Church Avenue (2, 5)
Welcome to the Little Caribbean! This stop has two distinct aspects to it, and I’ll cover both.
Among the sounds of Haitian Creole and Jamaican Patois, you’ll find jerk chicken, fried chicken, and discount stores mixed alongside … hip cafes and vegan restaurants?
Normally, I’d think the sprouting of laptop cafes where 30-somethings are typing out novels and scribbling in moleskines would signal gentrification. But, here’s the thing. The patrons of these bougie spots mostly appear to be Black artists with impeccable style. The locks are fresh; the edges, laid; the bomber jackets, bespoke; the sneakers, immaculate. The area around this stop feels like a hub for Black creativity.
To access this hip vibe, you’ll want to stroll along Nostrand Avenue, which intersects with Church Avenue.
Here are my top five “hip” recommendations for this stop:
A vegan cafe featuring books and clothing styles by Black visionaries. This is a great place to have a meal with a friend, or sip a latte while reading a book.
Aunts et Uncles vegan cafe
An incredible cultural center which, as a bonus, is adjacent to Mr. P’s Homemade Ice Cream featured below.
The entrance to I Am Caribbeing’s, right next to Mr. P’s vegan-friendly ice cream.
Vegan AND Caribbean flavors? Sign me up.
It looks like a regular lil coffee shop, but this one’s got North African noms.
A cafe with chai and matcha lattes, cool art books on display, and patrons on their laptops.
Lips Cafe
Here are my top three recommendations for the old-school Caribbean vibe. Of note, Project 472 is a vegetarian, so my personal advice is limited. These recommendations are based on where I saw congregations of people who appear to be Caribbean immigrants, because they obviously know where to go better than I will.
Haitian baked goods! It’s a bit of a hole in the wall, and it’s excellent.
Immaculee Bakery. There are two locations, both on Nostrand Avenue, but this one off the Church Avenue (2, 5) stop has the fun exterior.
Looks like a lot of good meat!
Real Caribbean Hot Pot. If I ate meat I’d get the … surprise, surprise … jerk chicken.
Also looks like a lot of good meat!
Truthfully, I think there are so many more authentic Caribbean gems around here - if you can eat meat, please snoop around this stop and drop a comment with what you recommend!
