Richie Havens, who was born in Brooklyn in 1941 and grew up in Bed-Stuy, died today at the age of 72. He famously opened the Woodstock festival (the 1969 one, not those 90s style biters), and gave a gritty, folky gravitas to many pop tunes he covered. Here’s a video of him singing “Wonder Child” from Sesame Street (yes, it is Sesame Street, despite the lack of Muppets) in 1975. The sky was a nicer shade of blue because of you, Richie. (more…)

Now when you get in a cab to go home, you can just point at your shirt!

It’s almost summer, allegedly, even if the best you can hope for from the weather right now is freezing your ass off in Citi Field’s cheap seats. Summer, of course, means going to thrift shops and finding basketball jerseys to wear both because they are comfortable and because they’re still timely, because the NBA playoffs last until around August or it feels like that anyway. What if you don’t want to go to a thrift store though, because they’re too dirty or you’re taking a (non-violent) stand against Macklemore? Well, Urban Outfiters has your back with their Bushwick jersey/tanktop thing! (more…)

Brooklyn Fireproof
119 Ingraham St., at Porter Ave.
Bushwick
(347) 223-4211

What is it: Brooklyn Fireproof is a coffee shop during the day turned bar at night with a nice performance space/ screening venue.

Why we love it: The picnic tables in Brooklyn Fireproof’s large outdoor area are a great place to grab a beer with a few friends, especially in the nice weather.

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By the end of your day there, you too will be able to make something this nice

Did you secretly want to go to art school in the city, but somehow ended up at a small liberal arts college in some upstate town? Did you maybe already graduate from art school but somehow missed out on such important knowledge as freelance skills and how to repurpose plastic bags? Well, tomorrow is your day. Head down to the Pratt Free School for a day of practical art and design classes, which, you guessed it, are free. (more…)

Get a good look at your evening’s gracious hosts one last sober time. Via Facebook.

The Silent Barn is back and open for business! Well, okay, the Silent Barn has been back and open for business since the beginning of this year, and damn, they have been busy. With shows bangin’ almost every night, art installations gettin’ installed, and their barber shop choppin’ locks on the regular, you can hardly say that the folks behind the Silent Barn haven’t been on the grind. But something’s been missing. And that thing is booze. But after a long wait that has effectively served as a true testament to the ecstatic suspense that bureaucracy can sometimes bring us, the Silent Barn has finally received their beer and wine license, and they’re ready to celebrate. (more…)

Scenes from Open Studios of years past (via flickr user Graham Coreil-Allen)

Guess this weather’s getting everyone geared up for the next season! Everybody’s favorite end-of-spring Brooklyn art series, Bushwick Open Studios, is now open for registration, and they’re asking neighborhood artists interested in opening their studios to the gawking masses to submit their proposals by April 27th if they want to be included in the print program (online-only registration is open through May 30th). Start readying those Bushwick tour buses, boys! (more…)

Heavy Woods: innocent watering hole or neighborhood peace destroyer? via Facebook

Every good drinker knows that Sunday is the last call of the weekend. It starts innocently enough: a Bloody Mary at brunch to ward off Saturday’s hangover, and for us champs, it continues late into the night and maybe even into Monday. Who doesn’t deserve a last hurrah before the weekend’s over? But times they are a-changin’, and it looks like booze spots in Bushwick will be facing a midnight curfew on Sundays if they want to keep their licenses. (more…)

“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents!” via Facebook

Sometimes it’s fun to imagine what bygone PBS characters would be like if they lived in a 2013 Brokester’s Brooklyn. Like, Mr. Rogers downing $4 big Buds with the Land of Make Believe crew at Rosemary’s, or the Shining Time Station conductor (George Carlin or Ringo Starr, take your pick!) sneaking out of Pumps.Or gentle, soft-spoken Joy of Painting instructor Bob Ross, tagging Bushwick buildings with picturesque happy little trees and clouds. Well, that one’s the closest to coming true: this weekend, “takedown” master Matt Timms is hosting a Painting Takedown in Bushwick, and he’s asking local artists to bring out their best Bob Ross landscape. For cash prizes! (more…)

Photo by Jammi York

Project Parlor
742 Myrtle Ave. (Sanford & Nostrand)
Bed-Stuy
(347) 497-0550

What is it: A charming ragtime parlor bar with a patchwork punk vibe and killer tap selection.

Why we love it: As an early inhabitant of the soon-to-be, maybe-already-is bustling section of Bed-Stuy, this spot has earned its keep among the neighborhood and was voted Best New Bar by the Village Voice in 2012. Despite the status upgrades, we love them because they’ve kept their raucous roots in tact and continue to be a destination for quiet drink seekers and late night revelers alike. (more…)

Round and round

For a borough that’s getting more and more cyclists, Brooklyn has a dearth of huge bike races and places to enjoy them. Eccentric millionaire Joshua Rechnitz tried to change that by installing a velodrome (indoor cycling track) in Brooklyn Bridge Park, but people just weren’t into that idea. Brooklyn is getting a velodrome now, although it’ll be a temporary one out in Bushwick this weekend. (more…)