ABL: Year in Review

January:

• I missed the idiots of the Idiotorod but managed to find ping-pong in Williamsburg and a burger place I'd visit again and again.
• A doppleganger finds Sebastian; Sebastian doesn't seem to mind.
• Abilene opens, and ABL gets drunk more often.
• A Dunkin' Donuts banner appears on Court Street.
• A gigantic American Apparel store appears on Smith Street.
• Schnack raises its prices--the neighborhood gasps.
• Winston likes squirrels on TV just as much as he likes squirrels outside his windows.

February:

• We finally try Caserta Vecchia's pizza and the pizza debate continues.
• Key Food closes on Court--we now have to walk too far for groceries.
• The Costas statue travels to Switzerland.
• The neighborhood debates building size and aesthetics.

March:

• Zipper turns to Hasker.
• Neighborhood friendliness takes a new turn with free shredded cheese.
• Our first ever podcast (we did 47 total for 2006).
• How "no parking" signs are done in Bklyn.

April:

• The Good Fork media explosion (and our dinner).
• We do our civic blogging duty and hit up Taste of Chinatown, again.
• The re-emergence of Subway Reads series thanks to La Penguina.
• Shopsin's briefly flirts with Brooklyn (and is now closed).
• Spring comes to Brooklyn in the form of flowers.
• Yet another Sebastian doppleganger.

May:

• ABL checks out City Island right before Mooncurser closes.
• We rent a car, drive to Spumoni Gardens, dislike the pizza and endure verbal mud slinging from the old neighborhoodies.
• We checked out Greenwood Cemetery and get a good look at the Brooklyn parrots.
• BoCoCa sounds as lame as ever.
• Pathmark fails to impress.

June:

• We tried spumoni and didn't like it; another failure in our test of Brooklyn worthiness.
• The Brooklynite magazine ends its short run.
• Brooklyn bloggers go crazy at the first ever Brooklyn Blog Fest.
• We discover the best Italian ice on the planet--happily it's on Court Street.
• Strawberry-rhubard pie is delicious! (click for the recipe)
• Harry's at Water Taxi Beach opens.

July:

• DiFara's blows our pizza-loving socks off.
• We check out Fire Island and leave thinking it would be much better to, say, own a house there than stay in an overpriced motel.
• Italy (and Carroll Gardens) had a lot to celebrate--Go Italia!

August:

• The space that used to be Sparky's adds flagstone (and it's still not open).
• The stink plant blooms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
• The Perseid meteor shower lights up the sky.
• We try pie on a stick for the first time.

September:

• What we liked about Atlantic Antic.
• Park Slope's Tea Lounge comes to Cobble Hill.
• We ate a Dunkin Donuts ice cream cake (whoops!).

October:

• Henry Street is hot with Lucali's pizza.
• DUMBO Arts Fest rocks.
• We go apple picking in Long Island.
• Petite Crevette wows with the best crab cakes around.

November:

• Whole Foods breaks toxic ground.
• A giant sock monkey is seen roaming the Carroll Gardens streets.

December:

• BeatsMe gets a fuckin' haircut.
• Everyone photographs 11 Spring.
• Heights Players impress with "Into the Woods."