Have you ever had a chance to observe the difference between the weekend and Monday crowds at the gym? Every Monday we absolve the weekend’s sins of alcohol and excessive debaucheries by rushing into the gym, replacing bloody marys with smoothies, and retrying that diet we started last Monday and quit on Friday. It is rare but, just like we detoxify our bodies, there is a place to detoxify our minds as well. It is a place where we can be mentally stimulated and exercise our favorite muscle, the brain. In Bushwick, that place is The Living Gallery, which every Monday night hosts all lovers of wisdom in a Philosophy Night hosted by Nyssa Frank, the owner and gallery director.

Nyssa, who holds a degree of philosophy from University of California at Santa Barbara, and she wanted to create a structured environment for discussion somewhere in between the informal friendly conversations and the competitive environment of classrooms. Within that context, she is leading the discussions every Monday in a very informal environment with BYOB, while steering the conversation toward a fruitful result.