Bed-Stuy “boozerie” Project Parlor had its grand re-opening Friday after closing up for a month of renovations. The bar originally opened in 2009 under the ownership of Megan Florence and was bought from her in June of 2018 by former employee Rob Morrero, the bar’s music booker TJ Olsen, and law student Roy Berman, who was a regular there. The three co-owners all felt a strong connection to Project Parlor and that feeling was shared by the large crowd of friends that celebrated with them into the wee hours. More →

Customs agents at JFK airport made an unusual discovery last June: Three dozen finches straightjacketed in hair curlers. The tiny birds are used in singing contests by Guyanese men in New York, spawning a niche illicit trade that extends back to the Caribbean. The finches are trapped in the wild and drugged with rum before shipping. Hundreds have been intercepted over the last few years. More →

Gordo’s Cantina quietly opened in Bushwick a month ago after leaving Long Island City last summer, and it’s been a good move for owner JR Savage. “I was just out walking Gordo before you got here,” said the resident of nearby Ridgewood, referring to his restaurant’s namesake French bulldog. “Living five blocks away has been perfect for getting this place together this year.” Savage’s pop-ups are still big business for him; last year his tacos was served at Celebrate Brooklyn’s concerts and Governor’s Ball, where we met him in the midst of the festival’s inclement weather. More →

It looks like any other East Village apartment building now, but over a century ago, 533 East Fifth Street, between Avenues A and B, was the site of what may have been the city’s first Bohemian National Hall. At the time, Czech and Slovak immigrants were so concentrated along Avenue B, between Houston Street and Tompkins Square Park, that it was called “Czech Boulevard.”  More →

“I’m completely hungover, I barely slept last night, I don’t even know how I managed to do this morning’s race!” Emily Palmer bursts out laughing, then avidly crunches into a slice of pizza, dripping with burrata. She has just finished a ten-mile race through Central Park. More →

The new Red Gate Bakery, which recently opened in the East Village, is guaranteed to bring you straight back to childhood. With an open kitchen and a warm exposed-brick wall, the bakery feels both bright and cozy. The sweets on display, which range from cookies to loaves to traditional celebration cakes, have a charming homespun quality. More →