Opening— Gertie, Formosa Dumplings, and more! Plus, LeFrak Center Opening Weekend and a Sunset Paddle in the Canal
Also this week: "The Smurfs" in Prospect Park, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, and an upstate flea market in Red Hook.
Here’s what’s happening this week:
✨Openings: ✨
Gertie, sister restaurant to Gertrude’s, will open in the former R & D Foods space at 602 Vanderbilt Avenue this fall (R & D Foods closes August 9th). They will serve hand-rolled and kettle-boiled bagels, house-smoked fish and meats, babka, and boozy sodas.
The team behind Gertie’s will also open Trudie’s Tavern in Carroll Gardens in the former Buttermilk Channel space [Eater].
Formosa Dumplings, which first opened in Bushwick in 2023, will add another location in Prospect Heights this September, at 43 Underhill Avenue at Dean Street [Eater].
Coffee & Juice Bar Drip & Blend opened at 440 4th Ave.
Lidl will open soon on 5th Avenue and Park Place— opening date TBA.
NYC Restaurant Week is happening now through August 17! ✨ Check out this amazing lineup of local spots offering 2-course lunches and 3-course dinners at $30, $45 and $60: Muteki Udon, Palo Santo, Stone Park Cafe, Alta Calidad, Morgan’s Brooklyn Barbecue, The Dram Shop Bar, Baciccia Pizza e Cucina, Chela, Fleur, Wayward Fare, Masalawala & Sons, Carib-Soul Bk, Lore, Siren Oyster Bar & Restaurant & Flatiron Steakhouse.
Closings: Prospect Heights Midwestern Restaurant Patti Ann’s closed earlier this month [Eater]. Private Picassos shared that they will closing after 10 years in Park Slope. They will be missed!
Pop-Up: Seasonal Cafe CAFEN Park Slope, inspired by the spirit of Japan, will be open through August 25th at 300 7th Street between 4th and 5th Avenues.
Arts Gowanus announced that registration is now open for Open Studios, an annual community art exhibit, on October 18th and 19th. Artists can register here and businesses can register here.
Don’t forget to scroll down for our top events & neighborhood happenings this week!
-Mychal
Our Top Weekly Picks
Events with an asterisk* tend to sell out—reserve tickets early!
Thursday, July 31 (Today):
Midsummer Nights @ Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, 6:30pm: For the fifth year running, the Midsummer Nights series is bringing four evenings of free music to BKCM’s front stoop! Curated by acclaimed jazz singer-songwriter, NPR Tiny Desk artist and former BKCM Jazz Leadership Fellow Melanie Charles, this year’s Midsummer Nights lineup is a who’s-who of diverse rising artists who are revitalizing jazz – and knocking down genre boundaries. This week is Trill Mega Jam featuring Destiny “Lé Queen” Diggs, a bassist, composer and bandleader who has performed at venues such as Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, WBGO, Jazz Forum and NJPAC. FREE.
Prospect Park Yoga with Brooklyn Flow @ Prospect Park, 7-8pm: Brooklyn’s finest yoga teachers lead free, outdoor group yoga classes in a low-pressure, beautiful environment. Join hundreds of Brooklynites each week to celebrate yoga and wellness in our treasured Prospect Park. FREE—RSVP required.
Friday August 1st:
First Fridays @ Strong Rope Brewery (Gowanus), 6-9pm: This series features a monthly art installation & live DJ! This month’s exhibit features art by Regina Vargas. The collection “Color Memory”, a visual diary told through saturation, light, and place, will be on display for the months of August and September. Regina Vargas is a fourth-generation painter whose work blends personal memory, cultural heritage, and a love for vibrant color. Born in Mexico City and now based in Brooklyn, Regina’s work is deeply rooted in her Mexican identity. FREE admission.
Cocktail Class @ Whisk & Whiskey, 7pm: Sip, Shake & Celebrate Black Excellence at this hands-on cocktail class featuring SAJ gin, the first Black woman-owned lavender gin that’s redefining botanical spirits. You’ll learn to build, shake, and master cocktails using this beautifully floral and aromatic gin, all while hearing the story behind the bottle. Perfect for beginners, enthusiasts, and anyone who loves a good drink with a powerful backstory. $35.
Weekend Events:
LeFrak Center Opening Weekend @ Prospect Park (Saturday August 2nd & Sunday August 3rd, 11am: With summer in full swing, Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit that sustains Brooklyn's Backyard, is kicking off a new chapter at one of its most popular destinations, the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside. Following renovations and with new operators in place, the Center will reopen for rollerskating, boating and—for the first time—pickleball, this weekend. RSVP to receive the full schedule of programs, including free rink admission for rollerskating, pickleball, yoga and more to celebrate this new chapter! FREE—RSVP required.
Saturday, August 2nd:
Stationery Store Day Event with Kelli Anderson @ Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store, 11am: Join Annie’s in their backyard as they celebrate Stationery Store Day with a special hands-on workshop led by artist, designer, and paper magician Kelli Anderson. Kelli will guide the group through creating one of her signature paper animations…a mesmerizing “flexigon card” that folds and unfolds in endless motion. This intimate, hour-long session is perfect for curious minds and design lovers alike. Come ready to cut, fold, and be delighted! Seating is limited. $15.
First Saturday: En Fuego @ Brooklyn Museum, 5-9:30pm*: Ignite your night with music, film, poetry, and comedy at August’s First Saturday. Celebrate the brilliance of artists from the Caribbean diaspora in the lead-up to Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade. Includes museum general admission. FREE.
Jordan Klepper: Suffering Fools @ The Bell House, 7:30pm*: Jordan Klepper is an Emmy winning co-host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central where he pulls double duty behind the chair and in the field. He’s toured the country with his stand-up/storytelling/power point stage show Suffering Fools. His Ted Talk on how to save democracy and lose at conversations has been seen by millions. $27.65.
BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Gogol Bordello | Puzzled Panther | Pons @ Lena Horne Bandshell in Prospect Park, 7pm (Doors 6pm): Punk night is back and louder than ever! NYC legends Gogol Bordello headline with their signature fusion of high-energy punk and Eastern European musical influences. Ecstatic, emerging punk bands and Casa Gogol Records labelmates Puzzled Panther and Pons open. Expect raw energy, unfiltered sound, and full-force DIY spirit. FREE.
Sunday, August 3rd:
Phoenicia Flea @ Strong Rope Brewery (Red Hook), 1-7pm: Phoenicia Flea is a nomadic market of makers & merchants from the Catskills, the Hudson Valley and beyond. The flea market is headed to the Strong Rope Red Hook taproom for a special summer edition with 15+ curated vintage and craft vendors. Come shop, sip, and soak up summer! FREE.
Fundraiser for Palestine (pt 2) @ Ginger’s Bar, 2-6pm: Shop handmade leatherwork, bedazzled clothing, jewelry, art, ceramics nabulsi soap, and kufiyas made in Palestine. All proceeds go to families in Gaza and the West Bank! FREE entry.
Monday, August 4th:
Guided Sunset Paddle @ Gowanus Dredgers Bunker, 7:30-9pm: Join the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club for a secret, one of a kind, personal sunset cruise in canoes above Brooklyn's Gowanus Canal. Paddle along the Gowanus Canal to see a hidden side of Brooklyn, including the underside of bridges and our transforming industrial neighborhood. Discover the fun of canoeing as you explore the history of our Brooklyn neighborhood’s rich past, present, and future. $28.52.
Wednesday, August 6th:
Paramount + Movie Nights: The Smurfs @ Prospect Park, 6:30-10:30pm: Spend your summer nights in Prospect Park with Paramount+ Movie Nights in Brooklyn, the free, outdoor movie series presented by Paramount+, BK Mag, and BSE Global in partnership with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Prospect Park Alliance. This week, enjoy The Smurfs (PG). Film begins shortly after sunset. FREE- RSVP recommended.
Written in Brooklyn presents: Take Me Baby Or Leave Me @ Farm.One, 8pm (7pm doors): What's hotter than the temperature outside? The line up for this monthly event! Hear stories of begging to be seen + longing for love, hard goodbyes + new hellos. It's one of the sweetest line-ups yet.
It’s all happening at the impossibly cool Farm.One- join them for a night of real stories, lots of laughs, and definitely gasps. $28.52.
Outdoor Cinema: Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? @ Parklife, 8-10:15pm: This week’s Outdoor Cinema presents the tense psychological 1962 drama Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?. Jane Hudson (Bette Davis) is an aging child star left to care for her wheelchair-bound sister Blanche (Joan Crawford), also a former child actress. Stuck living together in a mansion in old Hollywood, Blanche plots to get even with Jane for the car crash that left her crippled years earlier. But Jane is desperate to keep Blanche imprisoned as she plans a new rise to fame, and tries to hide Blanche’s existence from doctors, visitors and neighbors while she devises a way to get rid of her sister. Walk-ins welcome, but reservations highly recommended. FREE entry (food and drink purchase required).
Book Ahead For This Popular Event:
Summer Mocktail Class @ Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Thursday, August 21st, 5:30-7:30pm)*: Medicinal plants have been used for aperitifs and digestifs for centuries. Learning how to infuse the different botanical flavors, including aromatics and bitters, into our nonalcoholic drinks can add new tastes, complexity, and health benefits that may be as unfamiliar as some of the plants themselves. This class will introduce you to the wonders of using leaves, flowers, barks, seeds, and berries in a range of alcohol-free beverages. Recipes, tastings, and two mocktail elixirs will be made in class for you to use at home. $76.43 ($71.20 for members).
Did we miss anything? Add in comments below. 👇
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Business Buzz- Anniversary Edition ⚡️
Bar Goto is turning 10! Celebrate with them on Monday, August 4th, with a special collaborative four course menu of edomae sushi and cocktails for $55.
Weekly Way to Give Back 🎗️
Camp Friendship is accepting donations for its annual Back To School Drive. Now through August 22nd, drop off new school supplies at their location on 339 8th Street.
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