[FIPS Was There...] Farewell 285 Kent

Photo via greatdesign.com

Is there any thing more Brooklyn than the letters D-I-Y? No, Maynard. There sure ain't. When it comes to the Brooklyn music scene, those three letters represent handfuls of venues that're often all ages & often in the Willyburg/Bushwick area & run independent of the Bowery/Live Nation system that lords over much of the city's concert venues.

Over the past few years, one of the more high-profile DIY Venues has been 285 Kent, a claustrophobic, 350-capacity room that's put on shows without the usual permits & whatnot on the far west side of Williamsburg. The venue, curated by Ric Leichtung (founder of Ad Hoc) and NYC DIY-venue impresario Todd P, hosted a mix of local acts, experimental acts & acts who were probably too big to be playing there. They had no liquor license but there was a bar. There were "No Smoking" signs but if you left not smelling like smoke, something was wrong. Sure you had to breathe the same oxygen as numerous hipster stereotypes, but it was always a good time.

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Williamsburg Hates Park Slope

Photo via New York ShittyForget Manhattan vs. Brooklyn...we've moved onto Brooklyn on Brooklyn hate now, people. 

In this photo snapped by New York Shitty's Miss Heather, Slopers are politely asked to go back to Manhattan.

My question is this: why wouldn't you just exile us back to the Slope? It's way harder to get to, and our only way of infiltration is the ugly, cross-eyed, stepchild of the MTA, affectionately named the G train. 

Apparently Manhattan sucks so bad that instead of the old addage "Go to Hell," we've just substituted "Go to Manhattan." C'mon, Brooklyn...let's get that lovin' feeling back so we can collectively bitch about how much someone would have to pay us to live in the city again.