It uh, might be too late for this guy. via Flickr user blog.jmc.bz

As Brokelyn’s senior bike riding correspondent, I’ve had plenty of mishaps while riding my bike that could really ruin my day. Flat tires, brake cables just snapping while I have 20 punds of freight attached to my bike. One time I pedaled so hard i just snapped part of my cassette completely in half. Every time things like that have happened, I’ve turned looked around in vain for a bike shop. Had I known about Ride the City though, I wouldn’t feel alone. And now you know about it, so you’ll never be alone again anymore. (more…)

If this is your office, here’s some things to think about

It’s getting to be the time of year when freelancers and work-at-home types can finally stop feeling jealous of their office job friends because they have things like “stability” and “health insurance.” Who’s ever heard good news from a doctor anyway? The reason we can start lording things over those palookas is because it’s working outside season! Well, if you can even concentrate in the face of all the short shorts and sundresses and tattooed shirtless dudes. Whether you want to work at an eatery with a nice outdoor space or want to hang out in a park like we might be doing now, it’s important to actually get work done while you’re outside. Jen Doll at The Atlantic had a few tips for you sun-worshipping freelancers. (more…)

Yeah, you’re gonna do this. (via Facebook)

Winter is (theoretically) over, and that means that throwback jersey season will soon be here in all its armpitty glory. But this winter was goddamn cold, at least when compared to last year’s impostor weather, and we know you’ve put on a few extra layers of flubber to keep the wind from blowing away on your long walk from the G. Don’t worry, we have too. Luckily, killer McCarren Park boot camp Beastanetics will be back April 1, and they’re giving away a free class to newbies looking to drop the PBR pounds. (more…)

Yeah, you’re not gonna need this guy anymore. Via flickr user TarynMarie.

We’ve all got a lot of electronic crap lying around (broken iMac keyboards, iPod classics, *N Sync Hit Clips…), but if we’re planning to spend the future shacked up in Bloomberg’s 250-square-foot apartments, it’s probably time to pare down. But you can’t just toss old electronics, since they’re filled with hazardous materials that’ll hurt the environment. Luckily, the city’s hosting an e-waste recycling event in Park Slope next week, and you can drop off all your electronic goods without fear of creating even more Super Rats. (more…)

I don’t want to wait in vain for your train. Via Flickr’s drain.

If you’ve ever ridden San Francisco’s meager but clean and efficient version of the subway the BART, you would think those Bay-Area-ians (Bay-guls?) have some sort of sixth sense when it comes to pre-walking to where the subway doors open, as they all form an orderly line on the exact right spot. Then you realize the damn floor is marked for the doors, which is cheating. We have no such thing in New York though, where everything is chaotic and unpredictable and dangerous! Or is it? There’s an easy subway hack hidden in this New Yorker story about the Norwegian architecture firm redesigning Times Square that lets you know exactly where the doors are going to open. The secret? Gum. (more…)

Wait, I need to fill out how many forms? via Total Mobile.

Today in real talk: it’s extremely hard to be pregnant and uninsured. Actually, it’s really hard to be anything and uninsured. Because of a lack of resources and a seeming total unwillingness to make healthcare affordable or accessible, it’s easy to believe that the government wouldn’t care if we all just languished in the gutters, or starved, or gave birth in a manger. Resources are few and far between, and they all probably involve paperwork and lines and days spent in waiting rooms, but they’re around here…somewhere. (more…)

Protect yo’self. Photo via Flickr user Lance McCord

We joked about that flu map last week, but if only we knew what was coming for us. It seems everyone’s Facebook and Twitter feeds are full of miserable, sweating, puking people now, and it’s not because they’re kicking scag. Yes, the influenzapocalypse is among us, so take heed of our advice how and where to get a flu shot if you don’t want to fall victim to it. (more…)

Hey girl, hey (image via LA Times)

Well here’s some bad news/good news. The bad news? A spike in crime against women in North Brooklyn. The good news: The Brooklyn Bike Patrol, a volunteer organization that accompanies women home still exists and are more than ready to help. We’e previously covered the bike patrol here, and obviously it would be WAY better if there was no need for this bunch of mensches, but as long as people are attacking women, it’s good they’re here. (more…)

Getting treatment at Brooklyn Open Acupuncture. via Facebook

Community acupuncture is kind of like the gateway drug for integrative medicine. Start with a few needles in your arms and legs one week and end up lying back under a heat lamp with smoke coming out your ankles the next. Before you know it you’re taking a regular regiment of Chinese herbs and cutting out caffeine. Well maybe not that last one. If that sounds like what you’re looking for in a health plan, check out these five acupuncture places that’ll give you a poke for less, if you’re broke. (more…)

Why pay $2.25 when you can pay $2? via The Rumpus

Brooklynites are a hardy and intuitive bunch who aren’t afraid to jump on an MTA bus, unlike our cousins to the west. We’re also broke, and with new fare hikes on the way it might be time to give that bike some serious consideration. No bike? Don’t fret because a reliable bus alternative has existed in Brooklyn for decades: the dollar van. (more…)