Let’s Talk About Greenpoint

In NYC, each neighborhood holds something that is uniquely different from the other. Be it a cultural vibe or array of eclectic food options - a neighborhood in Brooklyn can have you feeling as if you’re in an entirely different city. This is something that, time and time again, keeps us in awe. There is something for everyone in New York City, and when we visit Greenpoint we experience that feeling even more.

Greenpoint, on the surface, is a charming neighborhood with quirky shops and bars lining its streets. From delicious Polish restaurants to music venues that feature new and exciting indie bands - Greenpoint is never lacking. 

But beyond its appealing hub of rich and diverse boutiques and eateries exists a neighborhood celebrated for its preservation of the past. 

Located near the soothing waterfront, places like Acme Smoked Fish, a marketplace whose history dates back to the early 1900s, are necessary commodities in the neighborhood.

There is hardly a need for any sort of mega chain coffee company when you have Peter Pan’s Donuts, a storefront that has been around since the mid fifties.  Producing delicious pastries and roasted coffee, its checkered floors and cash only policy harkens back to older times.

Find the remnants of the Huron Street Bath Houses, with its neoclassical  architecture designed to appear as if it existed back in Roman times. Other notable buildings include a 1920s movie theater, turned pharmacy, which maintains its same box seats and ornamented dome.

Finally, we encourage those visiting Greenpoint to stop in at Film Noir Cinema and watch some classic films that will undoubtedly make you feel as though you have truly emerged yourself into another century. 

The best thing about Greenpoint is the community that celebrates its history. It’s a must see on your itinerary. 

Brooklyn’s Best kept Valentine Secrets

Maybe it’s just us, but we’ve never been wine and dine kind of people. In fact, the pressure that comes with Valentine’s Day has never really been our idea of romance. We like special, but love subtle and cheap even more. Lucky for people like us, Brooklyn is a never ending haven for spots like these. 

Avoid the crowds by finding yourself tucked away in the darkest corner of Freddy’s Bar enjoying true romance with your partner and a basket of tots. Impress your date by telling them the rich history behind the bar, and its evolution from the prohibition years. Freddy’s Valentine event goes on until 3 AM. No tickets required!

EastVille Comedy Club is celebrating V-Day with their 80's & 90's Mixtape Party. With a no drink minimum, Eastville is pouring out half-off drinks on Friday. Enjoy the ambience and, most importantly, the jams of the late 80s and 90s all night long.

Friends and Lovers Bar in Brooklyn also turns out a stellar night. They’re hosting MATCH GAME NYC which is proclaimed to be “the funnest & funniest game show in the five boroughs!” Enjoy drinks and a Mad-Lib-esque participatory game night that is sure to leave you actually enjoying Valentine’s Day this year.

“Matchgame NYC is the funnest & funniest game show in the five boroughs!”

— Yelp Customer

Star Barr also rolls out some good times with their Valentine's Day: Ecosystem of Love party. Enjoy a delightful happy hour with awesome ice breaker games for meeting new people. Finally, when you’re good and drunk enough, karaoke through the night and wind down with a Caribbean Dance Party??! Yes, you read that correctly. A frickin’ CARIBBEAN DANCE PARTY. We’re so down.

Finally, you’ll need to re-cooperate after a rambunctious evening, so we suggest heading over to Matt Torrey's Bar on 46 Bushwick Avenue for the inaugural event of the month, Valentine’s Hangover! With great music, prizes and giveaways, this singles event won’t disappoint!

So, there ya have it! Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be tedious and disappointing. Whether you’re looking for love, taking out your date, or just wanting to have a little fun - there’s always a spot for you in Brooklyn.

The Art Of Utilizing Space in Your Brooklyn Apartment

Many may argue that one of Brooklyn’s finest features are its brownstone apartments - and they wouldn’t be wrong. In fact, many of the apartments date back to the late 1800s and hold a history that is unparalleled to other cities. With that, of course, comes certain limitations in sizing and functionality. Some apartments have been renovated, but more than a few have not.

If you’re one of the “lucky” ones to have a rustic, albeit “vintage” apartment and are currently riding the Studio/ 1 Bedroom wave - may we recommend a few adjustments to utilize your apartment’s space to its full capacity

You can definitely make room with a sofa bed, and may we recommend one like this, which includes blanket storage. If you’re the sort of person that needs a bed, maybe purchase a tall one, and use the space underneath to store your guitar cases, Ouija Boards, and juggling set. The taller your bed gets the more space you have, so consider one of these if you’re thinking about putting an entire workstation beneath you! We also love the idea of having a table to eat on, and many of them come with a pull up top that unveils extra storage.

Besides storage compartments, consider that the walls of your apartment are your best friends. Use them to add shelving units, hooks, and rail lighting. Hang pots on the space above the stove, your instruments above your mock shift studio, and your vinyls on sturdy raised racks above the vinyl player. The more wall space you use, the more floor space you’ll have.

Finally, one of the best pieces of advice we’ve gotten is to avoid clutter. Do your due diligence and remove those belongings that are unnecessary in your life. Cleanse your apartment of the additional lamp and bow-flex that you may not need/be using. While all this clearing out of tangible goods may do wonders for your apartment, you’ll find that it does even more for your soul and headspace.

A New Kind of Work Environment

In the past, a lot of my previous work environments have been cold and sterile buildings with people who keep their heads down as they fiddle with their keyboards. This one coworker’s face, I never even saw, as it seemed to be permanently blocked by a monitor.

When I started working for Stay BK, things were completely different. It was a communicative environment complete with group lunches and a collection of memes tossed back and forth via office chats. It was a laid back but oddly progressive office conducive to creating a group of agents who worked harder than you would expect in a this sort of environment.

We’ve all been raised to believe that an iron fist and mild micromanagement can get the work done, but after personally witnessing otherwise, I’m inclined to believe that a person will rise to the occasion when they are given the space to do.

At Stay BK, agents are given the opportunity to communicate with their clients on a personal level. With in house marketing, they are given all the tools to perform their responsibilities to the best of their abilities. They are also provided with transportation, if necessary.

Agents at Stay BK are here to stay because they feel supported daily in their careers. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in a career with Stay BK, hit us up! We’re always excited to add more talent to the team!

Brooklyn Living - Money Pit Or Mecca of Opportunity?

As we sit here listening to Uptown Funk, with our espresso from the local kolache bakery in hand, we see one renter after another walk in with that same nervous look on their face. Are they making the right decision? Is Brooklyn really the right place for them? Are the made to last in a city so rambunctious and ever-changing? The truth is, you can never really know that. Even years into the game, you’ll wonder if this city was ever meant for you. There are frequent highs and lows that you’ll experience during your days spent in Brooklyn. Some lows may be transit delays, a homeless man who gave you side eye, or an over priced lunched. It’s our experience, however, that the good often outweighs the bad. Sure, a real estate agency may be biased, but there are few of us who are actually native Brooklyn dwellers. Each one of us moved to Brooklyn looking for opportunity - a quick way to create avenues for ourselves and our families.

Brooklyn does that. It has a way of making you the strongest version of yourself. After some time, the small things don’t phase you because you’re too busy looking forward and onto the next big picture you have in your mind.

You are forced to know your neighbors and communicate like they did back in the 1950’s because you’ll find that, sometimes, you’ll need to count on other people. You’ll try new places, mainly out of convenience and intrigue, something you may not have done in another less cultural city. You’ll make connections, with people you never thought you would even connect with in the first place. It’s a city on Speed, that puts you on a fast track to becoming who you’ve always wanted to be, and that is definitely worth the price of an expensive cup of Brooklyn coffee.

Diving Through Brooklyn's Thrift

Good things come to those who thrift, and in Brooklyn - a city so rich with culture and eclectic findings - it’s not entirely impossible to walk into a thrift store and leave it with what may be the best deal you’ve ever been lucky enough to stumble upon. That is Brooklyn thrifting in a nutshell. A person can enter a place just to browse and end up rearranging their apartment to match their new thrift store purchase.

The beauty about Brooklyn apartments is that their antiquated appearances make them ideal canvases for scavenged goods from the local vintage furniture shop. Items from the late 70’s just look better in an exposed brick apartment, paired with a few modern purchases from your Red Hook’s Ikea, of course.

True story: Once we went into a small vintage shop on Star Street in Bushwick, just browsing around and looking for nothing in particular when suddenly we found what may be the most spectacular armchair. Now, in the back of our mind, we had always been looking for a chair like that, but everything on Amazon seemed overpriced and somewhat risky. Some people had loved the item - others had hated it. With such strong opinions, we never did find that chair until it literally almost fell on top of us in the mildly cramped thrift store. Seventy-five bucks later, we were kings looking at the most spectacular olive green retro arm chair sitting in the corner of our apartment.

Thrift can do that to you. A good purchase can change you and make you float on clouds for a moment. If you don’t believe us, check out these stores for yourself. We highly recommend them.

L Train Vintage

Crossroads Trading Co.

Awoke Vintage

GG’s Social Club

Chess And The Sphinx