Work It Brooklyn at the Women in Music event, and you too could soon be a big Deal.

Brooklyn independent musicians take note: Work It Brooklyn and Women in Music are hosting a cheap-n-easy networking opportunity Wednesday (4/20) at Coco66. The Music Industry Focus will start with some casual mingling, segue into Speed Networking (like dating without the awkward next morning), followed by a panel of industry professionals and closing with a big ole demo swap. Festivities are from 7-10pm, but Coco66’s happy hour runs daily from 4-8PM. Get there early and fill up on $2 cosmos (yes, you read correctly), and $3 draft beer/well drinks. More details: (more…)

Spring forward when you win these dope wheels from Ride Brooklyn

I know you’re chained to your desk twitching in anticipation for the Brokelyn Country Club Spring Gala April 21. If you weren’t excited enough for the open bar, springwear contest and dance party, our raffle will have you covered on everything you need for spring, not the least of which is a new set of wheels! This awesome Linus Roadster Classic bicycle from our friends at Ride Brooklyn is one of the prizes you could walk away with. In a shiny black sheen with a medium frame, this vintage-inspired beauty (equipped with alloy bell and coaster brakes) is worth $429, but could be yours for one measly raffle ticket. But even if you aren’t the lucky winner, we’ve got more, much more, for you to win: (more…)

Photo by Boston Bill.

If you’ve got a creative habit to support, your revenue stream may come down to waiting tables, tending bar, or stripping. Then there’s retail, which tends to pay less than the above but typically has the added enticement of an employee discount. Which retail stores offer their entry-level staff the best concoction of pay and discount alongside unquantifiables like fun vibes, a lenient tardiness policy or a lax dress code?

From the best-paying gigs to the store with the highest bar for employee looks, here is what you can expect at five major fashion retailers and Trader Joe’s (hibiscus shirts are sort of fashion, right?). The info was culled from present and former employees and confirmed to the best of our ability with the retailers (ie, via unreturned emails to their PR departments). Got your own retail survival tales? Spill ‘em in the comments. (more…)

Dating in Brooklyn couldn’t be more awkward/fickle/sociopathic/on-the-internet, and Feb. 14th is just the day to be excruciatingly self-aware of this. There’s nary a more self-loathing celebration, but the slew of single-people happenings next week will surely lure you back from the ledge. Brokelyn is here to weed out the pricey events and serve up some anti-V-day haterade in the $0-10 range. And since the events start on a Monday, pour me a haterade double. (more…)

typical Brooklyn date. We can help you top this.

Newsflash, Brooklyn: it’s time to get a leg up on Valentine’s Day plans. While my ideal date night starts with a free show and concludes in a $4-beer-and-shot deal, you might be looking for something a bit more polished for the 14th. You can still charm for cheap on the Hallmark holiday, so long as you plan ahead. We’ll have some tantalizing V-day ideas for 2011 coming up next week, but for now, those of you looking to mix it up — or even class it up — investigate some of our best Brokelyn courtship guides here. (more…)

A rock camper on stage at MHOW in 2008

It’s sad that I’m too old to have ever gone to Willie Mae Rock Camp, a weeklong program where girls kickstart a rad band and perform at a BK venue other bands toil for years to play, and too young to have an 8-year-old kid that might attend the camp in my stead. For your kids, however, there’s no reason to be stuck between a rock (and roll) and a financial hard place: this Clinton Hill-based non-profit is expanding — and offering instrument loans and a need-based sliding-scale tuition. (more…)

The author's windowsill garden, awaiting spring

I’ve always been emotional about plants, ever since the pumpkin patch I toiled on for three months as a kid was ravaged by a posse of deer. Green visions resurfaced ten years later when I moved to Brooklyn and dreamt of a brightly lit windowsill garden. But in Bushwick, the closest I got was an English Thyme plant from Whole Foods. Until, that is, I unearthed Brokelyn’s four-part guide to windowsill gardening. As I heeded the advice on seeds and soil and putting it all together, my fledgling garden was finally realized. My failure as a gardener brought me to Brokelyn, which also led me to Rose Red & Lavender, where I bought organic soil, pots, wildflower seeds and a Thai basil plant. The deer haven’t returned but my budget gardening knowledge is sticking around.

This is the third entry in our series on venues featured in the Brokelyn Beer Book 2. Today we feature one of our new entries: d.b.a., a place both beer lovers and whiskey aficionados agree on.

d.b.a, via flickr user citysearchnyc

d.b.a.

113 N. 7th St. (Berry Street & Wythe Avenue)

What it is: Floor-to-ceiling windows create ambiance of a warm, dimly lit fish tank, if the fish were swimming in cask beer and Basil Hayden. The bar includes an expansive selection of just about everything (whiskey nerds very welcome).

Why we love it: High-quality bar food (gumbo and soft pretzels), knowledgeable staff, cask beer, and nice back yard to stretch your legs in. (more…)

One of these, please. In pastel.

With less than a week until Brokelyn’s Pre-gift/Re-gift Holiday Party (Tuesday, Dec. 21, at Hot Bird), it’s time to seriously think about what you’ll be contributing to the gifting pool. First off, remember what the night is: only a primo opportunity to soak up generous drink specials (select $4 draught beers and $1 off all liquor), mingle with your favorite Brokelyn babes and beaus, purge your stash of unwanted (but quality!) gifts from holidays past and pick up some new stuff more to your liking. To facilitate things, we’ve compiled a handy list of pre-gifting/re-gifting dos and donts so you don’t end up re-gifting your pre-gift re-gift findings a third time around. (more…)

You must have one of these to pull from

Ok, we know: Who isn’t throwing a holiday party sometime in the next two weeks? But the real question is: Who is throwing one with the express purpose of vastly improving your last-minute gift-giving potential? That would be us. Join Brokelyn on Tuesday, Dec. 21, for the first ever Pre-gift/Re-gift Holiday Party. There’ll be music, drink specials (select $4 draught beers and $1 off all liquor), holiday cheer—all the usual seasonal stuff. But also, like most everything else Brokelyn-related, this get-together’s coming with some built-in brokester practicality: a last-minute chance to dump gifts you don’t want, pick up some you do and finally purge that growing pile of untouchables from Secret Santas past. (more…)