WHAT TO EAT, DRINK & DO — ACCORDING TO ARTISTS WE LOVE
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Catch sick shows at The Broadway
NICO: “They’ve been having a lot of sick shows. One of the first times we checked it out, we came to watch The Muckers, which is another sick band. Sound is incredible, the vibe is awesome. Right now we’re in the basement and there’s a taco place, and the tacos are sick. So can’t complain.”
SEAN: “Sick spot.”
NICO: “The sounds upstairs sounds great, too. We were soundchecking earlier, so we’re super excited for tonight. Should be a crazy-loud set from every band.
We have a tendency… People always tell us, ‘Y’all are really loud.’ We put a caption on our Instagram just to always bring ear plugs.”
1272 Broadway, (347) 365-9861, facebook.com/TheBroadwayNYC
Hit the rink at Brooklyn Skates
“If you’re looking to show off your skating skills or just fall on your ass on a lacquered wood floor, BKLYN Skates in Bed-Stuy is the way to go. The school gymnasium turned roller rink hosts skate nights every Wednesday and Friday. It’s super inexpensive and you can either take some laps around the rink or watch the pros from the sidelines perform some of the most stunning OG roller disco moves. It’s just good, clean fun.” – Tanners
110 Kosciusko St, (347) 276-3563, facebook.com/bklynskates
Score authentic Haitian food and neighborhood vibes at Cafe Erzulie
“I love being where the people are — where people are being authentic and fun and having a good time.
This particular cafe is really awesome in the summertime. It’s just like the whole world comes out. He introduced me because all his homies go here, and I ended up going by myself and I was running into people I knew. Like, girl, I haven’t seen you since middle school… college. It’s just a random hot party, hotties all over hanging out being friends. The DJs here are awesome. I’ve been here at all times of day. I can get some work done if I don’t run into anyone. And there’s food — it’s authentic Haitian food.
What I also love is this is a very beautiful place for Black Brooklyn — well-to-do Black Brooklyn, you could say. For Young Black Brooklyn to be out together in a small way. I love small venues, I love that intimate cozy vibe. This place kind of has that — it can be very homey, and at the same time, it can be a turn up covered with people.” – Olivia K
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“Erzulie is by far my favourite club. The first time I went there I thought it was a garden shop. The window was dressed with plants, so unassuming. I love it because it’s a perfect contradiction. It feels like a kick back with friends but turnt af. And twerking, of course. Like what’s better than that?” – Halima
894 Broadway, (718) 450-3255, cafeerzulie.com
Experience Michelada magic at Captain Dan’s “Good Time” Tavern
NICO: “I know my favorite spot—it’s literally like two blocks from my house—is Captain Dan’s. That spot is sick. They have awesome food…good drinks..”.
SEAN: “The Micheladas are on point.”
NICO: “The Micheladas are on point, which is always a plus for a bar for me. If you have a good Michelada, you’re gonna find me there. That’s my spot, always.”
[What makes a good Michelada?]
NICO: “A good balance of Clamato and you have to have the tajin salt rim—that’s crucial. Because some places just give you the salt rim, and it’s not the same.
SEAN: “It’s not the same. We’re both Michelada fans.”
[Is that the official drink of Deaf Poets?]
NICO: “It should be. You know, I had Instagram play Michelada commercials on my feed. It’ll be like, “Clamato…” Fuck, man. Leave me alone, dude. Reading my mind!”
SEAN: “That hasn’t happened to me yet, but I drink a handful of Micheladas. I love Bloody Marys, but it’s so heavy, like a meal. A Michelada is so much lighter. I love it.”
NICO: “The size is important too. [Here] they have a good size, a decent size. It tastes really good, it has a good amount of spice. I tally it up and they take a chunk of my money every month. Every month, some of my paycheck goes to Captain Dan’s.”
U497 Greene Ave, (718) 975-3887, captdansgoodtimetavern.com
COME ON DOWN TO C’MON EVERYBODY
“C’mon Everybody is my favorite place to be in Brooklyn. It’s an incredible bar and music venue with an emphasis on LGBTQ performers and racial diversity. It’s also just a short walk from my apartment in Bed-Stuy. The owners are sweethearts, and my label Floordoor Records hosted a monthly show there for several years before the pandemic. I have so many fond memories of seeing my amazing friends perform there, and talking and laughing with them before and after the shows. The place feels like home – one that I miss terribly. I wrote a lot of music specifically for the sound system in that back room, and I long to be inside that instrument again.” – Public Speaking
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“C’mon Everybody has always felt like a home away from home.” – Noah Dreiblatt
325 Franklin Ave, cmoneverybody.com
Kill some time (with cheap drinks) at Do or Dive
“Around my house is another cool spot called Do or Dive that I go to. One time I got locked out of my apartment and didn’t have a key. We came back from a late-night show. We went to Do or Dive and just spent a few hours there. Hanging out at three in the morning. Awesome, cheap drinks, can’t really complain.” – Nico of Deaf Poets
1108 Bedford Ave, (347) 406-8241, doordivebedstuy.com
Go artisanal (in a good way) at Marcy & Myrtle
“Aw, Marcy & Myrtle! So this is harkening to my depression days. I lived in Washington Heights for nine months, and then I moved to Crown Heights, and then to Bed-Stuy, then somewhere else in Bed-Stuy — all in a year. It was like the plague — different punishments. I had a crazy neighbor in Washington Heights, then bed bugs in Crown Heights, then I lived with film guys in Bed-Stuy — the worst.
In Bed-Stuy, I was right at the cusp of admitting to myself who I am and what I should be doing, and going through a lot of fear, and taking off layers of trauma and all that bullshit. And right down the street was a cafe called Marcy & Myrtle at the intersection of… Marcy and Myrtle. Great coffee, cute, great, baristas know what they’re doing…well done.
I think artisanal comes with the connotations of being small portions and pretentious, but keep out those connotations and [focus on the] good connotations of artisanal — nuanced food. Go there, get an iced coffee — or, if you’re feeling fancy, get yourself a chai — and get one of [their] sandwiches and have a ball. Sit there all day, and you can make friends with the person that will sit with you at that table because they’re probably interesting.
Ah, I miss it so much. I wanna go there now.” – Prince Johnny
574 Marcy Ave, (917) 648-7800, marcyandmyrtle.com
Espress’ to impress at Stonefruit Espresso + Kitchen
“Stonefruit is a little bit north of where I was in Bed-Stuy, and it is artisanal with the pretentious and expensive connotations. But the coffee is really good and the vibe is just lush. It’s also a plant shop, so you go into the back, and there’s plants giving off oxygen. A good long table for working. Couches with nice pillows…
It’s a good vibe for getting work done, getting something fancy for yourself. I would go there if I wanted to have an upper-echelon creative meeting with someone I wanted to impress a little bit.” – Prince Johnny
1058 Bedford Ave, (718) 230-4147, stonefruitespresso.com
Dance ’til dawn at Sugar Hill Supper Club
“… I URGE you to bop right down the street to Sugar Hill Supper Club. I went out dancing for a friend’s birthday party there last winter and it was quite possibly one of the best nights I’ve had in years. Head downstairs and you walk into techno disco heaven. There’s a huge space with tables and chairs, a massive dance floor with lights galore, a small (yet extremely steamy) bar in the back, and a little outside patio where you can go cool down. You might be hungover the next day, but I promise it’s worth it.” – Tanners
217 Nostrand Ave, (718) 797-1727, sugarhillsupperclub.com