Need some father’s day gift inspiration? There’s plenty of cool stuff to give right here in your own backyard! Here’s a short list of ideas (which is admittedly in no way comprehensive, as there are so many more awesome small businesses here in north Brooklyn, so feel free to add to the list of ideas in the comments section).
1. Tacos, La Norteña / Vamos Al Tequila 2. Fine craft beers, Brouwerij Lane 3. Engraved biz card case, In God We Trust 4. Nice new comb, Chopin Chemists 5. Vintage VHS, The Thing 6. Slice of pizza, Vinnie’s / Franklin Pizza 7. Fine colognes, Old Hollywood 8. Coveralls, Pop’s Popular Clothing 9. Succulants (a.k.a. plants that require minimal care), Homecoming (formerly known as Spina) 10. Donut, Peter Pan 11. Delicious cheeses and Keta candy, Eastern District 12. Sweet shades, Alter 13. A funny old tshirt, People of 2Morrow 14. Fancy and rare spirits, Duke’s Liquor Box 15. Beach tote, M. Carter 16. Pour over coffee maker, Budin 17. A nice rosé, Dandelion Wine 18. Polish chocolates, Slodycze Wedel 19. A whole, fresh fish, Pura Vida Stand at McCarren Park Greenmarket 20. Stool for sitting and pondering, Bklyn Curated 21. Basketball, BQ Sports 22. Cool kicks, Wolves Within 23. Vintage vinyl, Permanent Records / Academy Records / Co-op 87 / Records Grouch 24. Portable bike pump and other biking accessories, Silk Road Cycles / B’s Bikes / Greenpoint Bikes 25. Bobbers and other fishing accessories, Dream Fishing Tackle 26. Polish sausages, smoked meats, and pickles, Nassau Meat Market / Mazur Meak Market (and so many more!) 27. A good book, like this one about the Pogues, Word.
What does fall feel like? Even more, what does it sound like? As the fall season has eased into our Greenpoint days, so has its musical aesthetic and the charm of falling for something. Whether it’s respite from a long 9-5 day, a midday meet-up, or a weekend window seat overlooking street benches while watching cars pass along Nassau Avenue, these are the songs that inspired a falling for being inside a coffee shop. The songs were curated over the last month from the spaces of: Café Edna, Café Grumpy,Spina, Propeller and Tar Pit.
Remember to check out Coffee’s Night Out – this Sunday 11/10 from 5-8pm! RSVP
And now for your coffee culture pleasure, press play. Continue reading →
It seems that every walk down Franklin St reveals another new business (usually a coffee shop or restaurant) in Greenpoint. Recently, SPINA, which means thorn in Italian, opened in the former location of East River Tattoo (107 Franklin St). A friend described it as a flower shop / coffee shop, which was utterly intriguing in that, “why has no one thought of that yet?” kind of way. Continue reading →
Greenpoint, you are so spoiled! Now it will be even more difficult to figure out where to go for dinner or a cocktail because there has been an explosion of new places! Can’t keep up? Here is a brief rundown of all the open and soon to be open bars, restaurants and coffee shops in the hood. It’s kind of insane, right?! Let us know in the comments if you have tried any of the new places and what you think. Stay tuned for in depth reviews!
Officially Open in Greenpoint:
Achilles Heel (180 West St) We saw it finally opened on Instagram via @mfade. Tarlow considered the history of the Greenpoint waterfront when he designed the menu and space. According to Grub Street, Achilles Heel is “a café and bar meant to evoke the always-open grocery and drinking spot that once sustained Greenpoint dockworkers at its West Street address between 1900 and 1960.” Grab a coffee and a fresh snack sourced from Marlow & Daughters on your way to the Ferry and enjoy an afternoon Hemingway Daiquiri or a glass of wine near the piano after a long day at the office. Coming soon… a New England Style Clam Chowdah!
Torst (615 Manhattan Ave) A fancy beer bar for beer nerds. This spot was great for an after work beer and a delicious cheese plate. The beer list is extensive and the tapping system is state of the art. As described on Gothamist: “Tørst offers a selection of 21 draft and 200 bottled beers, including rare, international brews not seen before now in the States … the guys installed a custom-built draught system called the Flux Capacitor, which allows individual draft lines to be temperature and pressure customized for specific beers, plus a system that allows for four different temperature controls.” Like I said, it’s for beer nerds.
Jimmy’s Diner (92 Calyer St) Formerly Calyer, Jimmy’s Diner #2 has opened up literally overnight! This photo sent to me by Paulie Gee. The menu will be similar to the Union Ave location. Get ready for mac n’ cheese, fried chicken and perhaps some key lime pie?!
Spina (107 Franklin St) It’s a flower shop slash coffee shop and get this -the coffee is BLUE BOTTLE! Spina’s main business is social event planning, but after a visit to Italy and San Francisco, owner Paul Tsang and his partner Vanessa Chinga-Haven decided to start serving coffee in the new Franklin St space because, “coffee is aromatic and flowers are aromatic,” Paul told Greenpointers. How lovely. Continue reading →