A friend of mine is relocating to New York in August, and came to visit this weekend, to get her hair done. I've never been super picky about hair, and usually get mine done in Chinatown for $20, but my hair is pretty easy--I guess I'm lucky in that sense, that I never need to comb it, it simply stays untangled, and I don't really need to use product either. But I guess for people who have very particular hair requirements, it's a big deal (a $400 per visit deal, to be precise).
She is scouting apartments, and is looking into moving to Brooklyn since you get a lot more space for the price. So, this weekend we went out a lot in Williamsburg. It's actually quite convenient, since the L train is pretty reliable. I've had a fairly boring winter, so it was fitting that this weekend heralded the arrival of spring; it's one of those weekends that restores the soul a bit, maybe because most of the weekend was spent ignoring adult responsibilities and pretending we were on vacation. I suppose that is fitting, since this travel blog has pretty much turned into an explore New York bar.
On Thursday we were supposed to go to the Brooklyn Bowl for a concert, but we didn't feel like paying cover, so we went to a bar next door. We ended up spending more money, but the principle of paying 20 dollars for a band we didn't know at all was something I wasn't in the mood for that day (although I actually will be doing just that on Tuesday). The evening unraveled from there, starting at a rooftop bar in the Wythe Hotel, overlooking Brooklyn. We sipped our fancy cocktails at the bar, and then decided to move somewhere cheaper, because I had spent too much money on my birthday, and she had spent too much money on her hair.
At the next bar, Kinfolk, the cocktail menu was again surprisingly expensive, so we asked the bartender, let's say his name is Stan, "Since when did Brooklyn get this expensive?" Stan said pricey is the new trend of Williamsburg, and as a magazine so accurately labeled this area of Williamsburg, it was the Brooklyn for people who can afford to live in Manhattan but don't. My friend and I spent the next couple of minutes bickering over the menu and deciding what to order (she wanted to splurge on a cocktail and I wanted to be financially responsible and get a beer), but Stan the bartender ended up making some surprise drinks, and also gave us some shots of whiskey for free. So needless to say, we felt very positively about that bar.
On Saturday, we returned to Williamsburg, around the Bedford stop on the L train. Surf bar has floors covered with sand, and colorful lights hanging from the ceiling. There is an aquarium with fish and a fake jelly fish. I asked the waitress how they keep the sand clean, and she said that they rake it every night, and replace it from time to time. People are not allowed to go barefoot though, because there could still be glass among it.
I had the best french toast on the east coast, possibly in my life (it rivals the one from Petaluma), at Cubana Social. Their other food was just okay, but I will go back for that french toast.
I went home to take a nap, and then we returned to Caracas Arepa Bar, which has a nice selection of rum and rum based cocktails. The bartenders seemed to really enjoy working there, and their good mood was contagious. They close at 11 though, but they recommended that we go to Larry Lawrence.
Larry Lawrence looks like a speakeasy, since there is no name, just an unmarked door that says "bar" in small letters above it. I liked how it was decorated--with high ceilings, and wooden walls on one side and exposed brick on the other--but I didn't like the atmosphere as much. It was like everyone was wearing a uniform--most of the men were wearing plaid shirts and beanies. I think I've come to really dislike plaid shirts--I never liked them much, even while in grad school, but now it's just a turn off (with rare exceptions. What's wrong with solid colors? I think people look nice in solid colors, or T-shirts, and actually, in my opinion, one of the most attractive looks for men is a fitted black or white T-shirt and jeans. There are also OTHER patterns aside from plaid. I hope this plaid fashion fades, but I suspect it'll be around for a few more years, at least.
From there, we went to Maracuja, which I really liked. They played a lot of music from the 80s, and the people there were really nice. We also tried another dance club on Hope Street, but I forgot the name. That one was also fun, with more mainstream music. In the back, they have some type of shooting video game with wildebeasts, and board games.
We ended the evening by getting hot dogs from Crif Dogs. These hot dogs tasted really healthy, which I didn't quite like. I had been hoping for something like the hot dogs they sell in San Francisco--wrapped with bacon, and covered with grilled onions. I ordered that, but I could tell that this was a better quality hot dog with very little grease, and grilled in a way that all the fat drained out. I could tell because the bun had not soaked up any oil. I could also tell that the onions were cooked separately from the hot dog and just placed on top. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I understand that this was a high quality hot dog, but I think some things are just supposed to be cheap and greasy. I think my next mission will be to find a place that makes proper dirty dogs in New York.
She is scouting apartments, and is looking into moving to Brooklyn since you get a lot more space for the price. So, this weekend we went out a lot in Williamsburg. It's actually quite convenient, since the L train is pretty reliable. I've had a fairly boring winter, so it was fitting that this weekend heralded the arrival of spring; it's one of those weekends that restores the soul a bit, maybe because most of the weekend was spent ignoring adult responsibilities and pretending we were on vacation. I suppose that is fitting, since this travel blog has pretty much turned into an explore New York bar.
On Thursday we were supposed to go to the Brooklyn Bowl for a concert, but we didn't feel like paying cover, so we went to a bar next door. We ended up spending more money, but the principle of paying 20 dollars for a band we didn't know at all was something I wasn't in the mood for that day (although I actually will be doing just that on Tuesday). The evening unraveled from there, starting at a rooftop bar in the Wythe Hotel, overlooking Brooklyn. We sipped our fancy cocktails at the bar, and then decided to move somewhere cheaper, because I had spent too much money on my birthday, and she had spent too much money on her hair.
At the next bar, Kinfolk, the cocktail menu was again surprisingly expensive, so we asked the bartender, let's say his name is Stan, "Since when did Brooklyn get this expensive?" Stan said pricey is the new trend of Williamsburg, and as a magazine so accurately labeled this area of Williamsburg, it was the Brooklyn for people who can afford to live in Manhattan but don't. My friend and I spent the next couple of minutes bickering over the menu and deciding what to order (she wanted to splurge on a cocktail and I wanted to be financially responsible and get a beer), but Stan the bartender ended up making some surprise drinks, and also gave us some shots of whiskey for free. So needless to say, we felt very positively about that bar.
On Saturday, we returned to Williamsburg, around the Bedford stop on the L train. Surf bar has floors covered with sand, and colorful lights hanging from the ceiling. There is an aquarium with fish and a fake jelly fish. I asked the waitress how they keep the sand clean, and she said that they rake it every night, and replace it from time to time. People are not allowed to go barefoot though, because there could still be glass among it.
I had the best french toast on the east coast, possibly in my life (it rivals the one from Petaluma), at Cubana Social. Their other food was just okay, but I will go back for that french toast.
I went home to take a nap, and then we returned to Caracas Arepa Bar, which has a nice selection of rum and rum based cocktails. The bartenders seemed to really enjoy working there, and their good mood was contagious. They close at 11 though, but they recommended that we go to Larry Lawrence.
Larry Lawrence looks like a speakeasy, since there is no name, just an unmarked door that says "bar" in small letters above it. I liked how it was decorated--with high ceilings, and wooden walls on one side and exposed brick on the other--but I didn't like the atmosphere as much. It was like everyone was wearing a uniform--most of the men were wearing plaid shirts and beanies. I think I've come to really dislike plaid shirts--I never liked them much, even while in grad school, but now it's just a turn off (with rare exceptions. What's wrong with solid colors? I think people look nice in solid colors, or T-shirts, and actually, in my opinion, one of the most attractive looks for men is a fitted black or white T-shirt and jeans. There are also OTHER patterns aside from plaid. I hope this plaid fashion fades, but I suspect it'll be around for a few more years, at least.
From there, we went to Maracuja, which I really liked. They played a lot of music from the 80s, and the people there were really nice. We also tried another dance club on Hope Street, but I forgot the name. That one was also fun, with more mainstream music. In the back, they have some type of shooting video game with wildebeasts, and board games.
We ended the evening by getting hot dogs from Crif Dogs. These hot dogs tasted really healthy, which I didn't quite like. I had been hoping for something like the hot dogs they sell in San Francisco--wrapped with bacon, and covered with grilled onions. I ordered that, but I could tell that this was a better quality hot dog with very little grease, and grilled in a way that all the fat drained out. I could tell because the bun had not soaked up any oil. I could also tell that the onions were cooked separately from the hot dog and just placed on top. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I understand that this was a high quality hot dog, but I think some things are just supposed to be cheap and greasy. I think my next mission will be to find a place that makes proper dirty dogs in New York.
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