Brooklyn's Best Baking Company

 I drove up to St James on Saturday for a craft fair...it wasn't great. Luckily I happened to see a post the other day about a new bakery/coffee shop that recently opened up there so I took the address with me to check it out and see if it had sketching potential. Brooklyn's Best Baking Company at 420 Lake Ave, St. James was a delight! The display cases included bite-sized portions of cheesecakes in about 6 different varieties, cookies, scones, carrot cake, brownies, cupcakes, etc. It was so hard to choose! I had a coffee and a piece of carrot cake which was the first thing I sketched on my page (after I had a bite because I couldn't wait). They have a small area with tables for seating. My thanks to the friendly staff that didn't question why I was there for so long. I couldn't leave before buying something else to have after dinner tonight. FYI they do make larger sizes if you are interested. I think it is a good thing that they aren't closer to where I live.

I'm trying to do some of the USk December 2025 Prompts and this fit the list as a "coffee Shop."

Railroad Crossing

This started as a simple sketch for the scavenger hunt for "something for safety," but I ended up adding the background too. 

St James Building

This building is in St James right near the railroad station. I think it is an insurance office. It was a little different but that strange overhang was a problem getting the perspective right. The cellar door is on the wrong angle too! Maybe the vibrations of the trains affected the building. lol 

St James General Store

The St James General Store in St James is a fun place to visit. They have a bit of everything in the store and a selection of candy that I remember from childhood...like Turkish taffy and those dots on paper. It always brings back memories. Besides...it is such a colorful place too.