This weekend’s dose of Black Joy (and #PeakBlackness) is brought to you from the eighth annual Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson Block Party…
This weekend’s dose of Black Joy (and #PeakBlackness) is brought to you from the eighth annual Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson Block Party…
“Wear Moshood - Wear yourself.” This slogan for the iconic boutique is all we’ve got in terms of quotes because Moshood told us he doesn’t give interviews. (A cursory Google search says otherwise, but it’s cool,…
“What inspires my work,” begins Aziza Nicole, founder and jewelry designer of Aziza Handcrafted, “...is me.” A jewelry line “fluid for men and women,” Aziza’s collections are characterized by bold, minimalistic…
To give you an idea of what ZuriLee Pizza Bar is about, two words: oxtail pizza. But according to Paul Burrowes (left), who co-owns the Flatbush restaurant with his brother Jermaine, venturing into…
We’re committed to uplifting Brooklyn’s Black-owned businesses, but we’re also about our local institutions. As we approach the midpoint of Black Business Month, today we reflect on the entrepreneurs who came before…
“When people think ‘butcher,’ they’re usually picturing a guy slinging meat around with a bloody cleaver,” says Jullene “Jules” Cunningham (left), co-owner of Arcadian Pastures. We laughed, but had to admit — even we…
You know those women with seemingly effortless personal style — the ones who layer eclectic pieces and accessories, mixing high-end garments with Jordans, taking risks and…
“I’ve always been a flea market, junk shop type of cat,” says Martin Brewer, owner of Halsey & Lewis, a vintage shop selling records, books, home goods, and “various and sundry” gifts. Brewer speaks too modestly of his skillfully curated inventory: intriguing finds including antique lamps, 19th century-looking prairie boots, and retro glassware, with specialty products like body butters and oils, healing crystals and bundles of Palo Santo.
Today’s ode to Black joy comes by way of the famed celebration of all things young, gifted and Black — Everyday People. The day party phenomenon (founded in 2012 by Saada Ahmed, DJ mOma and Chef Roblé Ali…
We’re here for Black joy, and Curlfest in Prospect Park delivered it in droves over the weekend. Organized by the Curly Girl Collective, the annual natural hair festival…
“The bar and restaurant are here to, I suppose, pay the bills,” says Kristen Amendola, co-owner of Basquiat’s Bottle, a cocktail bar and art space in Bed-Stuy. “Our focus is really on exploring art and creativity, and…
“If you could do anything, what would you do?” As Sarah Williams hung out with a group of friends a couple years ago, conversation drifted to this question. Working at the time as a fashion account executive and costume designer, Williams had an immediate answer.
“It’s a long, winding road,” says Felicia Eve, owner of String Thing Studio, when asked how she came to own a yarn store-slash-knitting and crochet workshop in Park Slope. She started her career as…
Soul Summit — a free dance party on the top hill of Fort Greene Park — is simply iconic. Founded in 2001 by DJs Sadiq, Tabu and Jeff Mendoza, this Brooklyn summertime staple draws thousands of people of all ages, united under the spell of rare grooves and house classics.
The call of Mister Softee is strong in the Brooklyn summer, but for more interesting frozen treats, head to Crème & Cocoa Creamery. Owned by husband-and-wife team Omar and Astrid Thorpe, the Flatbush parlor scoops nuanced, all-natural ice cream and sorbet in flavors inspired by the Caribbean and Central America. Think rum raisin, coconut ginger, papaya, mango-passionfruit, soursop and tres leches.
For most New Yorkers, going to the laundromat is a cumbersome but necessary pain point. We lug our clothes to a dingy location, waiting hours for wash and drying cycles to complete. Even drop-off service can lead to missing items and mystery underwear that are most certainly NOT ours. There’s got to be a better way, thought sisters Theresa (left) and Corinna Williams.
“Sometimes people will say, ‘You’re a businesswoman,’” begins Debbie Hardy, owner of the Crown Heights boutique Martine’s Dream. “But, with that term, it feels like business comes before woman. I’m a woman first.” Having designed and sold her line of fluid frocks in electric hues and opulent prints for 12 years (running her always-bustling shop for nearly five), Hardy certainly has the credentials of a shrewd style maven.
BOB Massive, did you know? Not only is today #WineWednesday — it’s also National Wine and Cheese Day. (¡Salud!) Get your supplies in order with a visit to Wine-O, a cozy Bed-Stuy shop with a well-curated selection of bottles from different regions, varietals and price points. Owner Janette Young opened the store last October because, basically, she wanted a decent red in the vicinity.
We love bringing you fresh-out-the-box businesses, but Black-Owned Brooklyn is also about the classics. Serving exemplary jerk chicken with crispy, blackened skin and deep-marinated spice, Peppa’s Jerk Chicken in Flatbush is a certifiable institution.
Greedi Vegan, a striking plant-based restaurant in Crown Heights, is actually the second business for Latisha Daring. For 10 years she operated Pieces (the legendary Prospect Heights boutique known for one-of-kind statement dresses and accessories) before soaring rent priced her out in 2010. But with a strong vision and belief in endless possibilities, the BK-born-and-raised Daring opened her new venture eight weeks ago.
