Recently opened: DOK Brooklyn & The Cat Bar! Plus, Mulchfest & a new dumpling workshop series
Also this week: Swap un-wanted holiday gifts, cook an Italian feast, and learn to salsa dance
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“It’s my way of staying connected to the neighborhood. Hyper-local journalism is so important!” - Park Slope Pulse reader
Local News:
Openings:
UPDATED: As reported by The Infatuation, Pies ’n’ Thighs is coming to Park Slope! The Williamsburg favorite is opening a second location at 224 Flatbush Ave (former Pecking House location).
Pies ‘n’ Thighs is a popular comfort food restaurant in Brooklyn celebrating it’s 20th anniversary soon! The restaurant specializes in delicious fried chicken, buttery biscuits, delectable pies & donuts. @piesnthighs is co-owned by Sarah Sanneh (also co-founder of Heaps Ice Cream) and Carolyn Bane.
DOK Brooklyn, a new Thai restaurant, has opened in the space previously occupied by Barbaco Tío.
The Cat Bar, a neighborhood bar that will feature local jazz & folk musicians, celebrated its soft opening last week.
Casa Azul, which previously had announced that they were shutting down, is now operating on a month to month basis. Make sure to stop by and support them!
Closings:
Flatiron Steakhouse on 5th Ave and 7th St recently closed. Gino’s Pizza, which has been in the neighborhood for over 40 years, has also closed. They will be missed!
Curious why such a large number of businesses closed in the Park Slope area last year? Learn what business owners have to say below and how we can help!
Local News:
Local spots Yardsale Cafe, Winner, and Prospect Butcher Co make The Infatuation’s The NYC Chocolate Chip Cookie Power Ranking.
Joe Holtz, general manager and co-founder of the Park Slope Food Co-Op, is featured in NY Mag. Holtz retired in June 2025, 50 years after he co-founded Co-Op in 1973.
Park Slope News Stand, which has been in the neighborhood for over 60 years, was robbed over the holiday season. Please stop by and support them!
A Curbed feature looks at a former 676 Union Street tenement in Park Slope that once housed artists and has since been converted into two luxury duplexes.
Check out this adorable snowy Snoopy sculpture created by an unknown artist in Prospect Park! Thanks to Alex Weider on Park Slope Together for the photo.
Feeling the post-holiday slump? Scroll down for fun winter activities to enjoy with the entire family.
Mychal
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Thinking About What Comes Next? A Relaxed Real Estate Conversation for Families
Curious about finding more space in Brooklyn or Manhattan-or considering what life beyond the city could look like? Join the agents of Compass’ East Coast Network for a relaxed, info-rich conversation about lifestyle and relocation options (kids welcome!). Meet trusted agents from across the tri-state area, including Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, upstate New York, the Hamptons, and Palm Beach County, Florida. A laid-back gathering where kids play and adults connect.
Friday, Jan 9, 4-6:30PM at Space Club (DUMBO)
Our Top Weekly Picks:
Events with an asterisk* tend to sell out—reserve tickets early!
Thursday, Jan 8th:
Sip & Paint @ Mockingbird Zero-Proof Cocktail Bar, 7-10pm: Grab a drink, pick up a paintbrush, and let your creativity flow. Talented instructors will guide you through creating your own masterpiece, no experience necessary. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just looking to unwind after a long day, this event is perfect for everyone. This event is family friendly and tickets include one drink, one appetizer and gratuity in addition to supplies. $31.72.
Italian Feast Cooking Class @ The Common, 6-9pm: Join The Common for a gourmet Brooklyn-foodie event including three hours of hands-on cooking and baking under Chef instruction in a professional restaurant kitchen. This event is perfect for beginners and seasoned home cooks alike. Includes complimentary aperitivo of Prosecco, one glass of wine during the class, and two glasses of wine with dinner. You will enjoy a delicious spread of hors d’oeuvres before starting, the final dinner course you’ve prepared, and coffee or tea to end the meal. $119.
Salsa Craze Thursdays @ Atolye Venue & Bar, 8pm-1am: Enjoy a free class from 8-9pm and happy hour until 9 at this fun weekly salsa party! FREE.
Weekend Events:
Mulchfest 2026 @ Prospect Park—January 10th and 11th: Bring your holiday tree to Prospect Park to be transformed into environment-friendly mulch that will help nourish the park. Plus, you can even take some home for your own use! Register here.
Friday, January 9th:
A Drinking Game: Legally Blonde @ The Bell House, 8pm: Classic movies...shaken, not stirred & w/ a twist. What's "A Drinking Game"? Well, take your favorite 80s/90s flick, mix in a live staged reading, add a dash of your favorite beverage & you've got 1 hell of a cocktail. Talented actors perform cult classics for a live audience. Each show has a list of buzzwords & phrases. When you hear one, a bell rings & everyone drinks, including the cast! Wackiness ensues. $25.05.
Hot Gossip with Jonathan Van Hale @ Union Hall, 10pm: Local gossip Jonathan van Halem (Clickhole, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) pauses his perpetual gab-sesh to discuss audience-generated gossip, as well as host an evening of stand-up comedy. Featuring Jaboukie Young White, Julia Shiplett, Hotel Art Thief, and more. Doors open at 9:30pm. $15.92.
Saturday, January 10th:
Dumpling Workshop @ Nin Hao, 1-3:30: This popular workshop is back and is becoming a weekly ritual! It’s a perfect activity for friends & families. Take dumplings home, or enjoy them here after folding & steaming your creations! $15/kids under 8 free.
Sunday, January 11th:
2nd Anniversary Party @ LoFi Bar: Celebrate LoFi’s 2nd anniversary with a happy hour all day and into the night plus drink specials! FREE admission.
Swap Meet with Treasure It @ Farm.One, 2pm: Need to regift something you received for the holidays? Ready to start the new year with less clutter? Or are you just in it for the thrill of discovering something fun? Whatever your reason, stop by Treasure It’s Brooklyn swap meet to give and get free things in real time. Bring a bag of items you’d love to pass on, browse what others are giving away, and leave with something new-to-you, all while helping keep great stuff out of the landfill and saving some money. FREE.
Monday, January 12th:
The In Betweens Creative Writing Community— In person & virtual (times vary): The In Betweens is a fun, new creative writing community hosted by author and comedian Claire Berger that meets Monday evenings @ 6pm on Zoom, and in person in Park Slope on Wednesday mornings (10:30am-12:30pm) & Sunday evenings (7-9pm). Everyone is welcome, especially non-pros who just want to join a supportive, creative community. Together, the group will explore life transitions with a more imaginative eye through offbeat prompts and unexpected field trips. $15 virtual/$20 in person.
Book ahead for these popular events:
Salsa Party @ Brooklyn Museum— Thursday January 22nd, 6-9:30pm: Celebrate the return of Brooklyn Museum’s Salsa Party series with a dance-filled evening hosted by Balmir Dance Society. Kick off the evening with a lesson led by professional dancers at 6 pm, followed by live music, social dancing, and performances by the borough’s best Latin dance teams. FREE- registration recommended.
Flower Arranging Workshop @ ZuZu’s Petals— Thursday, January 22nd 6:30-8PM: Spend an evening with the Zuzus and share in over 50 years of floral knowledge and experience. In this class, you will learn how to select blooms, create sustainable structures, and utilize color theory to create your very own lush, unique flower arrangement to take home. The class price includes the blooms you’ll use in your arrangement, a 4x5 glass vase, flower clippers, and a beverage to enjoy! $150.
Submit an event to be considered for this weekly events roundup! Add any events for this week in comments below.
Neighborhood Job Board
Our neighborhood job board returns next week! We’ll be collecting fresh job listings again - List a job for free.
Each week we create a new job board link with the latest local listings! Sign up for Park Slope Pulse to get the latest job board delivered to your inbox.
To kick things off, there is a Hiring Open House for Experienced Cooks & Baristas this weekend.
Winter Activities for the Entire Family ❄️
Looking for some post-holiday fun? Check out these wintery-y activities perfect for all ages.
Holiday Train Show @ New York Botanical Garden (through January 11th): After more than three decades, the Holiday Train Show continues to delight as New York City’s favorite winter tradition and a can’t-miss adventure. The timeless magic of rail travel fills NYBG with seasonal cheer as model trains travel over famous bridges and through familiar city settings, bringing nearly 200 twinkling landmark replicas to life under the glass of the warm and welcoming Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Tickets start at $25.
Big Snow @ American Dream: No snow? No problem. Big Snow is North America’s first and only indoor, real-snow, year-round ski and snow resort. Climb, slide and snowtube on real snow anytime you want— regardless of the weather outside— on an indoor, temperature-controlled mountain in E Rutherford, NJ, less than an hour drive from Brooklyn! Private lessons and children’s classes available. Ticket prices vary- more info here.
Ice Skating @ LeFrak Center, Prospect Park: Enjoy the winter season with skating and hockey on covered and open-air rinks with scenic views of Prospect Park. General admission is $10.
Pay-What-You-Can weekdays @ Brooklyn Botanical Garden: Through February, enjoy pay-what-you-can admission on weekdays! Details here.
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✨ Secret Slope ✨
This week’s Insider section by Park Slope Living includes:
A new Tattoo parlor coming to 5th Ave • A new Pilates studio coming to 7th Ave • I put together a Park Slope summer camps summary spreadsheet for kids ages 4 and 7, including a curated subset of theatre- and art-focused programs based on the research I did while enrolling my own kids - with dates, prices and notes that parents & caregivers care about. Continues below…
