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New York Daily News has annointed Williamsburg’s Wythe Avenue the new Meatpacking District, which will probably sound like pretty old news to anyone who’s visited the area in the last few years. It’s only going to get more so, predicted the story, which ran down three of the hotel projects planned for the street, which The Real Deal also profiled last week.

The gravitational pull of Brooklyn’s new nightlife district is giving new meaning to the old term “bridge and tunnel,” according to the story.

“The whole bridge-and-tunnel terminology is becoming outdated,” said Brooklyn Bowl cofounder Charley Ryan. “There are people who live in Brooklyn and think of people in Manhattan as bridge and tunnel.” The Daily News also found a Brazilian tourist who said he spent 90 percent of his visit in Brooklyn. “Williamsburg has a better version of everything I come to New York for. Better people, better food, better clubs and better views of Manhattan,” he said.

Opening soon at the far end of Wythe is the club in Kinfolk Studios, to be called Kinfolk 94. “Made of exposed wood and shaped like a hippie eco-lodge in the Pacific Northwest, 94 is slated to become a rocking dance and performance club when it opens next month,” said the News. Its cedar geodesic dome was praised by the Times in February as an exception to the trend of monotonous architecture in Williamsburg.

“Every year this block gets more tourists,” said Kinfolk spokesman Felipe Delerme. “By 2020, it’s going to be Times Square,” he said, only partly joking.

Wythe Avenue Soars as Global Nightlife Mecca [NY Daily News]

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Recently, this pretty article from USA Today (.pdf) on The Best of Queens was published, listing some of the best in Queens. While we agree with a number of the choices, we have some differences of opinion. So, we thought we’d put together our own list. There are five categories – restaurants, attractions, shopping, nightlife, and hidden gems – with three items per category. Here we go!

Restaurants

Image source:  Danny Brown Wine Bar

Danny Brown Kitchen & Wine Bar. At this writing, Danny Brown is the only restaurant in Queens to have a Michelin star, which is a big deal. They really do deserve it – everything we’ve tasted there has been excellent. They have dishes that stay on the menu over time (a burger, chicken under a brick), but they do a lot of seasonal cooking, too. Their cheese and charcuterie plates are really good, too. Their wine selection is fabulous, too. So grab a table or sit at the bar – it’s a great experience no matter what. 104-02 Metropolitan Ave., Forest Hills, NY 11375 (GMAP)

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Image source: Columbia Daily Spectator

Steve Hofstetter: TV Special Warm-up – Cult hit Steve Hofstetter of Collegehumor.com fame is out to make you laugh IRL at the Laughing Devil Comedy Club in Long Island City (GMAP). He’s been CBS’ Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, ESPN’s Quite Frankly, VH1’s Countdown and numerous others. Laugh off the workweek with him tonight.

Steve Hofstetter: TV Special Warmup [QueensNYC]
Friday, October 5th, 2012
8-11pm | $20 cover charge

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The Starlight Lounge, located at Nostrand Ave and Bergen St, in Crown Heights North, is Brooklyn’s oldest gay bar, and perhaps also Brooklyn’s first black owned gay bar. However, the future of this neighborhood institution is looking bleak. As reported on Gothamist, the bar’s manager, Tim Leviticus, is quoted saying, “Without us knowing, the old landlord sold the building — not even giving us the right to purchase it. We haven’t met the new owner yet, but we’ve heard he wants the building to be empty.” The Lounge opened in the 1960’s, and was a popular hangout for the black gay community, as well as welcoming to anyone else who came in. Today, it is popular with both new and old clientele, with dance parties and karaoke nights. The owners are now circulating a petition to have the building and the bar landmarked, to protect it from demolition, and to preserve the Starlight. Information and discussion can be found on the Brooklynian, and more history can be found here.
Brooklyn’s Oldest Gay Bar May Close[Gothamist]
Community Petition For Landmark Status[Brooklynian]
Photo:outaboutbrooklyn.com. GMAP