Happy Mother's Day to all!

I called my mom today and when we were about to hang up she declared to me (a person who is only a mother to some tomato plants), "Happy Mother's Day!" which I will admit threw me off, but I enjoyed the sentiment all the same.

This week was my last full week of "between work" before officially starting back into my 9-5 tomorrow. I spent a few days of those days out of town and a lot of time exploring the bars around Brooklyn. Here is what went down.

Fire Island: I’ve been living in the City for five years now and for five years I have heard about the magical beaches on Fire Island. Last week I finally visited, opting to camp on the beach. This idyllic nature preserve is a no-car zone and about 2.5 hours from the City (by way of train and ferry), just off the coast of Long Island. It is definitely worth the effort to get out there, with beautiful beaches that look out onto an open ocean. This time of year is still somewhat off season - with only two ferries a day during the week (more on the weekend) and most of the homes still shuttered for winter. If you’d like to visit Fire Island and don’t have a home or one to rent, the island offers camping. Both camping with facilities (bathrooms, running water, etc) as well as “wilderness” camping - whereby you walk a mile down the beach, pitch your tent and you are on your own. Bring a shovel for when you’ve got to go and carry in your water and food supplies.

If you want to camp on the island be sure to get your permits here in advance, $20 for up to a week of beach camping. Remember that all facilities (bathroom, water) are a mile or more walk away, but if you do run out, you can hike back to one of the ferry ports where there will be a store and restaurant.

To access the Island take the LIRR to Patchogue. Ferry Terminals are a ten-twenty minute walk away - check before you go to ensure the ferries are open (some are currently closed for maintenance work) and to also check the Ferry Schedules

Lavender Lake: This is a somewhat off the beaten path bar in Gowanus - in that it is not a bar you will just happen to walk by and is a bit difficult to get to if you don’t live in the neighborhood. However it is certainly no secret and with summer, their patio gets full quickly. But the bar itself has a large indoor space and the patio is a decent size, especially if you can get there on the earlier side to grab a spot at a table. They do take reservations - so you can book a table in advance if you have a group arriving.

Lavender Lake also serves up a good happy hour, serving wines at just $7 a glass (with some beers at $5). But if you don’t want to wait for service at the inside bar (which can be understaffed and crowded), head to the outside bar. It is card only outside and they only serve beer in cans, but they also serve a sparkling rose in a can for $6 - tastes good and the price is right.

The One Hotel Brooklyn: located on the Brooklyn water front near Brooklyn Bridge Park. Non-hotel patrons have access to their rooftop - which opens at noon. To get to the roof you must walk around to a side entrance and wait in line. The line goes looks long, but goes quickly. Backpacks are not allowed on the roof and must be checked, but you can take whatever you need out and up with you.

Its a great view and worth the visit to hang out for a drink or two - but there will certainly be plenty of tourists and the drinks are expensive, with the cheapest beer clocking in at $11 and wine starting at $18 per glass. If you’re in a group or know you want to hang out for a while, they serve 6 cans of beer in a bucket of ice for $45 - the better way to go if you want to enjoy the roof for longer. They also serve up some eats - mostly of the burger & fries variety, but the cost of the food is much more reasonable than the drinks. We didn’t eat, but it did look good.

Brooklyn Bridge Park / Dumbo Water Front: The Dumbo / Brooklyn water front is one of my favorite places in the City to be. Yes, it is touristy, but for good reason. The views of the city are unparalled, with a path along the water that takes you from a view of the Lady Liberty and downtown manhattan, all the way up to a good view of the Empire State Building. Also, the water front has been undergoing renovation over the past couple of years and now there are a number of newish shops and restaurants right on the water to enjoy, in addition to green space to picnic on. There is also a small beach on the water and for those of you with kids or who (like me) simply enjoy a good Carousel, you can ride Jane’s Carousel for only $2.

Whole Foods Rooftop - Gowanus: For a while now whenever I searched for good bars in my neighborhood The Roof, the rooftop bar and restaurant at Whole Foods in Gowanus kept popping up as an option. And I kept ignoring it. Finally in a desperate attempt for happy hour in the sun last week, I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did. The views are okay - mostly of the Gowanus Canal, but it is a large rooftop, with plenty of tables in the shade and in the sun, free wifi and decently priced drinks and food. You can also bring up the food you buy from the counter in the store downstairs. Highly Recommend.

Fonda: There are a three Fonda locations in the City and just one in Brooklyn. They serve some good Mexican food, but their happy hour is really when you want to go and on Mondays their happy hour goes all night long. A number of snacks, gauc, tacos and more are only $7, as are their margaritas and just $8 for a Mezcal margl. Needless to say, Jackie and I stayed long enough to have three margs each, split some guacamole and a quesadilla and our bill came to only $30 each. Not bad at all for a night in BK with three cocktails.

But be sure to get their on the earlier side. It fills up and happy hour is at the bar only. And don’t feel bad if you want to go on your own - there were plenty of people parking up to the bar on by themselves to enjoy the HH.

Bar Great Harry: This bar is located on Smith in Cobble Hill. At the outset this bar looks dark inside (especially on a sunny day) and more like a ‘winter bar’ than one you would want to spend your time at during a nice Spring day in New York. However, all the floor to ceiling windows surrounding the bar open up and once inside it is a nice, airy atmosphere. Happy Hour here is only $1 off drinks, but they have an excellent rose wine on tap that they serve at only $8 a glass at the regular price anyway. And they give a good pour. I was skeptical of this rose on tap at first, but it is perfectly light pink, not too sweet and lovely to drink.

Circa Brewing: if you're in Downtown Brooklyn, particularly in the shopping district, and are looking to eat something that is not of the fast food variety, Circa is where you want to go. It is a pizza place (also serving up sandwiches) that brews their own beer. We did a flight and I enjoyed their IPAs, although the other two beers in our flight weren’t quite to my taste. But the space is great - it is spacious, with high ceilings and a big open front gate, making it a good place to spend some time or bring a group.

Union Hall: This place is no secret. A bar with plenty of space on the corner of Union Street and 5th Avenue in Park Slope. Its the sort of bar i'd recommend selecting a beer or a mixed drink over the wine. But they have Bocce ball to play on one end of the bar, as well as a fire place surrounded by leather couches and a basement venue which hosts a variety of events from comedy, to group karaoke, to live podcast recordings and more. There is even a small outdoor space for when the weather is good. A solid, dependable spot in Brooklyn.

Susan’s Nails: If you're in the East Village / Alphabet City and looking for a good manicure that won't set you back, go to Susan's Nails on Avenue A and 10th street, right across from Tompkins Square Park. You can get a manicure for $10 and they also have some great combo deals for a mani/pedi/massage.