BROWSE Once dwarfed by the cultural might of Manhattan, Brooklyn has evolved into an entity apart-with its own sense of style and taste, and an always thriving music scene. Two spring festivals, both of which debuted in 2012, epitomize just that. Crossing Brooklyn Ferry (crossingbrooklynferry.com), put on by the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), will take place April 25-27 in the various performance spaces within the Peter Jay Sharp Building-featuring the likes of the Roots, Solange and TV on the Radio. GoogaMooga (googamooga.com), a foodie festival with an impressive music program attached, will take place May 17-19 in Prospect Park, with headliners Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Flaming Lips and the Darkness. The borough, of course, is a sprawling one, with most of the action concentrated in a few neighborhoods. Trend seekers have migrated from Williamsburg to Greenpoint, Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant. But everyone seems to have a favorite area. Superfly Presents co-founder Jonathan Mayers, whose company puts on GoogaMooga, is “always impressed by how community-oriented Boerum Hill is.” But Domino A&R exec Susan Busch loves DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) because “it’s clean, quiet and has a lovely park to sit in.”
STAY The sleek King & Grove Williamsburg’s (kingandgrove.com/williamsburg) rooftop DJ series kicks off in May, so it pays to book a room and get in some poolside grooving before hitting up a late-night show. For an even more musically immersive stay, check-in to celebrity turntablist DJ Bihal’s Hotel BPM (hotelbpmbrooklyn.com) in Sunset Park. The hotel has teamed with Scratch DJ Academy to offer guests free lessons on the decks.
EAT Brooklyn gave rise to the trend toward more intimate, less glitzy dining experiences. Referring to one of the pioneers, Sony executive VP of business and legal affairs Gil Aronow says, “My all-time favorite is Grocery [thegroceryrestaurant.com] on Smith Street. You can get a world-class meal without paying crazy prices.” But Kim Schifino of Matt & Kim–who play GoogaMooga on May 18–prefers the artistic pairings at Williamsburg’s Nitehawk (nitehawkcinema.com): “They have amazing food and specialty drinks that they coordinate with the movie you are seeing.” For udon noodles in a sexy setting, it’s all about Samurai Mama (samuraimama.com). Clare Manchon of Clare & the Reasons (Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, April 25) opines that its “Chef Makoto is a genius.” Post-rehearsal, local girl Sharon Van Etten (GoogaMooga, May 18) heads to Oak Wine Bar (oakwinebar.com) in Williamsburg. “It’s a great Âmellow place with a delicious small-plates menu.” Modern Brooklyn soul legend Sharon Jones (GoogaMooga, May 19) likes to keep it old school: “Coney Island [coneyisland.com] for a Nathan’s frank–and you can’t forget the beer and frog legs.” To find yourself among the tastemakers, PopGun Booking co-founder Jake Rosenthal says, “One of my favorite spots is the 12-Turn-13 loft in Fort Greene for the Mister Saturday Night Parties” (mistersaturdaynight.com).
GIG Brooklyn has arguably eclipsed Manhattan for the diversity of its live music scene. Domino’s Busch offers that “the sound at Music Hall of Williamsburg [musichallofwilliamsburg.com] is great, but I find myself at 285 Kent [347-227-8030] and Glasslands [theglasslands.com] the most.” BAM associate producer of music programming Darrell M. McNeill prefers those venues where “the owners and talent buyers are evidently passionate and invested in the music they present.” He makes the rounds at the Rock Shop (therockshopny.com), Goodbye Blue Monday (goodbye-blue-monday.com), the Bell House (thebellhouseny.com) and Shapeshifter Lab (shapeshifterlab.com). Aronow observes that “Barclays Center [barclayscenter.com] has turned out to be a great addition to Brooklyn, despite all the initial controversy.” But Brooklyn Bowl (brooklynbowl.com) director of operations Stephen Schwartz likes to go classical: “The BAM Opera House [bam.org] is gorgeous, a real jewel for the borough.”