Stuck in New York: 6 Super Cheap, Super Fun Things to Do This Labor Day Weekend
Hey, that sky! It’s so blue! It’s not gonna look like that in a couple of months. So enjoy it now.
Hey, so: It’s the last weekend of the summer. The perfect time for a getaway, right? Right! But also: Wrong. Vacationing is great and everything, but this is the weekend when everyone’s doing it. Don’t you want to be different? Don’t you want to have your own thing going on and not just be following the beach-bound throngs? Of course you do. Also, maybe you’re broke? And maybe nobody has invited you away for the weekend at their summer house? And maybe it’s like you have no friends left in the whole entire world it sometimes seems like and so you are just going to have to make your own fun and do it for not a lot of money at all. Maybe! Anyway, if this is you, don’t worry, we’ve got some ideas for you so that you can better occupy these last, lazy days of summer. And not go broke doing it.
Ghostbusters and a Stay Puft Marshmallow Roast: Go watch everybody’s favorite movie about how the Environmental Protection Agency is truly evil and eat some ooey-gooey marshmallows while you’re at it. Williamsburg’s Videology is actually hosting several great events this weekend, so if you just camped out here all the way through the end of the Wet Hot American Summer marathon (it’ll be playing on a loop for all of Labor Day) we won’t blame you. Hell, we might even be right there with you.
Videology: 308 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg
Don’t Dream It’s Over: An End of Summer Indie Dance Party: Ugh, it’s true: Summer is really over. Sure, it’s still going to be hot as hell next week, but that doesn’t mean it’s really summer. So bid farewell to the season in a suitably emo style over at Williamsburg’s Passenger Bar, where DJs YOURS?MINE will be spinning “several decades’ worth of indie and indie-esque favorites.” Sounds appropriately tragic, right? Right. Sigh.
Passenger Bar: 229 Roebling Street, Williamsburg
Black Rock Coalition’s 30th Anniversary Kick-Off Party featuring Unlocking The Truth, Vernon Reid & Corey Glover (of Living Colour) and Betty BlackWell: We were going to suggest that you attend the Moth’s Story Slam at the Bell House on Monday, which centers around the theme of BETRAYAL, so you know it’s going to get dark and funny and very, very uncomfortable. But! It’s sold out. Because dark, twisted fantasies (and realities) sell tickets. But then we were poking around to see what else was going on at the Bell House and we saw that on Sunday, this awesome party was going down and would be featuring Unlocking the Truth, easily one of our favorite up-and-coming Brooklyn bands. (Members graduated from middle school this past June.) So forget betrayal, and just have some good, uncomplicated fun. Plus: Tickets are only ten bucks.
The Bell House: 148 7th Street, Gowanus
Are you going to look as good at the pool as these two? Sure you are.
Red Hook Pool: Haven’t made it to the beach this summer? Don’t worry, mostly you just missed out on getting a lot of sand up your butt. Instead, take advantage of one of the city’s free public pools to cool off. We’re partial to the ginormous Red Hook pool, not only because it’s very clean and there’s plenty of space to swim without feeling like you’re being crowded (well, most of the time; we’re not making any promises about this particular weekend), but also because if you go swimming here, you’ll have easy access post-swim to the delicious food at Hometown BBQ as well as one of the best bars in Brooklyn, Sunny’s. Plus, nothing beats watching the sun sink down at Valentino Pier. It’s as good a way as any to bid farewell to the summer.
Red Hook Pool: 155 Bay Street, Red Hook
Eat Up at Extra Fancy: Easily one of our favorite spots in all of Brooklyn, Williamsburg’s Extra Fancy is hosting a Sunday Funday on the 6th, where there will be a day full of live music in the backyard, a kiddie pool set up for cooling down, and cheap eats, like $5 sausage and peppers, to go along with your cheap drinks, think: $3 Brooklyn Brewery beers and $5 vodka slushies. Yeah, that’s right: Vodka slushies.
Extra Fancy: 302 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg
West Indian Day Parade: Brooklyn’s biggest party is back! And while there’s no word yet if the de Blasio family will be dancing in the streets again (is the city ready to see Mr. Mayor whip and nae nae? uh, no), we can safely assume that they’ll be there, along with sundry other politicians and some of the best-dressed people in the city. So, if you like steel drums (who doesn’t?) and roti (really, you’d better like roti or something’s wrong with you), head over to Eastern Parkway on Monday. And check out our 2014 guide to the parade—it’s just as applicable now as it was last year.
For information about the festivities, visit here.
