Mayoral Candidate Scott Stringer Meets and Greets Boro Parkers on 13th Avenue

By Yehudit Garmaise

    Mayoral Candidate Scott Stringer, who is New York City's Comptroller, made his way down 13th Avenue this morning to meet and greet Boro Parkers, eat a slice of pizza at Amnon’s, buy two books for his young sons at Eichler’s, and pick up a dozen red roses for his wife at Kineret,.

    After meeting a few leaders from Boro Park yeshivas today to discuss “the neighborhood and how to bring the city back,” Stringer stopped in for lunch at Amnon’s, where he was told Bloomberg and Giuliani had once eaten together.

   “Most people who come here, go on to win,” said Amnon’s owner, who jokingly took responsibility for launching the career of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who also stopped by for lunch when he was running in 2014.

   “So that is why we had to come here!” Stringer told people who had gathered around.

   “Everyone who has run for mayor has stopped by,” said Amnon’s owner. “We have been a staple in this neighborhood since 1958.”

   “This is excellent pizza,” Stringer said sincerely before asking at least one passerby, “What do we have to do to bring this neighborhood back?”

   As he stopped in the entrance to The Wine Barrel Shop to say, “Hello,” Stringer commented, “I don’t think I should buy any wine during the day,” said Stringer, revealing his Jewish roots.

   “I’m running for mayor,” Stringer told many Boro Parkers, many of whom responded, “Hatzlacha Raba” and “Good Luck.”

   To show that he didn’t just want “an Amazon world,” Stringer said he wanted to pop into Eicher’s where he could look for books for his 7- and 9-year old sons.

   After perusing the children’s aisles and getting a lot of input, Stringer wisely chose “KidSpeak 3” and “Chipmunk Trouble,” for which he waited in line to pay.

   As Stringer and his staff continued on their way down 13th Avenue, Kineret Flowers caught Stringer’s eye, as a “place at which he has in the past bought flowers for his wife.”

   After carefully considering a colorful and fragrant refrigerator of blooms, Stringer politely asked for a dozen red roses for his wife Elise, whom he said “works very hard,” as he wrote her a little note that he wanted to keep private.

   Looking up at a group of journalists who had gathered to report his visit, he worried, “Is Elise going to find out about this because one of you posts it on Twitter?”

   Reporters assured Stringer that his secret was safe with them, before reassuring him that, even though it is Monday, the flowers should stay fresh for Shabbos.

Photos by: Dovid Jaroslawicz/BP24