Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye, by blondinrikard. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.
How to spend Capricorn season in Brooklyn
The first month of winter is here, bringing with it a Capricorn season of austerity, commitment and goals. Here's how make the most of it
Capricorn season comes but once a year, kicking off wintertime in Brooklyn and the rest of the northern hemisphere on that darkest of days, the winter solstice.
The sun will transit the Zodiac sign of Capricorn for the first month of winter, a time during which we traditionally set New Year’s resolutions filled with longterm goals we hope to achieve using a combination of commitment, discipline, restraint, hard work and determination, all qualities associated with Capricorn — along with the sense of austerity that naturally descends upon us at this time of year.
Capricorns love a plan, and as we’re faced with the empty pages of our 2023 planners, here are a few suggestions you can pencil in to have the most rewarding Capricorn season in Brooklyn.
Celebrate the birth of a legend
Patti Smith at Brooklyn Steel
December 29 and 30
319 Frost Street, Williamsburg
Capricorn institution, down to earth Patti Smith, is once again celebrating her birthday at Brooklyn Steel, our borough’s most austere, utilitarian live music venue, the former home of an actual steel plant and the perfect embodiment of the Capricorn aesthetic. I can’t think of a more Capricorn night out on the town — there’ll be classicism and seriousness afoot in a space which, while not the most comfortable, offers a level of excellence in production and a sense of knowing what to expect which can only be achieved with a lot of foresight and the mobilization of a small army of workers. The Patti Smith Group has stood the test of time and delivers a highly respectable atmosphere of gravitas to a fandom which spans generations.
Support Brooklyn luminaries
Jen Armstrong at Night of Joy
667 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg
Kick off Capricorn Season at Night of Joy on Thursday December 22 (where, as it happens, I’ll be spinning vinyl — I have Capricorn rising, so I’m usually on the job whenever you see me out). The Night of Joy cocktail menu is “inspired by the classics” and includes earthy signature libations made with botanical ingredients and herbal infusions. The atmosphere is elegant and contained, an extension of owner Jen Armstrong’s Capricorn sensibilities.
Kareem Bunton at Bunton’s World Famous
1005 Broadway, Bushwick
This multitasking musician-barkeep-businessman will be celebrating all Capricorn season long at Bunton’s World Famous, the Bushwick hideaway he built in which to contain the scene he fostered as a man about town in the 1990s in downtown Manhattan. In between playing in a bunch of bands, Kareem Bunton seemed to simultaneously run classic neighborhood bars such as Spoon/Alchemy, bOb & Von. The opening of Bunton’s World Famous in February 2019 was the culmination of a long-held vision worked towards in true Capricorn style and a great testament to Bunton’s unwavering commitment, bringing it all back to Brooklyn where he has lived for over 25 years. Come through and he’ll take good care of you.
Get outside
Capricorn is an earth sign and is also the domain of challenges — at this time of year we’re all challenged to bundle up, face the elements and keep on keeping on when it seems to be more appealing to attach ourselves to the nearest radiator. Brooklynites have a great winter advantage — even in a polar vortex, we can often enjoy the most dazzling sunlight. So put on your shades and your sensible footwear and go out walking in Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Prospect Park or Green-Wood Cemetery, treasures in our own backyard that rival hiking trails you might otherwise have to drive to.
Go ice skating
For those looking for a contained, organized way to skid on ice, get on the rink at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park or at IC Ice Rink at the Brooklyn location with the most Capricorn Name of All – Industry City, 51 35th Street, Brooklyn). If you’re up for a Coney Island expedition on a stark winter’s day, visit the Abe Stark Rink at 1902 West 19th Street.
♑️ 🪐 🐐
Whether or not you’re up for running around Brooklyn taking on any of these Capricorn activities, I invite you to listen to a Zodiac Soundtrack comprising some of my favorite Capricorn themed songs; if you’re listening while walking, tread carefully like the mountain goat and take your time, because I’m wishing you a safe and healthy holiday season and new year.
And if you have Brooklyn based astrological questions on your mind, please submit them here.
