Cool creatives initiatives in Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Art Library houses the Sketchbook Project: a collaborative library of artists’ sketchbooks that has grown every year since 2006. It’s basically a free museum where you can touch the art. The Library is home to over 41.000 sketchbooks from artists over 130 different countries. All of these sketchbooks are available to check out in the library for free, and many sketches from the project are now also available digitally on the Brooklyn Art Library website.

The brainchild of Bushwick native Joe Ficalora, The Bushwick Collective, is NYC’s most prolific open-air gallery for street art and graffiti since the first mural appeared in 2011. The ever-expanding Collective has transformed its neighborhood from a largely grim industrial district into a vibrant tourist destination. Their Block Party is an annual event that combines graffiti, street art, music, food trucks and local vendors. The Collective brings together the best of the community and it is a testament to the power of art to transform a neighborhood.

When Belgian expat Francois Vaxelaire stumbled upon a triangular patch of land in Williamsburg, he had the brilliant idea to create an independent online radio station here, with 24/7 live video streaming from a reclaimed shipping container. There’s a lovely outside area where beer, wine, coffee and pastries are served, accompanied by some of the best music across all styles New York City has to offer.

This dine-in movie theater hosts film screenings, often curated according to director or themes, and serves American food like burgers, sandwiches and tater tots, along with cocktails and seasonal beers. Separate from the dining area is a 50-seat screening room that has its own menu. Their Sidewalk Cinema, located on the Thames Street side of the building, is a fun first-come, first-served outdoor cinema and dining area.

This one-of-a-kind independent movie house offers in-seat table-service of gourmet concessions using products from Brooklyn artisans while watching a nicely curated movie selection. This location is one of the oldest buildings in New York that has continuously housed a movie theater, which originally opened in August 1928 as The Sanders Theatre. Occasionally, they serve specialty items and cocktails that are inspired by individual films. Their other location is in Williamsburg.