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Fall 2003 Student Guide: Features
Joy's In The 'Hood
by Mariah Balaban
Fall, 2003

Destination Brooklyn

Dip a toe into these waterfront neighborhoods. If you hustle, you can enjoy fish in the morning, borscht in the afternoon and a freak show in the evening.

Sheepshead Bay
Step out of the Q train at the Sheepshead Bay station, and you're in for a surprise: The cries of seagulls circling overhead, the sound of waves lapping against the docks and the smell of brine and fish in the air announce that you're now in the city's mecca of recreational fishing. Hop on the B4 bus going toward Bay Ridge; it'll take you down Emmons Avenue, right next to the bay. Despite the modern shopping complex featuring a Loehmann's and a Nine West outlet, the area still retains its maritime atmosphere. In fact, you can buy fresh fish right off the boats docked along the pier, or even take a fishing excursion of your own. The trusty Dorothy B, family-owned and -operated since 1925, runs two trips daily (7 to 11am; noon to 4pm); $24 gets you on the boat and includes the use of a fishing rod, tackle and one box of worms.

For lunch, stop at Randazzo's Clam Bar. This 75-year-old seafood shack is to Sheepshead Bay what Nathan's is to Coney Island (we'll get to that later). The neon lobster out front beckons you into a brightly lit and totally unpretentious restaurant where patrons order at the counter and then sit on long wooden benches, scarfing their oysters and fried clams. To see how the other half lives, walk up the street to the nearly century-old restaurant Lundy Bros. Although you might not be able to afford a meal, you should at least sneak a peek at the sunny crystal-filled dining room and the amazing raw-shellfish bar, the options laid out decoratively on ice like a scene from The Little Mermaid.

• Randazzo's Clam Bar, 2023 Emmons Ave at 21st St (718-615-0010). Lunch, dinner. Average main course: $10. Cash only. • Lundy Bros, 1901 Emmons Ave at Ocean Ave (718-743-0022). Lunch, dinner. Average main course: $18.

Click to view TimeOut New York Article