In My 'Hood - The 2010 Atlantic Antic

If you can't tell already, I really enjoy living where I do. For the past three years, I've enjoyed a couple of things about autumn in my neighborhood. One of them is the Atlantic Antic. The Atlantic Antic is one of Brooklyn's largest festivals and happens usually in early October, but this year was celebrated in late September. The festival stretches from Fourth Avenue in the Boerum Hill neighborhood to Hicks Street in Brooklyn Heights ( about 1.5 miles). I feel very lucky that I get to pretty much stumble up the block to Brooklyn's biggest and best street fair (I would argue that it is probably the best in the entire city, but I am biased).

Street festivals are pretty common in New York in the summer, especially Manhattan. Sometimes you'll pop out of the subway; and next thing you know, the street you're on has been closed and transformed by vendors selling on each side of the street. Sadly, most New Yorkers have been desensitized to street festivals because many of the vendors are the same and just travel from the one part of the city to the next each week.

Of course we have to do things a little differently in Brooklyn. :) What's great about the Atlantic Antic is that it is truly local, and many of the businesses on Atlantic Avenue really do make an effort to provide fun offerings to the public, whether it's food, music or kids' activities.

There's really nothing that the Atlantic Antic doesn't provide:

Great shopping!

A lot of Brooklyn love (the hearts are arranged in the shape of Brooklyn)

During the festival I was thinking about baby clothes a lot because my niece was due any moment. She was born two days later. I wonder if she'll like a Brooklyn onesie.

Lots of funky fashion available too.

You can even buy electricity! Well, sort of. I finally convinced Husband J to try out Green Mountain Energy. This company allows people to change the source of the electricity that we receive from our service provider, Con Ed (Consolidated Edison).

New York (and many other states) source their electricity from a mix of "not so great" sources.

Since signing up with Green Mountain Energy, the electricity we'll be getting will be from wind and hydro sources. Exciting! Other than a small fee, our electric bill will be the same. Thanks to Husband J for begrudgingly agreeing to get this for our household. :)

Since Brooklyn is teeming with children and this being the ultimate community event, kids are not without things to do during the Antic.

I was never one of those kids who liked getting their face painted, and I'm not sure if this little boy is either.

A bouncy castle! I thought about stopping in.

Now that we've established that the Antic is a pretty darn good street festival, we can talk about what I think it does best: The FOOD! :)

You've got your usual NYC regulation street fair food:

I swear these guys are at every street fair in the city, but their Italian sausage sandwiches are soo good!

Husband J and I gave ourselves permission to eat things we wouldn't normally. The Italian Sausage Guys, as I like to call them, have really upped their prices. I don't even want to tell you what we paid for this! It was unhealthily good though.

Roasted corn is an oldie but goodie.

Theres's also some unusual street fair food options too.

Sangria! There's so much beer at the Antic that we were pretty proud of ourselves for not getting any this time around. We even swore off the sangria, which is a rare feat!

Macarons seem to be everywhere including the Antic this year. I don't think a particular company was selling these, but this independent baker will take special orders. Sample flavors: Apricot & Saffron, Caramel Fleur de Sel & Pomegranate. Oh my!

Jolie, a French bistro, does a pig roast each year and offered roasted pork sandwiches. I was tempted to get one.

I often get freaked out by the pig heads, don't you?

Instead we just got Jolie's fries, or should I say frites?

Later on I got some great pork tacos. Savory and spicy just like I like them. I would have appreciated more salt and juiciness but still not bad at all.

Since we weren't drinking beer (we had a lot at home), Husband J decided to check out some artisinal soda. We enjoyed the NOT cheap but still good root beer (says the non-soda drinker) from Wild Bill's Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Company.

I wish we could have gotten one of those cool stainless steel looking cups with our self-serve drink. Oh well!

We were pretty satiated with all kinds of excellent and tasty unhealthy food that we didn't bother going to the end of fair. We just stopped about 3/4 of the way and walked back towards home.

My friends, that was my experience at this year's Atlantic Antic. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Do you have a favorite yearly local event?