Tofurky Part Two: On The Flaws of Inductive Reasoning

In my last post I said that there was no Tofurky in Flatbush, and that I had to trek all the way to Manhattan to gratify myself. Well, I should also mention that I am new to Flatbush, and I based my conclusion on inductive reasoning. There was no tofurky at any nearby stores, providing evidence that there was no Tofurky in Flatbush, period.

I am glad to say that I was very wrong.

Yesterday, I woke up wanting to explore deeper into Flatbush. I live on the border of Flatbush and Lefferts Gardens, so I haven't been too far down yet, or too far off Flatbush Avenue. I decided to take a stroll down Cortelyou, and here is what I found: a small micro-community of yoga loving, cafe loving, organic loving Brooklynites. It might have taken me twenty minutes to walk there, but I have a funny feeling I'll be there all the time, and in a second you'll probably see why.

The first thing I came upon was Third Root Community Health Center. Offers dirt cheap and by donation yoga, acupuncture, and meditation classes. Here's the mission of the center:

"At the Third Root Community Health Center, we strive to thrive and achieve social justice and community wellness by providing holistic, collaborative care in an accessible and sustainable manner. Our greatest intention is to watch students and patients walk out of the center with a heightened perspective regarding their own potential for good health."

Amazing. Really nice staff, beautiful entrance, lots of options for novice to advanced yogis, even a vinyasa flow class on Tuesday nights. I'll be there of course, dragging along my husband, next week.

The really cool thing about this area are the community-owned businesses. The market where I found the Tofurky, Flatbush Food Co-op, is jointly owned by all the members who support it. They had all sorts of locally grown organic products, in addition to a really nice selection of bulk foods. They even carry packs of seitan to use in your culinary adventures at home. I was really impressed by the selection, enjoyed the free samples (Mmm... mango salsa), and had to keep reminding myself I was in Flatbush.

So, inductive reasoning failed me. There IS tofurky in Flatbush. And an awesome neighborhood, too.

The other co-owned business I came upon was a cafe I've been hearing tons about from locals: Vox Pop. Vox Pop had a comfy, local feeling to it, which reminded me of Grounded in Manhattan, except way less crowded. They had seating indoors and outdoors, a large menu, friendly staff, free wifi, and an area for children to play in. They were out of everything I wanted that day ("Can I have a chai latte? You don't have that? How about a caramel latte? No? No, I definitely don't want peppermint flavored. Uh... Green tea? Ok...) And they were playing heavy screaming metal for the duration of my stay, which led to total sensory overload. Their was definitely a political vibe to the place, but it wasn't too intense, and overall it just seemed like a lot of locals looking to read a book or the paper or hang out with the staff. I love the neighborhood feel to cafes in Brooklyn, and this was no exception. I'll definitely be back, so stock your chai, Vox Pop.

Third Root is located on 380 Marlborough Road, just off Cortelyou. By donation meditation and vinyasa yoga is offered Tuesday nights from 8-9:30pm. Paid classes $10.

Flatbush Co-Op is located on 1415 Cortelyou Road and is open 7am-11pm

Vox Pop is located at 1022 Cortelyou Road. Open till Midnight weeknights, 1am weekends.