http://brokelyn.com Food, restaurants, shopping and cheap fun on a budget in Brooklyn NYC Tue, 21 May 2013 20:22:12 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://brokelyn.com/hey-scribes-help-bookcourt-get-a-catskills-writers-retreat/ http://brokelyn.com/hey-scribes-help-bookcourt-get-a-catskills-writers-retreat/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 18:49:45 +0000 Rebecca Fishbein http://brokelyn.com/?p=43606 Read More]]>
This building is adorable, and you would love to write here. (Via Indiegogo) Sure, New York’s filled with writers and wannabe writers, but with all the noise, nightlife and other distractions (not to mention, that pesky rent thing) aren’t exactly conducive to penning the next Tender Is The Night. That’s one of the reasons why writers’ retreats like Bread Loaf in Vermont and Mesa Refuge in California are so popular: they give budding Virginia Woolfs and Truman Capotes the chance to isolate themselves from the rest of the world and work on their Great American Novels with other writers around to inspire them and egg them on. With that in mind, Cobble Hill bookstore mecca BookCourt‘s trying to get their own writers’ lair in the Catskills off the ground, and they’ve launched an Indiegogo campaign to help drum up the funds for it. Apparently, the property that holds Catskills’ rare and used bookstore… Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/hey-scribes-help-bookcourt-get-a-catskills-writers-retreat/feed/ 2 http://brokelyn.com/martin-amis-reportedly-hates-brooklyn-now-because-hipsters/ http://brokelyn.com/martin-amis-reportedly-hates-brooklyn-now-because-hipsters/#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 16:55:54 +0000 David Colon http://brokelyn.com/?p=43534 Read More]]>
Look at this fucking hipster. via the London Evening Standard Last summer, we celebrated Martin Amis moving to Brooklyn, and all the nice things he said about us. But, like so many stories of country bumpkins moving to the big city with big dreams only to see them dashed against the rocks, Amis’ story has taken a bitter turn, according to London’s Evening Standard: “He finds it terribly transactional and, ironically given he was viewed as a literary hipster, he views the Brooklyn hipster scene as populated by conventional posers,” says my man on the street corner. “He doesn’t go out as much as he did and has developed a reputation as a curmudgeon.” Of course, hating Brooklyn because of hipsters when people consider you a hipster is the most Brooklyn thing that can possibly happen, so maybe Amis is just fitting right in. … Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/martin-amis-reportedly-hates-brooklyn-now-because-hipsters/feed/ 3 http://brokelyn.com/book-it-the-2013-lit-crawl-nyc-schedule-is-here/ http://brokelyn.com/book-it-the-2013-lit-crawl-nyc-schedule-is-here/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:49:29 +0000 David Colon http://brokelyn.com/?p=43414 Read More]]>
Crowds were hungry for words last year, this year should be no different Last year, Lit Crawl rolled through Cobble Hill and brought joy to all the reading and drinking boys and girls in the neighborhood. So of course they’re doing it again this year, and now that they’ve gotten help from you nice people, they’re ready to announce the schedule of events for the crawl, on Saturday May 18. It landed in our inbox this morning, and it looks great! On tap: stories of freelance horror, your life in six words and more literary trivia battles. And just like last year, it’s all free. There’s plenty to do of course, but our favorites from a quick look-over are stories about underwear told in an actual laundromat, Atlantis Super Wash Center, on Atlantic Avenue, stories about the horrors of freelancing that will be going down at Camp and the Six Word Memoir Slam… Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/book-it-the-2013-lit-crawl-nyc-schedule-is-here/feed/ 0 http://brokelyn.com/summer-is-officially-here-the-gowanus-yacht-clubs-soft-opening-is-tomorrow/ http://brokelyn.com/summer-is-officially-here-the-gowanus-yacht-clubs-soft-opening-is-tomorrow/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:31:13 +0000 David Colon http://brokelyn.com/?p=43331 Read More]]>
We’ve never been so excited to see benches There are plenty of markers popping up on the road to summer: dance parties, movies, concerts. But the true mark of summer is always when the Gowanus Yacht Club throws open it’s gate and welcomes people to it’s magical Shangri-La of outdoor drinking, pierogies and cheeseburgers. And guess what? THAT WHEN IS TOMORROW! According to the Yacht Club’s Facebook page, they’re inviting everyone down for a soft opening tomorrow afternoon. They’ve got some new benches, which is exciting we suppose, but a fully operational bench on which to rest your heine on is nothing compared to the awesome power of a place to drink outdoors and soak up the sun. See you suckers there! … Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/summer-is-officially-here-the-gowanus-yacht-clubs-soft-opening-is-tomorrow/feed/ 1 http://brokelyn.com/heres-the-best-apartment-seeker-weve-seen-all-month/ http://brokelyn.com/heres-the-best-apartment-seeker-weve-seen-all-month/#comments Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:43:50 +0000 David Colon http://brokelyn.com/?p=43041 Read More]]>
Looking for an apartment is hard work, and is also usually never any fun. And sometimes you find shit that’s just too crazy to be believed. You can have fun with it though, as this poem, found tacked up on a pole in Cobble Hill on Court Street by the Wall Street Journal‘s Andrew Grossman proves. With any luck, this actually gets the writer an apartment, not just internet fame. UPDATE: We heard from James, who gave us the scoop on how things came to this, and how the search is going so far. James told us in an email that he’s lived in Carroll Gardens for two years now, having moved in to a one-bedroom with this then-girlfriend. Even in that case, he said he lucked into the place, since they ended up with the apartment because a friend was moving out. If you’d like to put him up, Carpenter said he’s looking… Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/heres-the-best-apartment-seeker-weve-seen-all-month/feed/ 0 http://brokelyn.com/bars-we-love-try-to-pronounce-brooklyn-buschenschank/ http://brokelyn.com/bars-we-love-try-to-pronounce-brooklyn-buschenschank/#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:00:05 +0000 Rachel DeLetto http://brokelyn.com/?p=42537 Read More]]>
Brooklyn Buschenschank 320 Court Street (at Sackett) Carroll Gardens (718) 237-0325 What it is: German-inspired Italian beer hall with prime bar food (fondue, wurst, brick oven pizza), fireplace, romantic basement venue with live music, and, of course, das boot. Why we love it: The fireplace and communal tables fulfill our medival drinking fantasies while the open windows during springtime brunch soften our hedonistic guzzling habits. Who to bring: Great for a group at brunch or for a night out in Brooklyn with visiting relatives. The friendly bar staff and locals who hold residence at the bar are very welcoming, so it’s also good for a solo beverage and some interesting conversation. What to order: Somewhere in that list of 15+ German and Italian drafts is a new beer you’ve never tried – or pronounced correctly. Pair it with a housemade soft pretzel topped with bier cheese to experience Oktoberfest bliss all year long. Fun fact: Don’t worry, “Ratskeller”… Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/bars-we-love-try-to-pronounce-brooklyn-buschenschank/feed/ 0 http://brokelyn.com/lit-crawl-is-coming-back-to-brooklyn-and-they-want-you-to-help-plan-it/ http://brokelyn.com/lit-crawl-is-coming-back-to-brooklyn-and-they-want-you-to-help-plan-it/#comments Fri, 08 Mar 2013 20:48:58 +0000 Tim Donnelly http://brokelyn.com/?p=42264 Read More]]>
Last year’s Lit Crawl stopped at the Zombie Hut. Where will it go this time? Via FB. Last year, San Francisco’s beloved Litquake finally brought its huge, free and fairly prestigious Lit Crawl to Brooklyn, which  was long overdue seeing as Brooklyn loves books like SF loves saying “hella.” If you missed last year’s event (seeing as it was one of the busiest weekends ever), which featured Amy Sohn, Mark Haddon and many others doing readings in groovy bars, bookstores and shops, fear not, because it’s coming back on May 18! Planning is underway so we don’t know who will be there yet, but the organizers are looking for your suggestions of bars in the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill area (arguably the most literary quadrant of the borough?) where events can be held. And there’s more! Other ways to get involved: You can also help curate the crawl, or volunteer during the event, which… Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/lit-crawl-is-coming-back-to-brooklyn-and-they-want-you-to-help-plan-it/feed/ 0 http://brokelyn.com/meet-joe-lohta-leave-your-tomatoes-at-home/ http://brokelyn.com/meet-joe-lohta-leave-your-tomatoes-at-home/#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 16:00:39 +0000 David Colon http://brokelyn.com/?p=41970 Read More]]>
Smiling because he can’t hear you cursing him Slowly but surely, the mayoral race is taking shape. It’ll take a little time to click into high gear, but before that happens, candidates have to get out there and get themselves known, maybe get the occasional fundraising scandal. In a city full of liberals, it’s especially important for the Republican candidates to get their names out there and assure New York’s voters that they aren’t the kind of GOP pols that Peter King warned you about. Joe Lohta, former MTA chief and possibly the most well-known of the Republican candidates, is continuing his early campaigning this weekend in Cobble Hill, appearing at the Brooklyn Young Republican Club’s Meet the Mayoral Candidates series. This will probably be a friendlier crowd than Lohta will usually face as he keep punching his way towards Gracie Mansion, and while we don’t encourage anyone to show up and be… Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/meet-joe-lohta-leave-your-tomatoes-at-home/feed/ 1 http://brokelyn.com/p-j-hanleys-brooklyns-oldest-bar-goes-bottoms-up/ http://brokelyn.com/p-j-hanleys-brooklyns-oldest-bar-goes-bottoms-up/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2013 20:00:07 +0000 David Colon http://brokelyn.com/?p=41999 Read More]]>
P.J.’s in happier more cash rich times. via Facebook Brooklyn has a long and proud tradition of alcohol. Either as a haven for brewers or with tons of divey bars, some of whom seem to have existed since before time began. But because time marches on, or people mismanage things, occasionally those bars that have existed forever fall on bad times and face existential threats. In the case of P.J. Hanley’s, it was mismanagement that’s causing the existential threat, which is bankruptcy. According to Crain’s, the Manhattan-based company that owns P.J.’s filed for Chapter 11, citing a tenant-landlord dispute, rising food costs and incompetent management. They’re looking for a new buyer for the bar, someone who knows how to run one, so it can be taken off their hands. The bar has been in Carroll Gardens since 1874, so it’d be a shame to see it go, for historical reasons. Also because it’s actually a cool bar with a nice outdoor… Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/p-j-hanleys-brooklyns-oldest-bar-goes-bottoms-up/feed/ 1 http://brokelyn.com/explo-see-vo-free-gigantic-fireball-wednesday-night/ http://brokelyn.com/explo-see-vo-free-gigantic-fireball-wednesday-night/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:00:41 +0000 David Colon http://brokelyn.com/?p=41676 Read More]]>
A sneak peek at Wednesday’s action Brooklyn has become a hot shooting location for TV and movies, to the chagrin of some people. We can see why, since losing parking or not being able to walk down your block freely can definitely be annoying. But, sometimes Brooklyn’s popularity in the movie business can get us awesome perks, like seeing a GIGANTIC FIREBALL for free, on Wednesday evening in Carroll Gardens. The Carroll Gardens patch relayed the announcement from the NYPD, presumably meant to make sure people don’t freak the eff out when it happens, that there will be a “controlled explosion with a fireball effect” for a TV production. It’s going down on Union Street between Hicks and Columbia sometime between 6pm and 9pm. But, if you’re looking for a cheap Valentine’s date, you can’t go wrong with clandestinely drinking wine and watching something blow up. Or maybe you can and this… Read More]]> http://brokelyn.com/explo-see-vo-free-gigantic-fireball-wednesday-night/feed/ 1