The First Earl Gray of the Season

So I'd say a fortnight ago I had the pleasure of enjoying my first Earl Gray of the Fall season. Those of you who know me well know I am like a fiend for the stuff. All summer I gulp down Iced Coffee's but when that fall weather hits, its game time. Perhaps I should say Tea time. Although the weather on this special occasion was less than chilly, it was high time I got around to my first September tea. I'm pretty picky about my tea bags, don't gimme any of that bagged junk from a box. I like mine carefully resting in a tin and cautiously transferred to a loose leaf bag, tied in a knot.
I was sent on a run to Oslo, in the burg, to pick up some crazy amount of espresso in a teeeeny cup for the boss and whilst there I noted they had a good selection of the teas I enjoy. Unfortunately the lady behind the counter decided to give me a lecture about how long to let it steep and how many cups I could get outta there, but I'm not a grandma, and I like my tea strong. So leave your tea lectures to the noobs, coffee lady. I will say, the tea was great, and not overpriced for a heafty tea. Oslo has a pretty simple menu of drinks, but a great selection of sweets, including giant muffins with delicious innards, like Mango.
The next time you and your friends decide to split a big pancake at Roebling Tea Room and you don't want any of their sweet teas, head over to Oslo for "the best espresso in the 5 buroughs!"
Oslo Coffee is located at 133 Roebling near North 3rd St.




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Ok so first of all, just to address something: Brooklyn Beauties is DRAMA Free! Or at least we try to be :)
And now on to the real post.



Recently I've realized that so many ladies stay out late on weeknights and weekends and then need to find their own way home, myself included here. Maybe it's the unofficial recession, maybe it's the great late summer/early fall crisp in the air at night or whatever but I am always compelled to take a stroll home if possible instead of waiting for shitty public transportation. I do say shitty because 1. I live off the G and 2. After like 10 pm the buses come once a freaking hour, especially the B43.
So I thought I would put up some tips for the ladies out there who are partying hard and attempting to make it home in one piece! I'm not in any way suggesting I am some kind of authority on safety, but you know a little extra knowledge never hurt anyone.

1. Try not to walk alone. If you can, take a buddy home. Tee Hee, no not like that! If you, say are at your girlfriend's house and she lives, lets say off of Nassau near McGuinness and you want to head back up Manhattan Ave to your place. Try to see if anyone else is heading that way and then the two of you can head home together.

2. Have an IN CASE of EMERGENCY contact in your phone. In case anything should happen to you, even just passing out, a concerned party can take a look in your phone and call the ICE number. Make sure this is a person who will always take your calls and is a super good friend or a boyfriend or a roommate. That way when they get the call they can come help you out. You probably want to run this by the person you put as your emergency contact, just so they know.

3. Have a person you can call on your walk home. Sometimes when I get that chill in the back of my neck, I take my mobile out and make a call. Usually to the person I'm heading to meet. If you're heading home, try to call your roommate or whoever you live with. If you are heading out, try to call the people you are meeting up with. If it's a long walk, call a friend you haven't spoken to in a while, I'm sure we all have one of those. I always feel a little better knowing I have a person on the other line who can hear what I'm doing. You might want to also mention what blocks you are near, in case that person needs to make an emergency phone call, they'll know right where you are at!

4. If you are walking and a person looks a a little shady, head to the other side of the street. Take a a look ahead and behind you when you're alone to keep abreast of your surroundings. If you see a "creeper" head to the other side of the block and maybe they won't be so keen to bug you.

5. Here is a little hint I love. I'm not sure I'm ever fooling anyone, but sometimes when I'm walking alone and I don't want to call anyone but I just want to make sure nobody bothers me on the way, I take my phone out and pretend to get a call. Oh I really go the whole nine with this, I tell the "person" what I just did, what I've been doing all week, my hopes, my dreams...ok not all that lame stuff, but it helps if you think of a friend you would call, tell them what you'd tell them if you really had them on the line.

6. Keep your keys in your hand. Violence is something I've never had to resort to but this does help me in a bind to get a little extra courage. If you're walking and you get creeped out, take out your keys and hold them in your fist. If you need to get violent, you've got a fist full of sharp metal.

7. If you make a habit of walking alone late at night, you should probably invest in some keychain accessories. Not the kind they have at claire's, but a lot of places sell small keychain mace's and pepper sprays that won't hurt anyone to carry on your key ring. Some of them will be disguised as a pen or have a funky case so it doesn't appear to be a weapon. Prices range, looks like most are between $6 and $20.

8. Put the precinct in your cell phone. Not that this will get you a response faster than 911 in an emergency, but if you want to give a call to someone and it's not an urgent call, call up the local precinct. That way they can respond to your location quickly, or answer any questions you might have in a bind. Precinct 94 on Meserole is (718) 383-3879. They respond to a lot of calls in Williamsburg as well. The 90th Precinct is at Union Ave and can be reached at (718) 963-5311.

9. Try not to make a spectacle of yourself! If you know you are going to be walking alone, keep to yourself, look at your surroundings and keep quiet. If you are making a lot of noise, i.e. snazzy new high heels, you will draw attention to yourself. I know that's the reason you bought them, but you want that attention at a bar or a party, not at 2 AM on the street.

10. Make an effort to think and be safe. The mind is a powerful thing. If you think about your surroundings, think about yourself as being safe. Grab those keys and head home. Always be aware of the surrounding area but don't be afraid to walk home! Keep your head out for noise and other people and use your head. If you are heading out for the night make a good call and know the neighborhood. If you think you might feel unsafe heading home, give a call to a taxi. Ask your fellow party or bar-goers for the local taxi number and you won't regret those $10 you spent on getting yourself home safe. I've heard of this drunk driving number where you can call them and they will pick you up and it's cheaper than a cab, but here in the city cabs are probably your best bet.

Well these are just some tips to keep in mind on your way home. Don't keep your ipod loud or on even, if you're not feeling safe. Call a friend and keep your ears out.
Have fun out there ladies and keep safe!

Labels: Boozy Nights, Drama, Ladies, Safety

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I'm not a fan of having long hair. But I don't want to be one of those ladies that ends up having short hair my whole life. So right now I'm in that awkward mid length phase, waiting patiently for the day that my hair will grow to cover my breasts - like a mermaid. I decided to try a new salon and get a clean up cut. Big risk since the last time I was in the mid length phase and got a cut, I ended up going back a month later and chopping it all off. So I was a little nervous to say the least. But when I saw Lisa at the Beehive Salon, I knew immediately I was in good hands. This punky jersey sweet heart could do me no wrong. She got my hair and knew exactly how to caress my dark locks. To add to the whole experience, the radio was grooving some 60's rock and a projector was playing The Goonies. It was a blissful hour and a week later, I'm still loving my cut. So check them out at their new location, by the way if you have curly hair, they are known to do amazing cuts for the locks.

Labels: goodness, hair cuts, salon

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A year and half ago I met a young man. Smart, very cute, funny and more importantly he lived in Greenpoint. It was easy to fall in love that spring - around the corner from McGolrick Park. We would stroll to the local deli’s for cheap eats and lots of ice cream. Nassau Street would be the street I would grow very fond of, with its litter of polish drunkards and quaint apartments; it didn’t bother me when the B 48 bus never showed up and I had to take that stroll to the G-train.

But soon spring turned into summer and then to fall, and with the cold came change. Those subtle things, lovers dare not to mention started to filter into our relationship more frequently. Amarin Thai became a place where we ate when we were poor, no longer the date place that filled me with a flutter the first time we shared dinner mints. I began to loathe your noisy street near Greenpoint’s sewage balloons. The grass in McCarren Park had turned brittle through the erratic weather and our park spent Saturday’s were spent in silence - nothing to share but a small blanket on patches of grass.

This neighborhood is a land mine of painful memories. The street where we road our bikes while drinking coffees, the corner where we walked like monkeys and penguins, the building we sat in front of – attempting to stay warm as we waited for the bus. The Williamsburg Café reminds me of when we had hopes for a fresh start. Richie’s Liquor store makes me think of that unbearable night, when words could never make things better. How do I walk over the Pulaski Bridge and not think of you? And Coco 66, dancing without seeing your silly shimmy is just bland and dull. These are the things that tear through my mind in this town.

But that’s it - I give it all back. You can have those memories cause I am going to make new ones, brighter ones with more laughter and life than we could ever make. And this time I’ll see all the little details and stare a little longer at that graffiti on the wall. That side street that I’ve always wanted to stroll down is now my next adventure. I’m not going to worry anymore about how to stop loving you – I’ve got a town to share my heart with.

Labels: Break Ups, Dancing, G-Train, Nassau

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Well I have to admit, I am not a sushi person. I know, I know. It's definitely to my disadvantage, I feel like every time I go out to eat with someone it comes up within the first 3 choices, and I always seem to say to their dismay, "Sorry I don't like sushi." But now my frowny-faced friend, I can safely say I am A-O-K with our little uncooked friends from the sea.

I found out last week Sakura 6 finallllllly opened on the corner of Noble and Manhattan Ave. I've been hardcore poor for two weeks and have been living off of Ramen and such, so eating out has not been an option. But I finally got a decent paycheck and decided to chuck a portion of it to eating out. Well after a few minutes of deliberation beau and I decided Yes! Sakura is perfect. Being the non-sushi eater I am, I tend to prefer the Japanese places with hibachi and teriyaki dishes, so I was thrilled looking at their extensive yet expensive menu.

Sakura has plenty of options to choose from, including a great selection of bento boxes and a very long list of sushi rolls to choose from.

I have to say it was great that their sushi is so well done, otherwise my hatred for seaweed would have set in and my $12.95 bento would have all been for naught. But even their California rolls were a delight, creamy and crunchy with a little hint of crabby taste.

Another great thing is, at least for now, they are giving out free Saki to dinner diners. And its not just a little bit, a whole carafe of Saki. Yay! The prices are a little high for my taste, but you definitely get great quality and quantity for your money. Dinner for two came to about $30, which was a lot less than I expected it to be. The decor inside is simple, yet tasteful - they have these great lamps that look like a wooden stump with thick rope suspending them from the ceiling.
I'm delighted to have such a good place right in the heart of Greenpoint, not too far from Nassau and not too far from the upper alphabet streets.


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So I found myself at a little speakeasy. Not labeled and off to the corner of berry and North 9th, it’s very 19th century but the prices are a little too much for my style. Although compliments to the people who created the Brooklyn Beauty beverage. It was a very tasty drink but sort of lacked the spunk and fullness that a 12-dollar drink with our name deserves. Felt like I was paying to sit in this overly romantic and misty-eyed place so I could feel snazzy. But I just felt silly. Maybe with the right person, peering over the pricey drinks it won’t seem like such a waste. Refreshing and stylish...meh.

Labels: date place, pricey, romantic, speak-easy

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The beauties will keep you updated on whats hip in the hood.
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Karina is constantly working on increasing her vertical jump. A descendent of The Great Mexican Bull Fighter Antonio Lomelin; she spends her free time canoodling with her beta fish and watching quirky documentaries. Her passion resides in making people have fun learning something new about themselves, science, and/or music. She currently wishes she were more like Tina Fey, scars and all. Karina’s occupation is being a girl and she dreams of one day skipping a rock on the moon. Can’t we all dream…Email her!

Kindel is a recent émigré from Maryland to Greenpoint. She has been residing and loving in the point for the past two years. She loves summertime, ice cream, NPR, knitting and crafting, her two hamsters (Henry and Gina), and her own WillyB. When she isn’t working her tail off, she can be found livin’ it up Greenpoint style or performing in a play somewhere in midtown. She lives between Manhattan and McGuiness at the House of Fairfax. Email her!

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