Our girl Caroline shows off some of the wonders you can find at Dusty Rose. via Facebook

If this yo-yo weather has got you befuddled, try a new kind of spring cleaning to get you in the groove. At the end of the month, Greenpoint’s own Dusty Rose Vintage will be hosting their first ever “This for That” annual spring clothing swap. So if you’re super bored with what you have now, why not just trade it in? People do that in summertime with relationships too, so why not clothing? (more…)

The siren’s call/morning savior. Photo by Sarah Gainer.

As the brunch enthusiast who brought you 10 Best Brooklyn Brunches, it only seemed right to hit the streets of Brooklyn to find the best brunch for your budget and your neighborhood. Brunch is never the cheapest of meals, but this roundup is all about finding the right balance of quality and value. Though I begin in Greenpoint, I plan on roaming throughout the borough so you’ll always have a hangover cure/morning after spot even if you end up in an unknown neighborhood. (If you find yourself waking up in Manhattan, however, you’re on your own). (more…)

Filligar returns to CMJ this year, playing two showcases. 2011 photo from the No Pulp Music showcase by Sarah Bibi.

It’s here! CMJ 2012 returns on Tuesday, and the official schedule has been posted. The long-running music marathon might be the best five days (and nights) yet, with more than 1,300 performances at more than 80 different venues. I know all y’all Brokesters already bought your $549 badge, but just in case a few of you out there chose groceries over tuneage, we’ve compiled a list of the official (and a few unofficial) FREE CMJ events for your pleasure. Sure, there are lots of big names this year — The Walkmen, Alex Winston, The Mountain Goats, Dum Dum Girls, GZA — but every CMJ fanatic will tell you that the best part of this fest is that amazing discovery of “the band that practices across the street from you.” (more…)

Audrey, please make the bed when you’re done.

Roommate life got you down, what with devil cats and passive aggressive notes? Meet your new roommate for a day: Audrey Tautou! According to Park Slope Stoop, director Cedric Klapisch is in the market for a Brooklyn apartment in which to shoot a scene for his upcoming film, Chinese Puzzle. For about eight hours of shooting, you’ll receive a “reasonable location fee.” We can just picture Amelie, ahem, Audrey, reading in our Brooklyn beds.  Here’s the letter that’s been floating around: (more…)

Here’s a little secret: I work in TV and I don’t have a working TV. Just today a coworker was discussing the obscene amount she pays for cable, which is probably a good chunk of her rent, especially if it’s one of these apartments. I’m all for watching seasons a few years late (that’s what Netflix is for) but this time Nitehawk Cinema is allowing me to run with the cool kids. Starting this Sunday, Williamsburg’s indie movie mecca will be screening the new season of AMC’s Breaking Bad in its lobby for FREE; or you can watch the season at the nearby Brooklyn Winery, which is doing free screenings too. (more…)

Bike date, anyone?

Just in time for the worst holiday of all time, the folks at L Magazine have compiled a list of 18 Brooklyn Dates: One For Every Conceivable Dating Scenario. Among these suggested evenings of passion are The Art Date (hit up some art galleries and toss back some PBRs), The Roof Date (WINE ON THA ROOF!), The Let’s Make Dinner Date, which honestly, this lady loves going on solo too, and, on that note, The Treat-Yourself Date for the Single Person, which includes a visit to my absolute favorite heart-break therapy spot, Buffalo Exchange.

What L Magazine refers to as “The Broke Date” is right up this Brokelynite’s alley and includes a free Saturday tour at the Brooklyn Brewery, cheap Mexican eats at Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos in Bushwick and finishes with a cozy beerfest (or winefest) on the couch. So no more excuses, dudes; who says Valentine’s Day has to be extravagant?

For the full list of 18 proposed dates, head over to L Magazine.

The post's author drinking with Ames. The boredom was worth it.

We’re still in mourning for Bored to Death after HBO announced it canceled the show yesterday. What better way to drown our sorrows than with a drink with the show’s creator, Jonathan Ames? Gothamist tells us Ames will be joined by BTD regular (and neighborhood fixture) John Hodgman at the Brooklyn Inn tonight around 10pm to celebrate three seasons of Brooklyn debauchery. Ames claims he’s buying a round for everyone, and we at Brokelyn have never been known to pass up a free drink. Just don’t punch Kevin Bacon in the mouth.

HBO announced today it is canceling its Brooklyn-based, Jonathan Ames-penned Bored To Death, and all I could think was, in the words of Ray, “My brain is attacking itself.” Let’s take a moment to pay homage to a show that for three seasons brought together some of finest in entertainment including Jason Schwartzman, Zach Galifinakas, Ted Danson and often featured Brooklyn’s own John Hodgman. Ok, ok…so the characters these guys played and I don’t share mirrored lives, but a lot of the shenanigans rang true to a struggling Brokelynite. Amateur detective Jonathan Ames fought to master the world of freelance clients, scraping together pennies to feed his white-wine addiction and crashing swanky parties for the free booze and possible dates. And haven’t we all at one time or another taken an additional job, say teaching a writing class to disinterested night students, just to pay the bills? I loved Bored to Death not only for its fabulous talent and intricate, belly-laugh-inducing writing, but most of all because it all went down in my favorite city, in the little (huge) borough of Brooklyn. (more…)

Give someone many tattoos to choose from with a gift set.

Here’s something for your tattoo commitment-phobe aunt, cousin or hairless cat: just four and half months ago Brooklyn-based designer Tina Roth-Eisenberg, better known to design enthusiasts as Swiss Miss, launched Tattly, a provider of artistic, design-y temporary tattoos. How do they stand up to the hard Brooklyn life? An early design, “What to Focus On” (a personal favorite), stuck on for more than a week, including a camping trip to Colorado, and even then I had to scrub it off! Gift sets with themes like The Zoo, Grown Up and Hand Drawn include several different designs. The Dumbo-based Tattly says it best: “Who said forever is better?”

$25 for a gift set; Cog & Pearl and online.