Leaf peeping is around the corner. Photo by Kirby Kizuki on Unsplash Welcome to the first official weekend of fall, the best season available around these parts. Yes, it is getting dark distressingly early, but on the other hand we’re right at the precipice of leaf peeping/apple picking/hot cocoa/sweater weather times. In these trying times, that’s enough to get excited about, provided that I can actually find a pair of my jeans that …
What to do this week(end): Sept. 17 to Sept. 24
Photo: Kelly Marshall Well, friends, there’s no escaping it… we’re fully back in the thick of it now. No more long, lazy summer days, no more ignoring work emails because the odds are good that at least someone on the chain is on vacation, and, sadly, no more holding out hope for summer 2021 to be the definitive turning point of this blasted pandemic. Yes, things are much better than they were at this time last year — I’m vaccinated and so is everyone else I know who is over 12, so why is it that I don’t actually feel better? Why is making and keeping plans so…
What to do this week(end): Aug. 13–19
How ya feelin’, Brooklyn (besides, obviously, HOT as all hell)? As per usual these days, there’s been a lot to digest in the past week or so, whether it’s confusing new COVID guidance, the conclusion of the weirdest Olympics in memory, a truly terrifying report on climate change, a new governor in Albany, or the long-awaited emancipation of Britney Spears! It’s tough to feel grounded about anything when both the immediate and long-term future feels so opaque—my office has pushed back it’s September reopening indefinitely, a friend’s wedding in New Orleans next month seems back up in the …
What to do this week(end): July 16–22
Hooray for Friday, even if we are smack in the middle of the hottest, stickiest dog days of summer—with sort of staccato interjections of extreme weather events that mean that people in the Bronx are jet skiing in the street on a day when Brooklyn hardly gets any rain. After a brief hiatus, the mice that took up residence in my apartment during the winter months are back. So, I’ve spent too much of my recent days literally trying to build a better mousetrap, which …
What to do this week(end): June 11–17
Greetings on this Friday following my first official, in-person work event in 15 months. It happened last night and involved staying out way too late after allowing a coworker who was born when I was in college to buy not one, but two rounds of ill-advised shots. Should I have left earlier? Sure, but this is pretty on brand for my pandemic reemergence so far—everything still feels a little rusty. While it is wonderful to have options and the ability to travel and connect with people, so far the whole thing feels less “hot vax summer,” and more “I need to…
What to do this week(end): June 4–10
Cheers, on this first Friday in June, and wowie zowie, a lot has changed around here since my last dispatch! The BB inbox is positively flooded with emails from concert venues, comedy clubs, restaurants, bars, and PR folks promoting all kinds of events. And it really looks like it’s shaping up to be the banner summer that we’ve all been so cautiously keeping our fingers and toes so tightly crossed for. Honestly, it feels great, so great even that I’ll ignore for a minute the fact…
What to do this week(end): Feb. 26-March 4
Happy Friday friends, and congrats on being able to go outside in reasonable comfort again! For that reason alone, and even in spite of rainy forecasts for the weekend and unsettling news about the new virus variants spreading in the city, things feel a little more upbeat around here these days, don’t you think? I think I’ve read thousands of articles about people cleaning out their closets or upgrading their apartments during this extended period at home with a mix of annoyance, jealousy, and awe, but last weekend I finally tackled mine (only took a year!) and it does feel freer to be living in marginally less clutter. That said…
What to do this week(end): Feb. 12-18
Greetings, snow babies, and happy almost-weekend to you all! This one is a long weekend for many of us, with Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year thrown in for good measure, so hopefully there will be enough going on to shake us all out of this twin state of pandemic exhaustion and winter blues that feels palpable everywhere these days. That special brand of stir crazy finally led me and my sister to get off our bums and head out to Bushwick to try the much-lauded burger from Robertas’ offshoot Burgie’s, which we devoured in the car and declared 1000% worth the trip before…
What to do this week(end): Jan. 15-21
Just two weeks into 2021 and it already feels like we might have another dud on our hands, doesn’t it? Yes, we’re just days away from competent people replacing the morally bankrupt, underachieving sycophants that comprise the Trump administration, and the vaccine rollout finally seems to be picking up steam, but man, nothing like white supremacist cultists staging a violent insurrection to drive home the point that a new calendar year is not going to be the cure-all elixir some of us may have naively hoped for. In …
What to do this week(end): Dec. 11-Dec. 18
The curated vendors of Brooklyn Pop-Up are appearing at a few holiday markets this weekend, including the holiday fair at Lakeside. Photo: @brooklyn.pop.up Happy Friday Brooklyn babies, in this, one of the final weeks of 2020, a year whose motto should officially be “If the virus doesn’t get you, the debilitating anxiety and/or boredom will.” I’m fresh off a decisive win in my office’s virtual team trivia event last night, the sun is out, and I just polished off a slice of pizza leftover …
What to do this week(end): Nov. 13-19
What a long five years it’s been. Photo: Kate Hooker WHAT A WEEK! Before I even get into it, I just want to get it out of the way that I wasn’t in the city on Saturday, so I missed the pot-banging party of the century that happened, although I watched about a million shaky iPhone videos of the same so I was here in spirit. Instead, I got the news when my texts started blowing up in the deli …
What to do this week(end), Nov. 6-Nov. 12
The leaves are all fired up in Prospect Park. Get outside this weekend and breathe in the summery, fall air. Photo: @craig_p_connolly It has been a long, lasagna-filled week for me. How about you? What did you stress eat while refreshing your NYT app and then double-checking what CNN and Fox were saying? (And did anyone else notice the Fox meters stopped working once they began tilting in Biden’s favor?) Going into this election, …
Learn how the ladies do it all at an intro to beekeeping class at Brooklyn Grange
Is 2020 the year you get into urban beekeeping? I hadn’t thought about it myself, but now I’m rethinking my little outdoor space after learning about Brooklyn Grange’s workshop offerings and how they provide you with such insightful facts. Did you know all worker bees are female!? Why am I not surprised… In this winter session of Intro to Beekeeping, join Head Beekeeper Geraldine Simonis in the basics of urban beekeeping, the biology, calendar, and lifecycle of bee colonies, as well as the 101 of equipment and safety when taking care of those queen bees. If this is the …
Jim Carrey to read from new memoir at Kings Theatre May 5
Award-winning actor and artist Jim Carrey sets out to destroy the celebrity memoir in his genre-bending new book Memoirs and Misinformation. Carrey and co-author Dana Vachon have fashioned a strange and hilarious story about acting, Hollywood, agents, privilege, friendship, romance, addiction to relevance, fear of personal erasure, our “one big soul,” Canada, and a cataclysmic ending of the world—with lots of celebrity cameos along the way. Carrey and Vachon discuss the book and much more at this exclusive launch event on the Kings Theatre stage
Free yoga in a glass room overlooking Bryant Park
New York winters are long. And those Manhattan-Brooklyn commutes can get unpleasant when we’re all smooshed in with our down coats, avoiding that one person who looks like they have the flu. But one thing that’s not a bummer is the free fitness class you can take advantage of to break up your weeknights. Wait out that evening commuter rush back to BK and enjoy a free yoga class on Thursday in Bryant Park, hosted by CorePower Yoga. Housed in the glass overlook above the skating rink, make sure to register in advance. Signing up DOES guarantee you a spot, but show up at 5:50 pm
Break a sweat to close out the work week
Too busy this week to get in a good exercise sesh? Never fear, because you can burn those extra cals on Friday night at Werk Out!, a high-intensity aerobics class at 3 Dollar Bill in East Williamsburg that was created by queer fitness guru AJ Blankenship and will be hosted by Ru Paul’s Drag Race contender Brita Filter. I know, I know, who wants to spend the first night of the weekend busting his or her ass in sweaty spandex, right? Well, for what it’s worth, this one sounds like a real party, and it even includes electrolyte cocktails and unlimited free chocolate. Tickets are $30 each, the class starts at 7:30 and…
Raise your vibration in 2020
This month is going by quickly, but it’s still not too late to learn new practices and establish habits that will support your wellness in 2020! Anima Mundi Apothecary in Greenpoint is hosting a workshop on raising your personal vibration on Thursday, January 16 from 6:30-8:30pm. The goal is to feel happier, more at peace, and connected, and let’s face it—we can all use some help with this. The workshop will teach movement, meditation, mindfulness techniques, and practical exercises, so dress comfortably. Participants will be provided with a spiral-bound journal and herbal tea. Tickets are $40. More ideas for Your Ideal Week here ⇨
You should probably learn more about natural wines in 2020
Maybe you are doing Dry January. And maybe you were intending on committing to Dry January but recently discovered the explosion of natural wines so have concluded that natural = healthy, so you should keep drinking. You can have it both ways at McNally Jackson in Williamsburg on Thursday night, Jan. 9. They’re hosting a discussion between Alice Feiring, the author of Natural Wines for the People and writer and critic Cheryl Pearl Sucher. The new book is a compact illustrated guide for those of us who
Frosted Flame: a queer comedy fundraiser
Littlefield is hosting a queer comedy fundraiser to benefit Housing Works on Thursday, December 19. The show is hosted by Sam Campbell, Simone Leitner, and Pete Valenti, and will feature comedians including Jay Jurden, Ali Clayton, Fareeha Khan, and Indigo Asim! The show will be followed by a dance party. Housing Works is a wonderful organization that works to combat homelessness and HIV/AIDS. This is a wonderful way to have a great time and give back this holiday season. You can also bring new or gently used coats to the event for a coat drive. Doors are at 8pm, the show is at 9pm, and tickets are $10 in advance/$12 day of show. More ideas for
Sing with a live band at The Gutter
The Gutter, the beloved, no-frills Williamsburg bowling joint, is bringing Live Band Karaoke with Lanier back after a year-long hiatus on Friday night, and if you’re looking to take your casual K-town karaoke habit to the next level, I can tell you first-hand that fronting real life musicians is a special kind of adrenaline high. If it’s been a while since you had a big night out in North Brooklyn consider grabbing dinner somewhere along Bedford or and heading over at 9pm—there’s a $10 cover and still some slots available if you’re feeling bold. More ideas for Your Ideal Week here ⇨
‘Waterboy and the Mighty World’ at Bushwick Starr
When it comes to high-quality theatrical performances at a reasonable price point, it’s tough to beat The Bushwick Starr, which kicks off its 2019-20 season this week with Waterboy and the Mighty World, a musical work by Justin Hicks, Kenita Miller-Hicks, and Jade Hicks, a husband/wife/sister trio better known as The HawtPlates. The show, which is part live concert and part concept album, explores the tenuous relationship between law enforcement and people of color in America through music inspired by civil rights hero Odetta Holmes, as well as Korean pansori, mantra, dirge, gospel music, and experimental R&B. There are still tickets available for Friday night’s show (only $20 each!), which …
Restaurant Week gets the Brooklyn treatment with Dine in Park Slope
Photo: Blue Ribbon Though only nine Brooklyn restaurants made it into this summer’s NYC Restaurant Week, a group of local organizations have joined forces to defend our borough’s reputation as a foodie destination. Treat yourself to a top-notch meal sans the schlep into the city during the second-annual Dine in Park Slope. The fun starts this Monday, Aug. 19, and runs through Aug. 30, with more than 50 Park Slope eateries and bars offering prix-fixe menus, discounts and other specials. From a $29.99 three-course dinner at Blue Ribbon Brasserie Brooklyn to a free bottle of wine at Wild with the purchase of two appetizers and entrees, your options runneth …
Celebrate women in beer across Brooklyn this Thursday
Thursday, August 8 is a great night to be a beer lover in Brooklyn. Hop Culture Magazine is hosting two events at a pair of borough favorites as part of Beers With(out) Beards, a five-day celebration of women in craft beer. In Boerum Hill, the excellent St. Gambrinus Beer Shoppe is hosting a lesson that will make beer and cheese pairing brie-zy. A $30 ticket scores you five Tröegs brews and their perfect cheesy counterpart at one of two sessions: 5pm or 7pm. Greenpoint is also getting in on the action with a women’s networking event at Threes Franklin + Kent from 8 to 10pm. Come armed with a favorite bottle or two…
‘Crooklyn,’ the first film on our August outdoor movie calendar
We have just 1 more month of summer. One month to take advantage of every free movie that will screen in parks and rooftops around New York, an admirable goal our printable outdoor movie calendar can help you accomplish. First up is Crooklyn, Spike Lee’s semi-autobiographical film about growing up in Bed-Stuy. The Crooklyn house, you might vaguely recall, was sold in 2014 for $1.4 million, turned into an Airbnb, and was then shut down by the city—a much different picture of New York than the one Lee captured in his coming of age story set in 1973 Brooklyn. It’s screening tonight in Brooklyn Bridge…