Last week was one of the first days when you can feel autumn in the air. The shadows get longer, the daylight is shorter, people are outside enjoying the warm weather because they sense that next month at this time, it won’t be the same. It was a Thursday evening, and I couldn’t bear taking the normal bike route home – I wanted to go where I’d never been before, I wanted to go to Red Hook.

This area of town is unreachable by Subway, but can be walked to from the G/F train in Gowanus. A bus also goes there. It’s full of old abandoned industry, dockyards, and warehouses. Looking down the cobblestone streets to the water, you really get a sense of old Brooklyn – before the bridge was built and before it was part of New York. It was desolate, and I was struck by a time transcending feeling. Down on the Fairway, staring out at the Statue of Liberty and Staten Island, and seeing the late summer light shimmer on the water, I didn’t even spend too long taking it in – I walked through and went to Diego’s, a nice Mexican fusion restaurant.

“The Rhode Island Health Department found traces of bacteria that could grow into “Listeria monocytogenes” — which can cause serious and even fatal infections in young children and elderly people, or symptoms like diarrhea in healthy adults — in the Azteca Linda Corporation’s Queso Fresco white cheese and Queso Hebra string cheese, with a Sept. 11 expiration date.”

The bacteria apparently hasn’t aged to the point of danger, and the recall wasn’t demanded, but the Williamsburg workers decided not to risk it.

“Do not eat any food stuffs unless purchased from an authentic food truck for 30 days. Street meat does not qualify. Eating at the same truck more than twice in one week is not allowed.”

Pray for her, people.

Actually, she doesn’t seem to be doing too badly. She’s still updating the blog she created for this little endeavor, which means she’s still alive. The blog is pretty cute, too; she posts pics of the places she goes and the food she buys. Good luck to her!

I think I know. 20 years ago, and even today, Park Slope was an ideal neighborhood for young, aspiring artists. Then the yuppies found out about it, and gentrification ensued. It’s close to downtown, right next to the Park, safe, what’s not to love? Let’s stake a claim here and raise a family. Right? So they did.

Now it seems the small remaining artistic community is fighting back. The ghost stroller is a mockery of memorial bikes painted white. No baby in a stroller was smacked by a moving car – it’s some Park Slope artist lamenting the loss of his hepcat community to the thriving papoose wearing yuppie moms.

Gentrification is a good thing guys. It’s what lead to the development and safety of other Brooklyn communities, like the newly coined South Park Slope, and East Williamsburg. And so is art. It’s provocative and makes people think, even if they attribute a different meaning than the artist’s intended one. That comes with the territory.

As for the artists, I’d say don’t despair. Move to Bushwick.

Needless to say, I was utterly shocked when one of my favorite restaurants, Note Thai, on Bushwich Avenue, was shut down. Not only did they have my picture and a few dozen other photos of locals on the wall, but they were the only Thai place in our neck of the woods, and they served a kick ass extra spicy chicken pad thai, the hallmark of a worthy Thai restaurant.

I lay in bed last night imagining what the straw that broke the Thai camel’s back looked like. Maybe they didn’t have soap in the bathroom. Maybe there were cockroaches in the corner. Maybe it was just a hundred little things. Any way, I’m still sad.

And I don’t despair about eating there even though it was dirty. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it probably was so good because it was dirty. Now, I’m out of luck. I can’t always eat falafel from the Pita Palace. I’m resentful about the ranking system in general. I don’t see the health rankings in window shops. I want Note Thai back.

At Peter Luger, operating since 1887, the meat is all Prime, and after selected for proper marbling, it sits in a cold air circulated cooler to age. Did I mention that Peter Luger has been named the best steakhouse in New York by Zagat for 26 years running?

Needless to say I’m going to feast. Get my ma to buy a nice bottle of red, some creamed spinach and baked potato, Caesar salad with extra anchovy and garlic, and maybe a shrimp cocktail if I’m really hungry.

I love birthdays. No one can tell me what to do. I mean, they can, but I get what I want.

Beauty Bar Brooklyn, 921 Broadway Avenue at Melrose Street, Bushwick. JMZ train to Myrtle Av-Broadway station.

I went there for brunch yesterday and was sad to discover they have no egg sandwiches – no eggs at all, in fact. Instead, they specialize in the vegetarian bagel. I got an everything bagel with cream cheese, avocado and tomato – it was big and juicy, and a pretty good deal at $3.50. They also have muffins, toast, sandwiches and other such items. The coffee is pretty good I hear, but alas, there’s no freshly squeezed orange juice for non-caffeinated folks like me (only glasses of bottled juice for $3 – rip off).

Complaints aside, I think I like Café Orwell – but as a proud Bushwick resident it’s hard not to embrace businesses in the neighborhood. It’s fun for biking to, and there’s plenty of parking out the front.

Café Orwell is located at 247 Varet St (between White St & Bogart St), Bushwick, Brooklyn. By the Morgan Ave L train.

Peach Frog sells the most delightful designer clothing, footwear, sunglasses, candles, gifts, furniture and homewares, and they guarantee you’ll always save up to 90% off retail prices. As soon as I walked in the door, I was astounded to find an irresistibly lonely looking teddy bear for only a couple of dollars and an array of soaps and Poivre D’Or jams and honeys at similarly low prices.

After trying on expensive Fedoras in the neighborhood all day – she’d been considering buying a nice-looking but ill-fitting one for $70 at a nearby over-priced vintage store – my friend found The Perfect Fedora at Peach Frog, and it was less than $15.

Definitely check out Peach Frog next time you’re in Hipster Central – you’ll score hipster stuff, but you won’t pay hipster prices.

Peach Frog is located at 136 North Tenth Street between Bedford and Berry Streets, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Catch the L train to Bedford Avenue.

In fact, we don’t mind paying a little less in general. We rather enjoy it, you could say.

Enter Groupon, a site you’ve probably heard of and possibly neglected to explore. With subsites for most big cities — Brooklyn included — Groupon offers sweet deals from local businesses.

It works like this:

• Brooklyn biz contacts Groupon with a potential promotion — an $X coupon for less than $X cash — as well as the number of buyers the business would need to make it worth their while.
• Groupon posts the offer online — a new one every day! — and allows customers to purchase coupons via credit card. (Or Groupon gift certificate. My birthday is coming up, guys — take note.)
• If enough customers purchase the coupons, the deal is on! If not, everyone gets their money back. No hard feelings.

So, for example, Groupon’s current deal allows you to purchase a $30 coupon for the cleverly named 5 Burro Cafe for $15. The deal became “on” shortly after 8 this morning, when 30 people had purchased coupons. The current number is over 200.

How do you save $$$ in Brooklyn?