new urban hang spot gets notorious

 

On the cusp of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Clinton Hill, hiding in plain sight on Atlantic Avenue is Frank White. Basically, a newborn in the ‘hood Frank White is five-months-old and as George Clinton said, “Gainin’ on ya!” This three times nice (café, lounge and gallery) spot is currently nominated by Time Out magazine as best new café and is already the go-to locale for hip social groups like The Afropolitan Society and Brooklyn Bloggers.

 

When the three owners spotted the vacant store front on a drive in Brooklyn, they were smitten. To make things better, it had a garden! But what’s with the name of their fledgling café? Co-owner Muhammida El-Muhajir says, “We were trying to come up with a name and we were like this is really weird that we’re not just in the neighborhood but literally 100 feet from where Biggie grew up for 20 years of his life! Wouldn’t it be cool to tie in somehow to that memory? Obviously, the neighborhood has changed quite a bit and there may come a time when that doesn’t mean anything to anybody around here…we thought about his lyrics and came up with Frank White. Obviously, you see this is not hip-hop, it’s kind of classic but we have little elements, we’ve got the picture (Barron Claiborne’s famous photo of Biggie wearing the crown is a permanent fixture and the photographer is a friend) and our drink sizes are Lil’ Kim, Diddy and Biggie. There’s just little elements.”

 

So, although Frank White does all the café type things from Belgium waffle brunches (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) to coffee drinks, smoothies and salads, they are also representing like a brand. From the eclectic and artsy magazines for sale to their stylish textured wall paper, hardwood floors and chandelier they do appeal to the neighborhood’s re-emerging artists community. “A lot of creative people live in this area, writers, stylists, graphic artists and there’s nowhere for them to see their work, you can’t find a magazine stand and Frank White really reflects the lifestyle of the creative class in this particular neighborhood and forget about it if you’re Black and you’re into some fly sh*t!” shares El-Muhajir. “I could hang out in Williamsburg or the ‘hood but can I have a space that can fit all my interests? That’s here. We like all those things, there are Black people who love design and making a beautiful environment. We pay a lot of money to go to other places like that and we want to provide that kind of experience, that’s an experience that we love and that’s why it looks this way.”

El-Muhajir says they will begin to focus a lot more on the gallery space in the near future and currently have their second exhibit up now. They’ll be showcasing emerging artists and hope to be “a platform for progressive people, with international taste that really don’t find an outlet in the city. As cosmopolitan as NY is there’s still people who can’t really find a place that fits them. Not just artists, people who want a place that fits them.” Clearly Frank White brings people together - and not just Brooklyn people. As two-thirds of the owners are from Philadelphia it’s only right that they pay homage to the City of Brotherly Love and that always forward but indefinable style that is Philly. “The Takeover”, as in Philly takes over Brooklyn, is a newly created multi-media event/ monthly series designed to “celebrate and highlight different aspects of Philly’s ever evolving scene” El-Muhajir beams with native pride in her eyes. If you find yourself on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn don’t fight the feeling and take a page from the book of that vocal titan Bobby Womack and “Stop on by you know I’ll be here …”

Frank White (Website)
936 Atlantic Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11238
Tel: 718.622.0840
Get there: C to Clinton Washington (Google Map)