Greenpoint sports a lot of green. From McCarren Park to the G train, our slice of north Brooklyn is colorful. In fact, Greenpoint’s natural greenery has inspired Euphorium Brooklyn’s newest fragrance, Butterfly. Ten years ago, when olfactory artist and perfumer Stephen Dirkes moved into a loft on Commercial Street, he noticed that the weeds and wild flora growing on the banks of the Newtown Creek supported something stunning: the annual Monarch Butterfly migration between Canada and Mexico. Each year, the butterflies descend on the northern reaches of Greenpoint, heralding summer and bringing a spectacular natural grace to the industrial waterfront.
Stephen notes that while Newtown Creek’s wild plant life might be “a peculiar starting point to develop a fragrance palette, butterflies have done a remarkable job of curating a wide range of fragrant floral, mint, grass, & herbaceous notes for a perfumer to work with.”
And the fine fragrance world is all aflutter over Butterfly. Reviews call it “bright, clear and sparkling…unearthly and ethereal” and mark it as the go-to scent of the summer. But, Butterfly didn’t begin as a fragrance. Instead, it started as a local conservation effort.
When Greenpoint’s zoning laws changed, new development began to spring up on the water’s edge, where plants once grew undisturbed. Suddenly, the Monarch’s migratory path faced peril, and Stephen began researching butterfly gardens as a way to help sustain the natural habitat. Now, Stephen’s made it possible for anyone to be an armchair conservationist! Continue reading →
Shana Tabor is no stranger to most Greenpoint dwellers; after all she is the founder of In God We Trust (70 Greenpoint Ave), a treasured store with various locations that sell their own original jewelry and apparel. Since opening her first store back in 2005, Shana has grown personally and creatively—so it felt like the right time for her to move into something new and fresh. This freshness came to fruition in the form of Beth, a clothing line that debuts later this month, that consists of timeless staples for the contemporary woman.Continue reading →
Dusty Rose Vintage (251 Greenpoint Ave) is having their 3rd annual sidewalk sale this Sunday (8/13) from 12-5pm. At last year’s sale, we not only sipped on gratis booze while we shopped, but we also walked away with some killer deals on jewelry and ceramics from local makers, and we’re sure this year will be no different. Dusty Rose promises: “Some of NYCs favorite brands and tastemakers will be cleaning out their studios, offices and closets to bring you deeply discounted one-offs, seconds and overstock in ceramics, jewelry, clothing, beauty products and other household items. Plus Dusty Rose will be offering 20% off all retail priced items at the front of the warehouse.” Count us in.
Greenpoint (and Williamsburg) go-to fashion and jewelry staple In God We Trust (170 Greenpoint Ave) is hosting the summer session of their semi-annual multi designer sample sale this weekend, which includes more than 20 designers. Expect a selection of women’s apparel, jewelry, accessories and home goods.
In God We Trust Sample Sale | 170 Greenpoint Ave. 11am-7pm, Saturday August 5 & Sunday August 6 Continue reading →
Photo by Nadeem G. Salaam, taken at Plant Apothecary’s Office in Greenpoint
Meet the husband-and-wife co-founders of Plant Apothecary, Bjarke and Holly.
Holly McWhorter and Bjarke Ballisager, are a well rounded husband-and-wife team with backgrounds in architecture, journalism, and music. They started PLANT Apothecary back in 2012 when they saw an opportunity to promote healthy ingredients, environmental friendliness, and social responsibility. Starting with organic bodywashes, the line has since grown to include moisturizers, masks and more. We chatted with them to explore their current product line and what’s next for this dynamic conscious duo.
GP: Say I just stumbled blindly upon your company, how would you describe what it is you provide?
Holly: We’re an organic skincare and bath products company based in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. We also have multiple missions, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, [with] cool package design to whatever extent we can! We both [looks to Bjarke] have design and architecture backgrounds, that was a big part of where we came into this industry from.
GP: What was the local landscape of organic products when you entered the market?
Holly: At the time we started, about 5 years ago, there weren’t as many organic all-natural skincare products that were really straight forward with contemporary design focused on minimalism. It was either, we’re trying to sell you something luxury so you felt you were buying into the luxury life-style, or hippie centric, and either way, things were very status conscious, but we liked very straight forward products and packaging, so we created Plant Apothecary to fill the hole in the market.Continue reading →
Did you attend Greenpoint Open Studios last month, darlings? If so, you might’ve peeped at some shiny baubles and sparklers at Alev studio. The shapes are arty, geometric, and versatile. Sign me up for something pretty and edgy.
Peek some of our fave picks below and get ready to stock your jewelry box with one our local Greenpoint artists.
Dusty Rose (251 Greenpoint Ave) is hosting a show this Thursday night (7-10pm) for local and national artists offering their interpretation on the theme of #Nightboob. 15% of all sales that night will go to Komen Greater NYC, an organization that helps a diverse range of women get help with breast cancer screening, treatment, and more. Just as importantly, there will be private boob portraits painted by the talented Akane Ogura (who was doing face portraits this weekend during Greenpoint Open Studios), live screenprinting, music by Mur and adult beverages.
Are you the style queen or king of minimalism? Oak (55 Nassau Ave) has a pack of too-cool-for-school pieces that are perf for Greenpointers with a streamlined capsule wardrobe. With their simple-but-chic with rough around the edges aesthetic, it’s no wonder that this shop is a Greenpoint mainstay.
Browse some of our top picks for major swag and style.
Our homes are sanctuaries from the hustle and bustle of city life. Greenpoint is an especially fun and relaxing respite from the daily grind for many of us with Transmitter Park, cozy bars, and zen coffee houses and blissful yoga and meditation spaces. But, what about your own place?
Enter Light + Ladder. This airy design studio based in Greenpoint crafts pieces that will make your home feel both relaxing and cool. Check out these 10 picks to transform your house into an oasis. Continue reading →
There’s a hot new store in town – say hello to plus BKLYN (455 Graham Ave). This fab plus-sized boutique sells edgy trends and cool styles for ladies in sizes 14-26. And, this Saturday (5/13) is plus BKLYN’s grand opening party (open to those of all sizes) from 7-10pm with a DJ, snacks, tarot readings and great deals on cute clothes. After the jump, check out some of their most rockin’ pieces. Continue reading →
