Forget the flight delays, traffic jams and tourist traps. You can arrive at your mini vacation destination in 60 minutes or less this Labor Day weekend.
If you want: Rustic urbanismHead to: Onderdonk House, the oldest Dutch farmhouse in New York City, and the temporary site for a bike-in movie theater (run by Cinebeasts and 2(w)heels Collective).Amenities: A screening of 70s psychedelic classic The Point (September 10), and animated shorts made by local filmmakers. It’s B.Y.O.P.B. (bring your own picnic basket), though there’s fine coffee, refreshments and on-site screen printing -- it is Brooklyn after all. Extend your stay: Afterparty at Pine Box Rock ShopWhereabouts: 1820 Flushing Ave., BushwickTravel agony: Biking home post picnic-in-your-belly.
If you want: An alternative to vineyard hoppingHead to: Breucklen Distilling, a gin distillery mixing batches of grains, juniper berries and grapefruit peel. Then walk over to Quarter bar for sunshine and seasonal cocktails on the back patio. Finish it off with a tipple at Freddy’s, an Atlantic Yards transplant and iconic Brooklyn saloon. Amenities: You’re in the vicinity of Toby’s Public House and Southside Coffee (652 6th Ave.).Extend your stay: Soak up all that alcohol with dinner at the charming (and under appreciated) Lot 2.Whereabouts: South Slope / Greenwood HeightsTravel agony: A bit of a walk from the F/G trains at 7th Ave. or M/R trains to Prospect Ave. and 25th St.
If you want: A retro date nightHead to: Nitehawk Cinema, Williamsburg’s new movie theater with table-side dining service.Amenities: Beloved Brooklyn chef Saul Bolton (Saul, The Vanderbilt) created an a la carte menu along with meals to match your movies (think country pate and cognac for Midnight in Paris; ham and eggs, and a rum/ginger beer cocktail for Beats Rhymes & Life). Whereabouts: 136 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg (718-384-3980)Travel agony: L train hoopla
If you want: To chat with your girlfriends about how much you j’adore ParisHead to: The highly anticipated US outpost of Parisian macaronerie Maison Laduree (est. 1862)Amenities: Cakes (tributes to Marie Antoinette, pompadours, etc.), pastries, Frenchie sandwich cookies, lots of adorable packaging.Extend your stay: Pop into the Alliance Francais (fi:af) for the French lessons you keep putting off. Whereabouts: 864 Madison Ave., Upper East Side.Travel agony: The 6 train. An (inevitable) line at the cashier. Listening to groups of girls chatting about how much they j’adore Paris.
If you want: Your dose of culture on a street cornerHead to: The BMW Guggenheim Lab, the museum’s first mobile art structure offering free workshops and events. Amenities: Roberta’s set up a cafe with picnic tables smack-dab on the corner of 2nd Ave. Good for people-watching, burger-eating and finishing the night off with Momofuku Milk Bar desserts.Extend your stay: For a double dose of art, New Museum is a straight shot down Bowery.Whereabouts: Houston St. at 2nd Ave., East VillageTravel agony: Right off the F/V to 2nd Ave.