The ladies of The Habitat, Nicole Orlando and Ashley Engmann
Greenpointers, you’ve been a major tight-knit community. You poured in, drank, and reveled in the last days at the Habitat and shared your touching stories with us about our beloved watering hole. And now, two amazing ladies behind the Habitat need your help.
Nicole Orlando and Ashley Engmann were some of your favorite friendly faces (besides the Johns, of course) at the Habitat. Nicole poured your fave beers at the front and managed the bar, while Ashley was the chef behind your favorite dishes (those wings!). When the Habitat was nearing the end of its tenure, Nicole and Ashley were planning a new life full of hope: they would relocate to Puerto Rico for new opportunities. Then, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and now their dreams are on hold. Continue reading →
As you have probably heard by now, beloved Manhattan Avenue bar The Habitat will be closing its doors one last time on Saturday, September 16th. And even though their blessed wings are gone for good (their kitchen is closed due to a gas issue in the building), there’s still a chance to pay your last respects this week. On Sunday (9/10) at 2pm they’re hosting a flea market selling paintings and screenprints from past events (the ice cream paintings included!), plus household goods and ceramics from AmeliaBK. Quiz Night is Tuesday the 12th at 8pm, and the bar blowout farewell party is Saturday September 16th from 2pm until they run out of booze. Continue reading →
Spaghetti and Mama’s Meatballs. Photo by Molly Tavoletti.
Echoes of the Cozy Royale catering hall can still be heard in the warm dining room in the back of the bar at Humboldt & Jackson (434 Humboldt Street). The Royale’s former owner, Joanne Perrotta, had turned down many other offers when she was looking to retire. For years, families and neighbors gathered for dinners there, and Perrotta wished to pass on that sense of community along with the space. Perrotta cared more about who was going to take the place over rather than what it was going to be.
The first time I set foot in Humboldt & Jackson was the very day it opened. I followed the renovation of the Cozy Royale into this place, a newly-titled “American Tasting Room,” step-by-step on my daily walk to the Graham Avenue L train and was thrilled to have a prospective place to call my own—my Cheers, if you will. I would cement my status by getting in right at the beginning. Over the three years since their opening I realized that the feeling of ownership and comfort that I felt is exactly what Bill Reed, the bar’s charismatic owner, wants for all his guests.Continue reading →
It’s hard getting to the beginning of anything, but with Troost (1011 Manhattan Ave) in Greenpoint, it might help to keep in mind a street sign in Kansas City: Troost Ave. “I just liked the way it looked,” the owner, John Ortiz says, one evening during a sit down at Goldie’s, on what we both agree is the “other side” of Greenpoint. Troost opened its doors in 2011. It started as a café, beer and wine bar. But it’s grown since then to include a full bar and live music. But John is specific. It is “not a music venue. It’s a bar that has music.” It having music occupies a lot of the conversation.
“It’s interesting,” he says, “to see artists respond when you put limitations on them.” The limitations are familiar to anyone who attends shows or is a musician in New York. They come down to two things: noise and space. “It’s almost always worked out. One or two cases, maybe.” One aspect that keeps things going is a good relationship with the neighbors. “They all have my number. They’re great. Sometimes I get a text saying, ‘hey, last night was a little loud,’ but for the most part, the relationship is really good.” Another is just figuring out who could and should play. Who does the approaching? “It’s pretty much word of mouth, musicians putting me in touch with other musicians,” he says. Continue reading →
New apartments aren’t the only thing popping up on West Street! This past weekend, West Wine Bar had its soft opening at 67 West Street between Noble and Milton in Greenpoint, and at 5 pm on Sunday, the place was bustling. The door was wide open with knowledgeable and friendly staff ready to greet the neighborhood. There were a handful of patrons at tables throughout the evening with locals popping in and out to check out the new space. And, of course, the wines, of which there are many.
The Brooklyn Barge (3 West Street, at Milton) finally opened yesterday for its third season. This is Greenpoint’s only waterfront bar with unbeatable views of Manhattan. It’s the kind of place you can round up a dozen friends last minute or bring a date to watch the sunset and twinkling skyline after dark. You can enjoy ten beers on tap (half of which are local to NY), sample the shared bites menu or go with their signature Barge Tacos or Burger. There’s something for everyone including veggie and gluten-free options.
The launch of the NYC Ferry service (which had prices drop down to $2.75 one-way) will surely increase traffic from Manhattan to Greenpoint foreshadowing the imminent boom of housing along West Street. As a result, we should probably expect bigger crowds at the Barge this season. Continue reading →
Thanks to a warm welcome from the neighborhood and the initial success of the pop-up, Threes Brewing is extending its stay in Greenpoint! The outpost will continue to occupy the former Cassette space at 113 Franklin Street (corner of Kent St.) at least through the summer.
Though I’d been hearing great things about the Gowanus brewery for a while before my first visit, it was a Luluc concert at Tiny Montgomery—the brewery’s versatile private dining room that doubles as an intimate concert venue—that inspired my first trip to the original Threes location. With a coffee shop by Ninth Street Espresso conducive to tackling some work before the show, my sense of the place was that it would lend itself nicely to spending the day and then enjoying food by one of the pop-ups featured at the time (its food is now exclusively by The Meat Hook) and beers with friends who joined for the show.
Now much of what I loved about that welcoming, experience-focused, “come hang” vibe is just down the block from me. Known for its frequent and interesting programming, Threes will bring more of the same to Threes @ Franklin + Kent with live music and other events starting in May. In the meantime, there will be DJs a few nights per week, as well as a lineup of other breweries coming by each Wednesday (4/19 Industrial Arts; 4/26 KCBC; 5/3 Other Half; 5/10 LIC Beer Project; 5/17 Barrier Brewing; 5/24 Transmitter). Continue reading →
From 4pm-2am this Saturday (3/11), local favorite bar The Moonlight Mile (200 Franklin St.) will be serving up drink specials and good times for its 3-year anniversary. Kick back, relax and enjoy the vibes. RSVP on Facebook
It seems like all we’re doing these days is saying goodbye to our favorite barsand restaurants. Throw this one onto the pile and pour one out while drinking it all in at The Drink (228 Manhattan Ave.) this Saturday night from 5pm onward.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the very last party (and days) at The Drink.
For six-and-a-half years this bar has been a place where we celebrated, mourned, gathered in activism, and made friends and chosen family that will last a lifetime. But as the neighborhood changes, so do we, and so Saturday we’re having one last blowout to make (and forget) memories with our chosen community of very special weirdos ❤️
Hallelujah! Something’s happening in the old Cassette space, making Franklin Street a little less sparse. The past several weeks we’ve seen Brooklyn Label paper up their windows, Mr. Souvlaki bit the dust, Mrs. Kim’s is “renovating”, and Jimmy’s packed up before year’s end. Gowanus’s Threes Brewing will be opening a temporary bar and beer shop at 113 Franklin Street (at Kent) starting today, and it will run at least through the end of the month and possibly longer. Continue reading →
