New York City in the summer is a magical place. Markets, festivals, outdoor dining, parks, the waterfront, the energy! We could go on. Here are our picks for what’s hot:
Smorgasburg (Brooklyn) — “The Woodstock of eating” according to the New York Times. Smorgasburg is the largest weekly open-air food market in America with amazing eats from over 100 local vendors. Saturdays on the Williamsburg waterfront and Sundays in beautiful Prospect Park. Check out our recent article for 5 foods to try this year.
New York Botanical Garden (Bronx) — This summer’s special exhibit is CHIHULY (Saturday, April 22, 2017 – Sunday, October 29, 2017). Artworks by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly are now on view. Breathtaking works of art that dazzle with color, light, and form—by day and night. On CHIHULY Nights, the exhibition is infused with a magical energy as the artworks are spectacularly illuminated. In the Visitor Center plaza, a rotating lineup of performing artists and musicians provides entertainment while you relax and enjoy shopping, food, and Avión Tequila cocktails available for purchase. Visit the website for schedule and tickets.
Brooklyn Promenade — One-third of a mile long, it offers a vista of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline and the majestic Brooklyn Bridge. Lined with flower beds, trees, benches and playgrounds, the promenade is a favorite destination for tourists, joggers, strollers, families and lovers. With plenty to eat (Luke’s Lobster, No. 7 Sub, Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory) and DUMBO just a few steps away, we can’t recommend this area enough. Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and stay for sunset. We give you the scoop in our recent blog post.
Whitney Biennial (Manhattan) — The 2017 Biennial—the Whitney Museum’s signature event—takes place for the first time at the museum’s new Meatpacking District location. The invitational show presents the most influential contemporary art created in the United States over the preceding two years. The central themes of this year’s Biennial are the “formation of self and the individual’s place in a turbulent society.” The Whitney’s own Christopher Y. Lew and Mia Locks, the former assistant curator at MoMA PS1, selected the 63 participating artists.
Be sure to cool off with a cocktail in Brooklyn. Here’s our top 5 for this summer:
The Lot Radio (Williamsburg/Greenpoint) — 17 Nassau Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222 b/t Banker St & Berry St. Great little outdoor cafe to hang with friends in warm weather. The Lot Radio Kiosk sells coffee and tea drinks and offers casual, rummage sale type furniture as seating. The cafe’s curious name, The Lot Radio Kiosk, stems from the fact that the cafe is a front for a radio station! Adjacent to the tiny cafe is the DJ booth. There are speakers pumping fun jams into the backyard lounge area where people are hanging and drinking coffee.
Sunday in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) – From Thrillist: It just may be possible to spend an entire Sunday in Brooklyn at this three-story Williamsburg culinary complex housed in the former Isa space. From veterans of Eleven Madison Park, Catch, and Sadelle’s, Sunday in Brooklyn combines a market, bar, coffeehouse, and sit-down restaurant into one all-day spot. Chef Jaime Young (Atera) helms the kitchen of the second-floor dining room, where the modern American menu follows a no-waste principle and focuses on smoked fish, fermented vegetables, and freshly baked bread. In the first-floor marketplace, you’ll find many of the unconventional ingredients from the chef’s pantry for sale.
Westlight at the William Vale Hotel Roof (Wythe Hotel is a close second) (Williamsburg) — can’t beat the views, crowd, music and of course, cocktails. There can be a line to go early or go with a group and call ahead for reservations.
The Brooklyn Barge (Greenpoint) — Uh, drinks on a barge in the East River and feeling like you can touch the Manhattan skyline. DUH! The Brooklyn Barge is a vibrant waterfront community with a restaurant and bar on a floating barge.
Lavender Lake 383 Carroll Street (Gowanus) — Lavender Lake has food, drinks and a huge back patio!
Brooklyn Crab 24 Reed St. (Red Hook) — Seafood, cornhole, table shuffleboard, and nine holes of mini-golf. Can be a wait to be prepared to drink and play games. Roof deck, street-level front bar, or backyard beer garden. The backyard also has a beer tent and Adirondack chairs in which to enjoy your beer on a summer day. On Mondays and Tuesdays, enjoy $1 oysters and $3 drafts of Narragansett.
The Brooklyn Heights Promenade will take your breath away. If you’ve watched Annie Hall and Moonstruck, you’ve seen this iconic spot. According to the NY Harbor Parks website, it is one-third of a mile long, it offers a vista of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline and the majestic Brooklyn Bridge. Lined with flower beds, trees, benches and playgrounds, the promenade is a favorite destination for tourists, joggers, strollers, families and lovers.
It’s a great place to visit whether you’re local or visiting from out of town. If you’re staying in Manhattan, we recommend a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and then a few hours to enjoy the promenade. Plan your visit to finish up around sunset for incredible views (and photos!). The walk across the bridge takes about an hour, so plan accordingly.
WHAT TO SEE & DO:
Walk a few blocks along the water towards DUMBO (which stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge) to Jane’s Carousel. Jane’s Carousel (formerly Idora Park Merry-Go-Round) is a carved, wooden, 48-horse carousel that was built in 1922 for the Idora Park amusement park in Youngstown, Ohio. When Idora Park closed to the public in 1984, the carousel was bought at auction by Jane and David Walentas (real estate developers largely created with creating the DUMBO & Brooklyn Heights we know today) and moved to Brooklyn, New York for restoration. It was opened to the public at its new location in Brooklyn Bridge Park on the East River in Brooklyn on September 16, 2011. Rides are only $2!
Photo by NYC & Co
EATS:
For savory, our faves are Luke’s Lobster and Juliana’s (the sister pizza joint to Grimaldi’s). Luke’s does lobster rolls in their purest form: a lightly toasted, decidedly not-fancy hot dog bun stuffed with a quarter pound of knuckle and claw meat. All of the lobsters served here are caught off the coast of Maine and then steamed, packed and shipped to the City.
For sweet, master chocolatier Jacques Torres established his first shop and chocolate factory in DUMBO. The factory has moved to a bigger space. We recommend, well everything! There are ice cream sammies made with their famous cookies. Don’t forget ice cream! Stop at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory for locally made Philadelphia-style (in other words, egg-free) scoops. One Girl Cookies has a wide assortment of mini cookies and dainty whoopie pies. Especially do not miss Almondine, where owner and pastry chef Hervé Poussot (formerly of Payard and Le Bernardin) does all baking on premises.
Be sure to check out Anish Kapoor’s Decsension. This whirlpool art installation is 26-feet in diameter, and the spiraling funnel is treated with an all-natural black dye, to create a black-hole effect. Location below:
If you’re old school book fiends like we are, there are two amazing independent bookstores nearby. PowerHouse Arena and P.S. Bookshop.
Other exciting events this spring and summer include:
Artist Jesse Chun’s Twenty Five-Hours exhibition is next up in a rotating program of original works by local artists hosted at 99 Plymouth. Working from a research-based process, Chun reinterprets a collection of scientific data, charts and predictions, historical facts, books and articles about the Brooklyn Waterfront and the East River tides.
Pop-Up Pool (Daily; June 29–September 4; 10 am–6 pm) // The daily 30’x50’ pool includes a sandy beach and play area, and you can also take swim lessons!
FOR THE ATHLETES:
NYRR Open Runs (Tuesdays, 7pm; Pier 6) // New York Road Runners invite you to join their free Open Runs!
Basketball Clinics (May 2–August 27; Tuesdays & Thursdays 4–7 pm; Sundays 12–2 pm; Pier 2) // Big and Little Skills Academy offer basketball skills clinics for budding athletes ages 8-17.
Double Dutch (Wednesdays, 7pm; June 7–August 30; Pier 2)
A little bit of history about the Brooklyn Promenade (from the NY Parks Website):
Looking out on the East River, the promenade is bordered by grand townhouses and mansions, and is part of Brooklyn’s first Historic Preservation District. The adjacent neighborhood of charming brownstone homes and quiet streets is well worth investigating. Brooklyn Heights encapsulates the history of New York and America. The Dutch first appeared in 1645, forming the settlement of “Breuckelen” near the site of today’s Borough Hall. The bluffs of Brooklyn Heights were already a popular location in the 18th century when many of Manhattan’s early merchants built mansions there overlooking the city on the island below. It was from Brooklyn Heights that George Washington watched the Battle of Brooklyn unfold into a terrible defeat for the young Colonial Army. Under the cover of darkness on August 29th, Washington’s army crossed the East River from Fulton Ferry, below where the Brooklyn Bridge rises today, leaving Brooklyn to the British.
During the 1800’s, New York and Brooklyn boomed and many of New York’s wealthiest investors settled in Brooklyn Heights. In 1807, Robert Fulton captained his steamboat, The Clermont, from Brooklyn on its maiden voyage up the Hudson River. In 1814, Fulton gained a franchise to operate ferry service via steamboat from Brooklyn to Manhattan. As the population exploded, Brooklyn became a city in 1833, and throughout much of the 1800s was the third most populous city in America.
In the mid-1940s Robert Moses wanted to construct a new expressway right through the heart of Brooklyn Heights. He was stopped by the outcry of the Brooklyn Heights Association, and a solution emerged to build a two-tiered highway above the waterfront. The Promenade was constructed in part to insulate the neighborhood from the noise of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. It opened to the public in October 1950 and has been a magnet for local residents and visitors alike for over half a century.
Cuba is all the rage with Americans right now (and for good reason) so we had to get down there to see for ourselves! And, luckily for us, native New Yorker and friend of Like A Local, Rita McNiff, has started her own venture called LIKE A CUBAN. We cannot recommend her highly enough! If you’re interested to book a trip with some amazing activities, let us know and we will be happy to make an intro!
We met lots of incredible people, learned about the revolution and it’s modern day ramifications, learned how to salsa, enjoyed lots of live music (day and night) and had many memorable meals. And threw back more than a few mojitos and Cuba libres!
Here are a few highlights from our trip:
Tour of Havana and Old Havana by convertible (57 Chevy of course!)
Country living in Vinales
Trinidad – the town that time forgot (in a good way!)
Live Music (we spent an evening with famous Cuban musician Ray Fernandez)
Salsa Lessons on a roof with dancers from the Tropicana
Dinner and dancing at Fabrica de Arte
If you hear anyone tell you that the food isn’t good, they didn’t go to the right places! The internet situation is tricky, but if you plan ahead, it’s pretty great to only check email once a day. We can’t recommend Cuba enough, especially if you plan your trip with Like A Cuban.
We received lots of questions about our previous article featuring where to see the best live music in Brooklyn so we decided to do a post about where to see the best live jazz in Manhattan!
1. Blue Note — the quintessential jazz club that books some of the most famous acts when they come to NYC. Must get tickets in advance. Great West Village location so we recommend dinner at Minetta Tavern before a late show.
2. The Django — book a table well in advance to enjoy light bites and great cocktails in fabulous surroundings in the heart of Tribeca.
3. The Carlyle — old school glamour and Upper East Side vibes. From their website: The golden age of New York cabaret comes alive each night at Café Carlyle. With an authentic Manhattan backdrop and a soundtrack that is classic cabaret, Café Carlyle is known for headlining incredible talents; including Laura Benanti, Alan Cumming, Judy Collins and Woody Allen, who regularly appears with the Eddy Davis New Orleans jazz band. Music has always been an essential part of The Carlyle, and it is on spectacular display at the Café Carlyle since its debut in 1955.
Check the schedule on their website and book in advance. Jacket may be required.
4. Smalls Jazz Club — an intimate and fantastic venue in the west village. Get tickets in advance. Thrillist writes: Waiting for an hour in line off a busy Greenwich Village corner might not sound ideal, but once inside this intimate jazz club, you’ll be glad you were patient. Even if you know nothing about jazz, you’ll appreciate the dimly lit, below-ground space, and, depending on the night, you can catch everyone from young, local musicians to established jazz greats like Wynton Marsalis.
5. The McKittrick Hotel for The Heathens (Saturdays) — if you still haven’t done Sleep No More, take this opportunity to do it and then be sure to stick around until midnight when The Heathens take the stage.
OR, take in dinner and a show at Duane Park! Many celebrities have celebrated birthdays here. And the MC is a friend and former contestant on the voice! GO SOPHIA!
Spring has sprung in New York City and we couldn’t be happier! Here is our list of top 5 events not to miss in April!
1. A Celebration of NYC’s Best Margaritas (April 29)
A Grand Ole Fiesta sampling the city’s best margaritas as your favorite restaurants duke it out for the title at the Margarita Rumble! Fiesta like there’s no mañana when the Margarita Rumble kicks off at Dobbin St. Over 15 specially curated, best of the best, bars & restaurants send their mixologists in to compete for the title of Best Margarita in NYC. Sample the best margaritas (and then vote for your favorite!) while live music keeps you la bamba’ing.
2. Cherry Blossom Festival, Sakura Matsuri, at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden! (April 29 & 30)
From 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday, you can enjoy over 200 blossoming Cherry Trees, and over 60 events and performances celebrating traditional and contemporary Japanese culture.
The festival marks the end of hanami, the Japanese tradition of enjoying every moment of cherry blossom season. Tickets can be purchased online, and are free to children 12 and under.
There is also a Seasonal Highlights Tour as well as many other fantastic events. See the list here.
The Seed is bringing it’s vegan and plant-based shopping experience to NYC’s largest weekly curated market, Grand Bazaar NYC. Over 30 of The Seed’s top merchants will be joining the over 100 vendors of the Upper West Side market.
Date & Time: Sunday, April 23 from 10am – 5:30pm. Grand Bazaar NYC, 100 West 77th St. (Corner of Columbus Ave.)
About Grand Bazaar NYC: Grand Bazaar NYC is open every Sunday, all year-round, and is the funding source for four local public schools, benefiting over 4,000 children. It’s the largest curated weekly market in New York City, with over 43,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor space. Each weekend the best and most unique artist, designers, craft makers, and independent antique and vintage dealers set-up shop for the thousands of neighborhood, local and international visitors.
5. New York Hot Sauce Expo! (April 22 & 23)
From TimeOutNY, “Feel the burn at this two-do celebration of all things spicy. You can sample dozens of vendors’ wares and take part in tongue-searing challenges, like the burrito, guacamole or pizza eating contests. Champs of sauce will be announced at the Screaming Mi Mi Awards, in categories such as Asian Style, Fruit-Based and Best Hot Sauce Label Artwork.”
We’ve partnered with an awesome company called Localgrapher for this post. If you need a photographer while in a new city (or in general), check ‘em out!
When you think of New York City, images of Times Square and the Empire State Building come to mind instantly. While these are classic icons, you don’t want your NYC photos to be like everyone else’s, do you?
A city as big and historical as New York has many hidden gems where you can get away from the crowds and the cliché. Get away from the expected and turn your photoshoot into art with these spots that will make your friends think you’ve turned into a New Yorker.
Because who doesn’t love hearing “I’ve never seen that before!”?
Of course, you could spend a lifetime photographing New York City. And indeed, some have! But, you probably have a little less time than that, so you’ve come to the right place.
Below, we’ve highlighted just a few spots for a unique photoshoot that will provide a new and exciting perspective on the city. Depending on your goal, you can find any backdrop for your tastes. Places like the High Line and Botanic Gardens will provide a natural getaway from the bustle of the city. On the other hand, Chinatown will provide vibrant scenes of energy and color. For romantics, Astor Place is all the polish and nostalgia of classic New York.
View New York City through a local’s eyes and get those dazzling shots that you’ll remember for a lifetime. BONUS: Make your photographer jump for joy, because it’s a guarantee they have shot in Grand Central one million times before!
The High Line
With multiple entrances, staircases and views of the Hudson River, this raised park is a little-known wonder. The High Line is set on a disused line of the New York Central Railroad. The old tracks overgrown with flowers provides contrast to tall buildings that rise up on both sides.
John Street, Brooklyn Bridge Park
Travel across the East River and you’ll be treated to the iconic sights of Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge Park. Since John Street is positioned at the East River’s bend, you can see both the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge with the most famous of NYC’s buildings in the background.
Astor Place
A short and picturesque two block in Lower Manhattan, Astor Place is full of quintessential New York imagery. From the classic Astor Place subway entrance plaza to the various public artwork sculptures, this area reflects the vibrant community where East Village meets West Village.
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
Journey to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for a refreshing change of scenery. No matter the season, the Gardens provide beautiful backgrounds in unique settings, such as the Shakespeare Garden or the Rock Garden. Not to be missed is the Japan Hill-and-Pond Garden, the oldest and most popular Japanese garden outside of Japan.
Carl Schurz Park
One of the most underappreciated attractions in NYC, Carl Schurz Park is a green strip of gardens that runs along the East River on the Upper East Side. Sweeping staircases and river views make this park a great alternative to Central Park. Unique shots can be had of Roosevelt Island from the pathway along the water.
Washington Square Park
The monumental arch and the fountain provide iconic NYC feelings, while the surrounding Greenwich Village offers an eclectic backdrop with various boutiques and red brick buildings.
Chinatown
Bordered between the Lower East Side and Little Italy, Manhattan’s Chinatown can be a great location for photographers looking to capture the cultural and colorful Chinese community. The small winding stone streets of Chinatown make for unique shots with action and energy.
We always know summer is around the corner when our beloved Smorgasburg is back in business. Located on the Williamsburg Brooklyn waterfront (the views of NYC are fabulous as is the food), this is one of our favorite Saturday activities. After our Flatiron Food Tour and Williamsburg Brooklyn Food Tour of course.
“Smorgasburg is the largest weekly open-air food market in America, attracting 20,000-30,000 people to Brooklyn each weekend to eat from 100 local vendors—Saturdays on the Williamsburg waterfront and Sundays in beautiful Prospect Park. It launched May 21, 2011, as a spinoff of Brooklyn Flea (founded in 2008), and has since launched dozens of small businesses and attracted millions of visitors,” according to the Smorgasburg website.
The New York Times dubbed Smorgasburg “The Woodstock of Eating.”
The favorite food item for this year is the Spaghetti Doughnut by Pop Pasta. According to their website: Pop Pasta combines a popular Neapolitan dish, the spaghetti pie (frittata di spaghetti) with an American food icon, the donut. Slow food meets fast food. In the Neapolitan tradition the spaghetti pie is a dish prepared with pasta leftovers combined with eggs and cheese and then fried. Traditionally the spaghetti are formed into large round pies and cut into slices.”
Photo: Smorgasburg Instagram
Flavors include Red Sauce Pop (spaghetti, parmesan, eggs, tomato puree, olive oil, salt), Bolognese Pop (spaghetti, parmesan, eggs, ground beef, tomato puree, olive oil, onions, garlic, salt), and Carbonara Pop (spaghetti, parmesan, eggs, bacon, black pepper, salt).
This year take a break from eating and visit Brooklyn Flea which is now located right next to the food portion. Brooklyn Flea is home to a fantastic selection of vintage clothing, wares and artisanal goods. All in the spirit of Made in Brooklyn. And we especially love that Smorgasburg is striving to be “a zero-waste event,” with no bottles or cans sold. Guests can bring reusable water bottles to be filled at filtered water stations. All food containers, napkins, utensils and cups are made from compostable materials.
Selecting the vendors for Smorgasburg is serious business! Last year, Eater did a special article on the subject and reported that “About three people apply to the wildly popular market daily, and after all the previous vendors commit to returning, just about a dozen spots are available for the April opening. Only 10 to 20 percent of applicants get invited in for tastings, which are scheduled in Brooklyn Flea’s Crown Heights offices throughout the winter. And even fewer make it into the market.”
Crown Finish Caves is a cheese aging facility located in an 1850’s lagering tunnel thirty feet below the street in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. According to their website, “We are located in the historic former Nassau Brewery building in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Our caves are the old lagering tunnels of the brewery, and at approximately 50 degrees fahrenheit year round, they are the perfect temperature for aging cheese. We don’t make cheese here, we just age it; this is a centuries old practice called “affinage,” and is a prominent industry throughout Europe. We receive young cheese (AKA “Green Cheese”) from local, artisan producers, as well as from some more distant producers, even one in Italy! Most of our cheese is produced less than 250 miles from NYC, and it is always received when it is between 1-14 days old, and no rind has developed. We ripen our cheese in the ideal conditions of our historic tunnels, which were renovated into a state-of-the-art licensed NYS Dairy Plant. At full capacity, our main tunnel holds 22,000 pounds of cheese, and it’s almost full.”
WOW! Who knew? These subterranean caves below the city streets of Brooklyn, housed the Nassau Brewing Company in the 1850s.
On Saturday, you can check it out for yourself … while enjoying some wine and, you guessed it, cheese! Tickets are $70. Proceeds will benefit the expansion of the nearby Maple Street School.
Photo by: Edible Brooklyn. Read their take on the Crown Finish Caves here.
This month, we spoke to Hartje Andresen of Pudge Knuckles, a coffee shop favorited by locals, as well as a wine bar and roastery. It’s also a featured stop on our Williamsburg Bites Brooklyn Food Tour and Sunday Funday Boozy Brooklyn Tour. As their website states, “Packed with the full flavor and energy of New York City, PUDGE KNUCKLES is not just another coffee shop. PUDGE KNUCKLES was started by Ivan Greene & Hartje Andresen. Ivan is a former top ranked professional rock climber and Hartje is a highly sought after professional model.”
How did you come to open Pudge Knuckles?
My husband and I spent many years traveling the world and living in different countries, and learned to love the coffee and coffee house culture. Ivan as a professional rock climber, me as a model – both are professions that require a lot of caffeine.
Furthermore, my family has a background in coffee roasting, with my great grandfather opening the first coffee roasting company in Husum, northern Germany. My father used to work in my great Grandfather’s coffee shop when he was a little boy.
When Ivan and I met, we bonded over our love for coffee, amongst other things, and were excited to learn what it took to start our own coffee company.
It was more of a side project at first, and we sold our coffee online to fellow rock climbers and friends, but very soon as well to coffee lovers and climbing gyms all over the world. When the retail space at 184 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg became available, we wanted to not only have a place for people to buy our coffee, but also create a European style coffee spot with a welcoming atmosphere where patrons can enjoy their coffee “to stay”, hang out to read a book, play a board game, write emails or to study.
Such a great story! What do you love about Pudge Knuckles?
I love being able to continue the family tradition by roasting coffee here in New York. Our northern European style lighter roast is named “Broder’s Blend” to honor my great grandfather Broder Brodersen.
I love creating a community feeling by making the cafe available for special events, fundraisers and social gatherings. The Williamsburg neighborhood is full of creative people and young entrepreneurs, and because we are accommodating to people using laptops and free WiFi, we have seen many projects grow from their Kickstarter campaign all the way to a successful business. It makes us happy to think how many startup businesses were fueled by Pudge Knuckles coffee!
I love being my own boss and creating my own favorite coffee roasts and drinks. I can go all “coffee-nerd” with light roasted single origin pour over, or play around with our very own creative concoctions that we give funny names like f**k sleep or crack-o-latte.
The crack-o-latte is a personal favorite of ours! I know you frequently host events. Can you tell us about anything coming up?
We dedicate a lot of our events to social, environmental and humanitarian causes. This year more than ever, we think it is important for us as a business to show that we care about our neighbors, our environment, our society and about each other. With a liquor license and our selection of craft beers and organic wines, I love to watch the cafe transition from the busy coffee-drinking crowd to a relaxed evening vibe.
We are hosting monthly talks on environmental issues and the events support various nonprofit organizations.
Every Friday in March we are hosting a child-friendly brunch for parents, together with Kidville Day Care, where the parents can enjoy their brunch while professional daycare staff keeps the toddlers entertained with music and play. We are also hosting regular music gigs and comedy shows, and we often donate part of the proceeds to different charities.
Next up besides the music and comedy shows will be a talk about how to become more environmentally conscious as a New Yorker, held by my mother-in-law, action director of the organization Clearwater and a lifelong environmentalist and activist. Another upcoming event will be an African themed evening educating people about fair trade products, movies about African art and social/health projects, and of course tasting different African coffees.
We are also working on putting together a small fundraiser for a dog rescue organization that my husband and I volunteer for, where guests can meet adoptable puppies while enjoying unlimited glasses of organic wine.
Incredible! I would encourage everyone reading this article to follow Pudge Knuckles on Facebook and Instagram so you’re in the know on upcoming events. As you know, we are all about local … can you share your favorite bar and restaurant in NYC?
I like to support other local businesses. I try every new spot that opens up in the neighborhood. I love to meet the other business owners, and I am loyal to the places I like!
I have lived in the East Village, in Midtown, in Greenpoint, and on the Upper West Side before moving to Williamsburg. I usually prefer quirky over fancy, like the Surf Bar on North 6th Street, Modern Love on Union Avenue for great vegan food, St. Mazie’s on Grand Street for live Jazz music, and Nitehawk Cinema on Metropolitan Avenue for their awesome dine-in movie selection.
Last but not least, how did the name Pudge Knuckles come about?
There was a world-famous German rock climber called Wolfgang Güllich who said “coffee is an integral part of climbing” and it is true! Since we were roasting the coffee just for our friends and family at first, the majority of our customers were climbers and climbing gyms. The word Pudge Knuckles was a nod to climbers, whose finger knuckles start swelling after a strenuous workout. It also happened to be my brother-in-law’s nickname when he was a little baby, describing the typical cute little dimples on the baby’s tiny finger knuckles.
When we played around with logos and designs, the hand-drawn baby-fist quickly caught on, resonating not only with climbers and parents of new babies, but also people who saw the fist as a sign for revolution, strength, health, or power.
So we stuck with the image and the name when we transitioned to our first brick and mortar location. Funnily enough, with 184 Kent Avenue being a registered landmark building, we were at first not allowed to display the logo on our outdoor signage, because the building’s management was concerned that it could seem offensive to some people.
Thanks so much for talking with us Hartje! See you soon for a crack-o-latte!
March 11, 2017 – Eating local food, exploring hidden hot spots, and frequenting the joints locals flock to are some of the best ways to discover the soul of a city.
In New York, you can head to a Jewish cafe and taste Israel in Williamsburg, or, walk the streets of Brooklyn and enjoy pizza from a wood oven burning for over a hundred years. You can stroll past historic buildings in Brewer’s Row, or stop by Artists and Fleas to buy yourself a treasure.
Lauren Beebe, founder of Like A Local Tours, always felt that there was a disconnect between how tourists, even locals to some extent, experience NYC. She wanted to bring out the unique experiences centred around food, art and history. It was this desire that gave birth to Like A Local Tours. Today, her company is recognized as one of the most fascinating ways to dive straight into the heart of the city.
Clockwise from Top – Artists and Fleas shop, Beer sample at Brooklyn Brewery, Mables Smokehouse and Best Pizza, Brooklyn
Exploring hidden bars, flea markets, gourmet food, street art, history, architecture and craft beer, Like A Local takes you to all the places that give New York its distinct cultural vibe. Straddling old and new, these walking tours cover the length of New York’s cultural history.
Lauren began her love affair with NYC in 2004, when she settled in the city after having grown up in Minnesota, Texas and Pennsylvania. It truly blossomed in 2008, when she moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Lauren’s tours are not just loved by her patrons, they have also been recognized internationally as one of the most popular excursions in New York. Like A Local Tours has received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence every year since it was founded in 2013.
Here, we catch up with Lauren and explore what makes all the experiences provided by Like A Local Tours unique.
What inspired you to start Like a Local Tours?
Like A Local Tours came about as a result of my passion for food, fashion, art and travel, my career experience in tourism and hospitality, and my network of contacts. The term “travel like a local” gets bandied about easily but I don’t take it lightly. Every tour we offer and experience we provide is truly offering up what the locals do. Plus some access that even locals don’t have!
Lauren Beebe, Founder
What message do you have for our audience who is trying to figure out whether Like a Local experiences are a right fit for them?
Our tours are all about experiencing our favorite NYC and Brooklyn neighborhoods through food. Each tour features an opportunity to be shown a neighborhood by a local who has extensive knowledge of the history of NYC and Brooklyn, as well as interesting cultural anecdotes, a knowledge of who’s who and what’s hot and happening. Our tours are intimate, so it’s like spending a few hours with a small group of friends.
How have the tours evolved in the last 3 years?
We continue to dive deeper into each neighborhood, incorporating stories learned from our local partners and businesses. Unfortunately, businesses do close and sometimes quality level changes, so we are constantly on the hunt to make sure our experiences are the best they can be. We are also working on a few new tours which we hope to unveil this summer.
Given that tourists are generally busy consuming more popular NYC experiences like the Empire State Building, Central Park, Broadway shows, etc., would you recommend one of your experiences to get to know the real New York?
Our tour guides serve as a concierge to our guests. They share incredible stories about NYC and can make personal recommendations after the tour. All of our guides are working actors and actresses so they have the inside scoop (and big personalities!). While we certainly appreciate the Big Apple’s large tourist attractions, we feel passionately that for people who want to experience NYC from a New Yorker’s perspective, you need to get out of Times Square and check out the neighborhood’s that we New Yorkers love and spend the most time in.
If you had to suggest 3 of your favorite experiences among those offered what would those be?
I love to eat so our Flatiron Food Tour, Williamsburg Bites Brooklyn Food Tour, and for the beer and wine, our Sunday Funday Boozy Brooklyn Tasting Tour.
Can you walk us through what to expect in a typical Williamsburg or Flatiron Tour?
Lots of food! Our tours were designed to explore neighborhoods through food. We also provide an opportunity to meet the New Yorkers who make the neighborhoods so amazing. We give just enough history, see the sights and provide lots of photo opportunities along the way.
New York is known for it’s melting point culture. Do some of your local experiences bring out this diversity?
New York is certainly a melting pot and our tours are a perfect showcase for that. From a pizza parlor started by a local Brooklyn boy with strong Italian-American heritage, who is now host of a TV show, to an Israeli bakery that has expanded to several locations in NYC, our tours delve into the diverse food culture that makes the city so special (and delicious!).
New York’s famous skyline
Like A Local Tours has won many accolades, and in 2016, was awarded the “Unique Brooklyn Tour Operator of the Year” by Luxury Travel Guide. They have also worked with celebrities as well as major companies such as Heineken and Conde Nast.
These popular Like A Local Tours will take you through the heart of New York’s cultural districts, bringing exquisite culinary delights and hidden New York secrets to the surface:
Williamsburg Bites: A Brooklyn Food Tour
Tom Fruin’s Stained Glass House
Williamsburg is one of New York’s liveliest and most popular neighbourhoods. It is where Lauren and Like A Local Tours journey started. On the Williamsburg Bites: A Brooklyn Food Tour, you will visit iconic establishments across the borough and sample dishes such as homemade ice cream and the “Best Pizza” in New York. There will be coffee tastings, incredible story-telling and a chance to view some of the best works of street art in New York
This tour will take you to two of the most iconic neighborhoods in New York – Flatiron & Union Square. With a local guide, you will visit some of the most unique food stops and experience six full portion tastings along the way. Highlights of the tour include visits to Obica Mozzarella Bar, Beecher’s Cheese, Union Square Farmer’s Market and Bread’s Bakery.
NYC Skyline – Sunday Funday – A Boozy Brooklyn Tasting Tour
According to Fodor’s, the world’s largest publisher of travel and tourism information, “…if you’re looking to feel like a hip local in Brooklyn, take the Sunday Funday tour of Williamsburg…”. Some of the highlights include Brewery Tasting and Wine Tasting, Hot Sauce Tasting, Insider Brooklyn Shopping experience with free gift, Local Eats & Treats and tons of stunning photo opportunities.
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