Hit 99-year-old Gottscheer Hall or brand-new Topos Too Historic yet trendy is Ridgewood

by Stephanie G. Meditz Chronicle Contributor

With the influx of thrift stores and minimalist cafes, Ridgewood has followed in its trendy Brooklyn neighbor Bushwick’s footsteps and become one of the most hip neighborhoods in Queens.

The historic neighborhood strikes a balance between the old and the new, as new businesses emerge amid the brownstones with hopes to join the ranks of landmarks like Gottscheer Hall.

Gottscheer Hall on Fairview Avenue has been a Ridgewood staple since its founding in 1924. Serving up beer, wine and traditional German pub grub, it is a nod to the waves of Gottschee immigrants who came to cities like New York and Cleveland in the early 19th century. The county of Gottschee lies in south central Slovenia, and the language spoken there is considered one of the oldest German dialects.

Bartender Danny Kikel said Gottscheer Hall still hosts ethnic German cultural clubs, dances, choir and more.

“Forty years ago, [Gottscheer Hall’s clientele] was a bunch of people who came from Gottschee and Europe. This was their place. Now, a lot of them passed away and their kids moved away, but the place is always regenerated with the neighborhood. And once people come here, they always come back,” manager and president Joe Morscher said.

New businesses collaborate with the iconic tavern to foster a sense of community between old timers and newcomers, who Morscher said “love the German beer.” Gottscheer Hall hosts karaoke nights and DJ parties on weekends in partnership with Woodbine and Tiny Arts Supply.

Topos Bookstore likewise uses art, namely the written word, to encourage connections in the community. The cozy space on Woodward and Putnam avenues has brought coffee and used books to Ridgewood since 2014.

Owner Anny Oberlink saw an increased demand for new books in the store.

At the end of October, Topos opened a second location dedicated to new books, Topos Too, at 59-22 Myrtle Ave. The larger space, complete with tin ceilings characteristic of classic Ridgewood architecture, will host all of Topos’ future events.

“We love Myrtle Avenue ... there’s a lot of great businesses, so it feels like it’s a really nice commercial area to be a part of,” Oberlink said.

While the menu at Topos’ first location is limited to cafe fare, the new location will add beer and wine to the list.

Oberlink hopes the new space will host book clubs, community meetings to discuss literature, poetry readings and book launches, ideally spotlighting local authors.

“I think literature really is a way to bring people together that may not necessarily have an opportunity to meet each other,” she said. “I think a lot of people meet their friends in these spaces.”

Hip And Happening

“The hipsters, all different people come here. They love this place,” Morscher said.

“What’s happened in the last 10, 15 years is amazing,” Kikel said. “I think people like this place because it’s old, obviously. It’s authentic.”

Described as a volunteer-run experimental hub, Woodbine on Woodward Avenue helps community members develop autonomy through workshops, classes and discussions, including reading groups and film screenings. It also hosts Sunday dinners, an open gym twice a week and a community fridge.

Tiny Arts Supply is an art supply store on Catalpa Avenue that hosts classes and workshops in the neighborhood to use art as a unifying force.

Aware that Topos is one of many new developments in the neighborhood, she aims to include longtime Ridgewood businesses and residents in her vision of community. Topos’ first location formerly hosted a reading club consisting entirely of Polish language books to connect with Ridgewood’s large Polish-speaking population.

“We want to encourage ... highlighting businesses or working with people who have been here for a while. I know there’s a lot of new people coming into the neighborhood ... we’ve been here for 10 years, but we’re still a somewhat new business. But I feel like there’s ways to work in a community where you kind of [provide] a space for people to explore a creative side,” Oberlink said.

Over time, Ridgewood has come to be known for its many coffee shops.

Norma’s Bakery & Cafe has called the corner of Catalpa and Forest avenues home since 2012. Along with a full menu of coffee, espresso and signature breakfast sandwiches, the cozy cafe serves seasonal baked goods and flavor syrups, both made in-house.

Lovers of Variety Coffee Roasters’ various Brooklyn and Manhattan locations can now find their favorite coffee shop on Grandview Avenue in Ridgewood. With a focus on freshness, Variety offers a menu that aligns with the growing seasons of several coffee-growing parts of the world, including Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Ethiopia and Mexico.

Bring your laptop to Milk & Pull on Seneca Avenue and Madison Street, where its ample space and free Wi-Fi allow you to get work done with a seasonal pastry and your favorite caffeinated beverage.

Ridgewood also touts several thrift stores with offerings as eclectic as the community itself.

Gotham Thrift on the corner of Fresh Pond Road and Myrtle Avenue is home to a vast collection of vintage comic books, vinyl records, glassware and more, with several racks of clothing toward the back of the store and a box of children’s clothing for just $2 a piece. One could spend an afternoon scouring the shelves or simply admiring antiques, such as a vintage typewriter and turntable.

As a buy-sell-trade outpost, Other Peo- ple’s Clothes on Woodward Avenue combines style and sustainability. Its groovy interior invites shoppers to peruse its numerous racks of clothing and wall of accessories.

Music gurus might check out Deep Cut Records on Catalpa Avenue, a buy-sell-trade for vinyl records heaping with hidden gems.

Ridgewood’s nightlife lets you kick back and enjoy a drink, see a show, dance the night away — or possibly all three.

The Windjammer first opened on the corner of Grandview Avenue and Bleecker Street in 1982, closed for a brief period in 2016 and reopened under new management that same year. The old-school space, complete with pool tables and arcade games, pairs well with an ice-cold beer.

The back room serves as a community art and performance space. Footlight Presents hosts several open mics and workshops in addition to live music, dance and theater performances by local artists. Admission to most events is on a sliding scale and some are free, such as open mics at 9 p.m. on Mondays.

TV Eye on Weirfield Street describes itself as a “funhaus,” or a bar, nightclub, concert venue, art gallery and restaurant. Its four bar rooms, art gallery and courtyard have an aesthetic reminiscent of punk and rock ’n’ roll.

TV Eye’s extensive event calendar includes concerts by local musicians, comedy shows such as Tinder Live, themed dance parties in the ballroom and free karaoke on Tuesdays.

Brooklyn’s beer and vinyl record hub BierWax came to Ridgewood on the corner of Madison Street and Cypress Avenue last year. In addition to music from owner Chris Maestro’s collection of over 3,000 records, BierWax Queens features vinyl-only DJ sets.

“All these people coming in here are entrepreneurs opening up their own little thing to have their own little spot,” Morscher said. “That’s great. That’s the old European style.” Q