Photo by Steve Govoni

We’d climbed nearby mountains, lit upstate cabin-fireplaces—we were ready for our next summer getaway from boom-boxes and sweaty subways. This time, we day-tripped it to Rowayton, Connecticut, a little town on the Long Island Sound, an easy hour from the city on MetroNorth. What is Rowayton? Freaking cute is what it is. Cute as in floppy spaniels and children pulled down the street in little red wagons. Cute… but with money too, like a Norman Rockwell painting where everyone’s won the lottery. In short: everything you expect Connecticut to be. (more…)

Photo by Ultraclay!

This is the latest in our series on the venues featured in the Brokelyn Beer Book. The Charleston in Williamsburg is a Brokester’s dream: a pizza comes with every beer.

THE CHARLESTON
174 Bedford Ave. between N. 7th and N. 8th Sts., Williamsburg, 718-782-8717

What it is: About as rough and tumble as a bar with gorgeous handmade tables and black-shuttered windows overlooking Bedford Avenue can be.
Why we love it: It’s the cheap-o haven that doesn’t feel like a cheap-o haven. Drinks come with a whole personal pizza.
Who to bring: People watchers, those friends who love to try to eat until they puke, a friendly partner to facilitate sharing a table with strangers on a weekend night.
What to order: Beer and pizza. Period. Make sure there’s parmesan and red pepper at hand.
Charleston fun fact: It’s one of the longest-standing bars in Williamsburg.

David Hemmings and Veruschka von Lehndorff in Blow-Up

London in the ’60s was one of those places and brief moments in time that we think almost compares to modern-day Brooklyn when it comes to ‘cool’. It was a swingin’, mod-wearing time—an era so many of us would have loved to live through. And this Wednesday, we might get a pretty good taste. Future Cinema, the British event company behind feats of live, immersive, multimedia cinema, has crossed the pond for the first time (straight to Brooklyn) with one of its extravagant creations: Antonioni’s iconic 1966 classic Blow-Up, tomorrow night, Jun. 30, at Shangri-La Studio in Greenpoint. (more…)

This is the latest in our series on the venues featured in Brokelyn Beer Book. With the Northside Festival taking over Williamsburg and Greenpoint this weekend, catch a drink by the piano at Manhattan Inn and get in the mood.

MANHATTAN INN
632 Manhattan Ave. between Nassau Ave. and Bedford Ave., North Williamsburg/Greenpoint, 718-383-0885 (more…)

This three-day weekend, Gowanus’ Brooklyn Yard is back in business, with three big events to meet all your basic needs: food, clothes and… techno-funk dance party! Rounding out the weekend on Mem Day itself  (but we’ll start with it) is the Gowanus Food Truck Festival. We’re proud to put the Brokelyn name behind this convergence of the borough’s favorite curbside treats. (more…)

Scene from A Summer Rain

Momasphere, a mama-power group that works to “round out motherhood” through communal events and fundraisers, is throwing Luna Fest this Sunday, May 23. The benefit film-fest will be a chance to watch movies all by women, for women, about women and nibble treats and grab gifties from a bunch of sponsors at the Brooklyn Art Exchange in Park Slope. The best part? The festival is showing Brokelyn (and you) some love, with a 50 percent discount if you buy a ticket online before the show. (more…)

We all have mornings when we can’t tell the razor blade from the handle. And that lumpy palm-full of conditioner is never a pleasant surprise. The stuff behind your mirror can turn, whether it’s meant to be brushed, rubbed, swallowed or whatever. And pricey replacements should be a last resort. Since we’re into making things last lately, here are a few ways to prolong your pills, to stretch your shaver a bit further—how to get more from your medicine cabinet. (more…)

Photo courtesy of FreakingNews.com

From the AAs in your flashlight to the Lithium ion in your laptop, batteries… tend to run out. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do all in your power to milk those precious power cells for all they’re worth. A few minutes of maneuvers, beyond just shutting off and plugging in, can mean a difference of hours or even years for your indispensable gadget. Here’s how to save your batteries. (more…)

"No Mustard" by Ryan Higgins

In an homage to yard flamingos everywhere, a Ditmas Park basement-turned-art-haven is launching “The Lawn Show”—an afternoon-long Brooklyn version of a sculpture garden. The show’s organized by the Dirty Dirty, an alternative studio space for artists to branch out a bit from their everyday work. You may not find many garden gnomes on the lawn Saturday, but you will be treated to a variety of weird and wonky works from Brooklyn sculptors like Sarah Granett, Ryan Higgins, Elisa Lendvay and a bunch of others. The announcement on Ditmas Park Blog says BYOB, so apparently, the B is a welcome part of the show. Saturday, May 8, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

672 Westminster Road, between Glenwood Rd. and Foster Ave. Q train to Newkirk Ave.

Coffee can grill: yay or nay?

What self-respecting Brokelynite hasn’t—at some point—gone for conditioner instead of shaving cream, or for baby powder in a deodorant-less pinch? Sometimes, in a moment of need, we make do with what we have. Or we just can’t bring ourselves to pay full price for… anything. Enter AltUse, a Website of home-grown DIY wisdom and thrifty tricks turned into an enormous list of alternative uses for everyday household items. The clear, user-friendly site lets you search by item or need—by “vodka” or by “keep flowers fresh.” Old standards like baking soda, rubbing alcohol and vinegar are recurring elements, but then there’s how to make a spiffy new bulletin board from a year’s worth of cork collecting. That starts to get exciting. (more…)