So, I already mentioned that I had started working for a Brooklyn-based online magazine not too long ago. It is an online guide to events, dining, shopping, and many more things going on in tadaaaa – you guessed it – Brooklyn only. Which means anything going on in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island is of no interest to this magazine.
It was established in spring of 2010 and thus hasn’t been out in the world of online magazines for fairly long but its ideas are great and sometimes I really like to try out the bars or events various other journalists recommend in their articles.
Working for this magazine has been rather interesting in the past 5 weeks. Because I was out to do a few background checks and other types of research, I was able to get to know some great places in my borough. Sometimes I have even been sent to spots I thought I knew just to figure out that I did not know them as well as assumed. Due to interviews I got to talk to some very creative people who managed to take their hobby to another level or to become independent in an interesting business. The founders of Hella Bitter would be a great example of this. The four guys are from California, Boston, and Queens, and were all brought together here in New York. They have their lab and studio in Williamsburg and when I stopped by they were kind enough to mix a variety of the taste samples I needed and took a good chunk of their precious time to answer all the questions I had. This is to date one of my best articles I’ve written.
I was also able to discover dining spots with unique views. When checking out Brooklyn’s finest rooftop bars, I ended up in Williamsburg again and not only did I get to talk to the owners of the places but I also stumbled upon a great brunch location I will most definitely try out myself one of these days. In Carrol Gardens I was sent to one of the most remote spots I could possibly imagine but it was worth it because the Alma does not only offer a breath taking view onto the Manhattan sky line (by far the best in entire Brooklyn!) but also has a supposedly good Mexican cuisine – another point I will have to try out sooner than later.
Even Dumbo took me entirely by surprise when I was sent to Pier 6 – a spot I did not even know it existed until recently. One of the advantages of working with and for Brooklynites is that they are familiar with their hood to a certain degree. And they know far more than I ever could after living in Brooklyn for one and a half years. So we newbies get to do all the exploring, while the old fellows simply tell us where to find some hot spots.
The main editor of the mag occasionally sends out press events for grand openings of new bars or restaurants. Some of these are quite exclusive and a strict guest list is kept on most of them, as they are only meant for VIPs and press people. I cannot wait to attend the next one. I should mention that this is still Brooklyn, not Manhattan, so I don’t expect a five star location but occasionally these are in the basket of events, too. Digital Dumbo was, on the contrary, not a press event but I would have not known of a party like this going on if it weren’t for an insider tip from the magazine.
German-American Abroad 
Sounds like such an fun and insightful job. Wish I had it. Jessie.