Outside, dusk falls over pillared Victorian houses and spotted sycamores, their leaves starting to curl and drop with the season, but inside the bar, everything’s awash in a yellow glow and flickering candlelight. Three men walk in.
“Are you guys Twilighting?” The bartender asks, reaching for three wine glasses.
“Yes,” they say.
“Well then let’s get you Twilighted.” He fills each glass with a black and nutty hoppy brew, which the men accept and then return to their conversation.
If the scene sounds like it could have gone down in 1890, it probably could have, and this is not some freaky, Vampire-themed pre-Halloween bar crawl, either. We’re in the Sycamore bar in Ditmas Park, and the year is exactly … yesterday evening.
At the first-ever “Cortelyou at Twilight” fall celebration, sponsored by the Flatbush Development Corp, stores along Cortelyou Road between 17th Street and Coney Island Avenue stayed open late and offered discounts. Restaurants served complimentary snacks–roasted cauliflower with sweet-pickled onions at Farm on Adderley, punchim chocolate balls at Mimi’s Hummus, and creamed mushroom crostini at The Castello Plan were highlights–and the residents of Ditmas Park, which feels like the most diverse small town you’ve ever been to, came out to wander and enjoy their neighborhood.
Proceeds from each $20 ticket benefited PS 139 and PS 217 and their Garden to Café programs, which serve and teach kids about locally-grown food.
On the next page, check out more photos from the event.
