“Where are we going tonight?” is probably the most common question on every Bushwick resident’s mind as the weekend approaches. Other very common decision-making factors include the distance of the the bar from the train; the price range and as well as availability of drunk-food (’cause you never know!). In Bushwick, we desire a bar that is filled with people whose company we enjoy but a bar that is not horribly crowded at the same time.
All of these considerations went into Skyler Insler (yes, that Skyler who owns Alaska) and Scott Rosenthal’s planning of new Bushwick bar, Alphaville.
“It’s important to have a comfortable place to drink.”
Alphaville was created to be comfortable, unpretentious, and affordable. Skyler Insler comments: “We want to remain accessible to the neighborhood as much as possible, especially with the food and keeping it priced really well.” Currently they are serving bottles and cans between $3 and $7; in about a week there will be 12 beers on tap ranging from $4-$7 (hooray!). The liquor beverages will start at $6 with well drinks, with an upcharge of $2 for classic cocktails. Not to mention a $6 beer and shot special. And for the classy folks, there is a range of fancy booze as well.
Alphaville is comfortable, unpretentious, and affordable.
The bar has beautiful wood bartops, fun-shaped tables, and a lot of room for sitting, which is fantastic. Warm lighting lines the walls, as well as Christmas lights along the bar. In an effort to break away from the classic, hip bar feel of wood everywhere, Alphaville mixes it up with ceramic tile on the floors, exposed brick walls, wood paneling, and other raw materials throughout the bar. As it gets colder, there will be a fireplace in the front.
If you look closely at the bricks, you will see the word, “Alpha” on some of them. The bricks were found at space, and partially influenced the selection of the name of the bar, alongside with Goddard’s film Alphaville, which is Skyler’s fave movie.
“We want to serve food that’s high quality and healthy.”
There are only a couple of items on the menu at Alphaville for the moment, but chalk full of delicious vegetarian options and greasy bar items as shown above. Having tried at least several of the items on the menu, I can vouch that the food is awesome, and only between $5-$7. The menu will expand, and change with the seasons, but there will always be the beloved staples like chips and queso and a classic cheeseburger.
Not only is food great, the drinks are well-priced, Alphaville offers tons of space for hangs or even dancing to the rad music. Eventually there will be a music venue in the back. The plans for Alphaville are to be a little more grown up than Skyler’s first bar, Alaska, but the main focus is a laid-back, modest vibe for drinking and chilling with your friends (and even hearing your conversations)!
Alphaville is located at 140 Wilson Ave. They are open all week from 5 PM to 4:00AM. Check them out on Facebook and stay tuned for their earlier hours and happy hour specials!
