Hi Brooklyn. How are you doing? How are you feeling? How are you faring during these very strange times?
My hope is that you’re taking this time to breathe a bit. To reflect on why it is you’re here, what you want to do, and who you want to be, without any unnecessary pressure. We’re all in this together… apart, yet together. I’ve found a few ways to make this separation feel a little more unified, and to help you feel a little more alive, and not alone. It’s all here, and there for you, Brooklyn… wherever you are.
Socialize, From a Distance
Go on a Window Bar-Crawl Through Your Neighborhood.
You know what’s cool about right now? Open container laws have basically been thrown out the window, and you won’t draw attention to yourself in public as long as you keep a social distance. Take this opportunity to take a boozy little walk through your ‘hood. And if you’re lucky enough to live in Greenpoint you can follow my footsteps.
Greenpoint Beer and Ale, for pick-up!
Everything you need to know is right here.
Broken Land, at the window!
I highly recommend the frozen Aperol spritz. Great for sunny days, pretty damn good at night too.
Brooklyn Safehouse, just knock!
Shots in ramekins, cans of beer, spiked seltzer. It’s all waiting for you- just knock. (And then pay and tip your bartenders.)
St. Agrestis + Greenhook Gin Negronis, plus hand sanitizer!
Available for curbside pick-up, get a little tipsy and stay clean while you do it.
Make a 6-foot long tin can phone and head to the park.
Listen- you’ve been proudly cleaning out your cabinets and choking down slimy legumes for two weeks now. Upcycle those cans before you recycle them and talk to your friends at a clever social distance. Be candid. You can-do it!
Or Party… Virtually
Good Room Virtual Dance Party, Friday Night
It’s a benefit for your favorite local club to turn the music up loud and #revelwithacause because you have nothing better to do. No, really… nothing you think you have to do is better than this.
Nowadays has live streaming DJs nightly starting at 8pm!
Yep. Every night, it’s virtually Nowadays. Tune in while you’re cooking, while you’re “working”, while you’re fucking or doing that goddamn puzzle that won’t quit.
Funk You NYC live from their living room through House of Yes!
Keep up with their Instagram stories for nightly parties. Costumes not required but come on… wear a costume. Let’s get weird.
Bernie’s Having a Virtual Party on Saturday.
So. I don’t know, but if you tune in, let’s just do our best to put a smile on and pretend we’re not about to have 4 more years of the Overstuffed Yam in office. Let’s just… party. I guess. #Bernie2020
Listen to This
Meditate on all of this.
I don’t know about you, but Tamara Levitt’s painfully calming voice in my ears every morning has been very soothing. Download the calm app and do some very necessary meditation.
Dave Matthews is live-streaming a concert from his living room tonight.
And before you decide to make fun of me, I’m from Virginia. And that makes my love of Dave Matthews nothing more than a way to support a local musician. So put on your jean shorts and flip flops and pop open a crispy boy so you Don’t Drink the Water. Feel good about feeling like you’re Tripping (billies). If the internet goes out, try to tune in via Satellite. Lose yourself, Crash into some things. Find yourself again Under the Table and Dreaming. FaceTime your friends because you have So Much To Say. Just keep in mind that obviously, this is not a Typical Situation. But we have to do everything we can before we Lie in our Graves.
ANYWAY, I’ll be watching it. Don’t judge me, I don’t care. Bye.
Taste the Relief
Gertie’s on Grand
…is offering free meals to service industry workers. Meals will be available Tuesday – Friday from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. The pop-up relief center will continue indefinitely until the restaurant can no longer financially support the program, so go support them supporting us.
Baoburg $5 ‘Survivor Meals’
Because we’re all still trying to figure out how to work, how to eat, how to live in this new reality, Baoburg is here to help. Their ‘survivor meals’ are just $5 and is, let’s be honest, better than whatever you have on the menu tonight.
Free Baked Goods at Bakeri Williamsburg!
Your favorite bakery in the borough is spreading love through their amazing baked goods and giving them out for free. Which is what we all should be doing right now- giving and sharing our talents to make everyone feel better.
Barano Brooklyn, dinner + wine pairing
Offering their full menu and custom wine pairings through neighboring bottle shop Spirit Animal, wine and dine yourself finely tonight. All info here.
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.
To-Go Sushi and Sake Bombs From Kanahashi and Amami!
If you’ve been tuning in, you’ll know that me and my non-feline housemate had QUITE a time (and quite a rhyme) doing in-house sake bombs this past week. I equally do and don’t recommend this. (psych… I totally do.) Leave your rhymes in the comments section, please.
Archestratus Contact-less Market!
Your favorite cookbook store and cafe has been working with local makers and markets to bring you this, a contactless market open this Saturday! Order online and pick-up right outside of the store, from 1-3pm. 160 Huron St.
Pour one out for your homies…
And please, support your favorite local businesses by contributing to their staff’s GoFundMe. There are 321,000 restaurant industry workers who are now, all, unemployed and potentially without jobs once “all of this ends”. Contribute the extra cash you have in your pocket that you haven’t been using as tips to help them get through this indefinite period of confusion. Le Fanfare in Greenpoint has been my family and livelihood for nearly 3 years now, and also provides the means for me to create all of this, for you. Show your support, to us, to them, to everyone
Stay Active
YesWilliamsburgTV Live Streams
Check out all of the amazing fitness streaming daily via YesWilliamsburgTV to help support local fitness instructors and to keep yourself fit, mentally and physically, while we’re all stuck indoors.
It’s Yoga, on an App!
Downward Dog app is FREE right now, and it’s the best Yoga app I’ve found so far. Try it out, no matter what your ability level is or how much time you have (but be honest… you have all the time.)
Get Creative
Atlas Obscura’s Wonder From Home
All the best ways to get lost and feel better on the internet are waiting for you right here via Atlas Obscura. Because mindlessly scrolling never really led anyone to where they wanted to be anyway, here’s the anti-Instagram black hole.
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 Barcelona with a scene of Gaudi’s Casa Batllo- a crisp cava 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!
Opera in the Kitchen, Live from Italy!
Sign up for an Italian cooking class, live streaming from Chianti! Opera in the Kitchen was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever been a part of, and taught me so much more about Italian cooking. Open your kitchen up to all of the beauty of Italy, virtually. Sign up here, and I guess, bring your own opera.
Get That Government Check
Ok, listen… I have no idea if this trick actually works, but what I do know is that I was spending way to much time refreshing my browser and trying to penetrate the labor.ny.gov site and mindlessly redialing 800.833.3000 and getting absolutely nowhere… Then I got a tip to pretend to “forget my password” and then reset it, and somehow, that worked. I got through immediately and now finally, hopefully, I’ll get unemployment… at some point. Anyway, give it a try!
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