Gas station grub is having a bit of a moment: this spring, a new burger joint called Smacking Burger opened inside a Mobil Station at 51-63 Eighth Avenue in the West Village. And now Ali Zaman and the team from Little Flower Cafe has just opened a takeout concept inside of the BP petrol station at the Myrtle-Wyckoff intersection in Bushwick, slinging New York classics like chopped cheese, chicken over rice and more. 

RECOMMENDED: The 10 best sandwiches in NYC include chopped cheese, pastrami on rye and a falafel favorite

In the convenience store attached to the Brooklyn-based gas station, you’ll find a brightly colored takeout counter that will upgrade your usual snack stop. Nearly everything on the takeout menu is priced at ten bucks and under (you know how we love cheap eats), with a chicken-parm sandwich and that halal classic, chicken over rice, priced at a premium $12 each.

Between-the-bun options include a $7 smashburger, a $9 chopped cheese and an $8 “Dragon Boy” hot chicken sandwich ($8). (And that fried chicken sandwich has pedigree: Zaman’s father Sami—who owns the namesake Afghan restaurant Sami’s Kabab House in Astoria and Long Island City—also once owned a Popeyes franchise location.)

On the eclectic menu, you’ll find halal lamb kebabs butt against Hawaii’s loco moco (white rice layered with a hamburger patty and a sunny-side-up egg smothered in a savory gravy). There’s also Blue Hour’s take on a fast-casual hall of famer: the “Cwunch Wap Supweme,” a beefy copycat of a Taco Bell favorite. Herb-flecked French fries and tater tots gussied up with mushroom powder ($5 each), as well as a passionfruit lemonade, round out the menu offerings. 

With a name like Blue Hour (a.k.a. that moody period just before sunrise), it’s not surprising that the long-term plan for the takeout window is to be a late-night option for the neighborhood, especially for cab drivers in the area, reports Eater. 

Check out the Blue Hour takeout window below, as well as the concept’s tasty-looking food options:

* This article was originally published here

Bankside Park is a new waterfront park in Mott Haven—the residential neighborhood in South Bronx—that officially opened to the public last week, giving area residents direct access to the Harlem River for the first time in 100 years. 

The green space was built on an industrial brownfield (basically, underutilized land due to pollution)  as part of a larger project: the 4.3-acre Bankside mixed-use development. 

According to Bronx News 12, “the park offers lounge chairs, café seating, shaded areas and a gorgeous river view.” 

“The Bankside Project stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to revitalizing the Bronx through sustainable and inclusive development,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson in an official statement. “This remarkable transformation of a former Brownfield site into a vibrant, mixed-income community with waterfront spaces accessible to all members of our Bronx community, demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together. We are not just building homes; we are creating opportunities, enhancing livability, and shaping a brighter future for all Bronx residents.”

Bankside Park adds itself to a pretty hefty roster of new public parks that officials have been celebrating all throughout the city in the past few years. 

Pier 97 park, for example, is located across from West 57th Street and, although not yet completed, certain sections are already accessible by folks walking by. 

Last year, on the other hand, Brooklyn Bridge welcomed The Arches, a recreational space and community gathering spot set right beneath the landmark in Chinatown, located at the intersection or Rose Street and Avenue of the Finest. Last week, officials announced plans to develop the Brooklyn portion of the area, where 12 new pickleball courts will be set up alongside a number of other recreational pursuits. 

Finally, a little over a month ago, Abolitionist Place park, a 1.15-acre public green space that honors Brooklyn’s abolitionist history, debuted at 225 Duffield Street.

It’s the golden era of NYC public parks—and we’re absolutely here for it.

* This article was originally published here

Just a few days after officials announced that Union Square will debut its first-ever Night Market this July, Lincoln Center has joined in on the fun, revealing its plans for its very own night market as part of its Summer for the City programming. 

Aptly called the Lincoln Center Night Market, the “outdoor food emporium,” as the destination is referred to in an official press release, is open every night from Wednesdays through Sundays starting at 5pm through 10pm. The market will be in place now through August 10, excluding July 4. 

A number of vendors have already been announced, including Harlem Seafood Soul (lobster rolls! Waffle skewers! Mac and cheese bites!), Japanese purveyor Yakitori Totto, Mexican destination Maya’s Snack Bar, Haitian restaurant Bunnan and Cocotazo, a Puerto Rican eatery that, according to the release, “feels like a warm hug.”

In addition to the already announced food providers, visitors will get to order food from a tent with rotating options that align with each week’s programming at the center. 

Not part of the new market but still an exciting food-related update: Joe Coffee will be available from Wednesdays through Saturdays at Lincoln Center starting 9am to 5pm, the perfect fuel for the hundreds of other events that will take over Lincoln Center as part of its third annual Summer for the City Festival, which runs through August 10 and includes over 200 free or choose-what-you-pay happenings that span a variety of topics, genres and locations.

You can read through the entire calendar right here but standouts include virtual reality experience The Dream Machine, which features five distinct game-like interactive performances; a night of opera and drag with two superstar queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Monét X Change and Sapphira Cristál; and a silent disco night as part of India Week with DJ Rajuju Brown.

Browse through all the scheduled events and snag tickets right here. 

* This article was originally published here