweet and spicy wings ($7.50), and smoked chicken ($4–$14). Alternatively, ladies — and light-eating gents — will love the caesar salad ($5–$9), prepared with just the right amount of dressing and the option to add pork, beef, or chicken. Still not convinced? Nobody can turn down The Smoke Joint’s comfort-food sides, including mac and cheese ($4) and corn on the cob ($2.50).

If you’re looking for booze, you can visit the bourbon-filled Pig Bar adjacent to The Smoke Joint, or order beer or cocktails from the restaurant’s menu. (Let us know how the habanero-infused mango margarita tastes — we were too scared to try it.)

Check out The Smoke Joint at 87 S. Elliot Place in Fort Greene. 718.797.1011.

Brokelyn.com recently announced the winner of its ugly building contest. The first place pic, above, captures a warehouse at 126 3rd St. in Gowanus. It sort of looks like it’s crying, doesn’t it?

You can check out the rest of the entries at the contest’s Flickr pool.

Imagine if Goldilocks went apartment-hunting in Brooklyn.

She would shun Crown Heights — although super-convenient for Manhattan commuters, this efficient region is crowded to the point of bustling to the point of claustrophobic. “Too metropolitan,” she would say.

But what about Williamsburg? Metropolitan in a very different way — the jeans are claustrophobic, not the streets — Williamsburg would probably be a little posh for our yellow-haired youth, who still prefers porridge to crêpes. “Too trendy” would be the complaint.

For something, ahem, just right, Ms. Locks would likely travel to Greenpoint. One of our favorite neighborhoods, Greenpoint is a comparatively quieter neighborhood featuring a longstanding Polish community and recent smattering of hipsters overflowing from Williamsburg.

Goldilocks would love the neighborhood’s proximity to the L (…and the G), and even its nearness to Williamsburg, which is good every once in a while.

Now, to shop for chairs…

Image via flickr

A while ago, The New York Times printed an article about a young couple torn apart by the East River, billions of Subway stops, and the majority of bustling Manhattan. To put it simply: He lives in Manhattan, she lives in Brooklyn. This article, published in the Times’ Real Estate section, boldly referred to this pairing as a long-distance relationship.

But is it? As the crow flies, her apartment in Sunset Park, Brooklyn is a bit over 14 miles from his home in Hamilton Heights (Harlem), New York. Anywhere else in the country, this would constitute a 15 or 20 minute drive, however New York is not anywhere else in the country. The Subway trek requires 75 grueling minutes, as well as two transfers. And that’s, um, when the trains are running correctly.

Still, the aforementioned city between the aforementioned lovebirds isn’t exactly dead space — if I were a member of this “long-distance” couple, I’d arrange more of our meetings for the following approximate halfway points: the Union Square, the Village, SoHo, or Borough Hall. If only Romeo and Juliet had had it this easy.

It doesn’t matter if you call it a sub, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian sandwich, po’ boy, wedge, zep, torpedo or roll, it’s all the same thing: a delicious mixture of meat, veggies and cheese between two pieces of bread. Personally, I have lived in a lot of places in my lifetime, and I have to say that New York has by far the best subs ever. This is especially true if you go to a deli that really knows what they are doing and has fresh and quality ingredients. Who knows — these subs could end up being your new favorite lunch.

Let’s explore some of the most famous sub-serving delis in and around the Brooklyn area:

First off is Mill’s Basin Deli on Avenue T. This place has one of the best pastrami sandwiches you are ever going to eat. Each sandwich is also served with the deli’s delicious signature coleslaw. Pastrami is not something that anyone can just whip up. You have to have a nice quality cut of peppered brisket to really enjoy this!

Next on the list is Defonte’s Sandwich Shop, with locations on 3rd Avenue and Columbia Street. One of the specialties here is a Chicken Parm hero, which is pretty much a standard at Italian delis everywhere. The thing about this sandwich is that it has to be cooked just right in order to stay crispy and hot. And at Defonte’s they do just that. The chicken is tender and moist, the cheese is really nice and melted, and the bread is always fresh! Another thing that I really like here are the stuffed cherry peppers, which are known for being spicy but delicious.

Next on the list is the ever popular Lioni on 15th Avenue. This place has somewhere around 300 to 400 varieties of hero’s on the menu and each one is made to order. These are not only good quality and flavorful sandwiches, but just looking at the menu is sure to give you a few chuckles. For example, they have a lot of sandwiches named after famous people like The Joe Montana, The Mario Andretti, and The Joe Pesci.