Brooklyn Boro

Atlantic Avenue Scavenger Hunt draws shoppers for Small Business Saturday

December 2, 2014 By Rob Abruzzese Brooklyn Daily Eagle
While Black Friday gets widespread attention each year, Small Business Saturday is important to the local economy. The Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District participated on Saturday by hosting a scavenger hunt to kick off the holiday shopping season at The Moxie Spot. Eagle photos by Rob Abruzzese
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To kick off Small Business Saturday in Brooklyn, the Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (BID) hosted a scavenger hunt on its namesake thoroughfare, where participants traveled up and down the avenue in search of clues that would answer riddles to win a $50 gift certificate.

The Nov. 29 hunt began at The Moxie Spot on Atlantic Avenue on Saturday morning. The BID came up with the idea for the scavenger hunt after the New York City Historic District Council (HDC) named the neighborhood one of its “Six to Celebrate” for including significant architecture in an area that is not otherwise designated historic. With the help of architectural historian Jane Cowan, the BID designed a hunt using architecture as clues.

“It’s meant to be self-guided,” Cowan said. “It covers the entire stretch of Atlantic Avenue from the river to Fourth Avenue. The focus is on the architecture itself. It’s not on anything that can change like a storefront design, if the store has a window display, or even the stores themselves.

“The idea is to get kids and families to look up and appreciate the historic architecture. This is a great stretch of 19th Century commercial architecture. And you won’t be able to Google any of the answers.”

There are 12 clues in various buildings participating in the scavenger hunt. Anyone who missed the event on Saturday can still play by stopping by any of the participating Atlantic Avenue businesses, which still have signs in their windows, or by contacting the BID (www.atlanticavebid.org).

“When you look at the demographic around the neighborhood here, we’re surrounded by kids and young families,” said Josef Szende, executive director of the Atlantic Ave. BID. “We thought this would be a great way to get them out and looking at their own neighborhood. This is historic area that you can treat like you are a tourist in your own town.

“And while they’re out, why not stay for brunch? Why not take advantage of the shopping opportunities during the holiday season?”

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