Brooklyn's Progress
July 2003

Organizers of the popular Atlantic Antic festival in Brooklyn teamed up with the Zagat Survey on a two day special shopping promotion, “Walk The Windows - Atlantic to Zagat,” June 21 and 22. Borough President Marty Markowitz joined the promotion, which included the many highly rated Atlantic Avenue shops, restaurants and nightspots from the new Zagat Brooklyn Guide.

The Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC) presented the event on Atlantic Avenue from Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights to Fourth Avenue in Boreum Hill. Shoppers enjoyed raffles, discounts, complimentary tastings, live music, demos, sidewalk sales and freebies at shops, restaurants and nightspots along historic Atlantic Avenue. Street performers entertained up and down the Avenue. A Saturday night dance party featured the Big Band sounds of Art Lillard’s orchestra.

When “where to go” is the question, the Zagat Survey has the answer and its new Brooklyn Guide is stocked with spots on Atlantic Avenue. “Atlantic Avenue can satisfy the eclectic tastes of New York’s most discriminating shoppers,” said Tim Zagat. “This strip has some of city’s best finds when it comes to distinctive retail, restaurants and nightlife, all covered in our new guidebook.” Nina Zagat added, “Merchants here still offer friendly personalized service at reasonable prices.” Copies of the new Zagat Brooklyn Guide are available at Atlantic Avenue merchants for $9.95.

Zagat Survey voting online is encouraged. The newly reorganized Zagat Guide is cross-listed by neighborhood, cuisine and a host of special features, allowing convenient searches. The site offers the same on-target, pithy, numerical reviews as the print guide.

The future of Atlantic Avenue was also on the weekend’s agenda. A Town Hall Meeting focusing on the Master Plan for Atlantic Avenue was discussed with Borough President Marty Markowitz on Saturday, June 21. Attendance and community feedback is highly encouraged by Borough President Marty Markowitz, City Councilman David Yassky, Assemblywoman Joan Millman and the almost 50 community groups and businesses that have been working on the Plan. The Town Hall was an opportunity for the community to provide input and learn about a draft plan from the team that has been working over six months to redesign intersections, create a parking management system, identify new development opportunities, and design a more friendly streetscape.
 
Zagat Survey is the world’s leading provider of consumer survey-based leisure guides, with over 200,000
surveyors. Covering restaurants, hotels, nightlife, movies, golf, shopping and a range of other entertainment resources, Zagat content is available in books, at http://www.zagat.com/, on the Palm and Pocket PC operating systems, on mobile phones and on TV and radio.

Atlantic Avenue spans three historic districts in Brooklyn, as well as Downtown. It is a retail hub for
contemporary home furnishings, antiques, middle-eastern markets, and eclectic dining. A host of new
specialty shops now line Atlantic Avenue.

The Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation is a Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to the economic development of the Atlantic Avenue area from Fourth Avenue to the East River waterfront in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to the Atlantic Antic, the organization’s activities include implementation of streetscape improvements, historic storefront preservation, and advocacy on issues of importance to the retail and residential community. For more information, please call AALDC at 718.875.8993 or visit http://www.atlanticave.org/.