Thanks to Coronavirus, we have basically been sheltering-in-place here in Manhattan for about four months now. Sadly, we have not been able to travel, go to camp, or do any of our other usual summer activities. In search of a silver lining, the summer of 2020 has become our time to explore New York in a socially distant, family fun way. This week, our first adventure brought us to Greenpoint; we decided to try a COVID-safe dinner and movie in Brooklyn NYC.
What’s Greenpoint like?
I think this trip marks the first time I have ever been to Greenpoint. It is actually an adorable area with a small-town feel. The population was diverse and young. The strains of reggae music wafted through the air from open car windows. The vibe was fun and accepting. It almost felt like a college town a few years later…thus my new name for the area: Millenial-Central😜! Note that many of the youngsters (perhaps about 50%?) were not wearing masks, but social distance was observed most of the time.
Where did you go for dinner?
There are so many cute places to eat and shop around Bedford Avenue. We selected the Forma Pasta Factory, and were NOT disappointed. The server introduced the menu and instructed us to order inside. He delievered our meals super quickly, and everything was absolutely delicious. Note that the chairs and stools are not too comfortable and there are very few tables for outside dining, but the turnover rate is really fast.
The pasta is made-to-order and the tomato sauce is perfect! Alex announced that he loved the meatballs (although they were too small), and Nina wants everyone in cyberspace to know that there was a large dog statue in the bathroom that she named “Flush” 😂.
Froma Pasta Factory, Greenpoint Brooklyn
What about the movie?
The Skyline Drive-In theater is housed in an industrial, waterfront location in Greenpoint. Pre-COVID, they were a movie production studio…just another clever bunch of New Yorkers making lemonade from lemons 😀. We arrived at around 7:30 (for a 9:00 showing), and we weren’t the first people there. Spaces are provided on a first-come-first-serve basis. Our ticket ($55 per CAR) was scanned, and then we were directed by a series of experts into quite a tight parking space (but we are used to that!).
The screen was perched on a delapidated stub of a building.
To the left, we had a clear view of downtown including the Freedom Tower and the Manhattan Bridge. On the right were the iconic midtown sites like the Empire State and the Chrysler Buildings. Stunning!
The commercial setting along with the backdrop of New York’s incredible cityscape, make the experience at Skyline undeniably urban (and so cool!). Each time a cloud moved, the view got even more amazing; it was tough to decide which photos (of the many I took) to include in this post!
What is there to do before the show starts?
- First of all, the ambient music was a groovy disco theme (perhaps because the movie was Mama Mia), and we were entertained listening to audience members sing and watching them dance. The vibe was happy and mellow.
- We also made a stop at the food truck for snacks. We found movie favorites like popcorn and twizlers, but some Brooklyn specialties like cannolis!
- I visited the bathrooms, which were housed inside the studio and manned by a masked security guard. They were large, well lit and clean!
- Last but definitely not least, I went around to check out everyone’s set up. People had all kinds of great ideas from full picnics and extended family gatherings to sunbathing on their hoods.
What’s the bottom line?
We had SO MUCH FUN at the Skyline Drive-In!
- Nina and I rated our experience 9/10. She stated: “The movie was very good…the sound was messed up, but that was the only problem”. I agree, the movie was very difficult to hear, but luckily there were subtitles.
- Renato gave a grade of 7 1/2. He said “I enjoyed it. I would do it again”. He had “fun” and felt that “the location was great”, but he “wasn’t into the movie” (which I knew he wouldn’t be…).
- Alex was the low scorer of the night, giving the experience just 1/10. He was bored, had a hard time hearing the movie, and said “it’s too late” (the movie ended a few minutes before 11pm).