Hey Brooklyn. We’re going to be ok (I think). Just in case, let’s hedge our bets by doing all of the things I’ve chosen for you to do to keep you sane, this weekend and indefinitely. Check out my weekend picks below, and click here for my ongoing list of how to party, get fit, stay cultured, and show your support, all week long.
Party at Home
I mean this is kind of the best kind of weekend partying… You can commit to a number of plans, and then do them all a little bit while not wearing pants, and then just fall right into bed without having to decide whether or not you deserve to take an Uber home. And best of all, most of these parties are actually benefitting some group or business, so #revelwithacause all weekend. Get to it.
Don’t Try This At Home
But do tune into Secret Loft’s weekly live stream that features an amazing (and usually neon) aerial artist and an in-house DJ that will be a hell of a lot cooler than waiting for weird people with stiff dance moves to pop up on the main screen. They’re streaming on Saturdays right here.
There’s a drive-in movie theater in Astoria.
Because, of course there is. That one neighborhood that you always talk about checking out but when it comes down to it, you have no clue what’s really going on there. Well, what’s going on is that they have larger parking lots than almost anywhere in the city, and one of such lots has been transformed into a drive-in theater. These events don’t happen on weekends, but you need to tune in and sign up now, and then find a car, quick.
Get Cultured.
There is more available at our fingertips right now than ever before, and I don’t mean whatever stockpile of filtered images influencers have scheduled to roll out to you this month. Check out my favorites below and learn something while you’re “stuck inside”.
Konichiwa, Japan
If we can’t travel, we might as well dream up of all of the vacation plans we might have made and also the cultural hugs we may have received during such trips. So order sushi from your favorite neighborhood spot (don’t forget the sake) and give yourself a virtual tour of this museum and then tell all your friends how truly Japanese you are. (I really think so). Info here, and FYI Kana Hashi in Greenpoint is my pick for sushi!
Frieze Art Fair is Virtually Happening, today!
All the art without the pretension! I gotta be honest- if it wasn’t for the steep entry price and my truly debilitating lack of choosing any outfit that seems worthy of such an art fair, I would have gone to Frieze every single year. But now that it’s available virtually and I can wear literally anything and still feel cool and I can linger around any piece of artwork without being “ahem-ed!” ahead? Well count me in, baby. Frieze is coming to your house and today is that last day. Tune in here.
Beat the Shit out of Coronavirus
Listen to me- you have time. You have time to do the things you never thought you’d have time to do. And here’s one you likely didn’t think about- making a papier-mâché coronavirus and then beating the shit out of it. If you have kids, fill it with candies. If you don’t, little boozy treats will do. Just make yourself feel better by having something to take it out on. Start here.
Shape Up or Ship Out
Because “shelter in place” doesn’t mean being completely stagnant. You can responsibly keep yourself moving in some very creative ways.
Get Down(ward) Locally, Yo!
Listen, we’re all in the same boat- picturing some sort of physical transformation when this all started and knowing that the answer lies in some sort of app. And then, of course, given that we are confined to individual shoe boxes the inspiration wanes and we are left throwing our scales onto the sidewalk (I saw someone do this on Kent Street, today) and just hoping that no one will notice that we’ve gained weight. There’s a better way to go about this, one that makes us all feel less isolated and more confident in our ability to move forward. And it’s right here– with local NYC Yoga classes. Show your support and do something better for your body.
Beam me up, Scotty!
Human Dominos, at Domino Park!
Yep. The park has been littered with individual social-distanced circles, which means, you and yours* can go and sit within designated circles, all 6-feet apart from the other circles. And what will you do in these circles? Here are a few ideas- really, really tight duck-duck-goose; an intimate and likely cacophonous drum circle; double dutch that still won’t work, no matter how badly you want it to; re-enacting that scene from A Little Princess; exactly one round of leapfrog. Anyway, a lot of creativity comes from having restrictions, so tell me, what will you do in your circle? I have a 6-ft tin can phone- so, tell me from the circle behind you. (Hey.)
*quarantine partners
Streets for Humans, coming to your Neighborhood.
Weigh in on this fight online regarding closing streets to car traffic, and then recognize that resistance is futile no matter how many times this guy refers to Greenpoint residents as “mid-western fucks” and then, get out and do that thing where you act like you’re in a car when you’re drunk and only the drive-thru is open… because we can all just walk freely on the (selected) streets now folks. Let your neighborhood feel like a park and let’s all gallop gleefully through the streets because who knows how long this will last. (For real… no one knows)
Explore Brooklyn by Bike!
It’s going to be gorgeous this weekend, and while joggers have come under fire recently, biking is the best way to cover more ground, responsibly, and to see so much more of the borough! The lovely Jacqueline VanDusen via @brooklynbybike has explored (nearly) every single block in Brooklyn by bike. Check out her recommendations for awesome rides here. I’ll see you out there! Especially once streets are closed to cars come may!
Show your Support
Eat Nachos and Support Local Restaurants with Bill Murray and Shaq
There are a lot of ways you can show the restaurants we know and love and that truly make this city what it is- but one super cool way is bringing both Bill Murray and Shaq into Greenpoint TONIGHT to consume a rather ungodly amount of nachos. And if you want to somehow be a part of it, you will simply have to eat a fuck ton of nachos at home, donate to this incredibly worthy cause, and then try to spot bill and Shaq looming around the ‘hood… which, can’t be that hard, right? All the info you can get is right here, but also donate here.
Oxomoco is OPEN.
Yeah. And just when you already thought TACO TUESDAY should maybe stop being lifted by time restrictions, they just came out of nowhere and said, yeah, you right homey. Taco Tuesday can be any day and you don’t have to feel bad about it because they have a Michelin Star that says there’s absolutely nothing bad happening here. Order pronto, things sell out.
Go Get Brunch (and I never say that)
Brunch is no longer (that) annoying because instead of bothering restaurant workers, you’re simply picking up and taking that two-eggs-any-style and 4 different beverage option order straight back into your home, where you have at least two eggs and a frying pan and almost all of the beverage options a human could want. So instead of annoyingly patronizing your favorite brunch spots, supportingly patronize them this Saturday and Sunday and tip them very generously because they have been hungover and had to deal with your hungover ass with a smile. My top picks are Anella, Le Fanfare, and Cafe Alula (good god, that egg sandwich…) but just take a stroll and see who’s around, wanting to feed you.
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