Gregorys Coffee Opening on 71st/Continental

 

If this is the same one as here then this place will be an awesome addition to Forest Hills. 

Red Pipe Undergoing Renovation

Pink Forest Opens

Austin Street got its second coffee place Friday with the opening of Pink Forest. I dropped in today and found it to be a great addition to the neighborhood. It's a charming new coffee spot, with an Asian flair, representing the increasing influence of this demographic group on our neighborhood. I figured what better time to have my very first JianBing, the Chinese breakfast sandwich I have been hearing so much about? And I was not disappointed. It was downright excellent and I can't wait to have my next one at our new coffee and tea spot. And eatery, by the way. The place also serves bagels, which looked mighty fine as well.

As for the coffee, I also had an iced coffee and thought it was really good.

What's really interesting about Pink Forest is their choice of location. Those of you who have been loyal readers of this blog over the years might remember those early years when I begged for someone to open a nice indie coffee shop, like they had in basically every other NYC neighborhood. Well, first came Red Pipe, and now, pretty much right across the street comes Pink Forest. I hope both flourish. Red Pipe gets mighty crowded at times, and now we have an interesting new complement to it right nearby.

Putting the Artisanal in Coffee

So, I guess out with the tea, in with the art. Here's version 2 of the new Austin coffee spot's sign. An interesting change. The term "art" is quite broad, and could mean anything artistic I suppose. Thanks again to Joe for the pic, and for keeping an eye on the ever-changing Pink Forest coffee shop!

New Tea & Coffee Spot Opening on Austin St.

This is in the spot that used to be the candy store, and more recently was a jewelry place. Thanks to Joe for the photo!

Logos and Stuff

I know some of you have noticed we recently got a new logo. Well it just so happens I noticed over on Instagram and Facebook that Forest Hills' neighborhood coffee shop Red Pipe is also looking for a new logo and asking everyone to vote on their favorite. The choices are below and you can vote over on their Facebook Page.

Red Pipe's One-Year Anniversary

Forest Hills' only indie coffee shop is celebrating this week it's one-year anniversary. Yes, time flies. As a special gift to them, I am taking the liberty of posting their new menu, which I grabbed from their Facebook Page. I truly hope they don't mind.

Oh, and I see they give yours truly a little shout out down there in the corner. Thanks guys!

Red Pipe's June Events

The guys over at Red Pipe on Austin just tweeted their June events. I had been meaning to post this for May and forgot, so I'm making up for that right now!

Red Pipe Cafe Sign

It occurred to me I never posted photos of Red Pipe's new sign, a great addition to the look of Austin St.!

What's Up With? New Town Grocery

With Newtown Grocery (shown above a few years ago after an unfortunate mishap) apparently packing up shop, speculation has begun about what will be taking its place. The space is being marketed as "perfect for a corner cafe", with more than 1,000 square feet of space and, according to an ad I saw, would also include a couple of neighboring businesses. Some local folks believe it may be the up and coming coffee chain Caffe Bene that may move into the location. The chain has already opened a couple of locations in Astoria. And, as we all know, as the saying goes, "What's good for Astoria..."

Indie Coffee Shop Idea

I know a lot of readers would love someone to open an indie coffee shop in central Forest Hills. I recently checked out the former location of The Lite Choice (a.k.a. Tasty D-lite) in the "Mini Mall" on 71st Continental Ave. and it dawned on me that this space has some really good indie coffee shop potential. I mean, it's the right size, quiet, relaxing, laid back, out-of-the-way, has outdoor seating, and with a little imagination could be a really interesting place to hang out. Take a look at the photos I took below and can't you just see people chilling with their laptops and a cup of coffee? Imagine the space below transformed with some plants, nice lighting, nice tables and chairs. The space is even sheltered from the elements to some degree so with some outdoor heaters could even have outdoor seating through the chillier months. Anyway, just a thought. The only drawback is it is a little out of the way, since it doesn't front onto a major shopping street. But there are other businesses in there that have been around for a while, especially the barber shop, and more recently, Sun Cycle Studios.

No Coffee Shop for Station Square

I found out today that the space along Greenway Terrace that was being considered for a coffee shop will instead become some kind of a physician's office. Sorry coffee lovers!

Vanilla Sky Sign

They've put up the new sign. I guess it should be opening pretty shortly. I, for one, am much more interested in their coffee and any other snacks they might have than their frozen yogurt. Not sure if they got the permission for outdoor seating, but that would be really nice, too.

Vanilla Sky's Unveiling

The plywood around the Vanilla Sky at the corner of Austin and 70th Road (Restaurant Row) has been taken down giving us a good idea of what the new frozen yogurt/coffee place will look like:

Vanilla Sky Outdoor Seating

I for one hope they get the approval since I love to be able to eat outside during the nice weather (as opposed to during blizzards and monsoons). I was trying to recall if Europan had outdoor seating and I really think they didn't (not that I would have eaten there much if they did, but it would have made it a bit more of an attractive alternative).

Indie Coffee Shop Location

If — and it is still a big "if" since absolutely nothing has been confirmed yet — we do get a new indie coffee shop, this is the location in Station Square they are thinking of. It is on Greenway Terrace.

View Larger Map

Coming Soon: New Indie Coffee Shop?

This is not a done deal, but I wanted to share with everyone some potentially very exciting news for Forest Hills. I've been contacted by a reader who says an independent coffee house may be opening as early as this spring in Station Square. The place could even potentially have outdoor seating. If this does come to fruition, I think it has the potential to be one of the best developments for our neighborhood since La Boulangerie opened its doors a couple of years ago. Stay tuned over the coming weeks for more details!

In the meantime, the proprietor says he is most interested in any feedback from local residents. He wants to know how interested people would be in the idea and any other suggestions you all may have. The floor is open... What do you all think about getting our very own indie coffee place to curl up with a nice hot cup of joe, or spend some time hanging out with friends?

Newest Frozen Yogurt Place

This is coming to the space where Europan was. From what I hear, there's one in Astoria I believe. I haven't tried it though. (This is what happens when I get sick - supposedly this sign has been up on the store for a few days. So sorry for the delay! Thankfully, a reader sent this in.) Oh, and by the way, I don't know what a webside is either, in case you were wondering.