Neck News

Ever since we, The Amazing Bob, Jen, Oni and meself, moved to the Neck there've been a few empty storefronts along Sea Street, the main drag.

They've always struck me as great spots for some local entrepreneurial bee. With the slow recovery from the Bush Recession, the windows stayed dark, the shops unoccupied.

Jen and I fantasized about what fab joints could occupy those vacant biz berths.

* Book store/Coffee shop!
* An art supply emporium!
* A cool, hipstery wine bar, serving vegetarian fare and Fratelli-crafted astounding pastries. There'd be meet-the-author nights with ASL 'terped readings from new novels, slender poetry volumes and scrawling from subway walls. The joint would also feature art by local painters (ME, darlings!), sculptors, potters and jewelry artists.

Yeah, that last idea, while mega magnificent, would be a long shot to say the least--a real pie in the sky but doesn't it sound GREAT!?

Here's the dealio, some intrepid impresario has just, this past week, opened an ice cream shop!!! Can you say AWESOME PLUS?! I sure can. Astoundingly, TAB and I've not been there yet. We will though--later today. Every fiber and molecule of my being is shouting MUST CHECK THIS OUT!

On the day they opened, there was a line, a crowd, a block long to get in there. I can't wait!

The name of the place is Hough Many Scoops. Snicker, snicker. Our locale? Houghs Neck. Named for Atherton Hough, Houghs is pronounced "Hows." Of course.

The place is situated, ideally, steps from an elementary school and directly across the street from the nastiest dive bar around. Yep, a bar so foul that even your faithful scribe (Moi!) won't go in. Maybe ice cream will melt the hearts of the miscreant element which frequent The Manet.