Athena Pappas

Adventures in New York City and around the world
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    • Adventures in New York: Red Hook Day

      Posted at 11:30 am by athenapappas, on February 27, 2019

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      A throwback to the industrial past of the Brooklyn waterfront, the neighborhood of Red Hook is one of the most unique places to explore in New York City. Not accessible by subway (only bus or ferry), Red Hook offers a plethora of delicious places to eat and drink. On beautiful Saturday, I gathered a group of friends, and we set out on Red Hook Day…a plan to explore as much of the neighborhood as we possibly could. We started the day with baked goods and coffee at the tasty Baked. Not only was this the perfect place to fuel up, but we got treats to have later, too.

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      Housed in one of Red Hook’s former coastal warehouses is the Red Hook Winery. No, the grapes are not grown in Brooklyn. However, they use all New York State grown grapes in order to produce wine in their winery. Offering tours and tastings with very knowledgeable guides, the winery has wines with both a great taste and interesting stories behind their creation.

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      Next stop, the Waterfront Barge Museum. This is an actual railroad barge that was built in 1914. This unique museum is dedicate to history and preservation of the New York waterfront along with being an event and performing arts space.

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      Taking an early lunch, we just managed to beat the crowds at legendary temple of smoked meat. Hometown BBQ. Seriously, even on off hours, their line can be out the door. Pictured here are the brisket tacos and pulled pork tacos. Hometown is a big, open warehouse space with communal wooden picnic tables and cold beer on tap. I would highly recommend getting a variety of things to shares.

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      After lunch, it was time for more tours. In a two-for-one stop, the Window Jane Distillery and Cacao Prieto chocolate makers are located in the same warehouse. There, you can buy goods from both craft-makers…and also tour the facilities! Hairnets were required since this is a working distillery and chocolate maker. On display were historic machines used in these processes.

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      The also had chickens! There was plenty of chocolate and whiskey to sample during and after the tour.

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      In addition to delicious food and drink, Red Hook is home to a thriving arts scene. Pioneer Works is an artist run cultural center that hosts exhibits and events. In their outdoor space, they had plenty of funky art exhibits.

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      Jared Mogil and I got a picture in front of their beautiful garden wall.

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      Final stop of the day…Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie’s! Using only freshly squeezed key limes (no fake coloring or concentrate here), Steve’s mini pies are a Brooklyn staple. The Swingle, a mini tart dipped in chocolate, is a must-try.

      Although Red Hook is off the beaten path (and probably best know for being the home of the NYC IKEA), I cannot recommend highly enough spending a beautiful spring or summer day exploring the neighborhood.

      Posted in Adventures, Free Stuff, New York, Restaurants, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Brooklyn, Cafe, Museum, New York, Red Hook, Winery
    • Adventures in New York: Surplus Candy

      Posted at 11:02 am by athenapappas, on June 3, 2014

      2014-01-10 20.27.10-1This past winter, when NYC was in a state of perma-sludge, I was lucky enough to attend a very secret art show. 43 street artists, lead by Hanksy, turned a condemned building in Alphabet City into a giant and totally illegal art gallery. The girls with the weapons in these alcoves (one of them above) were probably my favorites.

      2014-01-10 20.27.23Here’s the kitchen. It was a three floors of street art in this falling apart building. Apologies for the quality of the pictures, but it was really hard to set up a decent shot as people were walking through. Not that I am complaining, it was really an experience to feel and see with your own eyes instead of through your IPhone screen. My personal relationship with documenting art, monuments, places that attract a lot of people, etc. is that I don’t want to ruin the experience for anyone else by keeping them from walking through just because I HAVE to take the perfect picture. There was a woman who kept yelling at everyone in one room because people were walking into the picture she was trying to take of her friends. I wouldn’t have minded if it was once quick picture, but they kept taking them! Totally rude behavior. End rant.

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      To learn about the show you had to follow the right Twitter at the right time, which would reveal the location in code. I was lucky that a friend of mine’s boss is really into street art and told us the location of the show.

      2014-01-10 20.34.08It was stunning. Weird, surreal, but exciting to see something that was so once-in-a-lifetime. I wish I had gotten pictures of the bathroom, but it was hard to squeeze into the smaller spaces.

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      In a museum, it is such a different use of space. Things are hung or installed. Here, the apartment was the canvas. It was such a neat experience as a viewer, I can only imagine how exciting it was for the artists to make.  I would like to emphasize that this is a building that is slated to be demolished, which ads a layer of complexity to the statement.

      2014-01-10 20.37.39-1A crownut! Hanksy is my personal favorite street artist, so I was really excited to see this walking up the stairs.  Celebrities, puns, what’s not to love? That’s 0ne of the most incredible things about NYC, on any given night, something truly weird and amazing is happening in the art world. That includes an illegal three-story street art gallery.

      Posted in Adventures, Free Stuff, New York | 0 Comments | Tagged Alphabet City, art, Hansky, NYC, Winter
    • Beer Book: Black Rabbit

      Posted at 2:42 pm by athenapappas, on February 28, 2013

      Black Rabbit

      Black Rabbit Coaster

      The Black Rabbit is one of my all-time favorite bars in Greenpoint (actually maybe even in Brooklyn, which basically means favorite in New York City). Its decor draws very much on the ambiance of an old Irish pub without being kitschy or feeling out of place in the neighborhood. One of my favorite things about it are the booths that line one wall. Each has swinging doors that you can shut, and when you need service, you ring the bell to signal a waiter. Although we still have yet to venture from the North Brooklyn area (and I have only been to one new bar), the beer book is proving to be quite fun. In our defense, the Saturday we went to Black Rabbit was miserably rainy and cold, not very good adventuring weather.

      But, perfect weather for a fireplace and cozy pub. Towards their big backyard are tables good for groups clustered near a small fireplace. If you are looking for a bar in Brooklyn with both a fireplace and hot toddies, this is your place. Unfortunately, the heat of the fireplace was cancelled out by the window next to our table labeled “do not close.” The dark wooden benches, while not the most comfortable, added to the pub-vibe.

      Branching out from my usual (slightly lazy) choice of a Brooklyn Lager, I chose to use my beer coupon on the Allagash White. That is a Belgian beer brewed in Maine. I enjoyed the light, crisp flavor. Black Rabbit also serves food (including a cheese plate), but I have yet to actually try it.

      Another thing I love about Black Rabbit are the little details. They have Trivial Pursuit cards on the bar and host strange events like Speed Dating to the Smiths. It is impressive that a bar can swing from very low-key to Friday-night-crowded without losing its charm and personality. If you are in the Greenpoint area, I highly recommend a stop at Black Rabbit for a pint and old-world charm.

      Posted in Adventures, Beer Book, Free Stuff, New York, Review | 0 Comments | Tagged Adventure, beer, Brooklyn, greenpoint, New York, Review
    • Adventures in New York: The Beer Book

      Posted at 8:50 pm by athenapappas, on February 19, 2013

      ImageAfter a slightly longer than intended hiatus from blogging, I am back! While I will continue to write about poetry and the occasional culinary endeavor, my latest project is blogging about my adventure with the  Beer Book! It is a coupon book of 30 free beers at 30 different bars around Brooklyn created by the awesome blog Brokelyn. Along with my partner in crime, Joe (check out and follow his twitter here), we will explore all thirty different bars and restaurants from the very tip of Brooklyn in Greenpoint south to Flatbush. This should be a really exciting opportunity to check out some new places in this great borough I call home. Check back  to see the spots we have hit so far.

      Posted in Adventures, Free Stuff, New York | 2 Comments | Tagged adventures, beer, Brokelyn, Brooklyn, new year
    • Pi/Pie Day

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on March 15, 2012

      In honor of Pi day (which was yesterday…think about it 3/14…) the Sweetery Truck in front of my building was offering free pies! Yes, that is right, free pies. I got blue berry. I don’t know that I would call it a pie exactly, it really seemed more like a gourmet pop-tart (or is a pop-tart a bastardization of a pie?). But it was great, if my sweet tooth ever strikes at work, I know exactly where to head. Walking the streets of New York and see the Sweetery Truck, it is worth a stop.

      Craig Ferguson: “How far can you recite pi?”
      Jason Segel: “Cherry, blueberry, apple, pecan”
      Posted in Adventures, Free Stuff, New York | 0 Comments | Tagged Free, Pi, Pie, Sweetery Truck
    • The Daily Show

      Posted at 3:45 pm by athenapappas, on March 6, 2012

      Last night, I had the very exciting privileged of being in the Daily Show’s live studio audience. I have already been in the audience for the Colbert Report, and this was a very different experience. Sarah and I arrived just before 2:30pm so that we could grab our tickets. One perk the Daily Show has over the Colbert Report, is that after we got our “line placeholder,” we could leave and did not have to come back until 4:30, right before they would let us in to begin the taping.

      So, after much less standing in line, we were ushered into the studios around 5pm. Sadly, all pictures were banned once we entered the studio, but it was surprisingly small. The stage and audience were a good size, but the desk and set seemed miniature in a way. Like at Colbert, there was a warm up comedian, and Jon came out early to answer audience questions. The best was, “what would be your idea news day?” His answer was along the lines of “a unicorn attack. A unicorn with a knife.” Stewart is, like all the reports say, quite small. It was hard to tell since everything seemed out of proportion, but he was small.

      The episode was fantastic. If you have not already seen Monday night’s broadcast, I suggest you drop everything and watch it. It was a different crowd and atmosphere then Colbert, who seemed more goofy and fun. But Jon Stewart is just straight up brilliant and hilarious. So if you are a big fan and have an afternoon/evening to kill in the city, absolutely look into getting tickets.

      You can check out the awesome opening here!

      Posted in Adventures, Free Stuff, New York | 0 Comments | Tagged Audience, The Daily Show
    • Free Hair Styling: Part II

      Posted at 3:19 pm by athenapappas, on February 1, 2012

      As the second part of being a Bumble and Bumble Hair U model, I also receive a free color. I am going in the morning to have my hair dyed for the first time, a single process. Above is a pretty good representation of the color my hair is now, styled by Sarah Grubb for New Year’s Eve.

      I headed to the Meatpacking district this morning. My student/stylist Yola was very nice and had great ideas for my hair. I sort of wanted some red in it, but she wanted to make my color richer. First she added all of the dye goop to my hair. Luckily it only had to sit for about twenty min. Then after shampooing it out of my hair (is there anything better then having your hair washed?), she added an opaque shine. It is hard to tell in the picture, but I think I have some high-lights and a fuller, richer color (one that makes my eyes “pop”). Overall, a nice experience. Since it was my first time, she made sure to pick a color that will not require much maintenance. I went ahead and scheduled my next appointment, but I am going to wait until June and see if I want to do it again.

      Posted in Free Stuff | 0 Comments | Tagged bumble and bumble, dye, hair
    • Midweek Adventures

      Posted at 9:07 pm by athenapappas, on January 25, 2012

      Today is a hodgepodge of adventure writing. Above is the youtube video for my first Vlog entry. I have joined the Vlog Poets, a group of poets posting youtube videos for an entire year speaking on different poetry topics. More info found here: http://projectvideobard.com/  So check it out! Poetry is still living and breathing.

      On to my cheap/free adventuring…Sarah found a deal at a drug store for 4 Coca-Cola 12 packs for $10. They usually sell for about $5-6 a pop (no pun intended, well maybe a little bit). Unfornatly, the nearest location was about a mile from my apartment, with no convenient subway route. So we headed out in the rain with our rolling suitcases and backpacks to get our deal.

      In the store, it was a bit of a struggle to get everything to the check out without leaving a bag or case behind. I could only fit three in my suitcase, but that’s what the backpacks were for. We tried to avoid the main streets heading back, not that anyone found us walking with suitcases strange. Adventures in the name of saving money!

      Rome, August 2008

      Again, the above picture is unrelated to the following anecdote. Even though I ride the MTA subway system nearly everyday, it has been awhile since I have done a morning commute into the city. Today was epic. To get to my assignment, I had to take three different trains. First, the infamous G train, the one subway line that does not actually connect to Manhattan. It really would be so bad except that at my station, the train stops half way down the platform. On the opposite side of where I enter.

      As I swiped in, a trained started to come into the station. I could either walk and wait for who knows when the next train would come, or bust a run for it. I went with running down the platform, in heels. Just as I made it to the the last door of the last car, the conductor looked to his left (away from me), and closed the train doors. Luckily he looked back right, saw me, and opened them again. One train down.

      On to the L train, one of the craziest commuter trains. In the morning the cars are always over capacity. Nothing too eventuful happened this morning. I did not fall on anyone. Then, I finally made it to Union Square, hundreds of us are exiting. I actually had the feeling I was being swept up the stairway to the next train.

      The Uptown Six! The other Green train. As I am walking down the stairs to it, I can see it sitting in the station. I could almost make it, but everyone is exiting towards me. Again, the doors are shutting right as I get up to it, but the guy in front of me Hulks out on the doors and pries them open, leaving enough room for me to slip in behind him.

      All that, and I still made it to my destination early.

      Quote of the Day:

      “I would solve a lot of literary problems just thinking about a character in the subway, where you can’t do anything anyway”- Toni Morrison

      Posted in Free Stuff, Writing | 0 Comments | Tagged cheap, Coca-Cola, MTA, New York, poetry, Subway
    • Free Adventures: The Haircut

      Posted at 5:20 pm by athenapappas, on January 19, 2012

      The Before

      Last week I posted that I was chosen to be a hair model for Bumble & Bumble U. Today was my first free haircut as a hair model. While the cut lasted about two hours, it was overall a positive experience. I was selected to receive the “razor bob” cut. Instead of using scissors, the stylist cut my hair with a razor. This means that the hair will grow out softer, and the cut will last longer. The stylist did put an incredible amount of product in my hair, but I think it helped her work with my hair. There also seemed to be a few close calls which required the instructor to correct. Since I had the time today, it was a pretty interesting adventure.

      The After

      Now my hair is a bit shorter and my bangs are fuller. I am not a fan of how she styled in a sort of messy-bed-head-way. But I think once I blow dry it out, I will look more like myself. I also got some great product recommendations.

      Posted in Free Stuff | 1 Comment | Tagged big changes, bumble and bumble, free stuff, hair cut
    • More (free and cheap) Adventures in New York City

      Posted at 7:24 pm by athenapappas, on January 12, 2012

      Turkey, May 2011

      I will admit the picture does not actually have anything to do with this post. I just thought a theater atop a mountain is pretty epic.

      On Tuesday, I had another great and awesome privileged of being in the studio audience for the taping of the Colbert Report. If you have never seen it before, you should look it up right now. Then come back and finish reading my blog.

      While it was a really incredible experience and I would highly recommend it, I will probably never do it again for several reasons. First, I stood in line for about an hour before I even got the actual ticket to go inside. But, if you are on standby and do not get in, they give you a pass to come back at  a later date. More standing in line outside. Someone really smelled. A couple was sucking face like they needed each others saliva to live. The backpack in line in front of me kept hitting me. A creepy mustached man behind me made crude jokes. Then, everyone had to go through a metal detector and stand in a holding pen. Two hours later, we were seated in the studio.

      That is when the magic happened. I won’t give away the secrets of the show. But, if you are a serious fan the few moments before the show starts are incredible. Stephen takes questions from the audience, out of character. Then, he danced and lip-synched to the entirety of Fell in Love with a Girl by the White Stripes. Also, Peter Jackson’s personal assistant was in the audience. I have never seen suit pants that tight on any man, ever.

      The show did not disappoint and seeing behind the scenes will make future episodes a little more special for me. I really don’t know that I will have the time or patience in the future to go again, but I am glad I did it once.

      Turkey, May 2011

      Again, picture unrelated. After the show (and after calling my parents to make sure they TiVo the episode), my friend and I headed to the secret burger restaurant in midtown. Seriously, a secret burger joint hidden in Le Parker Meridien, one of those fancy midtown hotels. I was pretty convinced the doorman was giving us a “and what are you doing here?” look. But in the lobby, behind a big black curtain is a neon burger sign. Follow that into a little wooden burger shack, complete with pitchers of beer and graffiti on the walls. For $14.50 you can get  a cheese burger, fries, and a coke. They weren’t the best  burger and fries that I have ever had, but they were pretty good. At that price in midtown, they were simply amazing. So, if you ever find yourself wanting to explore behind the curtain in midtown, check out the Burger Joint.

      Quote of the Day:

      “When I left Queen’s my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend in it. I don’t know what lies around the bend, but I’m going to believe that the best does. It has a fascination of its own, that bend, Marilla.”
      – L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

      Posted in Free Stuff | 0 Comments | Tagged Burgers, Colbert Report, free stuff, Turkey
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