WHAT TO EAT, DRINK & DO — ACCORDING TO ARTISTS WE LOVE
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Enjoy Turkish cuisine in the tchotchke-packed cafe that is Abracadabra
“I had come to Williamsburg with my partner at the time and we walked past and were like, what is this place?! There are just so many healthy options here, and there’s something about this grungy vibe that I really like — random stuff everywhere… it’s just really quaint and cute to me. It felt nice to not be in another generic place.” – Elizabeth Wyld
347 Bedford Ave, (347) 844-9157, abracadabrabrooklyn.com
Take the stage (or watch others do it) at Baby’s All Right
“When I first moved to New York, I moved not too far from here, and within that first year, this was opening. It was the coolest spot to play, and hard to play — at least, it felt that way. So I think it was a goal to achieve as a local band. I eventually headlined here… that was special. That really feels good when you’re pursuing a certain venue for a while.” – Ryan Egan
146 Broadway, (718) 599-5800, babysallright.com
Find brews “you can’t get anywhere else” at Beer Street
“I got really into beer back when touring in Europe with Emanuel and the Fear because every country — particularly Germany, Belgium… the UK — has a lot of interesting beers, and we got really into trying all these beers that you just couldn’t get here. They have these small-batch microbreweries, but they’ve been there like a thousand years… like old monks used to brew beer or something. Now it’s this whole craze.
People were telling me about [Beer Street] before I moved [to this side of Williamsburg]. It’s really nice people, it’s super small and chill, and Cory [Bonfiglio, the buyer] is great — I think he has really good taste. There’s a lot of stuff here that you can’t get anywhere else.” – Emanuel Ayvas
413 Graham Ave, (347) 294-0495, beerstreetny.com
Arepa it up at Caracas
“Our favorite place to eat arepas. We love tacos and arepas. Yum.” – Dirty Mae
291 Grand St, (718) 218-6050, caracasarepabar.com/brooklyn
Top off your evening at Carmine’s Pizzeria
“Located off the Graham stop on the L train, this place is a local East Williamsburg / Greenpoint treasure… one of the few that has survived the tide of gentrification in the last few decades.
Carmine’s is basically synonymous with topping choices. There are about 20 different varieties of pizza sold by the slice on any given day — and you get to choose your own adventure. This place has been a classic stop on many a Bandit’s birthday night, but we’d highly recommend it for a casual date night or even just if you’re hungry and in the neighborhood.” – Bandits on the Run
358 Graham Ave, (718) 782-9659, carminespizzeriamenu.com
Pound birthday booze (+pizza) at The Charleston
NICO: “There’s one spot I love too in Williamsburg called The Charleston. It’s so good…
It was my first birthday in New York City. I went there and had an awesome time, because it was non-stop drinking and pizza constantly. It was just a rotation. My friend’s just like, “Shot! Shot! Shot! Shot!” And every shot you bought, you get a pizza. Anyone that’s visiting, I try to take them.”
SEAN: “It’s a gathering. Really. You go there, ya know. At the end, you’re wasted and you can have beers and $1 pizzas.”
174 Bedford Ave, (718) 599-9599, .charlestonbarbrooklyn.com
Skate then snack at/around Cooper Skate Park
STAN: “I spend a lot of time there. It’s also connected to a nice park and there are a lot of good food places right next to it, so it’s a nice spot to hang out and skateboard.” – Stan of GIRL SKIN
Cooper Park Sharon Street & Olive St, nycgovparks.org/parks/cooper-park/facilities/skateparks
Taste the best fucking pizza of your life at Di Fara
“It’s a New York institution. It’s the best pizza you’ll have, period. It’s this one guy who’s literally, like, in his late eighties, who doesn’t even let any of his family members make the pizza for him. You’ll have to wait an hour or two to get a slice, at least, but it’s the best fucking piece of pizza you’ll ever have. Di Faro’s is, without a doubt, as soon as you taste it, worth it.” – Aleksi Glick of Snack Cat
1424 Avenue J, (718) 258-1367, difarapizzany.com
Be the next regulars at Duck Duck
GEORGE: “My first time moving into Brooklyn, Eddie had already lived here for a year, in Bushwick, and then we moved off the Lorimer stop in Williamsburg.
[Duck Duck] was the local watering hole. We used to go there and play darts all the time. We were working on an EP, and it was before Ray and Kevin were in the band — it was just me and Eddie. We were transitioning our sound from a reggae-rock band to, like, something else.”
KEVIN: “Thank God.
[laughter]
GEORGE: “Kevin hates ska. I wouldn’t put us in that category, but we were heavily influenced by Sublime.”
EDDIE: “We liked punk and Jamaican music… a lot. And… yeah.”
GEORGE: “But that’s the only bar I’ve ever had where it was like, oh, let’s go to our patented bar. That was the spot. If we had recorded something, we’d go there to celebrate. It was a cool thing to be living in the city for the first time in your adult life and having a place to go that’s right around the corner.”
161 Montrose Ave, (347) 799-1449, duckduckbar.com
Lounge to live music at Four Five Six
“My favorite local BK hang. They have good food, drinks, chill vibes, outdoor space and live music and it’s right by my house. I basically consider it my backyard. I particularly like that they have big comfy couches. Reminds me of the ’90s coffee shop vibe.” – Alison Clancy
199 Richardson St, (347) 335-0056, fourfivesix.nyc
For good booze without the bullshit, hit Fresh Kills
“I lived three blocks from here, on South Fourth, for five years. I come here every time I come to the city now. My favorite environments are always the places that take their craft as seriously as possible but also don’t take themselves seriously… there’s not this pretense, there’s no snooty front, there’s no separation. This is almost like a DIY space where your favorite band is playing. There’s no separation between the performer and the fan — and I’m the fan, you know what I mean? Here, I meet the bartenders, and I talk to them, and it’s just chill. This is the best cocktail you’ll ever get, but you don’t feel like you’re doing something wrong. And that’s a thing! I almost never go to a restaurant with tablecloths, even if it’s the number-one restaurant in the world, because i don’t love that environment. [Here] it doesn’t feel fancy, but the quality is fancy.” – Savoir Adore
161 Grand St, (718) 599-7888, freshkillsbar.com
Hang with the band(s) at Golden Years
MATT: “My favorite thing about this place is that it’s become a go-to for our friends when I’m working here — a lot of friends from college, friends from other bands from New York… our friends from Caravela, UV Rays. It’s kind of a running joke that the first 10 seats at the bar will be our people. It makes working weekends a lot more appealing if I know that all my friends are going to show up anyway. I don’t have to worry about missing out.”
JASON: “We go ‘Matt, play this song! Matt! Matt! Play this song!’”
MATT: “If our musician friends come in, I’ll play their music to torture them. That’s a fun privilege that I abuse when I’m working here.
We tend to gravitate towards [more divey] bars in general. That’s a lot of where we’ve played and spent time, and where I tend to feel more comfortable. This is a great place because you have that casual, unpretentious atmosphere, but you can get a really excellent cocktail.”
JASON: “I actually have one complaint about Golden Years, which is that Matt has never screened The Mask.”
MATT: “It’s been requested multiple times, and now I have no excuse.”
JASON: “I think the people would be very excited if that played at Golden Years.”
221 N 4th St, (718) 302-5100, facebook.com/goldenyearsbk
Soak up romantic vibes and skyline views at Grand Ferry Park
“You’ll see it in movies. It’s the most romantic setting, it’s amazing. You’re under the Williamsburg Bridge, so you can kind of see along the East River. You’re seeing Uptown, you’re seeing the skyline of Midtown, you can kinda see the Manhattan Bridge. And one of the coolest venues, that’s gone now, called Glasslands … that was a great venue, right on Kent. I just remember playing there, and you’re killing time, so you walk over and chill. It’s this cute little rocky park… it’s so awesome. Just good memories there.” – Ryan Egan
Grand St & River St, nycgovparks.org/parks/grand-ferry-park
BOwl THE NIGHT AWAY at gutter Bar
“My favorite venue has always been the Gutter, whether performing and just attending shows. The sound may not have been the best, but it always felt like an experience as that back room has some special vibes. And let’s not forget the epic Halloween weekends that are some of my favorite show nights of the year.” – Chris Sherman of Hanford Reach
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“The Gutter is one of my favorite spots in BK. Some of the first pals I made in the music scene used to take me out here for their late-night half-off bowling lanes. We’d shoot pool on their slightly off-kilter table in the front while we waited it to get late enough -1 am? 2? I can’t even remember- to get the cheap lanes. Ironically, I went there probably 10 times before I found out there was a venue in the back! Just a great hang overall, and a true NY experience with one of the meanest bouncers in north BK to be sure.” – Work Wife
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“My favorite BK spot is the Gutter. If I had a dream about a local show, it would probably take place in that dark, loud, invariably friend-filled room. And I always enjoy getting roped into bowling by bandmates who insist it’s really not all that late.” – Scott Kodi
200 N. 14th St Brooklyn 11249, (718) 387-3585, thegutterbarles.com/williamsburg
For that old-school feeling, check out Iona
“That was always my bar — it’s one of the last old-school Williamsburg bars.” – Emanuel Ayvas
180 Grand St, (718) 384-5008, ionabrooklyn.com
Enjoy a beer in a chiller atmosphere at Interboro Spirits & Ales
“It’s kind of a trek, it’s kind of no man’s land, but I love it. It’s so chill. On the weekends, you don’t get that whole Jefferson L crowd. It’s also near my practice space, so it’s a good one. I usually start with a pilsner.” – Cape Francis
942 Grand St, (877) 843-6545, interboro.nyc
Hit King’s County Imperial to do the dim sum thing
“I’m definitely an experience-a-city-via-food kinda person. I went to this absolutely incredible spot [Decoy] in the West Village, and it was a great experience with my girl. We sat at the bar for dinner and spoke to the bartender — one of these super personal, great bartenders — and were asking him, “Where would you go for great Chinese food outside of standard Chinatown staples.” He recommended that spot. I finally got over there and it’s unbelievable. It’s a hip spot with good cocktails and a good environment but really seriously good Chinese food. And not super expensive, but not hole-in-the-wall, so it makes for an interesting experience.” – Ryan Egan
20 Skillman Ave, (718) 610-2000, kingscoimperial.com
Find a crowd of cool kids at Knitting Factory
“They took time building the stage, time putting the sound system together. It doesn’t matter who’s going into in town and visiting because the Knitting Factory is so well known in that area among us hipster kids, ya know — they all just flock there. They see a band there, and they’re like, I’m going — I’m going to look them up on Spotify, I’m going to listen to all their songs and we’re going to sing along. We didn’t have any fans there before, but we showed up and there were people there singing our music.” – Swimming With Bears
361 Metropolitan Ave, (347) 529-6696, bk.knittingfactory.com
FIND THE bEST TaCOS In TOWN AT la superior
“La Superior is one of my favorite places in Brooklyn for quality tacos, Great atmosphere, choice tunes and margaritas that would make Jimmy Buffet cry.” – Cry Babi
295 Berry Street, (718) 388-5988, lasuperiornyc.com
Booze to a live broadcast at The Lot Radio
“Amazing in the summer. It’s an open, fenced-in lot and they have a trailer with DJs booked throughout the entire day, every day. Inside they have a proper studio, and they project [the music] out. It’s so cool on a June day or something. You’re just chilling there, you can buy bottles of wine, you can buy beers… whatever. [And] if you just pull up the website and listen at any given time, it’s probably just really good shit that often is going to expose you to stuff you never heard.” – Ryan Egan
17 Nassau Ave, thelotradio.com
Put back pints with pit bulls at Lucky Dog
“One of my favorite bars. For a few of my friends with dogs, that’s the only bar they want to go to. It has this beautiful backyard… it’s like a dog run, but the owners are getting drunk.
It’s also one of the only bars that’s consistently open ’til 4am. And it’s also… certain bars just attract musicians more than others, and often it’s the ones that are the cheapest — it just works out that way. All of the venues are still around this area. Touring acts play Music Hall, Brooklyn Steel isn’t too far from here. So when I lived on South Fourth, I’d get a text message at 2am like, ‘Dude, we’re closing down Lucky Dog. What’re you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘Nothing, sleeping… but I guess I can go do this.’ Those are some of the nights I regret, but they’re memories.” – Savoir Adore
303 Bedford Ave, (347) 294-4971, facebook.com/luckydogbrooklyn
Get your fresh-air fix at McCarren Park
“McCarren Park is one of my favorite places. The last 10 years of my life have been focused around this circle between Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick, whether it’s music venues, rehearsal spaces, where we hang out, where we get in trouble, where we don’t get in trouble…
McCarren, as soon as it got warm, I have these memories of Turkey’s Nest — you get a styrofoam cup with a margarita and you go to McCarren Park. There’s something about it that for me is this landmark — you know, walking through the park, listening to our latest mixes, or walking home from rehearsal. It’s definitely the most nostalgic place because I’ve walked through it so much in different seasons…. I have all these memories. And it’s interesting because every city has their McCarren Park — a smaller park in a hipper neighborhood — and I don’t know what it is, but there’s a certain energy to that. I love it.” – Savoir Adore
776 Lorimer St, (212) 639-9675, nycgovparks.org/parks/mccarren-park
Busk with the best at the Metropolitan G stop
“One of my favorite places in NYC is probably not everyone’s favorite, but it’s where I’ve spent a good chunk of my time while living in Brooklyn. I go busking at the Metropolitan G stop and have been for many years. I have three hospitality jobs now, so I don’t get out there as much as I used to, but I used to go a few times a week.
Why do I like it? One, it’s paid practice. Two, every once in a while something really genuine and magical will happen. Earlier this year, I met this little girl named Ruby who’s probably about 8 or 9. She came up to me holding her mom’s hand and said something like, ‘Hey you’re a good singer! I sing too!” So I was like, ‘Ok, let’s hear it then,’ and she proceeded to make up an original song on the spot while I played some simple chords. I threw a few changes at her, and she followed them without a cue. She did the whole song with her back to everyone and staring at the subway wall because she was shy. It was incredible. Then the train came and we said goodbye. I saw her a few times after that, but she didn’t remember my name and was too shy to ever sing with me again. It was a really cool moment, though.” – Color Collage
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“This one of the most important places in Bandits lore — it’s truly where it all began for us, years ago when Roy Dodger dragged us all down into the subway to play our first Bandits songs. And we weren’t alone down there: the Metropolitan stop is practically an underground venue, a Mecca for all [sorts] of buskers — Bird Courage, Gabriel Royal, and Andrew Kalleen are just a few that we looked up to — looking to try out their songs unplugged in a beautiful acoustic environment in front of a regular audience of commuters who have come to expect their wait to be scored by some platform crooner.
If you’re ever passing through this stop, we encourage you to keep an ear out — you may just happen on a fresh new musical discovery!” – Bandits on the Run
Metropolitan Av/Lorimer St, new.mta.info
For killer sound, on stage and off, head to MHOW
ABNER: “Music Hall of Williamsburg is probably our favorite venue to see shows at and probably that we’ve played. It’s the perfect size, where you feel like you’re at an intimate show.”
HARPER: “I think it’s the best sounding venue in New York. I think it’s a combination — their sound techs are really great, and the room is designed to sound good.
We played a show with VHS Collection a while ago there, and it was the best sound on stage too. So they have this excellent staff of sound people, and the room is perfectly designed for going to see a lot of medium-size bands. I don’t know if Imagine Dragons would sound good in there, but…”
ABNER: “Probably”
HARPER: “But probably.”
66 N 6th St, (718) 486-5400, musichallofwilliamsburg.com
Get tricky at Monument Skate Spot
SID: (in exaggerated Australian accent) “It’s the meet-up spot — ya hang out with ya homies, ya skate, ya drink a beer.”
STAN: “If you like skateboarding, it’s very accessible to the city as well. Also, this area is good. It’s just a fun spot.”
SID: “I like it because it’s mellow. It’s not an actual skate spot. Not everyone knows about it. You can just hang out and cruise around.”
Roebling St and S 4th St
Rap it up at Muchmore’s
“Other than my apartment, my favorite spot in Brooklyn is Muchmore’s in Williamsburg. I’ve rapped there more than anywhere else… other than my apartment. It somehow feels like a cross between your grandma’s living room and a grungy music venue (in the best possible way). Shows at Muchmore’s always feel extra organic and real, and even a small crowd can make the room feel full. The stage is small and the room gets really hot, but the bartenders are good people and I’ve never had a bad time there.” – nahreally
2 Havemeyer St, (718) 576-3222, muchmoresnyc.com
Step up the fancy factor (sort of) at Night of Joy
NICO: “That area has really good places. Night of Joy is close by.”
SEAN: “I was about to say Night of Joy. We’ve [gone for] DJ sets there. Friends and stuff.”
NICO: “Our friend Jared from The Vacant Lots. He DJs there… well, when he’s in town.”
SEAN: “I remember we were going there before he started doing the DJ set and it’s such a cool spot.
It has an interesting, really vintage feel to it. You walk in and it’s a really cool area. The drinks are actually really good. And then you come up to this really pretty lit area.”
NICO: “The roof is chill.”
SEAN:” It feels fancy but it’s not… I guess that’s the vibe.”
NICO: “You feel high-class.”
SEAN: “You’re drinking a PBR in a fancy place, you know.”
667 Lorimer Street, nightofjoybar.com
Find the perfect dish at Note Thai
“Love that spot. In Australia, we had this one dish called Pad Gra Prow. I’ve never seen that dish at any other Thai place in New York, and this place has that dish.” – Sid of Girl Skin
279 Bushwick Ave, (718) 381-2889, notethaibrookyln.com/
Fill up on cheap falafel at Oasis
“Mediterranean party in your mouth. Off the Bedford L — cheap, a lot of food and really, really good. Trifecta.” – The Misters
Enjoy sweet tunes at Pete’s Candy Store
“This place is a local music mainstay. For almost 20 years, this cozy but surprisingly ornate local joint has been a hub and a home for the off-kilter and under-the-radar, for many years even serving as a sanctuary for the Barstool Tabernacle, quite possibly the only Christian denomination to meet in a bar.
The venue in the back is intimate and memorable, built by creator Andy McDowell to conjure the feeling of a cabaret car on the Trans-Siberian Railroad, behind which lies a small courtyard perfect for the kind of late-night quiet conversations it can be hard to find a suitable place for in Brooklyn.
Pete’s hosts our favorite open mic in Brooklyn every Sunday, which attracts a lively assortment of performers ranging from quirky local comedians to international vagabond singers. Spoiler, there is no candy, but the bartenders there sure are sweet.” – Bandits on the Run
709 Lorimer St, (718) 302-3770, petescandystore.com/
For an A+ practice experience, head to Pirate Studios
LAURA: “Pirate Studios is also near my apartment. It’s this DIY rehearsal space, which is awesome. It’s 24 hours a day, which is pretty unheard of. There are three rooms. And it’s all about the musician code, which is leave the room as you found it. And we’ve been to so many shitty recording spaces.”
CONNOR: “They smell bad, and the floors are sticky…”
LAURA: “Yeah, why is everything sticky?”
CONNOR: “You have to wrap your shoes in plastic bags….
[Pirate Studios] is just a nice rehearsal space. They’ve got a bunch of equipment. The rooms are comfy and warm. It’s easily accessible.”
LAURA: “Yeah. And it does feel like a built-in community. There’s always chitter chatter with the musicians coming in before or after you, too. We’re all kind of in this for the same reason, while at other places, you’re like, ‘Get out of my room.'”
CONNOR: “A lot of places, they just feel like a rented room, and this one feels more like you’re walking into a shared space. It’s cool.”
19 Division Pl, (844) 274-7283, piratestudios.co.uk/nyc-rehearsal-studios
Stuff your face with sauerkraut at Radegast Hall & Biergarten
“That’s kind of got an interesting vibe. It’s a sort of German beer-bratwurst-sausage cool place that does a lot of jazz. I like that they stay true to bringing in trad jazz bands that give a nice feel to the place while you’re stuffing your face with sauerkraut, a really big bratwurst and a huge — just huuuge — tumbler of beer.” – Chantal Mitvalsky of Snack Cat
113 N 3rd St, (718) 963-3973, radegasthall.com
Bar-crawl your way to Rocka Rolla
NICO: “I love that spot so much. When I first moved up, my friend said, “Yo, we’re gonna go bar-hopping.” He took me and he goes, “Dude, they have $3 chalices here.” It was literally a chalice of beer.”
SEAN: “It’s medieval!”
NICO: “You gotta have a good presentation with your drink…
We actually did a video there. We did a fun project with a bunch of friends.”
SEAN: “We filmed ourselves bar-crawling, bar-hopping.”
NICO: “We ended up at Rocka Rolla. By the time we got to that place—that was like our fifth bar—it was such a bIur. I remember having a cigar like, “Sean, just have a cigar dude.” Then we light a cigar and we smoked it…”
SEAN: “I don’t even remember that!”
NICO: “It got me destroyed. I took an Uber home, ‘cause I’m like, I cannot comprehend what is happening.”
SEAN: “It’s not even that far, too. It is a walk home, but…”
NICO: “This is fatality. I was done.”
486 Metropolitan Ave
For on-point Italian, visit The Saint Austere
“We’ve toured in Northern Italy and had amazing food, and it reminds me of that — it’s very, very, very good. I’ve gotten to know the people there too, and they’re really nice people. They make good choices, they combine really smart things and everything is really, really delicious.”
[When asked what the best thing is to order] : “I don’t know, man — everything is so good there.” – Emanuel Ayvas
613 Grand St, (718) 388-0012, thesaintaustere.com
Scoop up fried ice cream at Sea
“Sea has been a go-to of mine, I wanna say since high school. It’s just one of those places where you go and there’s a ton of options. There’s a really cool vibe there. They have a little… river, if you will… and a Buddha right in the middle. It’s really, really nice.
They have this thing called The Mad Dragon. It’s a dessert — deep-fried ice cream — and when they bring it out to you, they set it on fire. And there’s a rum sauce on the bottom. That’s the best fried ice cream place ever, ever, ever, ever, ever. It’s so, so, so good.
They also have this thing called a curry puff. It’s a little… how do I explain? It’s like a dumpling almost, but breaded differently. It’s so good. If I had a choice I could just eat that, from there– and, of course, the fried ice cream.” – EZRAH
114 N 6th St, (718) 384-8850, seathainyc.com
Shake it during Flamenco Fridays at St. Mazie Bar & Supper Club
“You can see a lot of really good music there, and they make great cocktails. They do Flamenco Fridays, and there’s a lot of like, old-fashioned, turn-of-the-century jazz. It’s really good. It’s a really nice bar — very pretty inside, too. [And] it’s across the street from a damn good pizza place, Emmy Squared.” – Emanuel Ayvas
345 Grand St, (718) 384-4808, stmazie.com
Hit the honky tonk at Skinny Dennis
“First of all, I have a lot of friends that play there. And I love that crushed iced coffee. It’s the best $5-6 drink you can get. It picks you up, it tastes delicious and, uh, it has alcohol in it. This is another place where I feel like I always run into a lot of friends. It’s a good place to hang and have people bump into you.” – Aleksi Glick of Snack Cat
152 Metropolitan Ave, (212) 555-1212, skinnydennisbar.com
For the pre-hangover hang ten, hit Surf Bar
“We have a lot of favorite spots in BK, from this weird little industrial tree house complex run by Hasidic Jews in the naval yard to John’s Coffee and Donut shop off Myrtle Ave (breakfast for v cheap). But our most favorite place is probably Surf Bar with its sand floors and heavily liquored tiki cocktails. Accidentally stumbled into this place after playing a show at Union Pool this past fall and could not have been happier about it. It was an instant summer getaway in the grimiest way possible. What a great time. Highly recommend.” – BUHU
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“Our favorite old-school surf bar. We go here for a tacky good time with tiki drinks, honey fries and surfboards. We love to surf, we love the beach, and there’s sand on the floor. ” – Dirty Mae
139 N 6th St, (718) 302-4441, brooklynsurfbar.com
Enjoy rare bottles in a dreamy backyard at Spuyten Duyvil
FRANK GRANIERO: “Spitting devil, I think it means — fact check!”
[ED NOTE: per Wikipedia, it’s “spouting devil” — but who really knows]
FRANK: “We’ve always worked by, and it was kind of a go-to after-work spot for both me and Stephen. He would work at the coffeeshop and I worked at the wine store. We knew some of the bartenders, all of the beers are all good, the wine’s good…”
STEPHEN GRANIERO: ‘I don’t know what year it was, but it got rated one of the best beer bars in New York City at one point.”
FRANK: “We’ve also had plenty of birthday parties out here [in the backyard].”
STEPHEN: “This garden is beautiful in the daytime.”
FRANK: “It’s warm inside. I’ve definitely hung out in the window and drank a glass of mulled wine with people before on a snowy day. That’s pretty nice, ya know?
And there’s like the triangle of bars right here — Commodore [ @thecommodorebar ] being next by and Golden Years [ @goldenyearsbk ] being next door. We know all the bartenders at all the places, so it gets a little dangerous.”
STEPHEN: “Really, really big bottle list, both imported and domestic, and lots of rare beers — one of the reasons why we like it. We also just like it because it’s such a great bar.”
FRANK: “I think it’s warm. If you want somewhere with a warm vibe… sit in the backyard, get some cheese and a bottle of beer or something. It’s a good spot.”
359 Metropolitan Av, (718) 963-4140, spuytenduyvilnyc.com
Kick it outside at Union Pool
“It’s close to my house, I have friends who play there every Monday Night for The Reverend Vince Anderson and his Love Choir — band members from TV on the Radio play in his band sometimes when they’re there. I like things that are regular. New York can be sometimes a hard place to build community because it’s so big, but when there’s something regular, where you know you’ll see the same people, it’s a nice feeling.
And they have a taco stand outside and a nice outside area. I think that’s common denominators I like: food, a good outside area and good live music.” – Alison Clancy
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“I love Union Pool for shows. That’s one of my favorite venues. I was just there Tuesday [October 24, 2018] and saw a great show. Star Rover… and another band that was super awesome — Tigue, they’re called. And Henry Jamison was amazing, and Anna RG — she was so good. I hadn’t been to a show where every single band was incredible in a long time, and they were all really good. I saw like six people I know there who are all badass musicians, and I was like, something good is happening… this is the right place to be. I love that place.” – Emanuel Ayvas
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SEAN: “That’s actually a venue I really love. I love the vibe. I went there a few times for drinks and they always have random, good-ass bands playing outta nowhere.”
NICO: “It has a vibe very similar to this place in Miami called Gramps…
You go there, you have five bucks on you, and you just go down the list and see what [beer is] five… no, three or four bucks, so you can tip.”
484 Union Ave, (718) 609-0484, unionpool.com