Third Avenue Festival

I am officially throwing down the gauntlet! For too long this community been divided. For too long this community been torn. For too long every resident of our great community has lost sleep looking for the answer to the following question: who best represents Bay Ridge in sporting and athleticism?

That’s why my colleague Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis approached me to join her, and we officially challenged our friends across the aisle, Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny and Councilman Vincent Gentile, to a Ping Pong match to decide once and for all who is the best of the best of the best of Bay Ridge.

And they accepted.

This star-studded event will take place this Sunday at the Third Avenue Festival, on the corner of 80th Street and 3rd Avenue at 4pm.

My colleagues from the Democratic party are still smarting over their Tug-of-War loss at the Bay Ridge Community Council Picnic, so it’s only fair that they are given a chance to redeem themselves. It must be hard for them to know that an elder statesman such as myself beat them handedly in the previous competition so I think it’s time to raise the stakes.

This week I attended the grand opening of St. Germain, a French Restaurant on 3rd Avenue. Although technically a bistro, I call it a restaurant because I’m Irish. I therefore call for the following terms:

In addition to the eternal glory of victory in front of the thousands that will attend this match at the 3rd Avenue Festival, I propose that the losers of this event must face further humiliation by purchasing lunch for the winners at St. Germain.

I look forward to their response. After all, what better way to showcase the pride we all have in Third Avenue, then to have the elected representatives of this community come together to celebrate the opening of a new business.

All kidding aside, the Third Avenue Festival is celebrating its 38th year this Sunday. This is our opportunity to showcase what is the best about our community, including its restaurants. While this Sunday is a great time to bring the stores to the streets, it’s important to remember that we need to keep shopping on 3rd Avenue. We keep our community alive by frequenting its stores, restaurants, and bistros, and I call on all of our residents, and those who love our community, to remember to shop local, and help keep our community a great place to live, to work, and to raise a family. See you at the Festival!