A Sophisticated Meeting Place

Not having any windows can be a bad thing for any bar, but nothing excercises the bad parts of one's mind like a bar with no windows that happens to be called Liquid Love. And nothing can ratchet up that sense of icky dread like looking up the business on the online yellow pages just to discover that the establishment's actual name is LARRY'S LIQUID LOVE. Walking around Bed-Sty one expects to find evangelical churches, some delis, a hardware store run by an 80-year-old woman, and the occasional stray cat. What one does NOT expect to find is a swanky, classy lounge, especially if it looks like this from the outside. However once inside all unwelcome thoughts are dispelled as Liquid Love is simply as its sign states: A Sophisticaed Meeting Place. The music is not too loud, the staff is more than friendly and the drinks (while served in strangely small glasses) are stiff. There is a dress code and expect to be patted down on entry. This is the place for serious adults to have a serious adult time (clothes on). They also have a roomy dance floor area in the back and live DJ music all weekend (Karaoke on Sundays). Tell the current proprietor, Bunny, that Juan says hi.

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Nightlife • Bedford-Stuyvesant

It's Mystical

My idea of "home décor" is leaving slices of pepperoni pizza around the house (for aroma and easy access). So I truly appreciate those with a more "modern" sense of style—like Serena and Patrick Icart-Pierre. Serena knows interior design; Patrick is a painter and art teacher. They recently combined their talents and opened a store on Atlantic Avenue in Bed-Stuy. Situated beyond the Boerum Hill antique strip, they offer a more eclectic and oftentimes interesting selection whose emphasis lies on faraway places and unique pieces: everything from Hawaiian platters and Chinese armoires to plants and paintings. The stock constantly rotates but they always have something purchase-worthy, no matter your budget. So the next time you need a non-pepperoni accoutrement to "classy" up your abode, head on down. Exotica for one and all!

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Shopping • Bedford-Stuyvesant

Brooklyn, Band-Playing, The Usual

The Bushwick/Bed-Stuy border never looked so safe! This well-known slightly out-of-the-way music venue hasn't gotten quite a million reviews yet, so I thought I'd give it another. A relaxed, junk/antique-filled hole-in-the-wall, GBM exudes a shabby charm! A traveler's spirit! The shelves are stacked with out-of-print reading materials, the boxes are filled with records; an old-time pale ale is served at the tiny bar. The bar to perform doesn't seem so high, but owner Steve T. will allegedly only invite you back if he likes you. So go! Wine will be served (secrets will be spilled!), bands will be listened to and computer time will be rented out to the computer-desirous. The whole frilly, dilapidated space will be yours for the meandering for the duration of your nighttime stay. Did I mention the $1 meat patties (at any bodega) down the street? Don't forget your switchblade.

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Nightlife • Bedford-Stuyvesant

Y-M-C-A!

Man, the Bed-Stuy YMCA is where it's at. It is, of course, a fantastic place for swimming, but its workout facilities are both top-notch and inexpensive as well. It opens at 6 in the morning, typically closes at 11 at night, and the only downside to working out there is that starting around two thirty in the afternoon, series of oodles of local high school students come through the gym as a part of their physical education system and hang all over the equipment, doing next to nothing. Aside from that, it's a great place to get your work out on, talk to the sorts of women who read Dostoyevsky on the stair-master, and finish a great work out off with an even better swim.

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Gyms • Bedford-Stuyvesant