A new book celebrates Brooklyn's iconic storefronts

Illustrator Joel Holland's 'Brooklyn Storefronts' is a love letter to the borough, one sketch at a time

The following is an excerpt from illustrator Joel’s Holland’s new book “Brooklyn Storefronts,” which is something of a love letter to those iconic facades that surround us every day.

Brooklyn is a magical place. World famous. A muse. A wellspring. Even the water is famous! It’s the source of so many high-quality and influential people and ideas. As a kid, I was a sponge for all of it, from the movies of Spike Lee to the music of Gang Starr, the drums of Bed-Stuy’s Max Roach, and the genius designs of Paul Rand, who was born in Brownsville. And on and on.

I moved to Brooklyn (Park Place and Sixth Avenue) in 1998 and was immediately smitten. It didn’t feel like home — it was home. For years, I would buy Brooklyn T-shirts as holiday and birthday gifts, featuring script lettering with a big swoop underlining it all. I remember the long-gone shop where I bought them too.

Melody Lanes by Joel Holland (Courtesy Holland)

I remember my first corner store and the guys who hung out there. Every day, they would change the position of their folding chairs outside with the movement of the sun, to follow the shade. I remember ordering a pizza from Luigi’s with my friends Megan and Dolvie when they lived in Sunset Park. They said, “Ask for the special!” It came with an off-the-menu pesto drizzle topping. It was sublime.

L&B Spumoni Garden by Joel Holland (Courtesy Holland)

I remember living in Greenpoint and going to Peter Pan for the first time for coffee and a donut. They had reusable plastic holders for the paper cups, the workers were in uniforms, and the donuts were incredible.

I remember visiting Coney Island for a friend’s son’s birthday party and thinking, “I made it!”

And I remember already wanting to go back to Roberta’s literally one day after eating pizza there with Craig and Joseph.

Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop by Joel Holland (Courtesy Holland)

These stories, and the stories of all who know these shops, are the lifeblood of this book. My experiences, alongside those of writer David Dodge, editor Ali Gitlow, and our local friends and associates, have guided the list of stores included. We’ve tried to be as geographically inclusive as possible in order to present the borough most thoroughly. Our book is a collection of drawings featuring over 230 of the businesses that help make Brooklyn so special. The people’s borough. It’s a guide and an homage. That café in Crown Heights? YES, they do nails too! Need your knives sharpened while you shop for beauty-supply products? Go to John’s.

Cafe con Libros bookstore by Joel Holland (Courtesy Holland)

What about an animatronic holiday display? I know a guy. Want a fresh bouquet of flowers? There’s a great place in Bed-Stuy. Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def) put it best in “Brooklyn”:

“From the tree lined blocks to the tenements. To the mom-and-pop local shop businesses. Travel all around the world in great distances. And ain’t a place that I know that bear resemblance.”