A Day in Park Slope
Gorilla Coffee
Battling Park Slope’s busy streets is a challenge this early in the morning. The best cure to the morning blues is the Gorilla Coffee on Bergen Street. Yes, there’s a line. Yes, the coffee is pricey. But the small-batch joe is so tasty — and the beans are roasted locally. Frankly, you could go to Starbucks, if you’re of that conviction, but the coffee quality at Gorilla is quite a few notches above the rest. Don’t hesitate. Just go and wake up.
Park Slope Food Coop
All the gourmet grub has awoken your culinary aspirations. And that inner stirring can only lead you to Park Slope’s mainstay: Park Slope Food Coop, the nabe’s ultimate organic food club. Today, you follow the lead of many before you (the Coop was founded in 1973!), and you fill out your application to join the foodie cooperative. Definitely worth your time, you’ll get a chance to delight in more than 15,000 fresh, local and carefully chosen products. As a member, you will work once every four weeks in exchange for a 20-40 percent discount on fresh produce that is imported from farms that stretch as far as 500 miles away. It may seem odd at first, but as time goes by, you’ll learn to wear your coop-issue reflective work vest around the neighborhood – as a badge of honor.
Skate Brooklyn
Staying active in Park Slope is as easy as it gets in Brooklyn. There’s a more than a pretty decent park just a half mile away (hint: it’s the neighborhood staple – Prospect Park!). Next, the neighborhood is dotted with CitiBike locations. And last but not least, there’s Skate Brooklyn, easily the coolest indoor skateboarding complex in New York City. So you purchase a brand new board in their customized shop, and instantly you take a test spin in a number of their half pipes. Surely not a bad way to blow off some steam.
Old Stone House
If it’s culture you seek in Park Slope – you don’t need to look far. The neighborhood is filled with historical landmarks and is littered with celebrities. So, again, don’t be surprised if you run into Laurence Fishburne or Steve Buscemi pushing strollers on the sidewalks. But there’s one landmark that puts the nabe in its rightful historic perspective. The Old Stone House reveals Park Slope’s role in the Revolutionary War. The building, which is only open for tours on the weekends, has been meticulously reproduced, since the original was leveled in demolition after the war. The stone home is still marvel, as it chronicles the Battle of Brooklyn with a number of original artifacts. For a moment, being at the Old Stone House will make you forget you’re in Brooklyn.
Colson Patisserie
Though Gorilla’s pastries are good, the ones at Colson Patisserie are unbeatable. If I were you, I’d forgo a Gorilla blueberry muffin and make my way over to the quaint Belgium bakery on 6th Avenue and 10th Street. For starters, all baked treats are prepared on premises. Secondly, this is real-deal Belgium as Colson was originally established in Mons, Belgium. Thirdly, how can you resist a selection of financiers — chocolate and pistachio? The bakery also offers ham and cheese croissants and cheddar-chive biscuits to utterly delight your savory taste buds.
Ideal Properties Group
Weeks after moving into your newest pad, you still like to keep in touch with the people who got you into your dream apartment: the agents at Ideal Properties Group on 7th Avenue and Berkeley Place (Since I’m already doing all this neighborhood exploratory work on your behalf, why not spend a second to indulge my need for tireless self-promotion?). You may not have the intentions of moving so quickly, but you are always curious to see the newest listings. Sign of a true New Yorker! Oh, sorry, already making the grand plans to purchase you first home? You can’t go wrong with anyone here, just pop in for a cup of coffee. Sure! Why not? Bring your dog, too.
Purbird
The lunch choices are endless in Park Slope. Turkish eatery Seed or Banhmigos, a Vietnamese hot spot come to mind. But then your thoughts start drifting the way of the chicken. You start thinking Purbird, the go-to chicken place. You can’t go wrong with jalapeño mac and cheese, or the plethora of chicken-themed dishes. As the name suggests it, they keep it simple at Purbird. Go for the chicken thigh wrap (finished with sautéed cabbage, pickled onions and Purbird special sauce). Your wallet will rejoice at the idea that there’s nothing here that costs more than $10 — except that is if you’re ravenous enough to order a whole chicken.
Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company
The quick blast from the past has you now craving a little something from the future. So, naturally, you make your way to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company. Prepare yourself for quite possibly the coolest experience you will ever have in Brooklyn. Forget your ordinary comics store. This fantasy shop is way past original! They sell items that have the capacity to turn you into a super hero, after all. The shop carries items such as anti-gravity solution, plus, naturally, customized super hero costumes.
A Night in Park Slope
Barbès
The sun has set on your day, reminding you it’s time to play. Care to get transported back in time? Across the Atlantic Ocean? To the Caribbean. The authentic fun abounds at Barbès. Owned and ran by long-time Brooklynites who also happen to be French musicians, the northern French-style music hall brings in the best international and local jazz and soul bands with a distinct flavor. Today you get a chance to see the Romanian brass bands.
Claustrophobia Escape Room Brooklyn
You can’t just let your food sit and digest. In Park Slope, you need to keep active, physically and mentally. In that vein, you decide to drag your besties from Manhattan to experience Claustrophobia Escape Room Brooklyn, New York City’s best (and only) escape game place. The city’s newest game trend (move over, laser tag!) encourages teamwork for you to escape the room. Claustrophobia has a list of themes such as House of Ghosts, Vault 13 (nuclear apocalyptic theme) and The Dungeon.
Union Hall
There’s a theme of sorts shaping up for you day: be interactive, play games, be bold. And Union Hall brings all those things together well. The sports bar has become a favorite for Park Slope residents, and outer borough folk (that’s right, Manhattan!) as well. There’s occasionally live music and a DJ. But the star here is the diverse decor. There’s a bocce court in the basement. The main level has cozy fireplaces that complement the floor-to-ceiling library. The idea is clear – welcome to what a bar in an old Park Slope mansion must have felt and looked like. Cheers!
Blue Ribbon Brasserie Brooklyn
The French vibes – and flavors of Ricard aperitifs – have your hunger spiraling out of control. To soothe the tummy, think: Blue Ribbon Brasserie Brooklyn. Think well in advance though, and make a reservation, as the place gets crowded quickly. The food here NEVER disappoints. The bone marrow and oxtail marmalade is out of this world good, with the sweet and spicy catfish probably even twice as delicious. The culinary experts at Blue Ribbon have conquered most of New York, and now have Brooklyn eating out of their hands too.
The Sackett
There’s nothing like cold brew or cocktail to kill the nerves from a nerve-racking escape game. The Sackett has as of late become Park Slope’s hot spot for all things alcohol. The bar features a fantastic beer list, board games and funky jukebox. Just the right kind of post-escape-drama chill.
