Giordanne in her Greenpoint studio. Photo: Ian Hartsoe
Giordanne Salley spends a few weeks each summer out of the city. She retreats to the rocky coastlines and glacier-carved forests of our Northeastern-most state. There, she quickly assumes the circadian rhythms of nature, in part, encouraged by a lack of cell phone reception. Swimming, kayaking, and hiking, Salley studies the sun and changing colors of the day. Upon returning to New York she begins painting these summer experiences. Nude figures running freely among raw pebbly beaches, silky waters, and deciduous brush; Giordanne has managed to transport the spirit of the spruce islands to her Greenpoint studio.
Greenpointers: When were you first exposed to art as a child?
Giordanne Salley:I am originally from Southwest Ohio. My parents took us to the Dayton Art Institute on the weekends which had an interesting collection of art for a city of its size. We would picnic in the gardens and spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the various exhibits. I remember once looking at a Josef Albers’ red square painting and wondering why it was in a museum. I find it ironic now because I’ve taken color theory classes and really appreciate his work. Being homeschooled until the sixth grade, my parents always encouraged me to take on any form of self-expression I wanted. I was constantly being supplied with paper and drawing tools. I could organize my time differently than kids in school, and was able to spend a lot of time exploring nature. This remains very important to me and my paintings. Continue reading →
Monger’s Palate Picnic Basket Photo by Desirée Flores
North Brooklyn may not have the vast green destination of Prospect Park, but there are several scattered parks that are perfect for picnics. We’ve put together a list of places that offer take away options to full-service picnic gear that can make a day laying in the grass so much more enjoyable. Whether you plan to lay out a blanket or just sit on your jacket, these bites are quick and easy for a meal in the park. Continue reading →
McCarren Park Pool | 776 Lorimer Street Pro tips: Now open through Labor Day. Get ready to mix and mingle with your neighbors of all backgrounds and ages. The semi-recently restored pool is perfect to take a dip on the hottest days of the year. It’s FREE, but there are rules. You need to bring your own lock, a towel, wear all white (if you plan to don a t-shirt or coverup) and should leave your cellphone at home. We recommend getting an ice cream bar from a park vendor post-plunge (there are no food vendors inside the pool). See what we said last year for the full lowdown on how best to prepare yo’self.
Metropolitan Swimming Pool | Bedford & Metropolitan Ave. Pro tips: Annual membership costs $150 for adults, and $25 for seniors (ages 62 and older), $25 for young adults (ages 18-24). Membership is free for under-18’s. There are designated community swim hours.
Greenpoint YMCA pool, photo via their site
Greenpoint YMCA | 99 Meserole Ave. Pro tips: $175 for a Summer Fun Pass for pool access from now through August 31st. The fun pass also includes access to the gym and sauna/steam rooms. Seems like a good deal. Note, you should bring a bathing cap to swim.
Brooklyn Athletic Club, photo via their site
Brooklyn Athletic Club| 8 Berry Street Pro tips: This gym has private training pools, which you can book 30-minute sessions in even if you’re not a member. A pool package of 10 sessions is available for $239.
McCarren Hotel & Pool, photo via McCarren Hotel
The McCarren Hotel | 160 N 12th Street Pro tips: Leave your screaming mini-me’s at home: children are not allowed at the McCarren Hotel’s ground floor pool (unless you are a guest of the hotel). If you don’t book a room at the hotel, the lowest price access is $55 for an individual day pass (weekday per person price is $55; weekend is $65), up to $200 per person for VIP service for a group of 10 (weekend group price is $2000 for group of 10; weekday group price is $1750). FYI: “No topless tanning,” and you can only book up to 48 hours in advance, unless you’re booking a Day Bed ($150 per person weekday; $175 per person weekend; slightly cheaper if you book a daybed for 2) or package, in which case you have 2 weeks advance to book.
Pool @ The William Vale | 111 N 12th St Pro tips: Book a room (currently listed at $259) for a staycation and unrestricted access to the pool, or book a day pass. Day passes include reserved seating in a pergola, daybed or cabana, but will run you at minimum $67 per person (weekday, with 6 people), up to $90 (weekend, with 2 people). The Vale pool is a “60-foot outdoor pool with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Snacks, light fare, and cocktails are served poolside under the direction of award-winning Chef Andrew Carmellini.”
WHAT: 13th Annual FREE Summer Starz Movies WHEN: Fridays, July 7th to August 11th, 8pm WHERE: Transmitter Park, Greenpoint COST: FREE!
School’s almost out and Town Square’s free family movie nights are back for the summer. Hopefully the weather will cooperate for these six Friday nights, starting with Guardians of the Galaxy coming up next week on July 7th. Bring a picnic blanket, your friends & family to Transmitter Park on the gorgeous Greenpoint waterfront.
Check out our roundup of summer outdoor movies here. This Friday June 30th there’s a French film screening at Transmitter, and next Wednesday Mean Girls will be at McCarren.
This weekend Bedford Avenue from Metropolitan to North 12th Street will be closed off for a summer music jam, art fest and neighborhood block party! If you are down to volunteer for Northside Art at Williamsburg Walks this Saturday June 10th or Sunday June 11th, you’ll get hooked up with a Northside Festival Badge! And you will be doing good for the community by helping reclaim Bedford Ave as a pedestrian-friendly art space!
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.
It’s summer, y’all (temps almost broke 90 today so we can officially say that now), which means it’s time to get your butts out there and see some live music and DJs. North Brooklyn is awash with options this year, some of them free and some of them not so free, but all of them are awesome. We’ve got rooftop parties, music festival afterparties, soul and rap legends, indie bands, pizza and tacos galore. Also, booze. Check out our roundup of this season’s seriously massive music lineup.
GOVERNORS BALL AFTER DARK | Various venues around North Brooklyn & Manhattan Governors Ball is back again this year on June 2-4, and the epic music fest is also serving up some awesome night shows too, and most of them happen to be right here in North Brooklyn. Some shows are already sold out, so either jump on some Craigslist tickets or try to snag some for the shows with tix still left! Here’s the lineup of shows in our ‘hood:
Thursday June 1: CHARLES BRADLEY @ BROOKLYN BOWL (61 Wythe Ave) // 8pm // Sold Out
Friday June 2: RÜFÜS DU SOL (DJ SET) @ SCHIMANSKI (54 N 11th St) //10pm // Sold Out MUNA @ BROOKLYN BOWL (61 Wythe Ave) // 1130pm // $20 tickets ROOSEVELT @ BROOKLYN BAZAAR (150 Greenpoint Ave) // 11:59pm // $16 tickets WELLES @ KNITTING FACTORY (361 Metropolitan Ave) // 1130pm // $12 tickets MARK RONSON X KEVIN PARKER @ OUTPUT (74 Wythe Ave) // 10pm // $15-25 tickets
Saturday June 3: THE AVALANCHES @ BROOKLYN BOWL (61 Wythe Ave) // 1130pm // Sold Out PARQUET COURTS @ VILLAIN (307 Kent Ave) // 11pm // $20 tickets ROYAL BLOOD @ WARSAW (261 Driggs Ave) // 11:59pm // Sold Out YG, CHARLI XCX & ANIK KHAN @ SCHIMANSKI (54 N 11th St) // 10pm // $25-30 tickets THE ORWELLS @ KNITTING FACTORY (361 Metropolitan Ave) // 11:59PM // $15 tickets
Monday June 5: FRANZ FERDINAND @ WARSAW (261 Driggs Ave) // 8pm // Sold Out
Dobbin St’s gorgeous rooftop at sunset, via Dobbin St
Ok, so we’ve been stuck in the weather purgatory that is Spring (it’s hot/it’s cold/it’s rainy/it sucks), but it’s already time to start planning out our summer outdoor activities—because before we know it we’ll be stuck in blizzard land. In North Brooklyn we’re lucky to have three awesome options for watching movies outdoors this summer! Because who doesn’t love a good excuse to sit amongst the fireflies and watch the sun set on a blanket next to their honey (or doggie) with a pre-hot-mess Lindsey Lohan snarling on the big screen? (See Mean Girls at SummerScreen in McCarren, Wednesday July 5th).
THE SUNSET SCREENINGS — ROOFTOP MOVIES AT DOBBIN STREET A new free monthly rooftop film series, The Sunset Screenings, kicks off May 24th and runs through September. The free movies will screen at local event space Dobbin St (64 Dobbin Street) on their 3,000 sq ft rooftop terrace. Just as the sun sets over the Manhattan skyline, the films will begin. To complement the view, the series is“city” themed, representing the world’s most iconic cities from New York to Tokyo with a carefully curated list of films. Here’s the schedule:
OddFellows Ice Cream Co. in Williamsburg. All images via oddfellowsnyc.com
As co-founder Mohan Kumar tells it, OddFellows in Williamsburg has an origin as sweet as its ice cream.
“When Holiday was pregnant Sam [Mason] brought over ice cream, and she loved it. At the time I was looking to get out of what I was doing in real estate finance and do something more entrepreneurial, more creative,” Kumar shared. “A couple days later, she said, ‘Why don’t you talk to Sam about opening an ice cream shop?’ I said, ‘That’s a great idea.’ I approached Sam about that over a beer, I had half a business plan already written out, and that’s how it started.”Continue reading →
Waking up at 4 AM this morning, I fumbled around on my iPhone for podcasts to kill time until dawn. Garrison Keillor’s show came up first.
Keillor always ends with a poem, and on this episode it was Route Six by Stanley Kunitz, that follows the poet’s summer road trip to Cape Cod with his wife.
To get everyone into the spirit of our own quickly approaching day trips to the beach, I match the mood of Kunitz’ poem by quoting it alongside this weekend’s best live music. Continue reading →
