Last weekend was a great one to be in Gowanus. Over two gorgeous fall days, neighbors and visitors filled the sidewalks for Open Studios. The 30th celebration was a gift to the neighborhood, and we’re still thinking about all the great art we saw. Thank you to Arts Gowanus and every artist who opened their door to us.

Now Open / Coming Soon — A toy shop opening today, a music bar opens on 3rd Avenue, and a Smith Street coffee shop on the way

The Big Story — The proposed Gowanus BID and who is looking after the new parks and waterfront

Things to Do — Dead Pilots Society, The Moth, taxidermy(?!), and more

The Local — Other Half Brewing and its 12 years on Centre Street

Development Watch — Two Goose Property sites on Butler Street and 3rd Avenue

Quick Hits — Two weekend markets, one in Cobble Hill and one on Sackett Street and the longest table in Brooklyn

An Heirloom Toy Shop Opens on Sackett Street This Saturday
Merci Milo
704 Sackett Street
Opens today
Merci Milo, the heirloom toy shop that began online in 2016 and has a store in Highland Park, Los Angeles, opens its Brooklyn shop today from 11am to 6pm. The shop curates handmade toys and accessories for kids from artisans and traditional toy makers. Natalie Horberg will draw free live portraits during the opening.

Brooklyn Riot Is Pouring it all Out on 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn Riot
286 3rd Avenue
Now Open
Brooklyn Riot has soft-opened on 3rd Avenue, mixing the New York of Basquiat, Studio 54, and CBGB, and pouring it out for its patrons, a lively mix of artists, professionals, and punks. The owner plans nights with DJs, singer-songwriters, and other live music, as well as Rock and Roll Bingo night. He chose Gowanus for his newest venue because the neighborhood sits between its industrial roots and its newest chapter, which is exactly the mix the bar is after. The bar includes the wildest toilet we’ve ever seen!

Nako Is Taking Over the Old DAE Space on Smith Street
Nako
385 Smith Street
Coming Soon
Nako, the Brooklyn Heights coffee shop, is renovating the former DAE space for its second location. No opening date yet, but we’ll let you know when we know.

The 2021 rezoning promised about 9,000 new apartments, 20,000 new residents, and roughly $450 million in city investment. One thing it didn’t settle was who would look after it all once the ribbons are cut.

That is the question behind the proposed Gowanus Business Improvement District, a nonprofit that would sweep sidewalks, care for the 500-plus street trees still to be planted, and maintain about seven acres of waterfront esplanade and ten acres of public space. Property owners would pay for it through an assessment. The steering committee projects a 2028 budget of about $1.6 million, with a ceiling of $4.7 million, and older residential buildings would pay a flat $1.

The committee argues that new parks need upkeep as well as design. Without a BID partner, like the 78 already working across the city, it says public spaces tend to get basic design and basic maintenance. To start services in January 2028, the committee says it needs 51 percent support from property owners and commercial tenants, and it wants outreach finished this fall. We do not have a current ballot count. Anyone who lives, works, or owns property in the district can and should vote at gowanusimprovementdistrict.org.

The board would have a majority of property owners, plus seats for commercial tenants, residential tenants, and four elected officials. To learn more, two in-person public meetings are coming up: Wednesday, November 4 at 6:30 PM at the Wyckoff Gardens Community Center, and Wednesday, November 18 at 6 PM at The Shop Workspace on Carroll Street. A third virtual one follows on Tuesday, December 1 at 10 AM.

233 Record Fair at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Sat Oct 24 · 11am
Shawn Dub co-hosts a record fair in The Nursery, the outdoor garden at Public Records. It's a late-morning start for a Saturday, which suits anyone planning to browse slowly and carry home more than they meant to.

Drunk Bollywood Live! at The Bell House
149 7th Street
Sat Oct 24 · Doors 7pm, show 7:30pm · 21+
A staged parody of popular Hindi movies, served with a few drinks and a lot of laughs. This season's target is Aditya Chopra's Mohabbatein, so either rewatch it first or bring someone who can explain the plot.

Love Injection Invites at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Sat Oct 24 · 11pm
Pete BBE, Johnny Reckless, Jeff Higgins, hyanna and Alyssa Stowers spread across the Sound Room, the Atrium and Upstairs. Three rooms means there's always somewhere else to wander when one set isn't doing it for you.

Diva Diva at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Sun Oct 25 · 4pm
PAURRO and Kiernan Laveaux, Saia and e-Lite, and a performance by Willow Pill take over the Atrium. This one is for those who want some daytime dancing.

Wils & Friends at Union Hall
702 Union Street
Sun Oct 25 · 5pm
Wils and friends take the Union Hall stage at five, with Tina Hand, Charlie Bardey and Jabari Elazi on the bill. Five o'clock on a Sunday leaves the rest of your evening yours.

Dead Pilots Society at The Bell House
149 7th Street
Sun Oct 25 · Doors 6pm, show 7pm
Comedy scripts that studios and networks developed and never produced finally get their table reads, performed by actors from TV, film, comedy and Broadway. It's the series' first time in New York, with scripts by Chris Kelly and Allison Silverman and a cast that includes Amber Ruffin, Lucy Freyer, Gideon Glick, Max Jenkins, Jimmy Fowlie and Robin Lord Taylor, lineup subject to change. Come decide for yourself whether the studios made a mistake.

About Last Night, Dating Disaster Stories NYC at Littlefield
635 Sackett Street
Sun Oct 25 · Doors 7pm, show 8pm · 21+
A handful of New Yorkers get on stage to tell their worst dating and hookup stories while a live musician turns each one into a song. The stories are true, and the musician has to make something rhyme out of all of them. Go with someone who won't mind hearing about it afterward.

Famous Last Words at Union Hall
702 Union Street
Mon Oct 26 · 7:30pm
A monthly comedy jam session starring Michael Longfellow, Neel Ghosh, Katrina Davis and Zubi Ahmed, with new special guests each month. A jam session in a comedy room means nobody quite knows what happens next, including the people on stage.

The Moth StorySLAM at The Bell House
149 7th Street
Mon Oct 26 · Doors 6:30pm, show 7:30pm · 21+
This month's theme is caretakers, covering parents, family and the strangers who step up in a pinch. Anyone can prepare a five minute story, so it's worth deciding before you go whether you're an audience member or a teller.

Lewis Recordings 25th Anniversary at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Tue Oct 27 · Doors 7pm
Lewis Recordings celebrates 25 years with Edan, Skinshape on DJ duty, The Still Brothers, Charlie Forest, Midnight Cafe, Raining Blue and more. That's a long bill for a Tuesday, so pace yourself.

Jacob Garchik Quartet at iBeam
168 7th Street
Wed Oct 28 · 8pm
Garchik leads a quartet with Adam O'Farrill on trumpet, Hannah Marks on bass and Tomas Fujiwara on drums, playing his own tunes inspired by Ginuwine, Sonny Rollins and Leon Parker. That's a reference list you don't often see on one page, so go find out how it sounds.

Jeremiah Chiu, Edge Conditions Album Release at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Thu Oct 29 · Doors 7pm
Chiu celebrates Edge Conditions, his first solo album since 2023, in the Sound Room. The record is rhythmic and layered, with modular synth patterns and field recordings, so it works as electronic music you can dance to or listen to closely. The Sound Room is built for the second option, and nobody will stop you from the first.

Wunderkammer, A Taxidermy Showcase and Competition at The Bell House
149 7th Street
Thu Oct 29 · Doors 7pm, show 8pm
An annual competition, founded in 2018 by taxidermist Divya Anantharaman, where artists present their work in person to judges and the audience. Past entries have included gilded skeletons and rodents re-enacting Dirty Dancing, so the bar for the weird is high.

Dress Rehearsal at Union Hall
702 Union Street
Thu Oct 29 · 7:30pm
A night of new material in tuxedos, with Sabrina Wu, Gary Simons, Ryan Roman, Shaunak Godkhindi, Annabel Meschke and Sabina Meschke. The audience is invited to dress up too, which raises the bar for the jokes.

Dinner for One Presents The Spookiest Things at Littlefield
635 Sackett Street
Thu Oct 29 · 8pm
The sketch troupe known for physical bits and dark humor throws a Halloween variety show, with stand-up Sean Patton and musical comedian Caitlin Cook as guests. DJ Duck Soup hosts a costume dance party afterward, so wear the costume early.

Unsound New York, Kotonski Reworked at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Fri Oct 30 · 5:30pm
Jim O'Rourke and Eiko Ishibashi present Kotonski Reworked in a listening session Upstairs. It starts early enough to catch before dinner and still make the later shows.

Habbaween at The Bell House
149 7th Street
Fri Oct 30 · Doors 7pm, show 8pm · 21+
The annual ABBA tribute night returns with a band playing nothing but hits, a costume contest, and an open call for all Dancing Queens in the tri-state area. Dress for a disco that also happens to be Halloween.

Garrett and Allison's Big Night at Union Hall
702 Union Street
Fri Oct 30 · 7:30pm
The show goes full Halloween as a Spooktacular, with Grace Kuhlenschmidt and Max Higgins among the guests. A themed night means somebody will be in a costume you'll be thinking about on the way home.

Mark Broom, Julia Govor / Blue Hour, Neel / Yasmeenah at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Fri Oct 30 · 11pm
A late Friday across the Sound Room, the Atrium and Upstairs. Pick a room, or sample all three if the first one isn't working.

A Drinking Game NYC, The Nightmare Before Christmas at The Bell House
149 7th Street
Sat Oct 31 · Doors 6pm, show 7pm · 21+
A comedy troupe reenacts a film as live theater, and every time a buzzword is spoken, the narrator dings a bell, and everyone drinks, actors included. This one spends Halloween in Halloween Town, with an intermission costume contest and themed drinks. Pace yourself, because the bell doesn't care how far in you are.

Scary Good Comedy with Brittany Carney at Littlefield
635 Sackett Street
Sat Oct 31 · Doors 6:30pm, show 7:30pm · 21+
Comedians arrive in Halloween costumes and perform entirely in character, including JP McDade, Tessa Belle, Ike Ufomadu, Denise Taylor, Shaunak Godkhindi, Jenny Zigrino, Neel Ghosh, and Andrew Casertano. The show wants to know what a vampire's dating life looks like, and so, quietly, do you.

Dope Jams Halloween Ball at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Sat Oct 31 · 11pm
The Halloween Ball spreads across the Sound Room, the Atrium and Upstairs. Three rooms to dress for is a good problem to have on this particular night.

Conducta b2b AceMo, Surusinghe / x3butterfly b2b Physical Therapy at Public Records
233 Butler Street
Sun Nov 1 · 4pm
Conducta plays back to back with AceMo, and x3butterfly with Physical Therapy, with Surusinghe also on the bill. A four o'clock start makes this the daytime version of a club night.

Andrew Smiley CD Release with Sophie Leetmaa and Gloatmeal at iBeam
168 7th Street
Sun Nov 1 · 7pm
Smiley is a New York guitarist and improviser who has played with Little Women, the Chris Pitsiokos Quartet and the Will Mason Ensemble. He's releasing a new CD, with harpist Sophie Leetmaa and Gloatmeal, the project of Kate Gentile and Matt Mitchell, also on the bill. A good Sunday for anyone whose idea of a CD release includes a harp.

Peyton Ruddy at Union Hall
702 Union Street
Mon Nov 2 · 7:30pm
Peyton Ruddy went viral on the podcast Kill Tony, then built an audience with his "my best work" videos. He started stand-up in the Chicago suburbs at 17. This is a chance to see a comedian people know from clips do a full set in a room.

Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado at Powerhouse Arts 
322 3rd Avenue 
Oct 1 to Dec 20 · 11am to 6:30pm 
Visit the Prado without the flight. This virtual reality exhibition steps inside five of the museum's paintings, including Las Meninas and The Garden of Earthly Delights, some of which rarely travel and some of which never leave Madrid. It runs through December 20, which is plenty of time to stop telling yourself you'll go.

Other Half Brewing
195 Centre Street

Sam Richardson learned to make beer the long way. He grew up in Portland, Oregon, studied fermentation science at Oregon State, and worked at the RAM Restaurant and Brewery in Seattle and at Pyramid Brewery in Portland before moving east to brew at a Greenpoint brewery. There he met Matt Monahan, a trained chef who came looking for brewing work because he was tired of kitchen hours. Monahan and Andrew Burman had cooked together for years, always talking about what they'd open someday, and Richardson says having chefs around who care about flavor comes in handy.

In January 2014, the three opened Other Half on Centre Street, with the brewhouse and a tiny taproom in the same space. By Richardson's count, they were the first new brewery in Brooklyn in nine years. Only Brooklyn Brewery, Sixpoint, and Greenpoint Beer & Ale had come before them, and he felt New York lacked local beer compared with the Pacific Northwest he knew.

Then came the IPAs. Richardson wanted the bitter, old-school hop style he remembered from the West Coast in the 1990s and early 2000s, built on hops like Cascade, Centennial and Chinook. Demand was higher than they planned for, and the IPA focus was less a plan than a response. By 2016, about 85 percent of what they made was IPA, and he said they would always make plenty then, even as they added barrels and other styles. On release days, the lines often ran around the block, with some people waiting overnight.

Centre Street is still the original, but it's no longer the only taproom. Other Half now pours at Domino Park in Williamsburg and at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, and has taprooms in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Buffalo, and in the Finger Lakes at Bloomfield and Canandaigua.

Today the original taproom pours 20 draft beers, with cans and bottles to go. The hazy IPAs are still the draw, with a German-style pilsner on the same list. The room is stripped down, with TVs, a rustic feel, and the garage door up in warm weather. Staff will give you an opinion (and maybe a taste) if you ask. It's open noon to 10 Monday through Thursday, noon to midnight Friday, 10 to midnight Saturday, and 11 to 9 Sunday. Check out their Insta page for regular releases and events.

264 Butler Street Is Cleared and Waiting. The old warehouse that held Wafels & Dinges and A&H Candy stock at 264 Butler Street is gone. Goose Property Management bought the site for $15.25 million in August 2025, and its plans call for eight stories, roughly 85 feet, 95 apartments and about 24,000 square feet of commercial space between 3rd Avenue and Nevins Street. No construction timeline has surfaced yet.

The Lot Next Door Has Sat Empty for Nearly Two Years. Goose has owned the 12,662-square-foot lot at 172 3rd Avenue, at the corner of Butler Street, since November 2024, when it paid $22 million. It sits next to 264 Butler, which puts roughly 76,000 square feet under one owner. Goose has not said whether the two parcels will become one project.

FAD Market Takes Over St. Paul Hall. FAD Market puts more than 60 local makers in the landmark hall at 190 Court Street on Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, from 11am to 6pm.

A Pop-Up Market Sets Up at Wild East. Pop Up Gallery Pennsylvania brings local makers to Wild East Brewing at 623 Sackett Street on Saturday, October 24, from 1pm to 5pm. Grab a beer while you browse.

The Longest Table Stretches Down 1st Street This Sunday. aligned.nyc sets up a long communal table running from 1st Street and Bond Street toward the canal on Sunday, October 25, from 12pm to 2pm. Bring a dish to share and your favorite outdoor chair.

Shop small, listen loud, and start hunting for a good wig now.

If something's happening out there, we want to know about it. Email, photo, neighborhood gossip — we'll take it.
[email protected].

Exploring Gowanus · Every Saturday