From a 55-year-old lamp doctor to the return of a fashion favorite, here’s what’s open in West Brooklyn.
A new doctor is in town. After 55 years in Midwood, The Lamp Doctor, a specialty business that restores lamps, chandeliers, and other lighting fixtures, has moved into 135A Huntington St., a former record store, in Carroll Gardens.
Carol Romeo and her late husband Peter started the business in the ‘70s. Through the years, they built a reputation for completing lighting projects, small and large, from reimagining family heirlooms to historic restoration jobs.
“We’ve done restoration for landmark buildings in Manhattan, the Armory up in Harlem, the building next to the World Trade Center, where the outdoor lighting was damaged during the attacks,” said Romeo.”
She recently bought an old claw-foot tub with which to wash decades of grease and grime off of vintage lamps before bringing them up to code.
Romeo has seen a boost in business in recent years thanks to renewed interest in mid century modern design. “People buy lamps from Germany, Sweden, Europe, and then they have to be converted to U.S. standards. We do a lot of that,” Romeo said.
Over in Cobble Hill, one of the city’s original cult-favorite American clothing brands is having a quiet renaissance. Steven Alan has opened a boutique at 196 Court St. It’s his second opening since shutting 23 former locations, including one on Atlantic Avenue, by 2019. The designer happened upon the Court Street space, formerly Su’juk (a vintage store), while his son was working on a pop-up a few doors down.
“Since Covid ended, I feel like there’s been a clamoring for curated brick-and-mortar retail, but it has to be genuine,” Alan said. “The direct-to-consumer companies that opened up all these stores felt very cold. They were like business plans. Being in the store is really important. I like to be here. This is my office.”
“I find it very helpful, as a designer, talking to customers, seeing the actual clothes on people,” he said. “It just makes sense to me.”
Already, he’s observed that more than half of those frequenting the shop are women—and they would like to know when more women’s clothing will be in stock. “I have a lot more in the works,” Alan said. Shirts, dresses, and knitwear will soon be on shelves, but don’t expect pants.
In Dumbo, another response to a private equity-dominated retail landscape blooms like a rose through the concrete. Overdye, a showroom curating artisanally crafted products, many of which have origins in Japan, is taking appointments.
Co-founder Graeme Styles began reselling clothing in middle school. In 2023, he connected with Matt Smith, who was then running a resale operation focused on Visvim, a luxury Japanese menswear brand. The two started a website and eventually decided to go retail.
Overdye sells Visvim, Arc’teryx Veilance, Taiga Takahashi, Samurai, OrSlow, Applied Art Forms and more. In the showroom, by appointment only, Styles’ wealth of knowledge shines.
“Especially with Japanese brands, there’s a huge emphasis on craftsmanship and artisanal things that are probably the most inconvenient production method possible,” said Styles, who spent time in Tokyo through a pre-college program. “I realized there was no one my age documenting and preserving this sort of craftsmanship, these special product methods. If I don’t record this, then it’s actually going to be forgotten pretty much outside of Japan.”
Back in Carroll Gardens, Trudie’s Tavern is now open, serving a rotisserie chicken dinner with a memorable gravy—acidic, herbal—for $38. Nate Adler and Rachel Jackson, the husband and wife duo behind RAD Restaurants, along with Emily Tripp, chief operating officer, have successfully transformed what used to be Buttermilk Channel into an upscale New York tavern. The main dining area has been sectioned off and faces a hand-painted mural by artist Izzy Bulling.
While the rotisserie chicken is the star of the menu, there’s more. A raw bar, a cheeseburger, steak, housemade pasta, fish, lamb schnitzel for two, a giant latke, schmaltz fried rice, and house-baked pretzels shine.
With the recent sports fervor that has swept the city, it’s a great time to open a bar with a television. Hidden Rivers, whose name is an homage to the historic waterways that once existed in Gowanus, has opened at 291 Nevins St. with a curated beer program and thoughtful cocktail menu.
“We’re going to switch out a spotlighted brewery that isn’t local to New York every month, starting with Trillium in Boston,” said Patrick Watson, who runs the bar with his wife Michele Pravda and friend Dhruv Mohindra. Watson and Pravda also operate the liquor shop Smith & Vine.
Ven. Space founder Chris Green has opened a permanent archive location at 163 President St. What didn’t sell at Ven. Space can eventually be found at Ven. Archive, where past season collections go for as much as 50 percent off.
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