The 2013 Brokelyn Beer Book is on sale today, just in time for Valentine’s day. $30 gets you this gorgeous, pocket-sized coupon book containing coupons for 30 free beers at 30 bars. And not just any bars: The Brokelyn elves have spent the past few months curating the best beer bars in town.
This year, Brokelyn is offering not one, but TWO books to choose from, each containing 30 different amazing bars!
Some of our Greenpoint favorites are included in the book, Black Rabbit Bar and Diamond Bar plus it is alway fun to explore other hoods while sampling some yummy brews!
PRO TIP: If you’re buying one for your sweetie, don’t forget to buy one for yourself as well!
Greenpointers is extremely proud to be a sponsor for this Sunday’s (11/11; 12-8pm) Brooklyn Vintage Crawl, when you can shop and bar hop and get amazing deals on Brooklyn’s best vintage. Even better, while you shop you will have the opportunity to donate to Sandy Relief efforts in each store!
Check out all the local vintage shops and bars participating here.
•Slowfax (455 Graham Ave) 20% Off Clothes & DJ in the shop
• Antoinette (119 Grand St.) is having musical performances plus 10% off in store. 100% of Tote Sales will be donated to Sandy Relief in Breezy Point.
• Brooklyn Reclamation (676 Driggs Ave) will have snacks plus 20% off non-sale items, which could add up to a lot of savings on furniture and home accessories.
• Fox and Fawn (570 Manhattan Ave.) is giving away a free vintage gift with purchase!
• Tiger Blanket(421 Graham Ave) 20% off Everything & performance by alt-country duo The Stone Lonesome, plus 20% donated to Red Cross
• Horizons Vintage (381 Metropolitan Ave.) 30% off, Drinks by donation for relief efforts
• RePOP 95% Recycled (143 Roebling St.) 10% off; 10% donated to Sandy Relief efforts. Artworks by Tom Gleeson. DJ, Complimentary drinks.
Bars:
• Manhattan Inn (632 Manhattan Ave.) $3 Sixpoint drafts, $9 Old Fashioned’s … and Free Rum Punch with brunch!
WEDNESDAY 5/30 ♦ Flux Death Match: The New Aesthetic @ Flux Factory (39-31 29th St, LIC) 8-11pm, Panelists will argue over The New Aesthetic – a recent visual culture meme born of a Tumblr account and propelled into heated on- and off-line discussions, More info
THURSDAY 5/31 • Pickling Workshop with Kate Payne @ Word (126 Franklin St) $30, In this interactive class you’ll learn about small-batch pickling and fermentation, includes a copy of her book The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking, Buy Tix ♥ Ladies Arm Wrestling @ The Diamond (43 Franklin St.) 8:30-10:30pm, $3 to compete, includes a free beer, pre-register by 8:15, free to watch
FRIDAY 6/1 ♦ The Visitor @ Black and White Gallery/Project Space (483 Driggs Ave) Opening Reception 6-9pm, Suggestive of the cult sci-fi film The Man Who Fell to Earth starring David Bowie. In the context of the show the viewer is the Visitor, an Other who is invited to penetrate the artists’ seemingly fantastical but plausible realms in an attempt to save his own personal home planet, More info • Chicago Brooklyn @ Book Thug Nation (100 N3rd St.) 7-9pm, The Chicago Center for Literature and Photography brings a showcase of its published writers to town for a reading, joined by Moonshot Magazine and hosted by Brooklyn Spaces ♫ noon:30/ play/start / Leda w/ DJ Sebastian @ Union Pool (484 Union Ave) 8pm, $8, presented by Permanent Waves, a network of feminist artists and activists who want to challenge gender inequality as it manifests itself in art, politics, and our personal lives, and want you to join, RSVP
♦♦♦All Weekend: Bushwick Open Studios ♦♦♦
An open and inclusive event that benefits the neighborhood by sharing artistic projects and encouraging community interaction and dialogue. BOS brings the neighborhood’s thousands of artists and performers out into the streets and in view of each other, other community residents, and the general public, More info
SATURDAY 6/2 • McCarren 5K Run/Walk 2012 @ McCarren Park, 10am, Funds raised from this Run/Walk will help support programs and services to over 2,500 children and youth of modest means in their summer camp and after school programs in North Brooklyn, Event Brochure, Register ♦ The Project Collective, Art & Music Fundraiser @ Dekalb Market (138 Wiloughby St) 10am-10pm, proceeds from the event will go to UpRoar Art, a non-profit working very hard to bring free or low-cost art education to Brooklyn Public Schools and other arts organizations, artwork, events include, newspaper planting pots for kids, nail art by Ria Nailz, tarot card reading, music by SuperCrush, RSVP • Sun Boxes @ Brooklyn Botanic Garden for AMBLE (900 Washington Ave.) 12pm, Sun-Boxes, a solar-powered sound installation from Craig Colorusso, presented by Paper Garden Records, will make for a beautiful day as you wander through the Gardens, RSVP • Summer Stand-Up to Poverty Comedy Show and Fundraiser BBQ @ The Cee Flat (988 Manhattan Ave) 4pm, The Asian Affairs Committee of UNA-SNY Young Professionals invites you to an evening comedy performance and summer barbecue to benefit humanitarian aid, RSVP ♦ DIVISION 169 @ Rawson Projects (223 Franklin St) 6-8pm, a group exhibition curated by Justin Adian and Wendy White, RSVP ♫ Ondyne’s Demise/Lussuria/Believer @ Big Sky Works (29 Wythe Ave) 8:30pm, $10, a haunting evening of dark music with trapeze and dance, RSVP
SUNDAY 6/3 * Opening Day: McGlorick Park Farmers Market @ McGolick Park (Russell St) 11am-4pm, Click here for vendors ♫ Frolic! Rock Fest @ CitiStorage (5 North 11th St.) 12-6pm, family event on the East River will featuring children’s amusement rides, BBQ food, Brooklyn Brewery beer, Italian ices by Uncle Louie G’s, and the Frolic! Rock Fest – a free concert, all proceeds from the event will benefit Camp Brooklyn FundRSVP ♫ Collect-i-Bowl Record Show @ Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave.) 11am-6pm, FREE, 1000’s of rare and collectible vinyl, DVD’s, CDs and more! Two full bars, Blue Ribbon food, DJ Uncle Mike, 16 bowling lanes, More info
TUESDAY 6/5 ♥ The History of Fun and Games @ Public Assembly (70 N6th St), 7pm Free, presented by SASS: What did people in history do when they weren’t busy killing each other and dying of preventable causes?
* Greenpointers’ Pick
♫ Music
♥ Pheremones Likely
♦ Art Event
When I heard Lokal got a citation for serving Brunch on the sidewalk before noon on Sunday because it would prevent people from making it to church, I thought, “You gotta be kidding me!” Aetheism, laziness and in my experience hangovers are what stop people from attending. But let’s hear what my badass and hilarious preacher Ann Kansfield has to say:
Dear Members of Community Board 1:
This letter is in regard to sidewalk café seating, specifically the City prohibition against outdoor seating before noon on the Lord’s Day. The notion that sidewalk dining in some way restricts, inhibits or in any other way interferes with church attendance is utter hogwash. Consequently, I respectfully request that you not cite religious observance, specifically church attendance, as an argument against sidewalk dining. Unless a local clergyperson or other representative from a faith community actually complains about an issue, it is not an issue for us. To my knowledge, neither I, nor none of my clergy colleagues, have voiced any complaint about this issue.
Two observations might be additionally relevant. If there were so many church-going people in Greenpoint and Williamsburg that sidewalk seating would interfere with church attendance, all of our churches would be packed full of people. This is not the case.
Sunday morning worship at the Greenpoint Reformed Church is so exciting and my sermons are so riveting and life-changing that sidewalk seating in no way keeps our congregation from attending services here. We simply traverse along the empty portion of the sidewalk and are able to get to church.
Lastly, regarding the law itself. By only pertaining to Sundays, the law clearly discriminates against others who observe Sabbath on other days of the week. Therefore, it would be my hope that the community board would petition the City to eliminate the law all together.
One of Greenpoint’s best and proudly gayest bars is closing it’s doors. Over the past few weeks, everyone has been asking: “Is it true that VPC is closing?” The answer is sadly, yes. Why? Heather, owner, cannot comment. More dialogue from patrons: “What happened?” “That’s BS!” “I love that place!” “This sucks!” “Is it because it’s a gay bar?” “Noise complaints? “It isn’t loud!” “I don’t get it.” “Awful!” “Where am I going to watch drag race?” On and on…
The reality is: VPC’s party is over. Not only was it a great bar, with great cocktails and an awesome staff and crowd, but they supported the community, especially the art and food community…
The memories: VPC was the unofficial headquarters for Bring to Light. Antojitos Mexicanos Saturdays was the best Mexican food in town. There Cara Canella’s led her first Speak Easy Series. Morta Di Fame served rice balls to Greenpoint during it’s first Sicilian Sunday Supper Club. I wrote my check to Justine for Greenpointers.com over Mama’s “slammin” Mac n’ Cheese. I bought my best sweater at a VPC Vintage Pop-Up. Ugly Art Room’s Balls Out Fundraiser & Food Competition raffled off a cat castration from Greenpoint Vet to a girl with a puppy! Greenpointers was looking forward to making many more messes in Terrarium Class. And Veronica People’s Club was the only way I could get my lezzie friend Maria to visit me in Brooklyn for the Kielbasa party. She lives in Manhattan on the same block as Heather’s, VPC’s sister bar, and drove the waiters insane because she wanted a cocktail off the Heather’s menu. I will greatly miss their strongest espresso, which won a prize in the Greenpointers Espresso Tour.
I am sure everyone has their own great memories at Veronica People’s Club. We need places like this. Places that open their doors and let the little people do their thing, to support the art and food community and have a blast doing it.
Please drop by on Saturday at 2pm for a final farewell Veronica People’s Club!
$4 well drinks, draft, and wine
Plus, Antojitos Mexicanos at 3pm & Self-Portrait Project 2pm-8pm
2011 may have spent its final days in a mediocre gray blur of rain and oddly mild temperatures, but our neighbor Ben Roshia has been busy. For months following the move of the unique cafe Boneshakers, he – alongside friend, general manager, and popcorn wizard Stas Chizhik – has been working to turn the onetime coffee shop space into a bar slash beer store unique enough to not only carve out a neighborhood niche but attract citywide attention. The One Stop Beer Shop, slated to open next Wednesday, December 28th, will feature comfortable and intimate seating in a very consciously designed interior, delicious and unique beer cocktails, a closely tailored food menu including a homemade spiced popcorn (which, when I visited, drew even more excitement from the staff than the drinks) and growlers filled by exclusive equipment that we’re told ensures your beer stays fresher longer than a jug filled from a tap.
Ben was happy to share the following recipe for one of the bar’s signature $9 cocktails, called a Dark & Smoky. Shake together 1.5 ounces Moonshine (unaged corn whiskey) with 0.5 ounces of agave nectar that has been muddled with rosemary. Pour this over rocks, float a Stone Smoked Porter on top, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. The result is a layered cocktail that Ben believes will appeal to customers who come with a taste for straightforward whiskey drinks but want to try something new.
My general impression is that Ben is a man with a vision for a comfortable, interesting bar. He has a realistic concept of what brings people to a neighborhood establishment and the way that such a business can add to a community, and I’m looking forward to checking out the opening next Wednesday and watching as his vision opens its doors and welcomes us in.
For four minutes and seventeen seconds, nothing else mattered.
I won’t go so far as to say that I didn’t think of anything else. I had all the usual karaoke thoughts – “is this really what I sound like?” - but it can’t be argued that there’s a better way to make yourself focus than to put yourself as far out of your own skin as only a microphone and a room full of strangers can.
Last week’s six-day karaoke bender started for me as most benders do – a few drinks in when the whole scene seemed loud, new, and fun. It was my first night at that hidden (which truth be told describes the better part of creation for me) gem of a bar, Onyx, hanging out with a bunch comprised mostly of The Greenpointers staff. Karaoke had long since broken into a steady stride, with the musical selections from the crowd covering a broad swath – your standard barroom hits interspersed with some surprising selections, most notably Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights and a rendition of Avenue Q’s More You Ruv Someone, both of which were pulled off with style and gusto. Although talent was amazingly strong on Monday, there was still room for me to butcher (half) of Islands in the Stream, and the vibe was overwhelmingly friendly and energetic.
Karaoke King Nithya @ Onyx
The real show-stopper, though, was the energy generated by the night’s MC, Nithya, which was powerful enough to destroy sensitive electronics and stun small mammals. After watching as she killed songs in a way that made you want to kill one too (she’s actually not a tough act to follow, despite being singularly talented at karaoke), we struck up a conversation in which it was discovered that Jen G. had actually photographed her in the past. After feeling the energy in the room and hearing about The Kings of Karaoke’s six-night weekly tour, I knew what I was doing that week: going deaf and loving it.
Before my inevitable retreat into cold weather hibernation, I’ve been running around like a squirrel trying to sample as many of the new hangouts that have popped up in Greenpoint over the summer. Here are a few places you might want to check out before Autumn’s arrival–which is sadly Friday.
Hidden away on the corner of Franklin and the street of its namesake, Calyer was opened a few weeks ago by the owners of Anella, with little fanfare and no sign. The interior is lovely as you might expect, combining a touch of “noir” with some the space’s original rustic beauty. The food was described by the waiter as Spanish influenced and should be ordered tapas-style. This makes the menu a bit more spendy than it appears at first glance, as a typical plate runs around $10 to $12. Avoid the salads as they tend to be paltry, but do try the seafood plates or any of the more substantial entrees. I hear the Chicharrones are addictive as well. They also have a cozy bar and a decent selection of Spanish wines.
Greenpoint may be the Polish capital of New York, but those who live north of Greenpoint Ave. know of the many delicious Latino inspired restaurants/laundromats/in-the-back-of-a-bodegas tucked away here. El Toro is a new take-out style taqueria that recently opened on Driggs. The vibe is causal and welcoming. I was impressed with the flavor and thoughtfulness of the parings. The kimchi and marinated steak taco is fusion heaven. The fish and shrimp are served cold, which may put off purists, but the savory sauces more than make up for it. Those familiar with Snack Dragon on the LES might reconsider their fourth meal until after the cab ride back to Greenpoint.
I finally hit The Lobster Joint last Friday on what was a particularly cool September evening. As a native New Englander this made me feel right at home. So did the perfectly seasoned chowder, reminding me more of a lighter Rhode Island style broth than the creamy Massachusetts style you may be used to. The Lobster roll was also surprisingly authentic, with warm buttered bread making it all melty and sweet in your mouth. The mussels and fries are a plate large enough to share and the Lobster Ale makes it all go down smooth. Needless to say I will be returning a few more times this fall.
Updated: Start time is now 10pm instead of 8pm – But you can always get there early, have a drink or two and get a good spot to see the talent!
Coming Saturday September 10th, a very longtime and very good friend of mine is co-hosting an open mic and art show at t.b.d. If you would like to perform please contact them at getitdoneentllc@gmail.com to be placed on the list. They are looking for artists who do poetry, spoken word, R&B, Soul, Acoustic, Blues, Jazz, etc.
Get It Done Entertainment & Us First Films would like to welcome you all to “Vibes To Touch“. Our Open Mic and Art Show experience hosted by Son-Ray & Exile Ramirez with special guest hosts Qi Chi + Wiseguy & Gaston.
Art displayed by: HopsArt, Ronin, Tyson Hall, and Michelle Marin.
Featured poet will be: D Realz a.k.a Limones
Featured act will be: Joshua Torrez
DJ Tahliem will be on the 1′s and 2′s keeping the party rocking after the open mic and art show.
Saturday September 10, 2011 – 8pmUpdated: 10pm t.b.d.
224 Franklin Street at Green St
Illustration by Dennis Rakauckas of the Village Voice
Brooklyn Brine and The Village Voice present the Second Annual Whiskey Sour Pickle Eating Contest at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 20 at the Black Rabbit bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
A cash prize will be awarded to the contestant who eats the most pickles in five minutes. To enter, sign up at the Black Rabbit by 7 p.m. on August 20th.
Second Annual Whiskey Sour Pickle Eating Contest
Saturday August 20th, 2011 at 8pm (must register for contest by 7pm) Black Rabbit
91 Greenpoint Avenue
btwn Manhattan & Franklin
One of Greenpoint’s best and proudly gayest bars is closing it’s doors. Over the past few weeks, everyone has been asking: “Is it true that VPC is closing?” The answer is sadly, yes. Why? Heather, owner, cannot comment. More dialogue from patrons: “What happened?” “That’s BS!” “I love that place!” “This sucks!” “Is it because it’s a gay bar?” “Noise complaints? “It isn’t loud!” “I don’t get it.” “Awful!” “Where am I going to watch drag race?” On and on…
The memories: VPC was the unofficial headquarters for 
