Urban Spring board

I've mentioned Brownstone Beans here before, and my on-going attempts to check out where they are brewed and get to know the founder better. I also mentioned that I discovered them (him?) when I walked by a coffee and juice bar in Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn called Urban Spring. This morning I was able to spend some time with Urban Spring's owner, Gordon. (I admit that I was slighly distracted by the fact that we were being recorded by a journalist, so forgive me if I have some of the details wrong.)

Gordon and his wife met while in Afghanistan, traveling around the Middle East region consulting for the United Nations. When his wife decided to return to the states to study acupuncture, they moved to Fort Greene with the assumption that his foreign experience would lead to quick employment. Things didn't go as smoothly as planned, and Gordon soon turned his sights to a vacant storefront on DeKalb with the idea of opening a juice bar (a soft-sell to a broader clientele than green building) and make efforts to consult on the side. Around the same time, they heard that Peace Church on Washington Square Park was being torn down - and a bit of being in the right place at the right time offered them the opportunity to salvage some beautiful artifacts from the landmark. Today, their benches are made of the church's floor boards, and shelving and the bar are constructed from wall and balcony moldings. A friendship with Angelica Kitchen taught them the basics of healthy baking using local ingredients, and an introduction to Harold led them to offering the only coffee brewed in Fort Greene, in Fort Greene.

Gordon said he and his wife are still very interested in green building, as well as community building and are working on a number of side projects that might combine the two interests. I'm looking forward to staying touch with him and seeing what they're up to. And excited to be able to sample more than just their coffee (which is french pressed and strong!).

Photo by Fred Froum from urbanspring.net