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August, 2009

  1. Get Blacked Out!

    August 31, 2009 by Kea

    I had been hearing whispers about this bar for a while, but when I would walk past the rumoured space, saw nothing but the meat market and the Starbucks.

    I started to wonder if it was just another piece of Greenpoint gossip. Friday night, however, I was pleasantly surprised to see Blackout opened officially with a bang, celebrating the release of Oakazine’s 3rd issue.

    Though you can’t tell from the street, Blackout is actually a spacious affair with a stretched out bar and a accommodating backyard. I couldn’t stick around too long because it was getting late and marathon training was looming over my head, but I ordered a pint and chatted with one of the bartenders for a while who really friendly and excited about the new watering hole.

    I’m looking forward to going back and having a more thorough experience, but in the meantime, I advise all curious Greenpointers to check it out.

    Blackout
    916 Manhattan Ave
    btwn Greenpoint and Kent


  2. Whitney’s Biennial Tonight In The GPT

    August 28, 2009 by Kea

    I thought I would share what I was doing tonight with ya’ll in case you’re interested. Its going to be raining, so shelve those dreams of outdoor dining and head to Whitney’s Biennial instead. Details:

    BROOKLYN, NY.-Thirty-Seven Artists are participating in the 2009 Whitney’s Biennial, opening at 70 Greenpoint Avenue (c.r.e.a.m. projects) on Friday August 28, 2009 from 7-11 PM, running through Sunday August 30, 2009. Gallery hours are 12-6 PM.

    The 2009 Whitney’s Biennial is an interdisciplinary group exhibition, taking place in an unoccupied commercial space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The exhibition re-envisions the ubiquitous Biennial formula by personalizing the institution, paring it down to a single person. Whitney is the proverbial Every Artist, the flesh-and-bone actor laboring under the shadows of giants. This is her Biennial.

    The exhibition explores the dubious notion of the comeback and opens days before the release of Whitney Houston’s new album. In a moment when the entire world is waiting to see if and when the economy will recover, the artist is in need of a new strategy.

    The participating artists are widely diverse — from those who have exhibited in major museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art, to the graffiti artist, to the underground filmmaker, to the recent MFA graduate. All have been asked to meet on common ground, outside of the white cube, to create new works for this show.

    The 2009 Whitney’s Biennial is organized by MaryKate Maher, Martha Mysko, Elise Rasmussen and Davida Nemeroff.

    These are the artists selected for the 2009 Whitney’s Biennial:

    Anna Rosen, Austin Shull, Carrie Schneider, Chelsea Knight, Christine Sun Kim & Jacob Shamberg, Davida Nemeroff, Douglas Boatwright, Elise Rasmussen, Fia Backström, Jesse Harris, Joey Whiteley, Joshua von Brown, Julia Kennedy, Kara Walker, Kelli Thompson, Kotama Bouabane, Leidy Churchman, Martha Mysko, MaryKate Maher & Oliver Jones, Mauricio Salgado, Michael Berryhill, Michael Farmer, Mira Dancy, Paul Heyer, Per Billgren, Peter Harkawik, Roe Ethridge, Roshani Thakore, Samara Golden, Shawn Kuruneru, Tony Romano, Tuomas Korpijaakko, Valerie Piraino, Victoria Cheong, William Kidman

    Opening August 28th, 7-11PM
    Free Limo Rides, courtesy of Whitney
    After Party: Coco66 (68 Greenpoint Avenue), 11PM – 4AM

    Special performance by Castlemusic on Saturday August 29, 2009 at 8:00 PM


  3. 2nd Annual New York Craft Beer Week Comes To Greenpoint September 11-20!!!!

    August 27, 2009 by Kea

    I can’t believe our (non-existent) summer is coming to an end! Because fall is my favorite season with all my favorite activities, I’m somewhat excited, plus let’s not kid ourselves, I’m kinda over being disappointed by torrential downpours. At least in the fall there is no precedence for good weather.

    Coming up first is the 2nd Annual New York Craft Beer Week which promises lots of gatherings, new brews and drink specials in our neighborhood. Pretty much all our favorite local bars are participating in some capacity.

    Be sure not to miss the Diamond’s Brew n’ Chew on the 13th from 2-5pm. Participants will submit homebrew/snack pairings for patrons to sample and judge. The event will only set you back $25 and 90% of the profits are headed straight to Barc Animal Shelter.

    On the 18th, the Habitat is hosting Bites & Beer where hungry Greenpointers will get $2 off any small bite with any purchase of a draft beer.

    For a complete list of events, click here. And don’t forget the thrifty Beer Passports which are available for purchase online or at several convenient locations around town. This is a great deal for anyone planning on checking out more than one event because your $35 will get you deals in 80 different bars participating in beer week. This is the perfect way to ring in the new season and to get in shape for fall’s other beer drinking marathon, Oktoberfest!

    Participating Greenpoint Bars:
    - Bar Matchless
    - Black Rabbit
    - Coco 66
    - TBD
    - The Diamond
    - The Gutter
    - The Habitat
    - The River Barrel
    - Van Gogh’s Radio Lounge


  4. Newtown Creek Bike Tour

    August 24, 2009 by Joann

    image via basikkd on flickr

    What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than with some history, pollution, and health hazard warnings? The non-profit environmental group Times Up! is hosting a bike tour of Newtown Creek this Saturday at 4pm. Full details below:

    Title: Newtown Creek Bike Tour
    Date: Saturday, August 29th, 2009
    Time: 4:00 PM
    Location: Meet in front of East River State Park, N. 8th St. and Kent Avenue, Williamsburg.
    Details: Jump on your bike and delve into the history, pollution and health of Newtown Creek, visiting the best sites around the creek to discuss the past, present and future of the area, including the industrial heritage, oil spills and pollution plumes, combined sewage overflows, and the ecosystem of estuaries. Your tour guide is Ryan Kuonen of NAG (Neighbors Allied for Good Growth), a community-based organization in North Brooklyn: www.nag-brooklyn.org.

  5. Sui Ren Grand Opening Party

    by Justine

    Last month Kea did a post on Sui Ren Japanese restaurent and this weekend they are holding their official Grand Opening Party with free food (and from what I’ve heard, delicious food!).



    We’re celebrating our grand opening party this Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th by throwing a free food party with seven signature dishes between 6pm to 9pm on both days. There’ll also be DJs spinning deep house and a live VJ mixing his video projections, and an extra bar set up in the back yard!


  6. Sui Ren Grand Opening Party

    by Justine

    Last month Kea did a post on Sui Ren Japanese restaurent and this weekend they are holding their official Grand Opening Party with free food (and from what I’ve heard, delicious food!).



    We’re celebrating our grand opening party this Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th by throwing a free food party with seven signature dishes between 6pm to 9pm on both days. There’ll also be DJs spinning deep house and a live VJ mixing his video projections, and an extra bar set up in the back yard!


  7. A Greenpoint Institution…

    August 20, 2009 by Justine


    Pops Popular Clothing, Franklin Street and Meserole Avenue


  8. Free Cupcakes for Blood!

    by Justine


    This Friday, August 21st, Jaunsetter – a travel website targeted at New York women (and men, really), based out of Brooklyn – is having a blood drive in McCarren Park to help out the NYC Blood Bank – the summer months are their slowest in terms of donors, and just one donor can save up to three lives. Plus, check out the free stuff being offered for the first 75 donors – all it’ll cost you is your blood. Mmmmmwwahhhhaahaha!

    Jauntsetter Blood Drive:

    On Friday, August 21st at McCarren Park, from 4 to 9:30pm, jauntsetter is hosting a blood drive with some awesome Brooklyn startups: Hayden-Harnett, Brooklyn Based and Carrot Creative.

    We’re extremely excited to join forces with them to do some good, but we can’t run a successful blood drive without your help. In fact, July and August are the slowest months for the New York Blood Center, and they really need our donations. So please click on this link and sign up for a spot.

    As an added incentive to sign up for one of the early spots, we’ll be giving away goodies to our first 75 donors, including jauntsetter totes and some amazing Hayden-Harnett discounts, as well as delicious cupcakes from Tawny Ong, and some hearty snacks from The Bagel Store. Even better? The first 25 people who show up for the beginning of the drive (which is usually the slowest) get tokens for the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck for a free cone!

    Final details: The blood drive bus will be parked at North 12th and Bedford, and the drive goes from 4 to 9:30pm – giving you plenty of time to give a pint and head out to dinner in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint area.


  9. A Greenpoint Institution…

    by Justine


    Pops Popular Clothing, Franklin Street and Meserole Avenue


  10. Free Cupcakes for Blood!

    by Justine


    This Friday, August 21st, Jaunsetter – a travel website targeted at New York women (and men, really), based out of Brooklyn – is having a blood drive in McCarren Park to help out the NYC Blood Bank – the summer months are their slowest in terms of donors, and just one donor can save up to three lives. Plus, check out the free stuff being offered for the first 75 donors – all it’ll cost you is your blood. Mmmmmwwahhhhaahaha!

    Jauntsetter Blood Drive:

    On Friday, August 21st at McCarren Park, from 4 to 9:30pm, jauntsetter is hosting a blood drive with some awesome Brooklyn startups: Hayden-Harnett, Brooklyn Based and Carrot Creative.

    We’re extremely excited to join forces with them to do some good, but we can’t run a successful blood drive without your help. In fact, July and August are the slowest months for the New York Blood Center, and they really need our donations. So please click on this link and sign up for a spot.

    As an added incentive to sign up for one of the early spots, we’ll be giving away goodies to our first 75 donors, including jauntsetter totes and some amazing Hayden-Harnett discounts, as well as delicious cupcakes from Tawny Ong, and some hearty snacks from The Bagel Store. Even better? The first 25 people who show up for the beginning of the drive (which is usually the slowest) get tokens for the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck for a free cone!

    Final details: The blood drive bus will be parked at North 12th and Bedford, and the drive goes from 4 to 9:30pm – giving you plenty of time to give a pint and head out to dinner in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint area.