At the risk of beating a dead horse here, I thought it would be fun and interesting to do a follow-up to the awesome story my colleagues did on five places to get laid in Bushwick. You know how I love asking personal questions, so I went to talk to the staff at the top two places mentioned, Tandem and Wreck Room, to find out.
Speaking of personal questions – I keep asking you guys for questions for me to answer and where are they? Send them to lisa.levy0511ATgmail.com.
I spent this past weekend tracking down bartenders and DJs, asking them the why’s and how’s of hooking up at their respective establishments and here’s what I learned:
TANDEM (236 Troutman St)
I spoke with Terry Dean Bartlett, one of the main bartenders there to find out what happens at Tandem and why it’s such a great place to meet people. He began our conversation by showing me the free condom jar that needs to be filled up several times a week…
It’s a neighborhoody place without a creep factor. It’s really nice, aesthetically pleasing, kinda cozy yet offbeat atmosphere. Terry informed me that it’s generally an attractive crowd, lots of regulars mixed with new faces.
Terry had great enthusiasm for the dance parties on the weekends. I also saw the separate “quiet, romantic” room, which Terry said the staff nicknamed “The Makeout Room.” Ethan, another one of the bartenders, got upset when Terry let me in on this detail, but went on to say what a nice place it is to come to and meet people. And how friendly and comfortable the atmosphere is there.
And IMHO GREAT wine – only 6 bucks.
WRECK ROOM (940 Flushing Ave)
I spoke to the bar’s owner, Doug and he advised me to speak to a DJ since they see more of the “belly of the beast.” I had a convo with DJ JX Canon, an awesome DJ that spins there regularly. Here’s the 411 I got from him:
DJ JX Canon called it “a wild spot,with an anything goes vibe.” (For the uninitiated, the room is covered with tags and graffiti.)
“Have you ever seen any actual sex or nudity here?,” I asked DJ JX Canon. His response was no. (In my mind, that’s a good thing. Leave that for the performance art venues.)
And what makes Wreck Room so sexy? You can expect the unexpected. I heard a story from the DJ who said a friend described it as a weird bar: you can have ten Brazilian girls on holiday or a bunch of Dominican bikers show up. An example I got was about how one night a couple, who are particularly regulars there, showed up together but left separately, each with other people. (That’s hopeful right?) I was told the music is a key draw; the bartenders book the talent. People start dancing and the whole room becomes a dance floor.
DJ JX Canon also wanted me to make a point about how great of a DJ Doug, the owner is, though he doesn’t choose to do it much anymore. He was one of the hottest DJ’s in Seattle in the 1990s. One night when a DJ cancelled last minute, Doug took over the turntables and blew everyone away.
DJ JX Canon spins the first Saturday of the month. Follow him on Twitter @JXCANNON.
Bottom Line: If I wanted to meet someone to date or was trying to romance someone, I’d head straight to Tandem. When I broke up with that same person and needed to blow off steam, you’d find me at Wreck Room. Either way, the choices we have here in Bushwick are exemplary!