Greenpoint is blowin’ up, and we all know it. Case in point: Alameda (195 Franklin St,) opened by design gurus the Haslegrave brothers, is their first brick-and-mortar space. Evan and Oliver’s design company Home is responsible for the interiors of The Manhattan Inn and Paulie Gee’s, so we certainly expected the old-school charm of rustic wood accents and loads of exposed brick in this new space.
Upon first glance, Alameda pops in a way that other Greenpoint examples of the Haslegraves’ work doesn’t. Clean white walls adorned with glossy white tile open the space up infinitely, and are accompanied by nautical detailing in both the light fixtures and molding. In fact, a gentleman seated next to me at the bar remarked that the space felt like it should be on Tatooine. It felt like drinking in the below-deck bar of ship from the future that I was absolutely going to sail upon one day. I felt home.
The cocktail list at Alameda is perfectly curated, with several standouts utilizing different liquors in their most elevated incarnations. My personal favorite was the Roberto Burns, a smoky mezcal delight with a generous orange rind strip served over a single ice cube. This drink is like sex below deck.
A friend enjoyed the Pita Amour, a lovely tequila concoction served up with a lime wedge. Petite, clean, and delicious.
The Phil Collins, a gin and Lillet stunner, could’ve nearly been called a salad; it had so many fresh accoutrements, including mint, lemon, and lime. An ideal summertime cocktail, folks, and I trust you won’t forget the name.
The edibles menu pleased us very much, as did the prices. Though a $17 foie gras breakfast sandwich is on offer, most items are more moderately priced around $10. A standout item on the current menu is a roasted fruit and goat cheese sandwich on baguette, the perfect combination of tang, crunch, and tender fruit without the syrupy sweetness of most jams. Along with the $9 cheeseburger (which feels like a grown-up version of In-N-Out,) their killer cocktails, and the spacious bar area and actually comfortable booths we have a winner here. Or, as I have been describing it to all my girlfriends, “our new GPT go-to.”
Spring is in the air! Birds are chirping, coats are coming off, and we’re all dreading the necessary (yet evil!) spring cleaning. Instead of going full-throttle into organization mode, how about buying something to give your apartment that much-needed facelift? Our local shops have plenty of home decor options at a variety of price points that are sure to help your abode get out of it’s winter rut. And now that it’s warm enough to paint outside, try investing in a fixer upper/game changer that just needs a little TLC. (Try not to use aerosol paint.)
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!
Are you like me, so short everything even cropped pants need to get tailored? My first mistake is wearing cropped pants! But this isn’t a fashion lesson it’s a sewing lesson from the resident seamstress Melody over at Kill Devil Hill. The class is $30, but $5 off for Greenpointers’ readers! Just mention us when you sign up!
Dates:
Tuesday September 25th, 2012 – 6-8pm
Sunday September 30th, 2012 – 5-7pm
Funny how synchronicity works — I was just thinking if there was Fashion Night Out for the fashionistas, there has to be one for the design-junkies, like me. Lo and behold, ARCHTOBER is here, my friends! It’s a month-long festival of architecture and design all over the city. They’re hosting design-centric events, workshops and home tours. Check out their city-wide festivities here.
To properly kick-off Archtober, City Modern, sponsored by Dwell & New York Mag, will be hosting talks, studio and home tours from October 1-7.
Talks feature the leaders and trendmakers in the ever-evolving face of architecture and design. See full schedule here.
I could browse Brooklyn Etsy stores all day. Check out this great new vintage seller called – wait for it – Brooklyn Vantiques! I can’t get over the logo and they do what? Sell antiques out of a van? Sounds like something out of Brooklyn alright! I couldn’t tell you where the van is but everything in the online store rules. Small Vintage Wood Coffee Grinder? Yes, please.
Many old houses in Greenpoint have an old chimney shaft sticking out into the room leaving little nooks on each side. My apartment has one closet and not much cabinet space, leaving me no room for a pantry. For a while I stuck an ugly ill assembled Ikea cabinet in the nook, but everyone made fun of me for it.
I decided to put custom shelves in the nook instead. I called upon the impeccable carpentry services of local artist and carpenter Scott Chasse (WEBCATS!) and he came over, took a few measurements and came back and installed these awesome shelves. Continue reading →
I admitted in my very first post that I was not necessarily a skilled gardener. I am definitely a novice, and someone who is prone to mishaps, or rather, serious missteps along the way. This week proved that theory, as I cruelly neglected my little balcony garden while caught up in other life things, and noticed only yesterday how very bad it’s gotten.
The rain has drowned many of my new flowers, leaving a small swamp for me to deal with. My radishes have sprouted flowers, which I am not sure they are supposed to do, and my lettuces have straight up perished.
I am going away this weekend for a wedding (’tis the season) and I am at a loss at how to solve all of these problems before I take off tomorrow morning.
Leave your condolences in the comments, I need as much support as I can get!
This game is fun! I randomly pick a business card from a pickle jar and introduce a local business. Today I grabbed a card that said Pink Serissa Terrariums. We love terrariums around here! I remember seeing these lovely and unique terrariums at the Go Green! Greenpoint Earth Day Festival in McCarren Park a few weeks back.
There were underwater and hanging terrariums, and plants that required no soil, which blew my mind. I remember the prices to be very reasonable. The website needs updating, but the Pink Serissa Etsy Store was informative with beautiful photographs.
We live in Brooklyn, the land of small railroad apartments. Most of us are constantly searching for more ways to store things while ideally not filling up the place with ugly plastic containers. Even if you are one of the lucky few to live in a beautifully sized apartment, the bathroom can always be a small, awkward or tricky spot to have the storage we need while keeping the tiny room looking good.
A while back someone gave me this vintage store display rack and it has become the perfect storage addition to the bathroom, although it could really work in any room. It is simple, hangs on the wall, and has the capability of holding a lot of stuff or looking great empty. They are somewhat easy to find on ebay and not too pricy.
