Swans in Sheepshead Bay

Although some stores are still closed, it seems to me Sheepshead Bay isn't in as bad shape from Hurricane Sandy as Gerritsen Beach still is. The area has really changed since the last time I was there, which was a couple of years ago.

 Emmons Avenue is pretty much all Russian now with the exception of one Italian restaurant that has been there as long as I could remember -- Randazzo's. On this trip I had decided I would eat all the foodstuffs I cannot get in Roanoke so although I had longed for raw clams at Joe's Clam Bar, which is no longer there, I had to settle for some at Randazzo's. My friend chose the fried calamari in hot sauce which was served with a hard tack. I sampled hers and it was okay, but I was disappointed in mine. $16.00 for a dozen raw clams, which were not cleaned well enough for my palate, seemed to be a little high. After we ate and realized we were still hungry, we both looked at each other and remembered that this place always felt like it was geared more to tourists than locals. It was worth the money just to eavesdrop on some of the conversations taking place around us. What a bunch of characters! I would have taken their photos, but I probably would have had my camera broken.

We walked across the bay and I was shocked to see swans in the ocean water. When the heck did that happen???

As we were walking along the avenue I saw two police vans pull up and a slew of ticket nazis emerged. The parking situation in Brooklyn deserves a post of its own so that will be coming at a later date.

After we went back to the car my friend decided I needed to see other parts of Brooklyn, so she kidnapped me and off we went...