One of the things that I like about being the Brooklyn Stinger is that it gives me the perfect excuse to explore parts of Brooklyn that I otherwise might not visit. I’ve been spending entirely too much time near my workplace in Park Slope, so when it was time to meet my friend Mark for a drink, I headed over to Clinton Hill. If you have to ask where the hell Clinton Hill is, you’re not the only one. Apparently it’s nestled between Fort Greene (home to Target and the Atlantic Terminal) and Bedford-Stuyvesant (home to the Notorious B.I.G.).
Our destination for the evening was Sputnik, a Russian-themed bar on the border between Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy. Well, I was expecting a Russian-themed bar: stark atmosphere and twenty different types of vodka chased with pumpernickel bread. (Think Pravda on Lafayette Street.) Instead, Sputnik was a surprisingly bright restaurant with bar seating. With funky sixties-era lamps hanging from high ceilings, Sputnik reminded me more of the Jetsons than the Iron Curtain.
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Tags:
Bedford-Stuyvesant,
Brooklyn,
Brooklyn Sting,
clinton hill,
Julie,
Sputnik
Happy New Year, everybody! As 2008 draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking of New Year’s resolutions for 2009. Burn off those Christmas cookies. Climb out of debt. Get a better job. All those resolutions sound like hard work! Let’s add some fun stuff to the 2009 to-do list.
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Tags:
baseball,
Brooklyn,
Coney Island,
Julie,
new year's resolutions,
polar bears,
Staten Island
Times are tough.The Dow is down, prices are up, our wallets are empty.But we’re not going to let the recession keep us from enjoying the greatest city in the world.So let me present my Chrismukkah gift to you: the Ultimate Wallet-Friendly New York Date.(It also goes over well with out-of-town relatives.) Read more »
Tags:
Brooklyn,
Brooklyn Bridge,
Brooklyn Heights,
brooklyn ice cream factory,
Grimaldi's,
Julie
Everyone, even our own Bruce Springsteen of Queens, is raving about Slumdog Millionaire. While I haven’t yet seen the movie, I do have something in common with the main character. Earlier this year I was a contestant on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and now I am going to tell you how you can get on the show too.
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Tags:
game show,
Julie,
Manhattan,
Meredith Vieira,
money,
TV
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and it’s not just from Saturday night’s scenic snowfall. Holiday decorations are popping up all over the city’s most populous borough. If you’re feeling like you need a little Christmas, here’s where to go.
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Tags:
Brooklyn,
Brooklyn Sting,
Christmas,
Fort Greene,
Holiday,
Julie,
Park Slope,
Shopping,
Theater,
williamsburg
This winter, I am headed to the beach. Not the actual beach, unfortunately, because my wallet is a few Andrew Jacksons short of a plane ticket. Instead I’ll be heading to Park Slope’s newest watering hole, the beach-themed Cabana Bar.
Cabana Bar quietly opened a few weeks ago, just before its neighboring restaurant, Playa. Even on the chilliest of nights, the beach atmosphere at Cabana can just about make you forget that cold weather has arrived. The ceiling is all glass, giving the feeling of letting in the night sky while keeping out the cold. A faux palm tree shoots through the center table, dominating the room. A crashing wave mural graces the far wall, across from the tiki-thatched bar. All that’s missing is the sand, and the corniness that ruins other themed bars.
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Tags:
Brooklyn,
Brooklyn Sting,
cabana bar,
Cocktails,
happy hour,
Julie,
Park Slope,
playa
On yet another chilly afternoon, I ventured to the New York Transit Museum for my weekly dose of culture. The green globe at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street marks the subterranean entrance to the museum, housed in the now-defunct Court Street station.
Our first stop on the Transit Museum tour was Steel, Stone & Backbone: Building New York’s Subways 1900-1925. My friend and I marveled at images of the old City Hall station. With arches and intricate tile work, why can’t all our subway stations be that beautiful? (Maybe because the MTA has that pesky little budget shortage.) After perusing displays about Robert Moses, the evolution of rider currency, and the newly-renamed Triborough Bridge, we were ready to move to the hands-on exhibits.
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Tags:
Brooklyn Heights,
Brooklyn Sting,
Julie,
MTA,
Transit Museum
It’s getting to be that time of year when we want to spend our weekends indoors, somewhere warm and dry. Since we can’t spend the entire winter in our apartments, museums in Brooklyn are a perfect antidote to cabin fever.
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Tags:
Art,
bma,
Brooklyn,
brooklyn museum of art,
Brooklyn Sting,
first saturdays,
gilbert and george,
Julie,
museum,
the black list project
Now that the election is over, we can get back to talking about the really important issue—food! In the month since I moved to Brooklyn, I’ve visited Flipsters twice, both times with friends who were big fans. It’s easy to see why this good-natured bar and grill in Park Slope become part of my friends’ restaurant repertoire.
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Tags:
bar,
Brooklyn,
Brooklyn Sting,
burgers,
deals,
flipsters,
Food,
Julie,
pesto fries
We interrupt the usual Brooklyn coverage to bring you some important election information. This is a historic election, and arguably the most important election of our lifetimes. It is crucial that everyone votes on Tuesday, but there is more that you can do to turn the rest of the country a little bluer. I spent time this weekend making phone calls at Obama’s New York headquarters, and I was surprised by how much fun it was. The energy in the room is incredible–everyone is there to affect the outcome of this election.
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Tags:
barack,
Brooklyn,
election,
Julie,
obama,
phone banks
