BESTOFBK.COM • WINNERS GUIDE • DIME BEST OF BROOKLYN 2020 5
2020 BEST OF B K.COM
BEST ANNUAL EVENT/
FESTIVAL
CONEY ISLAND MERMAID PARADE
1208 Surf Ave, Brooklyn
(718) 372-5159 - www.coneyisland.com
Celebrate life under the sea at The Coney Island
Mermaid Parade. The largest art parade in the
nation, this beachside community treasure
showcases the mermaid-themed creative pieces
of over 3,000 artists from all fi ve boroughs and
beyond. Since 1983, fl oats, cars, and hoards of
costumed walkers have ushered in each summer
the swimming season by bringing ocean mythology
to life and giving creative New Yorkers an outlet for
public self-expression on Mermaid and Neptune
streets.
BEST ART GALLERY
TABLA RASA GALLERY
224 48th St, Brooklyn
(718) 833-9100 - www.tablarasagallery.com
American artists’ modern work in a variety of
media is displayed at this historic carriage house.
Perhaps no city in the world can boast as many
opportunities as New York City, and Brooklyn’s
Tabla Rasa Gallery brings all of the prestige and
creativity of the art world right to your door.
Featuring individual and group exhibitions and all
other forms of art, Tabla Rasa provides a warm,
intimate environment that allows you and anyone
you know an opportunity to connect with some
of the great works available in the entire city. The
gallery is located just three “N” EXPRESS stops
from 14th Street/ Union Square to 36th Street
or four “D” express stops from West 4th Street/
Washington Square to 36th Street in Brooklyn, and
one local “R” train stop to 45th Street.
BEST ARTIST/
PAINTER
MARGARET NEILL
913-834-8077 - www.margaretneillstudio.com
Margaret Neill’s fi rst memory is that of holding
her ear to her mother’s heart, and she has been
aiming to recreate this sensation of continuous
fl ow through her artwork ever since. Her signature
technique utilizes singular strokes and large areas
of color to create unique, vibrant designs of surging
waves. Margaret’s abstract paintings and drawings
present multilayered forms and richly worked
surfaces that refer neither to narrative or image
but are informed by presence in the fl uidity of
time. Her art has been featured in various venues
including Yale University Art Gallery, Colby College
Museum of Art, and the New York Public Library
and has been reviewed by publications like the
New York Sun, Art in America and the Brooklyn
Rail. Head to her website to view her work and be
visually astounded.
BEST CONCERT VENUE
REGINA OPERA COMPANY
P.O. Box 150253, Brooklyn
(718) 259-2772 - www.reginaopera.org
Founded in 1970 by Marie Cantoni and Nicholas
Tierno, the Regina Opera Company began as a
small group of dedicated singers who gave opera
recitals with piano accompaniment in a tiny
auditorium at the Regina Pacis-St. Rosalia Parish
Youth Center in Borough Park/Dyker Heights,
Brooklyn. The following year, they produced an
abridged staged version of La Traviata with piano
accompaniment. In 1976, they began performing
on the larger stage at Regina Hall (the auditorium
of Regina Pacis School), and acquired an orchestra
in 1982. In 2008, a grant enabled them to begin
providing supertitles. In 2012, they moved to a
wonderful new home, Our Lady of Perpetual Help
School auditorium, whose more professional stage
facilities and comfortable audience amenities
inaugurated a great new era in Regina Opera’s
history and have provided great performances ever
since.
BEST DANCE SCHOOL
FOR ADULTS
VICKY SIMEGIATOS PERFORMING ARTS
CENTER
7110 3rd Ave, Brooklyn
(718) 680-0944 - www.vspac.com
Vicky Simegiatos Performing Arts Center was
founded when The American Ballet Theatre
Company has toured to Athens almost fi fty years
ago. After Simegiato was recognized for her talents
in ballet during her time with The American Ballet
Theatre she decided to open her own studio and
teach what she loves. The studio has been open
know since 1980 and has continued to teach new
generations the art of ballet.
BEST DJ COMPANY
CLASSIE SOUNDS ENTERTAINMENT
2906 W. 15th St, Brooklyn
(718) 256-5700 - www.classiesounds.com
Make your special moment all the more special
with best DJ Company in Brooklyn! Servicing
Brooklyn and Staten Island, Classie Sounds is
a one-stop-shop for everything you will need to
have the time of your life! Classie specializes in
Weddings, Sweet 16’s, and corporate events, and
offers far more than just a DJ to make sure that the
party is pumping! Classie also provides dancers,
lighting, decoration services, and video recording,
so you could say that they really do have what it
takes to bring the party!
BEST ESCAPE ROOM
BROOKLYN ESCAPE ROOM
594 Paci c St, Brooklyn
(718) 636-4100 - www.bam.org
Choose your adventure at the Brooklyn Escape
Room with three different themed rooms: Shelter
R, The Haunted and Medieval Dungeon. A great
activity for kids and adults, the professional set
design will transport you to Medieval Europe in
a realistic dungeon, a dystopian future shelter or
a haunted house where you’ll fi nd clues and solve
challenging puzzles to escape the room before
time runs out. The escape rooms are focused on
small groups of 2-8 teammates. Looking to book a
corporate event or birthday party? Reserve a room
for a private event with a setup of tables for food
and entertainment
BEST LOCAL LIVE
THEATRE
BAM HARVEY THEATER
651 Fulton St, Brooklyn
(718) 636-4100 - www.bam.org
Former Executive Producer Harvey
Lichtenstein discovered what would become
the BAM Harvey Theater when looking for a
new kind of venue for Peter Brook’s eight-hour
production of The Mahabharata. The awardwinning
renovation that followed beautifully
preserved the deconstructed feels of the
space, resulting in a striking theater with the
ambience of a timeless ruin. The Harvey has
since served as the unique setting for major
stage and broadcast productions.
BEST MOVIE
THEATER
ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA -
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN
445 Albee Square W., Brooklyn
(718) 513-2547- www.drafthouse.com
Experience the best film, food and drink all in
one seat at the Alamo Drafthouse! While getting
cozy and comfy in their seat, movie goers can
simply write down their order using a pen and
paper provided on the table in front of them
and place it on the stand-up clip, while a waiter
makes sure the order is received before the
movie starts. Need something else during the
movie? Fill out another order and a waiter will
be at your service! The theater’s menu features
film-inspired foods such as burgers, pizzas,
salads, snacks and delicious desserts. It also
highlights and promotes the best local craft
breweries and staff members are constantly
mixing up new cocktail creations elevating the
cinematic experience.
BEST MUSEUM
BROOKLYN MUSEUM
200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn
(718) 638-5000 - www.brooklynmuseum.org
It’s no contest when it comes to the arts and
Brooklyn. Brooklyn Museum is a must see. They
hold themselves to the highest standards of
curatorial excellence from great art and original
shows to beautiful installations and canonexpanding
scholarship. They have created and
presented inspirational and transformative
engagement with our collections, exhibitions,
programming and educational offerings,
welcoming all visitors with respect and a
true sense of hospitality. The museum also
ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT
/K.COM
/www.tablarasagallery.com
/www.margaretneillstudio.com
/www.reginaopera.org
/www.vspac.com
/www.classiesounds.com
/www.bam.org
/www.bam.org
/www.brooklynmuseum.org
/BESTOFBK.COM
/www.coneyisland.com
/www.coneyisland.com
/www.tablarasagallery.com
/www.margaretneillstudio.com
/www.reginaopera.org
/www.vspac.com
/www.classiesounds.com
/www.bam.org
/www.bam.org
/www.drafthouse.com
/www.brooklynmuseum.org
