by Steve Farber (stevefarber@gmail.com) Damascus Bread and Pastry Shop, 195 Atlantic Avenue Ghassan Matli beams behind the counter, introducing his baker and friend, the man who’s been making by hand the exquisite collection of tempting pastries behind the glass for 28 years.  Matli himself has been there for 30 years, running the shop for the third generation of the Halaby […]

by Erin DeGregorio   For many, August is the final month to celebrate summer with last-minute plans, when school is right around the corner again.  But you don’t need to travel far or long to have fun. The new South Brooklyn route of NYC Ferry, operated by Hornblower, provides new ideas for local day trips — all for the price […]

Spring at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden An essay by Ramaa Reddy Raghavan  It is Spring, but where is the sun?  As I write this piece in mid-April, the temperature outside is a frigid 47 degrees and everyone around me is fed-up with this downright, depressing weather. After the long winter, filled with nor’easters, rain and snow, I find that I am ready for a change. So, with a spring […]