Thursday: Night at The (Brooklyn) Museum
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Brooklyn Museum
Empanadas and art...read on:
STOP 1: PUERTO VIEJO
beers with paper aprons somehow taste better. all this for $6.
The first stop of the evening is Puerto Viejo, a Dominican bistro on a nondescript block of auto body and iron work shops in Prospect Heights. Here, you can enjoy $1 empanadas (beef, chicken and cheese), $5 glasses of sangria and $3 Modelo's during a daily happy hour from 4:00-7:00 PM. The beef empanadas are definitely the best of the bunch and if you like sangria, Puerto Viejo's was recently written up as among Brooklyn's best. With this outstanding happy hour menu, you can easily have a square supper for under $10.
puerto viejo
STOP 2: BROOKLYN MUSEUM
Iris and gerald b. Cantor auditorium, brooklyn museum
After dinner, head south to the Brooklyn Museum, where you can check out a diverse and impressive permanent collection, featuring everything from Egyptian antiquities to contemporary works of art. The museum also curates innovative, boundary pushing exhibitions, and on Thursdays, opens its doors to visitors until 10:00 PM. During these extended hours, programming may include live musical performances, film screenings, panel discussions, dance parties and DJ sets, most free with museum admission.
Surprisingly, on most Thursday evenings, the place is magically empty, a unique opportunity to have many of the galleries almost entirely to yourself (not counting the mummies).
See below for a clip of the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra performing in the Iris and Gerald B. Cantor Auditorium on a recent Thursday evening (note the number of open seats).
RECAP:
- Puerto Viejo: A Dominican spot with a stellar food and drink happy hour.
- Brooklyn Museum: An typically overlooked and under-appreciated museum with a world class art collection and outstanding programming. Open until 10:00 PM on Thursday evenings.
ESSENTIAL INFO:
-Puerto Viejo is located at 564 Grand Avenue, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Museum is located at 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn.
-Total Cost: Under $35 per person for empanadas and drinks at Puerto Viejo and admission to the Brooklyn Museum. Tax and tip included.
-Puerto Viejo is cash only and if you miss the happy hour deal, empanadas are still only $2.
-The Brooklyn Museum's admission is a "suggested" $16. However, you may pay whatever you wish.
-The Brooklyn Museum can (and does) get packed on Thursday evenings when there are major events, particularly ones that feature dance parties or certain musical performances. If you want to avoid large crowds and a LONG line, check the museum calendar to plan accordingly (read: if the evening's programming includes a DJ, expect a crowd).
