This Labor Day comes with a lot of questions. What is a holiday? Where did summer go? When can I see my friends? What the fuck is happening?

I can’t answer most of those questions. But what I can do is offer some advice to help us all feel better and make that reluctant transition from Summer to Fall a little less painful.

HEY, it’s a Labor Day Weekend Guide! Because whether any of us want to admit it or not, you missed these and I kind of did too.

See below for the best ways I’ve found to feel better, to feel summer, to stay safe, and to support local businesses in all the tastiest ways. It’s your summer and the city isn’t dead and neither are you. So let’s get out there.

Dive Into an NYC Pool

It’s ok, you can go to a public pool. Really, you can. I tested the waters (a few times) and I came out unscathed, and even a little more tan. Think of me as that penguin who gets pushed off into the ocean first to see if there’s a predator waiting to eat the rest of the bunch.
Actually, don’t think of me that way. 

The list of NYC public pools that are open right now can be found right here (my faves are Astoria Pool and K Pool in Bed-Stuy!) and here’s a reminder about this magical oasis in the middle of the East River. Masks are required on the pool deck but not in the water. Sun-penetrable masks can be purchased here to avoid that awkward face tan lines. JK I made that up. Just know you won’t be the only one.*

Hit the Beach, baby.

Will it be crowded? Of course it will be. Is this the first time that you can actually tell people to keep their distance from you and not feel like a total asshole? Yep. 

This is the end of fucking summer. Don’t let anything come between you and that sweet ocean breeze. Choose your beach (obvs there’s a guide for that). Get there as early as possible. Take your clothes off if you want. Don’t tell anyone I told you it was ok.*

Cookout at the Waterfront in Brooklyn Bridge Park

I know, you thought by now you’d finally have the apartment with that sweet sweet backyard and the grill and cookouts every weekend and tons of *socially distanced* friends. It’s ok that you don’t. It’s not ok that you don’t take advantage of the public grills that are available for you, all the time. Host your own cookout for you and your vagabond friends at the foot of Brooklyn Bridge Park, overlooking lower Manhattan and Lady Liberty herself. The grills and tables are first come, first serve, however, there’s a rule that you cannot occupy one grill for more than an hour, and people are usually incredibly generous. You’ll find a way in, and probably a way to double the size of your party and potato salad options. Link to the park is here. Nervous about the idea of “public grills” during a pandemic. STOP. Just stop. The virus isn’t fireproof. Jesus Christ, what were you thinking? Calm down.*

Have an American hot dog and drink an American whiskey at the Moonlight Mile

Here’s something you might not know. Moonlight Mile in Greenpoint has been doing free food with drinks way before Cuomo decided it was cool. For real. Gary’s cookouts on the corner there were one of those things that made Greenpoint so quaint- and also what made this my favorite bar in the hood. So go, get a beer, get a whiskey, get a hot dog, and feel like things are going to be ok.*

Those were the days, at Nowadays

I remember at some point thinking that the Nowadays backyard was a little too big- what if I get lost? What if I can’t find the bathroom? What if I wander off while waiting for my food truck order, never to be seen from or sharing a meal alongside again?

That “some point” was way before any idea of a pandemic was a thing. Now? Well now, I think it’s just the right size. This place feels like home in all of its natural wonder, and they have nightly events including film screenings, pandemic-safe dance parties, lawn games, food, friends, fun, safety. Let’s make sure we keep their doors open by spending plenty of time outdoors, all of the days, at Nowadays. Calendar here.* 

Or basically do the same thing, at a Rooftop Winery

Wine on a rooftop in the Navy Yard with corn hole and that dirty balls game (what’s the proper term for it?) plus fried chicken and after-hours films. This is why we live in New York, and thankfully, Devin’s business plan is somehow pandemic-proof, before that was even a thing. Reserve a spot now, and aim for a sunset slot. Just trust me.*

Have a Picnic in Transmitter Park

But buy your lunch from 21 Greenpoint. Why? Because they had their liquor license taken away indefinitely, that’s why. And that’s not fucking fair. And we all want them to survive. And also, they have a pretty damn good lunch menu. So show your support and let the government know that no matter how hard they try to force ridiculous restrictions upon small businesses and then make a really obnoxious production of shutting them down, we’re stronger than that.*

Or, be the fanciest person at any other picnic.

With this amazing Bento Box. Yeah, I mean, I didn’t think delivery could EVER look this good. Tell your friends to bring their 6-foot long chopsticks and share the magic. Hit up the Sneaky Spirit Social Club and order their new Szechuan Tincture (free delivery in Brooklyn!) and mix up some wild cocktails for your friends. Secure that invite to the next cool event over all of those bitches who show up with White Claw and hummus.*

*WEAR A DAMN MASK.

What makes a great beach cocktail? If you ask me, it’s whatever drink finds its way into your hand while you’re sitting on the beach.

The Sneaky Spirit Social Club thinks otherwise. They have a few specific guidelines to help you rethink your beach cocktail, and three bottled beauty cocktails for sale with an exclusive for BIT readers. Read On.

From the Sneaky Spirit Social Club

A beach cocktail should start with fresh, in-season ingredients. We went to our local farmers market for a little inspiration and came back with the following:

English Cucumbers

Fresh Mint Ginger Root

A spikey little Pineapple

And PLENTY of citrus- oranges, limes, lemons.

With these as our inspiration, we thought of the best “base spirits” to accompany them. As a rule of thumb, gin and cucumber always make good friends. Rum is a great bet to make a drink taste more tropical. And when in doubt for anything else, tequila.

We paid a visit to our good friends at Duke’s Liquor Box to pick up these spirits, and came home for a little painless trial-and-error.

We juiced, strained, peeled, pressed, pureed, and paired it all with a few of our favorite Sneaky Tinctures- including a hibiscus spice tincture (made from hibiscus flowers and white peppercorn) and our new Sneaky Szechuan spice (a taste-altering tincture) before coming up with these amazing beach cocktails.

Beach Cocktails with the Sneaky Spirit Social Club

Gin Cucumber Cooler

A minty, cucumber, Szechuan combination with a little fresh lemon guaranteed to make you cooler with the first sip.

Hibiscus Margarita

A tried-and-true favorite made from dried hibiscus, fresh lime, and a little white peppercorn, and a heavy-hand of blanco tequila.

Ginger Rum Punch

Pineapple, Orange, and a bite of fresh ginger bring a brightness to the dark rum soul of this drink.

Each of these has 4.5 ounces of booze (read: that’s more than 2 drinks worth!) and we’re extending a special offer for BIT readers:

Buy 1 bottled cocktail for $12

Buy 3 for $33

Buy 10 or more for only $10 each
 
Free same-day delivery in Greenpoint and Williamsburg.

Call us from the park. Call us the night before you leave for the beach. Let us meet you on the dock before the ferry to Governor’s Island comes. Take us with you, and let’s make this summer a little more Sneaky.

I stumbled across this tiny little oasis trying to find a way to spend 5 hours and avoid the Petri dish that is a hospital waiting room while my boyfriend had surgery. It was the middle of a heatwave. The map seemed to show plenty of coastline, within (reasonable) walking distance. It was 7 in the morning and I had been meaning to intentionally break in my Birkenstock’s for nearly a week now. I set out.

I wandered through the very residential neighborhood of Marine Park and toward the wildness of Mill Basin, Brooklyn’s largest public park, before letting my finger-upon-Google-map curiosity float over to a spot that read “Plumb Beach Nature Reserve”. The sun was hot, my backpack was heavy, and I’d just bought a White Claw that I wanted to pop open while still cold and sitting upon sand. 

After a fairly easy and not too scenic walk, I ended up in a small parking lot with a retro changing facilities (closed per pandemic) and a bold inscription that read “PLUMBEACH” all the way around it. 

This, I could tell, this must be the place I would spend the next 3 hours.
It would be, me, along with about 20 others, all wading out into the endless expanse of 3-foot deep brackish water. No lifeguards, no currents, very minimal waves, and the only momentary embarrassment of having to squat in the water to pee. An ideal way to spend the day. Follow me there…

Where is Plumb Beach?

Plumb Beach is a Gateway National Recreation Area located south of Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. It is a sandy beach that opens up to the Jamaica Bay. It’s breezy beaches and calm waters make it a favorite for kayakers, paddle boarders, kiteboarders, and windsurfers.

Can you Swim at Plumb Beach?

Yes! The water is about 2-feet deep at low tide, 3.5 feet at high tide, and you can walk all the at least 100 yards out at this depth. The waves are minimal and there is no current. It’s a great safe beach to bring children.

What should I bring to Plumb Beach?

Bring everything you want to have on the beach with you. There is no boardwalk and no food options within walking distance. Be sure to bring plenty of water!

What is Prohibited at Plumb Beach?

According to the National Park website, the following things are prohibited:

• Swimming, diving, or bathing
• Rafts or other inflatables
• Consumption of alcohol
• Littering
• Smoking
• Any discharge into water
• Pets off leash or in the water
• Open flame
• Storing personal property
• Motor vehicles without specific authorization

Of this list, I either participated in or witnessed 7 of these activities taking place. Yes, you can swim. Yes, you can bring rafts. Yes, you can responsibly drink alcohol. Yes. you should prioritize above EVERYTHING else protecting the vulnerable ecosystem of the Jamaica Bay. And no, there is no one patrolling the beach, looking to take away your spiked seltzer. Just don’t be an asshole, ok?

How do I get to Plumb Beach?

By car, you can get to Plumb Beach via Belt Parkway/Shore Parkway around the southwest edge of Brooklyn, or take Woodhaven Boulevard through Queens and connect to the Belt Parkway/Shore Parkway. If you want to take public transit to Plumb Beach, take either the 4-5, the 2, or the B and connect to the B84 Bus, which stops at the Plumb Beach parking lot. Biking to Plumb Beach will take you via bike lanes all the way down Bedford Avenue via Prospect Heights, down Leonard through Bed Stuy, or through Bushwick and Brownsville. From North Brooklyn, the bike ride is about 1.5 hours.

Is Plumb Beach a good place for Photographers?

Yes, because of the long distance of shallow, calm waters, taking photos in the early morning at Plumb Beach creates a smooth, silvery surface on the water, ideal for nude photo shoots and artistic effects you can’t achieve on other coastlines in New York.

Why should I go to Plumb Beach?

Because this city has nearly 520 miles of coastline, yet we all seem to compete for the most ‘coveted’ areas at Rockaway, Fort Tilden, and Coney Island. And, with the recent shark sitings at Jones Beach have left me yearning to float out into the safety of a shark-free bay. Plumb Beach is clean and comfortable and just hidden enough to keep it from getting too crowded, even on the weekends. 

Let’s face it- we’re in a state of limbo… hoping that another ‘spike’ won’t happen but kind of knowing it will, feeling ourselves visualize the unreality that we now know happening again, seeing the next season of our lives shuddered… decidedly resisting the urge to impulse-buy puzzles.

I don’t know what to tell you. Hell, I don’t know what to tell me. But what I do know is that now is the time to try to somehow feel normal again- while taking all necessary precautions. WEAR A FUCKING MASK. Keep your distance. Wash your hands. But also, try to feel like it’s summertime and we all still live in the best city in the whole goddamn world. Let’s try to feel it, and feel it normally, while we still can.

I’ve found a few good ways. Come on, let’s do this.

Take a Walking Tour with your friends, in Brooklyn

That’s right. I do walking tours. Which means, choose your group, choose a neighborhood, and let me show you what’s so amazing about life in Brooklyn. My tours combine cocktails and local bites, stories and culture and new ways to fall in love with the city again. DM me for more info. Let’s walk around, together.

Book a Virtual Cocktail Class, with all of your friends

Because Zoom feels like it’s kind of drying up (or is it just me?) shake things up by inviting all your friends to make drinks, together! The Sneaky Spirit Social Club wants to come to your house and throw a virtual party with you and all your friends. Learn to make drinks. Stock your bar cart with hand-selected spirits. Feel better about getting drunk at home. Learn more here. Let’s get sneaky together.

See a Concert with City Winery, in Hudson!

Live music isn’t going to be happening in any capacity for a while. That’s why City Winery has swooped in with a new series at their upstate property, complete with concert pods. Yep, that means anywhere from 2-10 people will have their own little socially-distanced pod situated in an outdoor amphitheater, with an option to add “picnic boxes” complete with meats and cheeses and obviously wine. Check their schedule here (I’ll be seeing Chris Thile on 8/15!) 

Rooftop Films’ New Drive-In Theater

Because Skyline Drive-In in Greenpoint has recently caught some heat for being blatantly racially insensitive, and downright overpriced (however… this is New York… why is anyone surprised?) check out Rooftop Films’ new drive-in at the Army terminal. Your $45 price per car (stuff ‘em in!) includes extras like Q&A’s with Andy Samberg after seeing his new film Palm Springs. Get your tickets here.

Spend the Day in Red Hook

Brooklyn Crab and the amazing views at Louis Valentino Jr. Park want you to feel normal again. The two-tiered, always outdoor seated crab shack invites you to have a socially-distanced dinner al fresco, then get a cocktail to-go and admire the unparalleled views from the park down the street. Take a long stroll up toward Brooklyn Bridge Park when you’re done and fall back in love with the city.

Culture Lab LIC

Live outdoor concerts in their parking lot (some even emceed by Michael Che!) that they announce the day-of. Check-in with their Instagram account, wear a mask, bring a blanket, get yourself some culture that isn’t on a screen.

Look but don’t touch at House of Yes

Because you’ve missed the element of unexpected that you can only experience at House of Yes, While we still can’t return to sweaty dance parties and in-your-face performances, they are doing the best they can to bring you that wildness within current restrictions. Book a table for dinner and drinks and expect plenty of seductive surprises, just… stay in your seat. Also, check out their outdoor market that will allow you to browse tons of amazing artisan goods that could have only gotten better during quarantine (right?) Info here.

Turn your Dinner Parties into Picnics

Yeah. Dinner parties are kind of a thing of the past for now, but here’s your chance to really improve your picnic skills. Impress your friends with a charcuterie and cheese board with wine pairing from & Sons Buttery, a Sommelier-owned ham bar and (now) market that has the finest selection of domestic hams and cheeses that will make you forget all about that-time-in-Spain, and instead replace it with a dreamy little picnic in Prospect Park. Or you know, do it with Mekelburg’s and Domino, or the new Azure Market and Transmitter. Or Smorgasburg (order ahead of time!) and the waterfront at North 6th St. Choose your own adventure, and invite your friends. Because dinner parties were getting stuffy anyway.

Spend a Day at the Beach

Like, a full day. Because it’s the best way to spend time with friends with virtually no restrictions. (I mean, if you’re sitting closer than 6 feet to a stranger at the beach, something’s wrong with you) Pack a lunch, grab some White Claws (and have no shame about this), and head out to any of the miles of coastline this city has to offer within about 1.5 hours of anywhere you are. And if you really want an uninhibited experience, check out this piece I wrote about letting it all hang out at Fort Tilden. See you out there

Roosevelt Island Pool, with grills!

Camp out as this candyland of an island paradise, all day. This virtually unknown pool in the middle of Roosevelt Island will have you sun-drenched and nestled between the world’s most infamous skyline and that cool place where you live (Brooklyn), swimming and sipping (they don’t allow you to bring alcohol. It is not hard to bring alcohol.) and even hosting your own intimate cookout. They have two grills and a communal fridge so you can heat those meats only when you’re ready to. Also, there’s almost nothing else to do on the island (ok, ok, the smallpox hospital facade is… there.) so you won’t blink an eye at the $40/$65 (week/weekend) cost of entry. For real, don’t. Just go. Info here.

Rediscover Governor’s Island

Use this amazing guide and spend the day at Governor’s Island. There’s food, breweries, bike trails, amazing views of the city, a wondrous place called Slide Hill, and camping (but sign up QUICK). It’s an amazing way to get out of the city with just a quick little jaunt on the ferry (but reserve your tickets first!)

So freedom is a funny thing right now, isn’t it. We don’t have the freedom to gather together, to leave our homes without covering our faces, to return from 16 states that we might want to visit, to hug, to share secrets, to relax and spend time with our friends.

But there is still a reason and plenty of ways to celebrate our freedom, and how far we’ve come as a city during this pandemic. Show your PRIDE this weekend and celebrate safely with friends. Join one of these marches and feel the necessary, hopeful change that these demonstrations are bringing. And find ways to safely appreciate living in this amazing place, by staying here or getting safely out of town, below.

Celebrate in the City, Carefully

Spend the Days (finally) at Nowadays

Because until the days finally arrive when dance parties are a thing again, let’s all spend our nowadays together by congregating safely in the massive, magical backyard with our friends at Nowadays. They’ll have music and food trucks and cocktails and human beings staying apart but feeling together. Reserve your spot right here and let’s get through these days in the best ways we know how (for now)

Stop Hearing No’s with House of Yes

Because we’ve all been hearing a lot of “no’s” lately, come celebrate the (partial) reopening of House of Yes this weekend! Yes, they’ll have seating outside! Yes, there will be music! Yes, you’ll get live performances! Yes, (as always) expect the unexpected! And… no, there will be no sweaty, crowded indoor dance parties there yet… but YES, let’s all remember the good times until we can crowd together again. Reserve a spot HERE.

Party (safely!) on the Rooftop at Elsewhere

Because there aren’t really many other places we can go, head elsewhere to Brooklyn’s best rooftop where you’ll have to remain distanced (I know, I know… sucks but do it so we don’t end up like Florida) but they will be pumping out the amazing tunes you’ve come to expect from this multi-tiered party Mecca, and we can all jive together in our seats and feel better about feeling almost normal. Plus, fireworks! Reserve your spot here right now.

Dinner and a Romantic Stroll, with fireworks

Le Fanfare and the new waterfront park just 3 blocks from it want you to #savethedates and have a very romantic dinner in their charming backyard. Because let’s be honest- this whole parking-space dining thing is fine but not very intimate. Call ahead to make sure a table is available and then wine and dine and walk it all off together along the water. And yes, there will be fireworks. If not from the city then from its inhabitants that are taking it upon themselves to light things up, nightly.

Join the Good Room 3 Day Virtual Party

Whether you are partying with your quarantine partner or having people over, tune into Good Room’s 3-day virtual party, all to help Good Room staff and some of the amazing artists they support. Tune in here and turn it up, give that disco ball a spin and make a good party even better.

Make Some Sneaky Cocktails

Are you entertaining (safely) this weekend? Impress your guests with these amazing Summer cocktail recipes, from the Sneaky Spirit Social Club (in collaboration with our bubbly friends at Topo Chico!)

Want to learn more? Join Us for a Custom Cocktail Class via the Sneaky Spirit Social Club. Learn more here. 

Get Out of Town

Camp and Swim at Harriman State Park

Because why choose between the mountains and the beach when you an have both? Within an 1.5 hour drive of the city, Harriman State Park has ample camping without too much hiking to access it, plus this amazing beach area with grills too. Get there EARLY early to claim a spot and grill at the beach. Worry about pitching the tent later. Info here.

Bike and Swim at Shirley Chisholm Park

Bike around (you can bring yours or rent one of theirs!) have a cookout on a private(ish) beach area, and feel miles away from the city in this amazing and still fairly undiscovered park. Oh, and just forget all about the whole biggest-landfill-in-the-US part. Really, forget about it. After 60 years of cleaning and stabilizing and endlessly monitoring the land and water around it, this might be one of the safest places in the nearby area to enjoy nature. Info here.

Camp in a Teepee in Cape May

Yeah. I mean, they’re likely all booked up this weekend but sometimes there’s a gap between stays… but at least now you know this is a thing- teepee with AC’s on a campground with tons of activities in a charming little beach town that’s just 2.5 hours from the city. Book now. Or, just channel your inner Native American and burn someone out of their teepee and claim it as yours. (I don’t actually mean this.)

Camp on Governor’s Island

Yep, you can glamp on Governor’s Island. Which, yes, is a little pricey but given the fact that most fun things in the city aren’t available right now, they’re taking every precaution to keep you safe and distanced while having a community experience and being able to roam the island virtually free of tourists. Reserve your fancy-ass tent here.

Mountain Creek Water Park and a stay at the Quality Inn

Water Parks in New Jersey are open and mega-chlorinated. So find yourself a waterproof mask (that isn’t a joke, and it isn’t all that hard to find) and keep your distance from the limited number of other thrill-seekers that they are admitting daily- tickets available here. Get yourself a room at the nearby Quality Inn (just $84/night!) so you can partake in the provisions at the bar at the park. Because nothing goes better with chlorinated water than a little risky-whisky.

Book a Bungalow and Explore the Delaware Beaches

Head to this amazing Airbnb, and experience the hidden beaches (that DO exist!) to avoid the crowds in Delaware. We rented a pontoon boat for the day from Dewey Beach Water Sports to keep ourselves distanced and free from judgement from the obscene amount of White Claws we were all consuming. Check their availability here and book your stay.

Today is Juneteenth – a celebration for the Black community that commemorates the same day in 1865 when Union General Gordon arrived in Texas to announce that slavery had been abolished. And tomorrow is our future. What can we do today to learn, commemorate, celebrate, and move forward together? I’ve pulled together a list of events to help us participate and acknowledge that this day should have been celebrated by everyone a long time ago.

Use this list but for EVERYTHING else, follow @justiceforgeorgenyc including meditations, 5k runs, bike rides, vigils, drum circles, public forums, rallies with art, rallies with musical instruments, and so many other creative and important ways to celebrate and participate.

Learn 

Read this or listen here to the Daily’s very informative podcast.

And this A free and accessible starting point from Dr. Angela Davis

Take a bike ride down to Green-Wood Cemetery. Pack a picnic. Feel the rich history that so many black people have given to our city and country, like Jean-Michel Basquiat, and feel the importance of the Civil War victory, Juneteenth, and how far we still have to come for racial justice. Plus, this intensely moving mural will remind us that even as we enter Phase 2, the virus is still very much a reality. Wear a mask, folks!

March

Activist Valerie Walker is leading the Break The Chains With Love March from Jane’s Carousel on the waterfront. After crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, it’ll stop at the African Burial Ground before continuing to City Hall for a rally and celebration.

Walk or bike in this Freedom Ride through Bed-Stuy to The Southern Comfort to show your support and get a little good-for-the-Soul food too. 

Use These Neighborhood Protest Resources

Bushwick – @assemblywomandavila. At Maria Hernandez Park and Bushwick Daily for daily protest updates.

Greenpoint – @greenpointers for info on vigil’s at McCarren Park and where to head from there.

Williamsburg – @yeswilliamsburg nightly marches leaving from McCarren.

Jamaica, Queens – at Council Member Adrienne Adam’s Office

For everything else, follow @justiceforgeorgenyc

Or use this full map of Protests for George Floyd, worldwide.

Celebrate Virtually

Tune into this virtual Juneteenth event by the Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture featuring the founder of the Texas Freedom Colonies Project, Chefs Therese Nelson and Carla Hall, and music from Rootstock Republic.

The BRIC’s Juneteenth: Then and Now, a virtual town hall features artists, journalists, activists, and politicians to help us learn from the past and create a better future, together.

Tonight with Carnegie Hall, a celebration of Juneteenth with performers and speakers. Tune in from 7:30-8:30pm right here. 

Plus tune into this amazing concert Friday with pianist Nnenna Ogwo returns with her ever-brilliant collaborators, Sterling Strings from with Joe’s Pub starting at 7pm tonight!

And with the Public Theater here.

And Nowadays with four hours of Underground Resistance in honor of Juneteenth. Tune in now here.

Give

Last Summer I was lucky enough to see the Public Theater’s version of Much Ado About Nothing with an all-black cast, interpreting this Shakespearean comedy into a very modern reality. The Public Theater continues to support and expose the reality of racial injustices. Follow their lead by supporting them and these amazing organizations.

And celebrate our victories during this movement-  GLITS, an organization that successfully raised over $1 million last week to set up permanent housing for Black trans people. Let’s continue to support them in their future endeavors while also recognizing the need to support additional missions such as Princess Janae Place who works to help people of trans experience maximize their full potential as they transition from homelessness to independent living.

And this very good message from the good people at Good Room: This Friday, June 19th, to commemorate Juneteenth, Bandcamp will be donating their share to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a national organization that has a long history of effectively enacting racial justice and change through litigation, advocacy, and public education. Head to Good Room’s Bandcamp page to pick up tees, slipmats, totes, and our ‘Alone Together’ Relief Comp, with all proceeds from these sales going to support the club while we’re closed.

Stylist Anthony Payne wants to make you look and feel better.

Because we’re all gettin’ realllll scraggly, local hair magician Anthony Payne has moved his salon beneath the Williamsburg Bridge until we reach whatever phase allows us to get haircuts again… so support this amazing artist and entrepreneur and look better while doing it. Oh, and, he’s donating 100% of your donation-based payment to Black Lives Matter. Look better, feel better, do better. Then go march. Info here.

Celebrate with Dinner and a Movie, with this amazing list of black-owned restaurants and movies that celebrate black history, from the Infatuation.

And this Sunday, CALL YOUR DAD and tell him you love him. Most of us can’t be with our Father’s this Father’s Day, so I’ll plan to celebrate by doing things my Dad likes to do- having a vodka tonic (or two), picking up fresh seafood from Greenpoint Fish, hanging out by the water in Transmitter Park and stealing money from my friends while playing dice.

Last week I promised to use my weekend guides as a resource to get involved in this pinnacle part of history that is necessarily enveloping our borough. Because there is the need to feel this, to act, to show support, to come together to form a new reality and to force this country to change the social fabric that we have been accepting for way too long.

I will continue to update this post with new information, and to provide weekly events that support the Black Lives Matter movement in all its facets, and for the month of July, those that highlight and support the continued mission of the LGBTQ community.

So use this as a resource. Decide what you feel led to do. Find the best way to memorialize, to speak out and to show your city and country that this is unacceptable. But make sure you do something and feel something. This might be the most historic time we live through- so let’s actively live in it.

Here are the ways you should get involved this weekend and for the foreseeable future, until we create a future we want to live in.

Check your neighborhood for protests.

In the words of Marsha P Johnson, an African-American LGBT Rights Activist, “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.”

First, make sure you’re prepared.

The police have been aggressively arresting peaceful protestors for a number of reasons, forcing hundreds to spend the night in cramped jail cells nightly, confiscating their phones and belongings (forcing many to have their bikes inevitably stolen) and completely dismissing the threat of COVID-19. Know your rights and be prepared by reading this first. And then, let your voice be heard.

Neighborhood Protest Resources

Bushwick – @assemblywomandavila. At Maria Hernandez Park and Bushwick Daily for daily protest updates.

Greenpoint – @greenpointers for info on vigil’s at McCarren Park and where to head from there.

Williamsburg – @yeswilliamsburg nightly marches leaving from McCarren.

Jamaica, Queens – at Council Member Adrienne Adam’s Office

For everything else, follow @justiceforgeorgenyc

Or use this full map of Protests for George Floyd, worldwide.

Do some research and then donate to help support the cause that speaks to you.

Support and Donate to SATC Campaign for NAACP Foundation

Black Lives Matter Prints by local artist Eva Woolridge, all proceeds go to Bail Out Funds

Make Calls for George – 612.324.4499

Donate to Breonna Taylor‘s family’s GoFundMe here.

And sign Breonna’s petition here.

Support the 15 Percent Pledge – @15percentpledge to help black-owned businesses survive

Look through this very thorough list of Racial Justice Organizations and Resources

Sign Petitions here.

Make the Call – Follow these to make calls for change.

Donate to the cause that speaks to you – blacklivesmatters/donate

Black Women’s Blueprint – Support equality and opportunity for every black woman – @blackwomensblueprint

And see so many more resources HERE and HERE.

Check out these Local Events and Businesses who are Supporting the Movement

Archestratus Fire Wall Community Cookbook

I cannot applaud Paige enough for always evolving and being a prominent voice in our community and city, as a business owner and entrepreneur. She pivoted flawlessly when the pandemic hit by turning her cookbook store/cafe into a contactless-marketplace with lines around the block, and now to help bring us all closer and to focus on the burning issues affecting us all right now, she’ll be publishing “Fire Walk With Us”, the first volume of a community-built cookbook and zine to expose current issues and generate conversation and recipes, with all proceeds going to Black Lives Matter. In her words – “Historically, pamphlets were used as a weapon to inspire much needed political disorder. Let us use OUR pamphlets to create a new system, a new model for investment, and let it also serve as a public space where we take care of everyone” This will be an ongoing project, always donating to BLM. Read more details here and submit your words and recipe to support this movement.

Stylist Anthony Payne wants to make you look and feel better.

Because we’re all gettin’ realllll scraggly, local hair magician Anthony Payne has moved his salon beneath the Williamsburg Bridge until we reach whatever phase allows us to get haircuts again… so support this amazing artist and entrepreneur and look better while doing it. Oh, and, he’s donating 100% of your donation-based payment to Black Lives Matter. Look better, feel better, do better. Then go march. Info here.

Watch Thee Debauchery Ball with Sol Cinema Cafe

Our favorite black-owned cinema in the city is bringing the debauchery to your house this weekend. They’ll be showing this film, a documentary that celebrates black lives sexuality and house music, plus hosting DJs all weekend to help you #revelwithacause – they’ll be donating to help multiple facets of the BLM movement. Tickets and schedule here.

Esme To-Go, all weekend- for a cause.

Local darling Esme immediately pivoted to provide meals for essential workers immediately when the pandemic hit, but felt led to open up their doors last Sunday to provide the community with fried chicken and signature sides with all proceeds going to organizations supporting Police Reform, Legal Counsel and the health of the Black Community. They raised over $11,000 last Sunday alone and have set a goal for this weekend of $50,000- help them get there. They’ll be open for to-go starting Thursday and will be donating 100% of proceeds on Sundays, all month. Info here.

Achilles heel might be the place I miss being inside the most. Somehow, they’re still delivering the warm, comforting feeling of sitting at the bar, sipping red wine out of a juice glass and sampling a few adventurous small plates with one of my favorite to-go menus and donating 25% of all profits to @campaignzero which not only is a substantial sacrifice given the unreliability of restaurant business right now, but it’s one that’s guarantee to taste damn good. Check out their weekend menu here https://www.instagram.com/achillesheelbk/ and don’t forget to throw in a few bottled cocktails. 

Show your Pride Saturday with The Carry Nation

The Carry Nation will be returning for their Good Room residency in your living room! They’ll be hosting a saucy little competition as they face-off against Fatherhood in a DJ-dance party that will have you lip-synching and moving and grooving for 9 hours this Saturday. And if you think you don’t have it in you, you do- you’re in quarantine. You have the energy. And plus, all proceeds from the event will raise money for G.L.I.T.S., an organization that provides housing for the black-trans community. So #revelwithacause and show your pride and power this Saturday night. Info here.

Protest and Party with House of Yes

Stop by House of Yes this weekend to make signs for rallies & protests! They’ll provide materials, just wear a mask and practice social distancing. They’ll also have some legendary HOY decor for sale, and all the proceeds from the sale will be donated to Loveland Foundation’s Therapy For Black Girls initiative. Then march along with them to feel the pride and power of this movement. Keep the party going Saturday night with @soulsummitmusic spinning via the virtual club.

Score Some Vintage Finds for a Cause

Dusty Rose Vintage is allowing one customer at a time to browse through their bins of pure magic, this neighborhood mainstay of vintage discoveries will be donating 20% of sales will go to @eij_org, an organization working to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment and racial inequality. ⁣⁣So go find some threads that will make you stand a little taller as you march this weekend. ⁣

Picnic in multiple parks, for a cause.

You know you’ll be picnicking in the park this weekend, and if you’re not getting ham (and other fine charcuterie and cheeses) first at &Sons and heading to Prospect Park, then sign up to have a Hampton Water picnic. This fancy little rose has teamed up with Versa NYC to be delivering you the picnic of your dreams (or at least one that will impress your friends) and donating a portion of their proceeds to The Bail Project and No Child Left Hungry. Choose your picnic and your park and #revelwithacause this weekend

Take a Look at your Life

Having trouble finding your role in all of this? Use this AMAZING resource to understand how to best use your talents and energy for change.

Seek out the resources we can use to support black-owned businesses.

Source books from your local bookshop or library that will help us understand racism.

Follow these activists and groups that we can follow to help change our influences and thus our conversations- @mspackyetti @nowhitesaviors @soulsummitmusic @yourrightscamp @btfacollective @changethenypd

Examine the small and big changes can we make in our lives, in our social circles, and in our everyday interactions.

Let’s listen to some of our favorite local partners on how they are speaking up and reacting to help us understand how to help. Our friends at House of Yes, The Infatuation, Nowadays, and Archestratus. Make sure that the resources we rely on are doing more to help us all move forward.

I promise to use my voice to help promote and elevate black-owned businesses and voices, and not to let this conversation end until there is change; actual change. I pledge to be a resource to help promote and protect this movement. Here is a reflective piece I wrote about our understandings of cities during times of distress and necessary unrest in an effort to capture this confusion and compassion, in so many words. And here is a list of my favorite black-owned Brooklyn businesses that (I hope) will help you show support. 

Brooklyn, let’s all try harder, together.

It’s time we see our neighborhoods through different eyes. Just as much as we feel a certain smugness to bypass the Starbucks and use our dollars to support independent coffee chains, or when we decide to take the time to search for a product at local shops instead of letting Jeff Bezos gain from our need for near-instant gratification, now is the time to prioritize supporting black-owned businesses in your neighborhood and throughout the borough. 

According to @15percentpledge, 21% of black-owned businesses have predicted that they will not be able to survive the pandemic, when just 5% of white-owned businesses don’t think they’ll be able to stay afloat. Beyond the disproportionate way that this virus is ravaging the African-American community, their businesses need our support more than ever. Check my ongoing list of black-owned businesses below. Take a bike ride to another neighborhood. Explore the amazing entrepreneurs and their ideas that became brick-and-mortar spaces that make this city what it is. And make sure it will stay that way when the pandemic ends and we vote for leaders and legislation that will change the inequalities in our city and society.

For more amazing resources, check out the stories and profiles on Black-Owned Brooklyn and this super extensive list from Brooklyn Mavens.

Williamsburg + Greenpoint

Brother Vellie’s – Shoes and accessories, handcrafted in Brooklyn. @brothervellies

Celsious – modern, eco-conscious Laundromat – eco-friendly and hip laundromat (in other words, this is the place you’ll likely finally have that laundromat city romance start) celsious.com

Williamsburg Music Center – amazing jazz club that feels like old New York again. wmcjazz.com

Stuart Cinema – charming little cinema and cafe, on West! @stuartcinema

Action Burger – @action_burger

Taste of Heaven – BBQ, maybe from heaven.

Branch Patty – at Artists and Fleas, but for now, delivery! @branchpattyny 

Bushwick

Bushwick Grind – the best way to beat the grind. @bushwickgrind

Papa Rozier Farms – all-natural beauty products, from Haiti to Brooklyn @paparozier

Brooklyn Blooms – floral shop, with delivery to brighten your quarantine space. @brooklynbloomsnyc

Sally Roots –  @sallyroots

Bunna Cafe – The best damn Eithiopian I’ve found in this city, @bunnacafe

28 Scott Vintage – @28scottvintage in Bushwick  – include quote/photo from owner     

Bunton’s World Famous – where to see and be seen yet feel right at home. @buntonsworldfamous

Ethel’s Club – a private club and network for people of color. @ethelsclub

Crown Heights

The Bergen – Seafood, burgers, wings – plus the owner survived COVID-19 thebergenbk.com

Ras Plant Based – organic vegan Ethiopian Eatery @rasplantbased

Black Nile Seafood & Soul Food – @blacknilerestaurant

Nurish Cafe– vegetarian and vegan-friendly food inspired by West African cuisine nurishbk.com

Ital Kitchen – all-natural Caribbean classic fare @italkitchenbk

Bleu Fin Bar & Grill – @bleufinbargrill

Brooklyn Suya – brooklynsuya.com

Cafe Rue Dix – French-Senagalese cuisine @caferuedix

The Crabby Shack – where getting crabs is fun again! thecrabbyshack.com

Prospect Heights

BCakeNY – detailed custom cakes! @BCakeNY

Cheryl’s Global Soul – @cherylsglobalsoul

333 Lounge – @333.lounge

Cheryl’s Global Soul – Comfort food from around the world. @cherylsglobalsoul

Natural Blend – @naturalblend

Ode to Babel – Amazing cocktails, delivered @odetobabel

Fort Greene

DanceAfrica, part of BAM Brooklyn since 1977 #BAMDanceAfrica

Bati Ethiopian Kitchen – batikitchen.com

Imani Caribbean Kitchen– go for the family meal, for 4, then find 3 friends… or, don’t. @imani_bk

Peaches Hot House – Their second location, still easily the best southern food I’ve had this far north. @peacheshothouse

Bed-Stuy

Cafe on Ralph – @cafeonralphave tropical vibes from st. Lucia, feels like a vacation

Happy Cork Wine & Spirits – @happycorkbrooklyn

Make Manifest Community Space – Retail, Co-Working, Co-Creating, Creative Hub – @makemanifestbk

Spiked Spin– Hip-hop cycling puts Soul Cycle to shame. @spikedspin

Peaches Hot House – easily the best southern food I’ve had this far north. @peacheshothouse

Cake Boi –  @cakeboishop

Bed Vyne Wines and Cocktails –  Bottle Shop and Cocktail Bar @bedvyne

Brooklyn Blooms – fresh flowers tdelivered to brighten up your quarantine space. @brooklynbloomsnyc

Park Slope

Bk9 Restaurant – Food from Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti @bk9restaurant

Bleachers Sports Bar – until we have sports again, let’s at least have burgers, beers, and wings @240bleachers

Negril Brooklyn– curry goat and rum punch are actually a match made in heaven @negrilbk

Sugarcane – sugarcanerestaurant.com

Prospect Lefferts Gardens

Palooza Kitchen – Caribbean food and stews – “With each bite, you will experience a kind of sinking in, as if you were the one yielding to the dish.” paloozakitchen.com

De Hot Pot – Trinidad spot! theinfatuation.com/new-york/reviews/de-hot-pot

Mangoseed– Caribbean and wood-fired pizzas @mangoseedbklyn

& Sons – IT’S A HAM BAR and my new favorite spot in the borough. Get some charcuterie and cheese and wine and head to the park. https://andsonsnyc.com/

Daleview Biscuits & Beer – plus fried chicken and waffles biscuitsandbeer.nyc

East Flatbush 

Footprints Cafe – Afootprintscafe

Suede – Rum punch and Caribbean food @suedenyc

And outside of Brooklyn…

For inspiration outside the borough, seek out @cardsbyde to make some beautiful sense out of all of this.

As I’ve been trying to pivot to provide you with some sense of normalcy to bring us all together as we are forced to be apart, there is no sense of normalcy anymore. There is the need to feel this, to act, to show support, to come together to form a new reality and to force this country to change the social fabric that we have been accepting for way too long.

Decide what you feel led to do. Find the best way to memorialize, to speak out and to show your city and country that this is unacceptable. But make sure you do something and feel something. This might be the most historic time we live through- so let’s actively live in it.

Here are the ways you should get involved this weekend and for the foreseeable future, until we create a future we want to live in.

Check your neighborhood for protests.

First, make sure you’re prepared.

With this 8pm curfew, cops are aggressively arresting peaceful protestors who are “violating curfew” forcing hundreds to spend the night in cramped jail cells nightly, confiscating their phones and belongings (forcing many to have their bikes inevitably stolen) and completely dismissing the threat of COVID-19. Know your rights and be prepared by reading this first. And then, let your voice be heard.

Neighborhood Protest Resources

Bushwick – @assemblywomandavila. At Maria Hernandez Park

Greenpoint – @greenpointers for info on vigil’s at McCarren Park and where to head from there.

Williamsburg – @yeswilliamsburg nightly marches leaving from McCarren.

Jamaica, Queens – at Council Member Adrienne Adam’s Office

For everything else, follow @justiceforgeorgenyc

Or use this full map of Protests for George Floyd, worldwide.

Do some research and then donate to help support the cause that speaks to you.

Support and Donate to SATC Campaign for NAACP Foundation

Black Lives Matter Prints by local artist Eva Woolridge, all proceeds go to Bail Out Funds

Make Calls for George – 612.324.4499

Donate to Breonna Taylor‘s family’s GoFundMe here.

And sign Breonna’s petition here.

Support the 15 Percent Pledge – @15percentpledge to help black-owned businesses survive

Look through this very thorough list of Racial Justice Organizations and Resources

Sign Petitions here.

Make the Call – Follow these to make calls for change.

Donate to the cause that speaks to you – blacklivesmatters/donate

Black Women’s Blueprint – Support equality and opportunity for every black woman – @blackwomensblueprint

And see so many more resources HERE and HERE.

Take a Look at your Life

What are the resources we can use to support black-owned businesses?

What are the books we can read to help us understand racism?  

Who are the activists and groups that we can follow to help change our influences and thus our conversations? Follow @mspackyetti @nowhitesaviors @soulsummitmusic @yourrightscamp @btfacollective @changethenypd

What small and big changes can we make in our lives, in our social circles, and in our everyday interactions?

Let’s listen to some of our favorite local partners on how they are speaking up and reacting to help us understand how to help. Our friends at House of Yes, The Infatuation, Nowadays, and Archestratus. Make sure that the resources we rely on are doing more to help us all move forward.

I promise to use my voice to help promote and elevate black-owned businesses and voices, and not to let this conversation end until there is change; actual change. I pledge to be a resource to help promote and protect this movement. Here is a reflective piece I wrote about our understandings of cities during times of distress and necessary unrest in an effort to capture this confusion and compassion, in so many words. And here is a list of my favorite black-owned Brooklyn businesses that (I hope) will help you show support. 

Brooklyn, let’s all try harder, together.

Brooklyn, I can’t wait to be dancing and sweating underneath a disco ball with you sometime in the near future.

But until then, here are some things we can do to stop feeling quite so alone, together.

Party From Home

I mean this is kind of the best kind of weekend partying… You can commit to a number of plans, and then do them all a little bit while not wearing pants, and then just fall right into bed without having to decide whether or not you deserve to take an Uber home. And best of all, most of these parties are actually benefitting some group or business, so #revelwithacause all weekend. Get to it.

Or, From a Car! Because There’s a drive-in movie theater in GREENPOINT.

That’s right folks. Before they cover our waterfront with luxury apartment skyscrapers, they’re giving a little slice of that precious land to us. The clever people with Skyline Drive NYC want you to watch films with that iconic skyline in the background, but what they don’t tell you on their website is that you’ll be sitting and watching in the best goddamn neighborhood in the city. So come early, get a cocktail from Citroen, and then post up.

Mister Sunday Wants to Come Over

Starting this Sunday, Mister Sunday will be broadcasted from Nowadays Yeah, I know… it doesn’t feel like summer if we can’t dance and drink and sweat with all of our friends right up against us. And, you know… this whole beach thing. But Nowadays is going to help us feel it as much as possible starting this weekend. They’ll be broadcasting Mister Sunday weekly, so tune in Sunday and make your Memorial Day Weekend feel a little more real.

A Bar Near Me, a fundraiser for your favorite neighborhood spots.

Nothing feels worse than your favorite little local spot closing down (this was pre-COVID, fyi…) but nothing feels better than seeing how they are evolving to support other local businesses who are suffering immensely during this pandemic. Support them supporting us and supporting our fair city through this, through @abarnearme . They’ll be hosting virtual events to make sure there will be doors to open up once we “open back up” Follow along here, and keep an eye out for their next burger pop-up… they sell out fast.

Ron Like Hell with the Good Room and Wrecked NYC

All this restriction makes me want to run like hell… but make staying put more fun this Friday with Ron Like Hell. They’ll be streaming live to help support the good people at the Good Room, so zoom on in and #revelwithacause right here. And buy some amazing tunes and swag too, here. Because showing your support looks good on you, baby. 

Zoom Burlesque with the Love Room NYC

Your living room never looked sexier. Well, I mean, except for that one time… you know what time. Let’s bring it all back and invite The Love Room into your living room and get a little nasty but feel good about being bad. They’re dancing in support of their absolutely lovely project, so let them in. Let’s dance better and feel better. Info here. #spreadloveitsthebrooklynway

Adult Dino Trivia with Atlas Obscura

Because being a nerd for dinosaurs might not have been cool when you were growing up, but now it’s (kind of) cool, thanks to the good people at Atlas Obscura. They’ll be hosting a Dino trivia drinking game zoom so put on those weird footie pjs you still have and pour yourself some Dino punch and impress some people, you little triceratops you. Info here. 

Get Cultured

There is more available at our fingertips right now than ever before, and I don’t mean whatever stockpile of filtered images influencers have scheduled to roll out to you this month. Check out my favorites below and learn something while you’re “stuck inside”.

Get Backstage (in your apartment) with a Magician

Trust me when I say this- there will come a time when you will want to impress your friends again. And a damn good way to impress them every time is with a good magic trick. Go backstage with a magician this weekend with this amazing virtual magic lesson from Atlas Obscura. There might not be anything up your sleeves right now but some residual hand sanitizer, but make sure there’s more there when this is all over. Sign up for a time slot here. 

To Be, or Not to Be, NYC?

If there’s no Shakespeare in the Park does summer even happen in New York? This Is unfortunately a painful question we must all face. But let’s do it all together with the amazing theater the Public Theater is still providing. This Monday they’ll be hosting a virtual performance with a dance party afterward to make us all feel like we’re packed into that replica of the Globe theater, sweating together and fanning ourselves with our programs while we drink plastic cups of rose (man I miss that). Check it out here.

Get Bent, Creatively

You know you’ve been Marie Kondo-ing the hell out of your apartment, and as such likely have a few wire hangers to spare. Make something useful out of them with this amazing video from artist Gego, who was part of the MoMA’ s exhibit Sur Moderno. Why? Because even a completed puzzle won’t look this cool.

At-Home Chef

Put some Koji-Infused Cuisine on the table tonight

Because let’s be honest… you have cooked everything else. Everything. Else. What is Koji? It’s a refined rapid fermentation process used in Japanese cooking which has been perfected by Chefs Jeremy Umansky and Rich Shih using a koji microbe… this microbe has the power to transform pantry staples into umami marvels, and will solve the problem you’ve been having when you try a very ambitious recipe. Tune in Sunday at 8pm, and sign in here first (the second tier level gets you a copy of their book too!) and then brag to your friends that you’re doing cooler fermentation things than they are. 

Build a Box with Rooftop Reds

Your favorite rooftop winery is now the greatest little market in the Navy Yard (that’s right Wegman’s, I said it) Rooftop Wines has evolved to become a one-stop shop for so many local favorites and farmy finds. Each week they add even more options to choose from (craft cheeses! syrups! oh my!) so choose your box wisely and feel good about supporting this and so many businesses. Then make something fantastic out of it.

Martha Stewart wants to Wine and Dine You

SHE STILL WENT TO PRISON. Which makes me respect her wine picks way, way more. Because what do you think she was thinking about while she was in there? Probably all of the good wines she wanted to get white-girl wasted off of. So choose a fancy little recipe from NY Times Cooking and order some of this former-convict selected wines and have yourself an evening.

Get a Move On

Because “shelter in place” doesn’t mean being completely stagnant. You can responsibly keep yourself moving in some very creative ways.

Let’s have some Good Times, Brooklyn

Daily yoga from your favorite little Williamsburg studio that will help you shape up and be a little less rigid during this time of boundaries and rules and limitations. Proceeds go to support their amazing staff, so feel good while you have a good time. Schedule here. 

Yoga + Meditation with New Love City

Get your mind off of things and your body into things this weekend with meditation and yoga. Because we’re never going to get through this without going nuts and gaining the COVID 19 if we don’t try, with intention. Follow along here for the schedule and let’s make ourselves better.

Pilatesbklyn Wants to Help you Shape Up

Let’s all lengthen and strengthen our quarantine bodies so that we can all look good while looking longingly at the beach this summer. Pilates Brooklyn is offering free sessions this weekend to make you look and feel better. Choose a class and tune in via the link in their Instagram here. 

Support Your Neighborhood Spots

Let’s face it- the city will not be the same when we get out of this mess. And in order to help preserve it and make sure we all survive, support @neighborhoodspot in their mission to support small businesses who are shut down at the moment, and look damn good doing it. Buy their merchandise here and feel good repping your ‘hood, in your ‘hood. And then don’t feel like a dork if you wear said schwag to that same restaurant when they reopen- concert tee rules do not apply during a pandemic.

Beer and Pizza with Barano + Domino Park

Make those socially-distanced circles into a very intimate party this weekend with Barano’s new midday beer + pizza deal. Every day, 2-5pm, you can get a hot gonna slice and any beer on tap for $9. Then grab your quarantine buddy and claim your circle at the park and make everyone noticeably jealous of your late lunch decision. Keep up with all of their amazing specials right here

Come have Brunch with Me!

Say whaaat? Yeah, you know I hate brunch. But what I do like is that during this time of social distancing, I get to spend a few hours in a charming little window on Manhattan Avenue and make people happy. And I’ll be doing just that this Saturday. Come, get a Bloody Mary. Get an Aperol Spritz. Get a damn delicious burger, or some carbonara. Get whatever the hell you want, just come keep me company! I’ll make you happy!

Show Your Support

One of the most important ways we can spend our time and hard-earned government paychecks is by funneling that money back into our communities and supporting local businesses. Don’t let them shudder once we all decide to “open back up”.

Buy a Mask, Feed someone in Need

I hate it that people cannot see me smile. But until they can, let our mouths say something about us- like, “I really care about this local business and I want them to survive all of this,” and also, “My mouth just fed some other mouths!” Relix Marketplace is making these amazing masks to help local businesses and food banks. Browse the collection here and keep smiling under there.

Buy Art that Feeds People

Make your home renovations mean something by adding some fresh art to those walls, art that says “I love my community” and “I also give a damn.” Local artist @stevewasterval is selling prints of (mostly) Greenpoint scenes and with the sale of each print, one meal is donated to the North Brooklyn Angels. Order through his instagram and let’s make North Brooklyn (and our walls) a better place.

Help Seniors through Umbrella

We all too often ignore the most valuable members of our society, the seniors that contain within them so much history and wisdom that may go unseen and unheard. And now they’re suffering at disproportionate numbers. Show them that you care by volunteering to help a senior through Umbrella. Even simple tasks can be impossible to execute when you’re trapped in a high-risk nursing home, or simply unable to get out because of fear. Sign up here and show them you haven’t forgotten.

Feed Your Community

Because you’re never going to eat those Vienna sausages. You aren’t. And you’ll be embarrassed if anyone sees them in your cabinet and therefore assumes this is a snack you consume often. Donate your unwanted food and new food you buy at the supermarket just for this cause and that money that you’re still getting either from your employer or Donald J Trump himself (i.e. your own tax money) to local food banks. They desperately need help. Learn more here.