Surely just surviving the walk to the G train in this freezing weather must mean we’re burning enough calories to outweigh all of the apple cider donuts, right? This week, as part of our 8-part winter survival guide series, we spoke with Crunch personal trainer Kaitlin Mazzei about changing up our fitness routines in the winter months. Check out our previous interviews here, here, here, here, here, and here.
FITNESS: CRUNCH | 825 Manhattan Avenue Kaitlin Mazzei, Personal Trainer
Greenpointers: Do you see more or less people in the gym in winter?
Kaitlin Mazzei: As soon as it starts to get cold people pretty much stay at home. Especially because that also tends to be the time around the holidays and I’ve noticed that most people say fuck it because they’re going to be eating poorly anyway. But once January hits, BOOM. The New Year’s resolutions are back and the gym is packed for about a month or two. Then it’s quieter again until right before summer.Continue reading →
Laura Estroff, Head Colorist & Amy Bradbury, Head Stylist at Kennaland
If you’re well into a season defined by hat hair and rogue static, check out the next piece of wisdom in our Winter Survival Guide series from Kennaland stylist Amy Bradbury and colorist Laura Estroff who delivered their mane knowledge to us. Check out our previous winter survival interviews here, here and here, and here.
HAIRCARE: KENNALAND| 113 Franklin Street Amy Bradbury, Head Stylist & Laura Estroff, Head Colorist
Greenpointers: What are the biggest changes that your hair goes through in the winter months?
Amy Bradbury: It tends to be more dry so a lot more people need to use a heavier conditioner or a mask and use products that help with a drier scalp for dandruff or static.
Laura Estroff: Also, your hair tends to get really tangled on the ends due to scarves or hoods or hats, so using moisturizing products is huge, as well as masks. A lot of people also have hat hair from their hats so something like a dry shampoo will help reduce the oil and give you a little more life and volume.Continue reading →
Both the McGolrick Park Playground and the Greenpoint Library are under construction, so where can you take the little ones for a bit of fun? Every Sunday in January at 1pm, a Children’s Librarian from the Brooklyn Public Library will be at the indoor McGolrick Park Winter Farmers Market (inside the Park Church Co-Op, 129 Russell St) for a storytime and kids’ craft session. Participation is free and open to the public. The Winter Farmers Market runs every Sunday from 10am to 4pm through April 29th, inside the Park Church Co-op.
WHAT: Kids Storytime and Crafts
WHERE: 129 Russell Street, Greenpoint (inside Park Church Co-op)
WHEN: Sunday, January 14th, 21st and 28th at 1pm
WHO: pre-school and elementary-age kids and their families
HOST: Down to Earth McGolrick Park Farmers Market
Rob Garcia, General Manager at Champion Coffee, 1107 Manhattan Ave
There’s nothing more enjoyable than cradling a hot coffee in this insanely cold weather. In our next interview as part of our winter survival guide series, we spoke to Champion Coffee’s Manhattan Avenue manager Rob Garcia about his favorite cold weather drinks when visiting Champion or when you’re planning a day of hibernation at home. Check out our previous interviews here and here.
COFFEE: CHAMPION| 142 Nassau Ave, 1107 Manhattan Ave Rob Gargia, General Manager
Greenpointers: What is your favorite type of coffee drink to get through the winter?
Rob Garcia: I feel like drip coffee is underrated in general and I know that that is boring, but I really would suggest it. People think that espresso has more caffeine, but drip coffee has twice the amount. I’ve been really enjoying just sitting with a drip coffee. If you do want an espresso drink, macchiatos are also underrated in my opinion.Continue reading →
PLANTS & FLOWERS: HOMECOMING | 107 Franklin Street Vanessa Chinga-Haven, Owner
Greenpointers: Which plants do better in a heated apartment in the winter months?
Vanessa Chinga-Haven: I like to go with philodendrons, because they’re easy and a lot of people know those. They’re my go-to because they survive and they’re a low light plant. Otherwise you could go with ZZ plant which is also very resilient. We also have snake plants that are very hardy. Those would be my three go-to plants.Continue reading →
Dance away those winter blues! Tonight (12/15), Greenpoint’s own Japanese small plates joint Bar Uni is throwing a FREE dance party/DJ night starting at 8pm!
WHAT: Luv Tones 001 – Old Skool | Neo-Soul | Nu-Soul| Classic Hip Hop | Jazz | Alternative | Nu-Jazz | Future Beats | House | Vibez Throwbacks, future sounds and vibey cuts; Luv Tones is here to bring you that soulful bliss you need to push thru the last few days of 2017. Holiday drink specials all night—so come kick it with us to some past, present, and future soul.
One way to lift your spirits during the gray days of winter—which have been disgustingly rainy, not beautiful snow-filled wonderlands—is by simply snuggling up to your honey with a nice hot toddy in hand, in front of a fire. And yet, most of us live in apartments where fires are decidedly not encouraged. Those silly building codes. Luckily, some of our favorite neighborhood bars are here for the nights where you have to fill that primordial need to get out of the cold and warm up by the fire.
Achilles Heel (180 West St) – If the staff of Achilles Heel loves one thing, it’s fire. Their fireplace keeps everything toasty through the night, but if you there in the evening, don’t be surprised if it’s being used for actual cooking.
Battery Harris (64 Frost St) – The cold can’t stop the beach vibes outside Battery Harris so they have a big fire pit to help keep you warm. It’s almost like a late summer beach bonfire. Almost.
Black Rabbit (91 Greenpoint Ave) – All the way at the back of the bar is Black Rabbit’s perfect make-out spot: on the bench in front of the fire. It’s preferred by 3 out of 4 couples.
Brouwerij Lane (78 Greenpoint Ave) – Though your drink options are limited to what Brouwerij Lane’s is carrying beer/cider-wise, the fireplace and friendly company more than make up for the lack of hot toddies.
Greenpoint Beer & Ale (7 N 15th St) – To make up for all the drafty cold seeping through Greenpoint Beer & Ale’s huge glass garage doors is a substantial fireplace. Pro tip: you’ll want to sit at the bar, it can get a bit hot right in front.
Spritzenhaus (33 Nassau Ave) – Our very own beer hall has one of the most impressive fireplaces. Open on three sides, you can usually get an adjacent table, but if not, you can also enjoy from a spot at the bar.
Union Pool (484 Union Ave) – The magical backyard of Union Pool is kept warm through the winter by their fire pit, so you won’t catch a chill while waiting for your tacos.
Crank up the heat on a cold night with some of these classics. There’s a reason people have turned to these drinks to warm-up for hundreds of winters. Step out from the cold and into one of these inviting bars for a drink that will make you want to curl up in a wool blanket or break our the bubbles to celebrate the end of 2016!
Hot Toddy – The Topaz. Photo by Desirée Flores
The Topaz
251 Bushwick Ave., East Williamsburg
Hot Toddy $11, $8 at Happy Hour M-S 5-8 p.m., all night Sun.
The “best dressed” hot toddy in Brooklyn. This holiday favorite is mixed to perfection featuring the flavors of the season. Allspice Dram, pimento bitters, lemon and honey accompany Lairds & Co. Five Star Whiskey. This cocktail is sure to warm your heart. Continue reading →
Hearty beef & Guinness stew with carrots and mushrooms, over mashed potatoes
My mother is born-and-raised solid country stock from County Westmeath, Ireland. She remembers St. Patrick’s Day celebrations as chiefly religious, with the country going to mass with freshly-picked clovers pinned to buttonholes to honor their patron saint. Then there would be a shared family meal with special-occasion ingredients like beef or lamb, usually presented in roasts or stews.
Regardless of how you choose to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (or whether you want to avoid all related shenanigans entirely), this traditional Irish dish is straight-forward, nourishing, rich, and perfect for spooning out among any group of friends and family (though with all due respect to my grandmother and her preferred method of just dumping everything in a big pot and leaving it, I’ve added and tweaked some steps to improve texture and flavor).
