Brooklyn, I'm Trying

Summoning the Christmas Spirit

Liz Norment — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 18:59:07 +0000

Getting into the holiday spirit for me is intentional. I feel like it’s important to actively seek environments, feelings, smells, sights, sounds to ignite that light in your heart. Circling around the ice skating in Bryant Park, creating your own self guided tour of the beautiful storefronts on Fifth Avenue, weeding through the tourists to be underneath and nearly consumed by the tree, boiling cinnamon sticks and orange peels and singing classics Christmas songs at the top of your lungs, making too many Christmas cookies. And listening to this special Christmas episode of This American Life. I always listen to it on my train ride down to Richmond and it never fails to make me laugh, cry, and clutch my heart I’m thankful appreciation to feel it beating, which is just what you need to get you into the spirit. A little something to warm your ears and your heart just in time for the holidays. Listen all the way through; the last story is my favorite.

The Holiday Market Guide 2017

Liz Norment — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 18:47:30 +0000

It can be hard getting into the Christmas spirit while you’re living in Brooklyn. We don’t really have space for a tree, and given the lack of control of the heat inside our apartments, it is probably ill-advised. Carolers don’t come to our walk-ups. The closest we get to mistletoe are roaming plastic bags stuck in barren trees and they don’t exactly evoke a desire for a passionate interaction beneath. Our stockings are usually not hung from the chimney with care but instead strewn about the floor of our rooms, along with everything else from last night, and the night before, and the night before that.

So how will we get into the Christmas spirit? By touring around to all of the amazing, festive holiday markets in this city, all bundled up and perusing unique treasures while sipping mulled wine and painlessly crossing off everyone on our list.

See below for my guide to all the best holiday markets in the city and get out there and be fucking merry. Tis the season.

Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Brooklyn

All the care and thought of a DIY gift but D’d by another Y. Because you might have thought you had time to learn to macrame this season, but you don’t. (you don’t.) Over 50 mega crafty little elves will be peddling their unique goods. It’s from the people that brought you Etsy, so you know it will be damn good. One weekend only, so get there.

What not to miss

Approachable, ethereal paintings from ResetReality, the beautiful and rebellious jewelry of Topolski, oriental ornamental wears from Haru NY.

How not to miss it

One weekend only, Dec. 16-17th at Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St.
handmadecavalcade.com

Union Square Holiday Market

Admittedly this is my favorite market in the city. I used to have an office job and the only good thing about it was I my desk was right by a window that overlooked union square. I loved seeing the market come together, a circular maze of booths and vendors and holiday magic. Get lost here for a while. Get churros and chocolate. Get gifts. Feel good. Get into the spirit.

What not to miss

Astrid Schumacher for the ethereal soul-shaker on your list, Line Posters for the urban nomad in your life, and Arancini Bros for you, just for you. Share with no one.

How not to miss it

M-F 11-9pm

Sat 10-9pm

Sun 11am-8pm

more info here.

Grand Central Holiday Fair

I like doing really touristy stuff around the holidays in New York, and a visit to Gran Central to see the miniature train scene is always on the list. Go check it out and see the stunning Christmas tree and shop over 40 booths of goods, foods, and gifts. Plus grab a few oysters at Grand Central Oyster Bar and do that cool whisper trick in that secret corner (message me for details).

What not to miss

The Blue Hound for rugged and refined jewelry for men and women, Spratters and Jayne for your best and coziest defenses against winter, and Woodstock Mobiles to enhance your hanging menagerie.

How not to miss it

89 E 42nd St.

M–F 10AM–8PM

Sat 10AM–7PM

Sun 11AM–6PM

more info here

Brooklyn Winter Flea + Holiday Market in Industry City

It’s your favorite flea market + food festival under one huge industrial roof in industry city. Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg combine for the Winter Flea with over 75 vendors plus 25 smorg faves and so many vintage finds to dig through, plan on spending a few hours here. Plus they have a few bars serving holiday cocktails, beer, and mulled wine, so all of that deliberating over the perfect gift will melt away. Plus, make a reservation to take a tour and taking at ICD Distillery and smooth out your holiday shopping stresses.

What not to miss

oikobo jewelry, quick brown fox letterpress, the always funky dan’s parents’ house, NYC postcards + maps for funky gift tags, oh and all of the food vendors.

How not to miss it

241 37th St.

Now through Christmas Eve, sat +sun, 10am-6pm.

more info here

Winter Village at Bryant Park.

Bryant park transforms into a magical winter village over the holidays, with charming crystal-like glass booths, a pretty fucking competitively-sized Christmas tree and a skating rink that is (but perhaps shouldn’t be) opened to everyone, for free, plus the price of skate rental if needed. If you can’t get into the spirit here then you’re name is scrooge and your heart is small. Real small. Plan to spend a few hours here, perusing and consuming and gliding about merrily. You’ll be in good company and I guarantee good spirits too.

What not to miss

Season standouts: Soap and Paper Factory for refreshingly affordable sundries, Avigail Adam for delicate ature-inspired jewelry and beadwork with a story to tell and pass on, and MrMarker Golf Gifts for likely one or two or all of the men in your life. And obviously the ice-skating rink and christmas joy just dripping from the trees, which is just for you darling.

How not to miss it

41 W 40th St.b/w Fifth and Sixth ave.

through jan. 2

m-f 11am-8pm

sat-sun, 10am-8pm

more info here

Renegade Craft Fair, Industry City

This is the last weekend which means that all of you renegades who still haven’t started your shopping have a chance. Come browse over 100 handmade and gifts and talk to the makers behind the crafts and understand how much love went in to each piece. Then tell the story on Christmas morning and fucking win the holidays this year.

What not to miss

Le Petit Elefant for the most charming paintings, Brooklyn Beach Rocks for handmade ceramic jewelry inspired by just what it sounds like, Sylvah Park for anotha leatha thing, and Mahisi for bags with a story.

How not to miss it

274 36th st

Dec. 16-17th 11am-6pm

more info here

Times Square Holiday Market

Dude you know what, I’m ok with this. I think it’s time we all forgive Times Square and come back to it. Revisit it, with new eyes and a clear heart. And what better time than the holidays? None. Yeah, that wasn’t rhetorical. They’ve transformed all of that aggressive neon and holagen flashing light into a kitschy winter wonderland that not even tourists would trust but I’m serious, that’s what makes it cool. Just go.

What not to miss

That creepy, greasy elmo guy who isn’t in a booth but he is requesting money for his services. Somehow. A life-Sized Gingerbread Scene created by the Culinary Students of America, which of course begs the question, what size exactly is “life” in a gingerbread world? The Naked Dancing Cowboy (maybe.), handmade jewelry, Waffles and Dinges.

How not to miss it

Open daily through December 22nd from 11am-9pm. It’s in Times Square. If you don’t know where that is, just arrive in New York and look for the light.

Happy gifting, Brooklyn.

<3L.

10-13 december 2015

Liz Norment — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 00:36:43 +0000

things i’m doing this weekend… other than ruining every child’s image of santa by throwing up and being distinctly un-jolly on everyone’s favorit city-wide bar crawl…

THURSDAY
Holiday Warm-Up with the NBBC, Greenpoint
if you haven’t been to one of their parties, or worse, on one of their free kayak tours, you are missing out on more than potentially ingesting contaminants of the newtown creek seriously though, the north brooklyn boat club has managed to bring so much of what i miss about virginia to a hidden corner of north greenpoint- down to earth people, kayak/canoe tours, seasonal outdoor parties with live music, outhouses that consist of a pile of sawdust and… a scoop. mmmm. home! anyway, let’s combat this oncoming cold weather and look forward to all becoming (or renewing) our memberships with the NBBC- $36 gives you free access to their canoes, kayaks, paddles, and hearts. for an entire year. head down to dirck the norseman to find out more, over beers! 7-11pm, 7 n. 15th st.

FRIDAY
Live Jazz and Gypsy Dinner, Le Fanfare in Greenpoint
i can’t say enough about this place. amazing food, live jazz every friday, saturday, and sunday night. a burrata that will make you want to trade in all of your gold and become a traveling gypsy and a seared octopus that feels like a hug from 4 people at once. go, saturday night, and be charmed by the musical stylings of the honey bees. of whom i am a huge le fan. 8.30-11pm, 1103 manhattan ave.

photo courtesy of lefanfare.com

YEAH! at Grand Victory, williamsburg.
if you believe in lcd soundsystem and anyone they were inspired by and have inspired entering your ears and consequently moving your feet, go to this indie dance party at grand victory to hear dj’s sponsored by You Don’t Have To Settle spinning tunes by bands like future islands, tame impala, hot chip, RAC, phoenix, tanlines, LCD, and basically anything else in your coolest friend’s vinyl collection. free, 11pm, 245 grand st. let’s boogie.

SATURDAY
French Morning Market, cobble hill.
but i’m le tired- well, now you’re le not once you check out this magnifique french holiday market- for the francophile on your list or to help satiate that constant desire to be back in france. (smothering brie on your face is totally acceptable- i miss it too man.) Church of St. Paul, 234 Congress st. saturdays, 10am-2pm, and sundays 11am-6pm. foi gras. will be there. (destroy someone else’s liver, for once.)

unseasonably warm weather calls for biking and drinking, in tandem. or on a tandem bike. you decide- here are two fantastic options:

Whiskey Bike Ride with the Brooklyn Bike Crew. errrywhere.
nothinge gets me up at 10am on a saturday like a long bike ride with the promise of a whiskey bar at the end. never mind, literally, nothing gets me up at that time on a satuday. sleep in OR join me in the below- sounds risky. starts at bedford ave and the eastern parkway, 10am-2pm. let’s ride baby.

Long Island Bike + Winery Tour, the north fork.
this will be the last balmy weekend, i know. blows. but let’s make the best of it, eh? venture out on a bike tour of some north fork wineries to pick up last-minute local holiday gifts and educate yourself on all that (geographically speaking) “our” island has to offer, that go beyond the four-sided tents of smorgasborg. for two easy route suggestions, check out the north forker’s suggested trails. then, you know- get on the LIRR right back here.

Chili Cook Off, greenpoint.
or, let’s just pretend it’s freezing outside and we desperately need a thick coat of chili and beer on our insides to stay alive. spice things up at the chili cook off at Brouwerij Lane, 78 greenpoint ave, 2-5pm. things are heating up. then cooling down immediately. and we’re all screwed.

Five Years of Fire, sunset park
Pitch Black Collective’s anniversary party at industry city distillery- the last time i was at industry city (not even a year ago) there were a few cats roaming around and hardly enough room to walk, let alone safely “sip” vodka in an extremely hungover state. they’ve cleaned up and started using their amazing waterfront warehouse space for shows, parties, tours, and more vodka tasting. go to this party- live music, art, views, and plenty of vodka. 33 35th st, 6th floor, 8pm to 1am. black out. (if you want.)

SUNDAY– holiday markets, how bazaar!
Dreamers + Doers Market at Space98, in williamsburg
head over to space 98, the facade that ate an urban outfitters, to chill on the rooftop with dusty rose vintage and all your closest artisan friends. plus holiday drinks and eats from the nouveau jewish restaurant formerly known as the gorbals, Esh! (eh!) 98 n. 6th st, noon-5pm. get dem gifts yo.

Hand Makers Holiday Market, greenpoint.
for gifts that tell a story of goodwill without being that obnoxious person cards spouting your own humble gift to a charity in their honor- check out the hand makers holiday market, 1-9pm, 107 green st. get your hands… clean. clean them.

Fort Greene Holiday Market, it’s in fort greene.
leave it to brooklyn’s most charming neighborhood to host a family-friendly, artistic, and inspiring holiday market- a beautifully curated assortment of gifts, crafts, food, and fun! and a photo studio. 11am to 5pm, Arts and Letter Building, Clermont Ave b/w Willoughby and Dekalb. give some greene.

Stuyvesant Indi Bazaar, bed stay
promises to represent one of brooklyn’s most colorful neighborhoods, for all of those hard-to-buy-for people on your list. like, your cat. sunday, 375 stuyvesant ave. bizarre.

Rock ’n Shop Holiday Market, bushwick.
because everything is better in a bushwick warehouse, this holiday market has free pancakes and comedy- no joke. plus vendors, music, art and $3 drafts from 11am-2pm. market every sat and sun- 10am-7pm. totally rocks.

where to eat this weekend
cadaques, williamsburg.
tapas began as a way to prevent spaniards from getting a little too wine drunk- inventive little food bites were placed on top of slices of baguette, which was then balanced on top of every drink you ordered- the king hoped that patrons would be tempted to eat what was on “top” of the drink, thus making better decisions and preventing siestas… well, something good came out of it. all the authentic tapas at this cozy spanish outpost in williamsburg. go here this weekend and have the royal treatment of small foods + beverages. (but NO naps. got it?) 188 grand st.

where to drink this weekend
the shanty, williamsburg.
what is it about cold weather and the holiday season that makes you want to warm up with a spicy drink and share stories and memories with friends or complete strangers or captive bartenders among salvaged wood and an open fire? that used to be a fire station? and has a full working distillery in the back? THE SHANTY PROVIDES ALL OF THOSE THINGS. and damn good music, all the time. go. take a tour of the distillery. be utterly impressed that the dorothy parker gin is so exquisitely drinkable. sing a sea shanty about a shanty town on the shore. the possibilities are endless, but seem tangible enough to feel cozy. see you there, landlubbers. 79 richardson st.