Bay Ridge Art Space is an art gallery AND classroom taught by highly acclaimed artists, Alonsa and…read moreJames. I attended an acrylic painting class where we made a painting inspired by Van Gogh. During the three-hour course, Alonsa and James taught us how to paint Van Gogh style from start to finish. Though three hours may seem like a long time, the time really flew by as we painted. I was happy with my finished painting (which is hanging on the wall in a place of honor at my place). The price point is competitive for the level of expertise that Alonsa and James provide. Alonsa and James make the class special. You can easily tell they enjoy teaching the class and sharing their knowledge of art and art history. Their personalities complement each other and make the class fun. The studio/gallery - The space also serves as a work studio so you can see works-in-progress by Alonsa and James. Additionally the space is a gallery of work from local artists. Several pieces depicted the local landscape of Bay Ridge (the Verrazano, the bay, etc.), which I thought was pretty cool. In my opinion, the class is for those who have a genuine interest in painting and seeing how artists work. Alonsa and James will make it fun for you. Seriously, go see for yourself!

I recently attended Bay Ridge Art Space's opening "New Ovington Village" the art was awesome and it…read morewas great for the artists and viewers of Bay Ridge to get to know each other. I can't wait for future shows. I've known James and Alonsa for a few years now. Their personalities and expertise in painting and drawing sets them apart.

I took my 3 year old here and she really got into it! She is usually a wild kid, but I could see…read morehow well she connected with Orit and the serious look on her face as she tried to follow. She was so proud of herself at the masterpiece she created that she beams every time someone comes over and looks at it hanging on our living room wall. Orit has a special way of connecting with children. She made my daughter feel like a star especially since she has been going through a hard time. I would highly recommend you bring your children here. There are a lot of art places around but what differentiates this one is how amazing Orit is with the kids. I did a paint night here too and it really helped me relax. Better then yoga or meditation!

I've never painted with acrylic paint before in my life. I…read morewent to this little studio located directly off of kings highway and E 7th street during a wine/paint night with a bunch of couples. I had so much fun!! I learned so much about mixing colors it was great! I highly recommend this studio, due to the owners knowledge of color theory and her teaching skills. Little did I know that she is actually a full time art teacher in schools. Can't wait to go back and do another class with a bunch of my friends next time, A++!!

I came here for the Secret Garden Art Festival not really knowing what to expect, but it was a way…read moreto integrate a little art into a normal beach day. The space is well put together, inside of a former Army church, surrounded by abandoned buildings, it's a really nice venue to view art in. It's been restored by not too much, it's still rustic. They offer beer, wine, and snacks, and were playing your standard electronic ambient music. For the most part I also really enjoyed the selections of pieces from artists they were showing. The main room has great acoustics and we got to see a cello player perform. The garden out back is a great space that's both part of the exhibit and a location to hang out in. There are old velvet couches sprinkled through the overgrowth, tiki torches and fairy lights highlighting both artwork, old mechanical equipment, and neglected garden decorations. If you go through the garden, around the back to where this massive hulking abandoned building is, you'll find a direct route to the beach too. Definitely worth stopping to take a look at if you're nearby.

The Rockaway Artists Alliance is a nonprofit that engages residents in the arts and cultural…read moreactivities. The group provides free lectures, presentations, exhibitions, and special events as well as organizing beautification projects. Working with the Gateway National Recreational Area, the alliance is renovating previously dilapidated buildings to establish and cultural arts center. Address: 260 Beach 116th Street, Rockaway Park, and www.rockawayartistsalliance.org.

I've walked by this place so many times thinking it was a coffee shop…read more It's actually a training center for the coffee company and the space is often used by other industry related creatives. Today I attended a tea tasting with Dona Teas . It was a very informative session and we got to try tea and latte . The space is really big and comfortable and the people were friendly. I look forward to other events hosted here. I believe the coffee company has weekly events. Just note the accessibility to the main door is limited to stairs .

BEAN: La Golondrina…read more RECOMMENDED BREWS: V-60: 1/18 ratio - 12g/215g Evian Water 202 f Baratza dial 18-20 (med-med coarse) Low bed 4-5 pours Draw Down 3.5 min Notes: Dial 18 - good body and bitter/ sour balance, chocolate, citrus, sweet Dial 20 - faster draw down, same notes with differences being in bit less body development, no sourness, toasty with very good balance. A cup everyone can enjoy FINAL THOUGHTS: If you like a stronger body and more range in flavor, go for the med grind. If you prefer smoother, safer with no surprises, go for the coarser grind.

Love this spot!! My fiancé and I are taking lessons with Levan from ProDancing NYC and this studio…read moreis awesome!!! It's a large dance floor, with plenty of mirrors on the walls. It's always super clean and even if others are dancing, there's plenty of room for us to practice!!

This is a singularly unique place in New York and very fucking cool…read more Founded in 1999, Booklyn is an artist-run, nonprofit organization headquartered in Brooklyn. They teach random things like book binding techniques and how to silkscreen. Every tuesday night they have an open studio from 6:30-9:30 where half of the time is usually spent working on some artist's project like a limited run artbook or a zine or some such thing. The rest of the time you work on your own projects and the regulars teach you how to do everything and let you use Booklyn's supplies like paper, binding materials, and huge fuck-off guillotines from 1962 that are for cutting large amounts of paper but have no discernable safety features. Everyone brings snacks and beer and hangs out like the commie hippies they are(good thing). and it's generally the coolest thing I've found in this crazy city. Did I mention there's a Banksy on the dumpster outside? Come check it out on a tuesday night and when you're done come with me to the bar next door where ski-ball is 25 cents a game and they have guiness by the pitcher. Damn Greenpoint, you keep this shit up and I might quit my job and start squatting in a nearby warehouse...

I used exhibit at the annual crafts fair,unfortunately it usually it occurs on the same weekend as…read morethe Indian market at the National museum of the American Indian,the room probably has 100 crafts people in it, and the kids and parents are wonderful.I actually met Robert DeNiros wife here as child was attending school here,sorry I dont remember her name something like pookie,but she was very down to earth and charming!! I don't know how much the tuition is but my sense is that the kids get a very well rounded education.Ive always intended to go to their friends meeting,as I understand it's very meditative.If you're in the area please stop by the annual crafts show to support the school.

Great Customer Service, Amazing Views and Chill Atmosphere!…read more We made reservations for my friend's birthday on 6/28 and this was one of the best overall experiences ever. Caio was very friendly and knowledgeable when it came on to the food and the drinks, he was also very entertaining and had great comedic timing. Camila was attentive, she came over to us and asked how everything was going and continued to check on us throughout the night. Even though it was super busy the staff remained friendly. The food was good, the portion sizes weren't big but were just right. The wings are not jumbo and the Truffle fries need to be tweaked, maybe change the recipe or call it fries with Parmesan cheese. As far as the drinks, the cocktail pouches were a hit. We had 2 each including two additional shots. This place is good for a happy hour, lunch, brunch, date, chill spot, etc. The views of the city were great, it's social media friendly with a lot of picture opportunities, they also have jumbo games such as Jenga, Connect Four and Cards. Overall it was a great night out. As far as the price point, multiple drinks will bring a hefty tab but that goes for most of the city.

Such a fun place on the East River with great views. The atmosphere reminds me of a Tiki Hut…read more beach vibe. Seating is completing outdoor. We made reservations for a table. You can also rent cabanas for larger groups and they have optional packages that can be reserved as well. They have a live DJ, music was great they played a mixture of new music along with older music for the more mature audience like my husband and myself. Everything was great for us, we truly enjoyed the change of atmosphere and crowd. If you are looking for a quiet place to have a conversation, I would not recommend this place. It's very loud, but in a fun way. Some people brought children, I personally would not recommend this unless you don't mind the drinking, yelling and smoking. Our food was good but the menu could have more dining options. I personally feel this place is catered more to people that are looking to have a light meal with plenty of drink options. It's more of a drink and socialize place. Again we LOVED it, because it was a change of scenery for us. The downside is that there is no restroom within the restaurant. You have to walk outside the restaurant to the end of the dock to use the public restrooms which normally has a very long line. This isn't ideal. Overall great experience. We checked out to the tune of a 200+ bill. The alcoholic drinks were pricey rolling in at $86 before taxes for four drinks.