Feb. 26, 2014 By Christian Murray
The plans put forward late last year by the owner of Blue Streak Wines & Spirits, located at 47-20 Center Blvd, to open a wine bar on the same block are still firmly on track.
The wine bar is expected to open in June or July, according to co-owner Rob Bralow, who is currently the manager at Blue Streak Wines & Spirits.
The new bar, which has yet to be named, will be located in the 1,500 sqf. space that was formerly TF Cornerstone’s leasing office.
“The goal is to create a comfortable wine bar, which will have somewhere between 50 to 65 seats,” Bralow said. The establishment will offer lounge seating—with couches and small side tables–with a bar comprised of about 20 seats.
“We want to be a quiet warm place for people to go to,” Bralow said.
“The loud clubby establishments are already in LIC, so we want to offer a quieter atmosphere where people can get a glass of wine or beer after work.”
He said the wine bar will offer a selection of between 30 and 40 different types of wine, and customers will be able to purchase them by the glass. The bar will also sell craft beer.
The wine bar will also offer small plate tapas style food.
The establishment will be owned by Bralow and three others. The other owners are Stephen Spiller, who owns Blue Streak, James Lee (who works at Blue Streak) and Jim Pileski, who owners the Burger Garage on Jackson Avenue.
Blue Streak on Center Blvd has been open for more than six year, before Shi opened and Skinny’s Cantina across the street.
Location of wine bar (former TF Cornerstone leasing office)
Featured Events
23 Comments
If the wine bar were the only place opening up, I wouldn’t really be so thrilled. I’m much, much more excited about the other places that have opened or will open up, like Mu Ramen, Hibino, 51st bakery, and the new French bakery. Let’s hope it’s just a matter of time before we get the retail holes filled in the neighborhood.
Hardware & house-ware store coming across the street from Duane Read on 5th Street. Also on 5th, a new French bakery is coming to the retail space of the new Maximilian building.
And to preempt everyone, yes we need a butcher, fish store and a shoe repair shop.
Woodbines, Alewife and the like are nice, but they cater to beer drinkers. I’m a wine drinker, and I’m happy a wine bar is opening up. I’m pretty sure if the customers at the wine bar are like me (likely, based on my neighbors), the crime rate will be just fine. I have never robbed anyone.
And yes, we need a hardware store!
I agree with Jonny 110%. I would like “anonymous” to explain, why “more bars attracts more crime”? Please enlighten us all!
If something would attract more people to the neighborhood making LIC a better place with more options…and consequently rising the property value. And if you think I’m a guy that goes to bars you are wrong I’m 38 years old and a father of a 1 year old baby. The area will grow, and there is nothing you can’t do about it. Funny no one mentioned the 7billon dollar investment in Lower income properties in Hunters Point, but yes…a bar is the problem!
I’m waiting for the person to chime in claiming this area needs a hardware store, not another bar. 🙂
winners – young people, renters, businesses.
losers – families, condo owners close to business.
Fantastic people, should be a fantastic bar!
I seriously hope that anyone talking about gangstas or bar crawls is kidding.
Jesus Chrits people – A new place is opening in our fine neighborhood. Whats wrong with having options – whats wrong with having good, fun places to frequent.
everyone seems to think there should be one of everything. We have a lot of people living in LIC — with many more to come due to all the building. The more the better – best of luck to the Wine Bar.
Restaurants and bars sit practically empty during the shutdown of the 7 shutdown. Yet all the residents are here, the only people are the real locals who support those businesses all year.
I read that comment but dismissed it due to the racial undertone. But you seem to agree that we don’t want any more of those Gangsta’s from Shi! Rainbow rolls and spicy tuna for all the G’s! Make it rain Maki rolls!
Seriously the people in Shi on Friday are your Queens neighbors visiting a nice restaurant. There is nothing wrong with them. They put on their best clothes to come out for a Friday night. Those clothes just don’t happen to be Gucci or Prada. They pull up in Honda’s not BMW’s. But there is nothing violent or criminal about the Gangsta’s eating sushi and dancing to that hippy hop music on a friday night. Sounds like fun….maybe you should try it once in a while.
You may be able to see Manhattan from your balcony but you are not living in Manhattan.
It stuns me that people are against new bars/lounges. You are clearly in the wrong city if this bothers you.
Also I would like to add if all the residents are in an up roar over the 7, why don’t you just eat/drink in LIC for those weekends, wait queens isn’t good enough for you, you have to be in Manhattan, so move there and stop making LIC the biggest hotel in the city.
Ro, so all the restaurants on Vernon attract so many people to this area every weekend? I guess I must be missing the rush period, the only times I see places busy is for brunch and at places with unlimited bloodys/mimosas, which under SLA law is illegal. So all the new bars will attract…. wait for it….. BARCRAWLS, so every 21 year old will be drinking there bodyweight in beer, ever been in Manhattan for St. Paddys day not a pretty sight at 9 in the morning or 9 at night.
Big question when did they go to CB for a liquor license hearing. Smells of some political hanky panky.
It’s not about the wine bar I guess you didn’t read the comment where some bars already cater to the gangsta crowd. The saturation of bars/lounges in this area is getting ridiculous.
I grew up in NYC and Williamsburg was never considered safe until it started gentrifying (bars, restaurants, and hipsters). I remember driving by Bedford in the early to mid ’90s and it certainly was not a place you wanted to walk at night. I also don’t’ buy the argument that more bar/lounges will dilute other existing establishment’s business. A critical mass of businesses attracts more patron’s because it gives them more options. Manhattan is a perfect example of that – this is retail 101.
haha – yeah a high end 65 seat wine bar selling $12 glasses of wine is sure to bring in the low class high crime people. This is an amenity for the people in the area that I support. Alcohol is not the problem but of course there are people who think it is evil.
As places become more populated crime rates go up. Places become populated for many reasons. Bars attract people but so do…
Beautiful free parks attracting people from outside the neighborhood. Probably also has the potential to attract thieves?
Two 40 story subsided apts buildings. I’d say there is the likelihood of a few potential criminals
A brand new middle school. Kids never commit petty crimes do they? Wait, no they don’t not unless they have had a glass of wine.
It’s inevitable….Crime rates are going to go up because more people are coming to LIC. Not because of a few new bars/restaurants. Certainly not because of wine bar.
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!
I agree with anon comment enough is enough with all the bars/lounges in LIC. I also agree with the comment of the crime rate will increase, just take a look at the compstats from Brooklyn when Bedford Ave. exploded with all the bars and lounges. Anyone remember the Water Taxi Beach, the rate of assaults, lewd intox., robberies, all increased the summers that they did operate, after they closed everything went down. Johnny needs to know the facts before he runs his mouth.
Johnny why don’t you look up the crime rates for Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn when the bar scene exploded in the late ’90s, then come back and run your mouth. Oh how people forget the Water Taxi beach when it was opened the number of assaults, lewd public intox., car break ins, all went up and as soon as it was closed the rate went right down. Why do we need more bars/lounges, the ones already here are having a hard time getting consistent business.
Look up for the stupidest comment ever!! “The more bar/lounges, the more crime rate will increase”, certainly I don’t want to be near you the next time you drink a glass of wine, you may rape me!! Wtf wake up you Mormon! You are in NY go back to Kansas and do a favor to humanity, thanks!
Doesn’t LIC already have enough bars/lounges? The more bars/lounges the more th e crime rate will increase. If you want craft beer why not support the businesses that are already here, for example woodbines, alewife, and opendoor offer craft beer. Opendoor and alewife offer small sharing plates, woodbines offers bar snacks that are great. Also never heard of this going before the CB2 for liquor license application.
This article was poorly written and/or edited.
But congrats to the new wine bar!! Shi and Blend on the Water already cater to the gangsta’ crowd, so happy that a quieter place is opening on the water.
What a great idea! These are such nice people and I very much look forward to spending time there! Good luck!