Hi guys. Are you out there? It’s me, your fearless leader, the girl who’s been encouraging you to get out, to embrace and enjoy life in this city, in so many ways through so many words and for the better part of 6 years now.
And now? Well now everything has changed. We physically cannot go out and enjoy this city for the first time ever. We are being forced to stay in our homes. The energy we all share has been contained and quarantined, indefinitely.
But I’m still here. And I’m hoping to help you get through these weird times and navigate the uncharted waters of keeping ourselves entertained in our tiny apartments. Let’s do the best we can for now… and, I’m 100% in favor of spontaneous fire escape conciertos. I’ll be listening with my tambourine at the ready.
Adopt a Pet!
Having a non-human furry friend in the house during a quarantine is guaranteed to relieve stress and increase overall hopefulness. And if you have ever considered adoption, now is the time. When life as we know it has been put on hold, pet adoptions are a perfect little salvation. Browse available rescues via Brooklyn Animal Action, the ASPCA or Bad Ass Brooklyn Animal Adoption. Besides, cats and dogs are proven to not carry the virus, so you can spend time training them to do your grocery shopping.
Support Your Local Bars Remotely
Almost every establishment has had to lay off most of its employees, meaning that money you’re saving on bar tabs and tips is directly affecting your favorite bartender’s ability to live and create and bring a smile to your face. Because most service industry professionals in this city are also artists, this shutdown will lead to a significant decrease in art and creativity in this city. Look up all of your favorite haunts (I see you, Moonlight Mile, The Palace, Elder Greene, The Diamond!) and contribute to their GoFundMe. They need you. We need you.
Grab a Drink, To-Go
St. Agrestis and Greenhook Ginsmiths
These two local amaro and gin distilleries are teaming up to offer their signature Negroni and house-made hand sanitizer to-go during this time. Stay clean and tipsy, Greenpoint! Orders available for pick-up or local delivery. Place an order here.
Rooftop Reds
Is offering free delivery in Brooklyn and Manhattan! Order a few bottles from the world’s only rooftop urban winery and bring it to your next virtual party to impress everyone. Info here.
Skinny Dennis
… is offering to-go cocktails and drinks! Because you can take the honky-tonk bar out of service, but you can’t take the honky-tonk out of the girl… or, something. Skinny Dennis is open for to-go business because no crisis warrants a world without bourbon mint teas. Follow them here and get there anytime after 2pm.
Plus, in true Brooklyn Safehouse fashion… I biked past yesterday to see the door open and a wooden coffee table in the doorway, and shot glasses being set up in a line. Stay unclassy, Safehouse… I wouldn’t want you any other way.
Dandelion Wine in Greenpoint
For local pick-up and delivery, your favorite little wine shop is curating specialty 6-packs to make sure all of your Google Hangouts are a little more fun. Trust their team of experts to build you a box of wines that will spark your curiousity and comfort your insatiable need to explore the world, one glass at a time. Info here. 153 Franklin St.
Duke’s Liquor Box is still is open for business!
If you’re wondering if your favorite local bar is offering to-go beverages, take a walk around your neighborhood. Making walking your dog a little more interesting. Plenty of places are still open in some capacity and need your support.
Support your favorite restaurants with To-Go Orders!
Let’s be honest… there are so many things that attracted us to life in this wild and wonderful city, and prominently among them is the ability to enjoy almost any type of amazing cuisine all over town. There are over 26,000 restaurants in this city, each bringing us their own very original blend of flavors and dishes, or decor and ambiance, of service and people that you can’t experience anywhere else. Those restaurants may not still be here come summertime unless they have our help. Order in tonight. See The Infatuation’s guide here, check out my picks below, or simply look up the Instagram or website of the restaurants you most want to see still here after all of this blows over. Order-in. Eat local. Share the love.
Barano Brooklyn
Offering their full menu and custom wine pairings through neighboring bottle shop Spirit Animal, wine and dine yourself finely tonight. All info here.
The Commodore
It’s comforting to know that even in during what feels like the apocalypse, we can still have fried chicken and frozen pina coladas. Place an order here, and just make sure your meal is accompanied with plenty of late-night dancing. The Commodore would want it that way.
Dashi Brooklyn
…just opened their doors a month ago and now are faced with the indefinite fate of COVID-19. Show them some love and how must you can’t wait to sit and enjoy their charming space by grabbing lunch any day this weekend. 119 Ingraham St.
Edouard Massih Quarancatering
This Greenpoint local chef is posting his daily recipes for a homecooked, catered meal to help feed and connect you to your community from the comfort of your own mess-free kitchen. Follow him here and join in this week’s menu options, complete with a cucumber mint lemonade ready and waiting for your favorite liquor to be added.
Jimmy’s Diner
There are lots of local place doing pay-what you wish meals, especially and intentionally for those working in the service industry. Because 26,000 restaurant closing means nearly 360,000 servers and bartenders and kitchen staff members without income. Jimmy’s won’t let you go hungry. Place an order here.
Anella Brooklyn
After a fire two years ago took this amazing neighborhood establishment from us for nearly 6 months, the outpouring of love and support Anella felt was not soon forgotten. They’ve been preparing meals for takeout only and offering pay-what-you-can. Support them for supporting all of us and let’s fan that proverbial flame of love, baby. Keep up with the daily offerings via their instagram.
Archestratus, food + cookbooks!
Your favorite cookbook store and cafe has been working to get all of their delicious inventory online so that you won’t be without some amazing Sicilian homecooking, or inspiration to explore a new cuisine from your own home. Support this amazing business and shop here now- new products to be added daily!
Curious about other ways to help support local restaurants that might now get through this? Buy a gift card for your favorite neighborhood spot. Or tell your parents if they want to help your neighborhood, to buy a gift card. These places need some sort of income to stay in business, so let’s help.
Embark on a new Creative Challenge!
Paint Classes through Happy Creative Dig
My favorite little creativity nook is taking their coveted wine paint nights online, for free! Learn to paint alongside a bunch of strangers, virtually, who won’t judge you for refilling your wine glass every time you clean your brush. This Saturday’s lesson takes us to Venice with a scene of the Rialto Bridge- an Italian wine pairing is recommended. Sign up and see the full schedule here, and choose from general admission (free!) to painter package (have supplies mailed to you!) or ‘Taste of the World’ which includes an assorted food box. Cheers, future painters! or just drinkers with paint-covered hands!
Writing Prompts and Challenges
Sure, it’s hard to find inspiration given all of the chaos that is happening around us, but all of this free time is a great opportunity to explore some new writing projects. I found this amazing list of writing prompts a few years ago that I still find myself returning to. Embark on your own by searching #writingprompts or by following your favorite writers/poets on Instagram. Let yourself explore your own creative world through words.
Free Ivy League Classes
I don’t know about you, but I didn’t exactly have the opportunity to take Ivy league classes in college… because I was not at an Ivy League school. But ehre’s the chance to enrich your education at such intangible institutions who are offering plenty of courses for free. Explore more here and hold your head a little higher in public once we all get out of this. Perhaps you want to go to Columbia? Or Penn? Or just say you took some classes at Harvard or Brown? It’s all available for you here, at your own pace. Learn something. All you have is time, baby.
Support the Arts
While we can’t go to any museums, almost all of New York’s best art collections are now available to browse online, for the first time. True, an online image doesn’t compare to the emotionally gripping experience of standing in front of a Rothko, but it is a great opportunity to connect imagery with information and prepare yourself to impress anyone the next time you hit up the Guggenheim. And when you do, check out my new series dedicated to helping you find a great restaurant near all of the city’s best museums.
The Living Installation, live performance art!
Our favorite local performance artist duo, Micahel Alien and Jadda Cat cannot and will not be silenced or contained during this time. They’ll be bringing you 4 hours of live performance art through their website this Saturday. See firsthand how lives and appearances can be transformed given our current state of affairs; intentionally change your state of mind and perspective along with these amazing visionaries. It’s free to experience (but donations are appreciated!) all info here.
Get Out of the House
We can still walk outside (for now). And I’ve been enjoying so many unexpected mid-afternoon walks with friends during this time. Spring is springing so go and take advantage of so much pre-Spring beauty happening right now, like the Prospect Park Cherry Blossoms, all the local haunts within Green-Wood Cemetery, a relatively calm moment on the Coney Island boardwalk or a private walk along the beach at Jacob Riis- where parking free in the off-season! I’ll be performing a clandestine elopement tomorrow at Fort Greene Park, so come join and feel the love! Or, just head to whatever local greenspace feels like your backyard (Im talking to you, Transmitter Park). Get out. You need to.
Sweat it Out at Home
I’ve been a big fan of Freeletics for a while now. They offer coach-curated high-intensity interval workouts you can do from anywhere- no equipment required (but a mat helps!) Get a free trial here and prepare to turn the music up loud enough that your roommates won’t hear your grunts.
Also, our friends at Uncovermore have outlined a ton of great live streams for workouts! Check her post out here. And keep following YesWilliamsburgTV to find tons of local workout instructors bringing their classes live and online! Summer is still coming. Stay fit in there, Brooklyn.
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