Brokelyn

Suck it, winter. Via Flickr's Karl Hassel.

Some science bros in Britain have declared this week to contain the single most depressing day of the year, what with the return to work, that rapidly drying fire hazard of a Christmas tree and these lousy caucuses making all of us pay heed to the opinions of 1 percent of Iowans. It’s easy to spend the few daylight hours feeling sorry for yourself and watching Arrested Development over and over again. Nay! Rage rage against the dying of the light! Winter is the perfect time to take advantage of things you’ve missed all year. Read the rest of this entry »

I just learned about this on Reddit, of all places (which, c’mon guys, shoot us an email us with crap like this!). Tonight, Williamsburg’s Nitehawk Cinema is hosting some sort of free event for VHS fetishists. If you’re somehow interested in anything VHS, I can probably stop explaining it here because, honestly, what other VHS event are you going to go to? But for the curious rest of us, there seems to be tape trading, secret Santa, a game show, food, drinks, a “Santa Pause” and a screening of an old “ratty” VHS version of 1989′s Elves. Personally, nostalgia for the never-not crappy VHS format seems like pining for medical practices pre-discovery of bacteria, but shine on you crazy tracking-button pushing diamonds. Nitehawk has these events periodically, so keep an eye on its site for future info.

You survived your weekend with the family and the subsequent Sunday night back-in-Brooklyn bender. Hooray! Why not relax this week and take in some free events from our list of no-cost fall outings? You could be in the audience for the taping of a new NPR quiz show Ask Me Another, learn about the history of Brooklyn’s jump rope girls or relive the season 1 finale of Twin Peaks. Plus, you can get your spiked collar out for goth dance night at The Bell House and top it off by shopping for crafts (goths love crafts, right?) and records at two Williamsburg shopping fairs this weekend. See the whole list here, and send whatever we’re missing to free[at]brokelyn.com!

What's your Pet Peeve

It’s a new month and a new Tuesday which means the folks at the Tea Lounge are back with another month of free events to make your early mid week less boring. November’s series starts tonight with an evening of improv featuring players from the PIT, UCB, Gotham City Improv, The Magnet and Second City, plus a Pet Peeve Forum where you can an open mic and five minutes to vent about whatever is on your mind (which in Park Slope is likely pro- or anti-baby issues). And then next week: a skillshare class on crocheting winter accessories! And more! Check the full schedule below: Read the rest of this entry »

What are you going to do to kill the time before our big Brokedown Throwdown on Sunday afternoon? Luckily, you’ve got plenty of free entertainment options this week to help whet your appetite (and give you time to think of those “Yo Mamma So Broke” slams). Tonight, the impressive-sounding Society for the Advancement of Social Studies is hosting a spooky lecture at Pete’s Candy Store on mummies, serial killers and cannibals. Then tomorrow, put some athletic tape on your funny bone to prepare for the release party for The Ecstasy of Defeat, the collection of sports writing from The Onion at Powerhouse Arena in Dumbo. For the weekend, indulge your love of foodie porn with On the Line: An Evening of Food and Photography in Gowanus. See the full list on our Free Fall events calendar!

Check this running tally of free events for the fall season when you’re looking for something fun when you don’t have money to spare. If we missed one, send events to free[at]brokelyn.com and we’ll list it here!

Read the rest of this entry »

Image by Meghan Doherty.

Summer’s gone and with it all those glorious free movies, concerts and outdoor festivals that make the livin’ easy. But just because it’s fall, does that mean the only entertainment you can afford involves rushing to the mailbox to steal your roommate’s Qwikster discs? Heck no! We’re keeping our free events calendar crisp and cracklin’ into the crisp autumn, so stay tuned, because what the fall lacks in sun-drenched outdoor bacchanalia it makes up for in erudite free lectures, crafting workshops, comedy and lots of other cozy smart things that often involve bars with fireplaces, coffee-scented book stores and tasty seasonal beers. But most importantly: send us your free events to free[at]brokelyn.com! Keep us in the loop of stuff you know about and we’ll pass the word on, so we can all be free fallin‘.

Trevor, Team Brokelyn's original surf brah

It’s damn near 100 degrees, which means we’re going to be light on posts today, not just to let our laptops cool but also because Team Brokelyn is taking a beach day! Yes, this is one of the few perks of being funemployed, so we’re taking advantage. But did you know Brokelyn has plenty of beach-friendly content ready for you to explore? Take a hint from us and find out how (and how much) to get stoked for a summer of surfing at Rockaway. Or hitch your board to a train and find out how to get to a nearby beach in Jersey or Long Island. If you’re stuck on dry land (womp womp) there’s plenty of free stuff to do in BK today. We’ll be back tomorrow, but if you’ve got the day off, come meet us in Rockaway: It’s not hard, not far to reach!

CEPT, Courtesy Arch402 Gallery, featured in Verge Art Brooklyn

Art lovers in the city are going balls-to-the-wall crazy right now for Armory Arts Week and the Armory Show, starting Thursday. The Upper West Side-based Armory Show boasts the finest in 20th and 21st century modern and contemporary art. It also boasts a big price tag: $30. Lucky for you, you don’t have to travel to Manhattan to get your art on this year. To coincide with the Armory Show, Verge (of Art Basel and Miami satellite fair fame) started it’s own hubbub, made it free, and shifted focus to artists living today. Verge Art Brooklyn runs Thursday to Sunday, featuring nine locations in DUMBO, 70 gallery exhibitors, 40 art project spaces, and 50 finalists in the Tomorrow Stars open call exhibition. Did I mention that it’s all free? Event details and map, below to help you maximize the free artness. Read the rest of this entry »

No more BS.

Monday night football? While the bros and the bettys are busy getting iced, you can start your own weekly ritual this fall. In honor of great under-appreciated TV, the Knitting Factory is showing highlights of some of its favorite TV series every Monday. Replete with free snacks and specialty cocktails, the TV nights are kicking off this Monday, Sept. 13, with one that’s hard to pass up: Arrested Development and the tribulations of the family Bluth. Read the rest of this entry »