Elite Event @ Franklin Park

I was semi-​afraid if this event would be super crowded. So, I was ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ about venturing down from midtown manhattan for the afternoon soirée. I decided, to just go for it, since it was my first elite event and I wanted to see what all the hype was about.
Boy was I pleasantly pleased upon arrival — the place was so chill, sweet little patio, not crowded in the least bit. And, I randomly met up with some fellow Unilocalers/​friends Tiffany L. and her fiancé Jae.
It was perfect weather to lounge in the patio. I was a fan of the huge projection TV which was showing the Bears/​Cowboys game. The apps were great, my favorite was the sausage/​cheese/​bread thing. Not sure exactly what it was, but it was GOOD. Oh, and the strawberries were so fresh and delicious. I must’ve eaten at least 15 of em. The beer was pretty good — can’t complain when the pour is on.
I would visit Franklin Park again. It’s in a cool neighborhood that oozes with character.
Thanks Jane, Peter, and Unilocal team for putting together such a fantastic event! Imma rock the wrist band fo sho!

I gave this event five stars for a couple of reasons:
–the cozy venue, it felt alittle more old school saloon than 2 years old.
–for the foosball table-​I challenge any Unilocaler to try their hand at foosball with me. You will go down.
–for the delicious variety of beer. I remember being my glass being full alot. Thanks bartenders!
–to all the Unilocalers who made it. Some of you tried to make excuses, but you still came anyway. Impressive!
–to the sausage bread (meaty!)
–the weather being perfect. The Unilocal Gods were smiling.

it was almost as if Unilocal orchestrated the weather for this event. :) a balmy sunday afternoon with tables set up outside, good eats and drinks (the best was the sausage bread!), and meeting fellow Unilocalers. i’ve only been Unilocaling for less than a year, and it’s my first foray into an online community. what a great way to put names to faces (as well as running into old friends whom you didn’t realize were also Unilocalers — hi kevin!)
i especially loved all the tongue-​in-​cheek freebies: the Unilocalstick (chapstick), nail files, bottle openers, and buttons («that’s totally going in my Unilocal review»)… fun times for all! i seriously think that one reason my fiancé is marrying me is to guarantee his +1 status to these events!

I arrived fashionably late, but at least I was able to snag a beer and a slider. This was my first Unilocal Elite Event, and yes I am a newbie. Not new to Unilocal,but recently relocated from Florida to a place with more culture that actually had Elite Events. It was great to see many familiar faces from photos on Unilocal and some people from the Community Boards, even though I was not approached by anyone to talk. Just looked at, like a stranger, which I am currently. But, I hope to not be such a stranger in the future.
Franklin Park was the perfect venue for such an event and the staff were on point. The beer was great and the mood was very relaxed. I felt honored to be there…

Great event! It was my first NY event and so I had to make the trip from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Great, spacious bar with an outdoor and a couple of indoor entrances. My boo and I first went for the food (of course) and loved the small pork burgers and I’m always lovin’ cheeese.
We sit at the bar and get greeted by the friendly bartender. My boo had all three of the beers they were serving, while I had the sparkling lemonade. It was great, and for my second round I had the normal kind. It wasn’t very sweet but he added on the sweetener and it was one of the best lemonades I’ve had. I know it’s more about the alcohol but hey, it’s about the other drinks, too. Our bartender was super nice and attentive, even though he was busy with everyone’s orders. He even gave me a water after I said I was done with my lemonade drinks! That was thoughtful of him.
So at the back of the bar are a couple of games and a picture booth. My boo and I want to play foosball but the coin part is jammed. We randomly see two guys walking in later asking for players, and we jump at the occasion. The guy kicks it in and we get a free game, and then pay $ 1.25 for the next round (best out of 3). What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Thank you Unilocal

I’m upset… Please Clint can you «souljaboy tell’em» why?
Well here’s why. I’m upset I’ve never known about this place. It’s such a coooool space, lots of outdoor seeting, which is shaded well but still lets in some sun, and there’s two separate bars, that are kept cool cuz of the way they kind of look like caves, and are sorta shaped like it too.
Of course this woulda been 5 stars because it was on a (football) sunday, so you could watch games and drink beer, but this is a really cool space to watch the games, on the big screen! Oh, and those deviled eggs were really good… besides that everyone covered everything else… thanks Peter D!!!

A
Lovely
Sunday to
Celebrate our
Survival of tornadoes and brunches.

Adieu summer adieu…
And what a way to spend a lazy Sunday, I headed here with my plus one after an amazing brunch in Cobble Hill at Buttermilk Channel and I honestly wasn’t sure where I was going to put any more food!
Well a Coney Island Lager and Six Point IPA later fellow Unilocaler Jackie L. and I could be found noshing on the pulled pork sliders and rehashing stories of our youth in North Cackalacky and NOVA.
We loved the dynamic space complete with a giant garage door that opened up onto the clean and lovely patio connecting the two bar areas, I can’t wait to come back here again!
We hid out in the back part of Franklin Park as the sunny area was completely filled and I was nursing a bit of a sunstroke from the 2 hours in the sun at brunch, I was happy with my decision and found the back room littered with Unilocal goodies,
Unilocal Chapstick! Amazing.
Great pick Jane K. and Peter D. as always a great time was had and we could not have asked for better weather!

So let me get this straight — you want to invite me out on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, feed me delicious beer and, when I don’t want any more beer, charge me only $ 3 for pear cider on draft, feed me delicious sausage rolls and pork sandwiches and then put the Bears game on the big screen?
Well, you can now understand why I didn’t get up from the table I parked myself at upon entering the excellent Franklin Park. Sorry I didn’t see more people. Blame Pete.*
And blame those sausage rolls — it’s like crackalicious up in there.
* — But don’t blame Jane, it’s never her fault.**
** — Don’t blame either of them, actually, since I want to be invited to parties where I sit outside at cool locales, drink beer and watch football on as regular basis as is possible.

I am always looking for a good reason to go to Brooklyn and what better reason than a Unilocal Elite event on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at a beer garden kinda place with food, beer and great people?
Short answer is that there is no better to come to the BK IMO. I mean, there are plenty of reasons to go to Brooklyn, but this was the best reason by far in recent memory.
I am not much of a beer drinker, but I had the light colored lager and it was tasty. The staff at Franklin park was great, very friendly and knowledgeable about the beers they were serving. One very nice touch to this place was that although the main attraction was the outdoor seating area /​beer garden, it was not just an outdoor place (like Water Taxi Beach), it had legitimate indoor spaces divided into two areas. I like that alot, so you can go there in the winter too.
Thanks especially to Peter D. and Jane K. for putting it all together, I had a great time and so did my wife, for whom this was her maiden Unilocal Elite event.

Woke up after a Saturday night of partying to head to Brooklyn? was i crazy to drive from Westchester to the BK, yes and i enlisted a new Unilocaler to take the drive for me :)
The place was a car garage converted into an awesome hangout spot. Now i want mine to look that «franklin park» garage. Anyways
The décor as everyone has mentioned looks like someone driveway, the inside was rustic and pleasant, two bars with quick ass bartenders. The beer selection awesome and the price perfect. Six point, Coney island and some pumpkin beer were so refreshing and cold, i just keep drinking them like happy juice…
The food, omg the pulled pork sliders, the bread slices with sausage inside of it, the eggs with stuff in it, etc. Everything was perfect for a Sunday afternoon with a few friends. So for a sunday afternoon it was great.
PS: Peter D and Jane K, this event is why you have that Job and not Us. You guys rock when it comes picking these kind of places for us to try, meet new people visit when not Unilocaling. I cant thank you guys enough for this…
Holla to all my peeps (lol) helena, jimmy c + girlfriend, wing and his fancy camera, will (looked extra happy), Cassandra bringing some YO to the place, Deshaun new to Unilocal elite, Isabella + Marco, etc. Sorry if i forgot anyone. im really bad with names.
and thanks to my +1 JC, it was great that you drove and not me, we surely would have crashed if i drove…

«Hey, I’m Jimmy C.»
«I know you!» I squealed, «You’re the cat astronaut.»
Jimmy C. blinked, looked at me dubiously, and cautiously answered, «I guess that’s me.»
This little exchange with the first person I met at this event pretty much sums up and describes my first meeting with many of the Unilocal Elites whose reviews I’ve been reading and didn’t have a chance to meet face-​to-​face until now, so I had only known them by their profile pictures*. Helena H. was «the one with all the name tags» and Jeff O. was «the little tart.»
Mucho gracias to Wing L. («funny animal pictures») who let me be his +1 even though we had never met before. He was curious to see who the upstart who had challenged him to a popsicle throwdown** was.
Great event, I had lots of fun talking to Unilocalers whom I had only known through their reviews and meeting other Unilocalers (shout out to Matteo R., Stella D, Will C, Rachel A., and everyone else I’ve met!). Tons of drinks and as everyone else had said, the sausage bread was amazing (thanks to Jimmy C who made sure that I got the «meaty one»).
I love the space at Franklin Park. The outdoor space was well-​shaded, so you could comfortably sit, eat, and drink outside without burning. I’m just sorry that it’s not closer to where I live in Queens.
*The general consensus from everyone was that I didn’t look like my profile picture. lol.
**We have a competition to see who can get to more unique and interesting popsicle places than the other person.

Like everyone says.
This event was during a WEEKEND (SUNDAY) and DAYTIME (2−4PM) SO I get to see everyone’s FACE CLEARLY!
1) Awesome spot!, Beautiful weather and I Finally got to show off my Dress with my Golden Monkey Chain. Beautiful Patio with plenty of seats.
2) Awesome Food (Sausage Bread, Pulled pork mini burgers, Chunks of Cheese, Grapes, Strawberries were my FAVES!).
Beer. (I got only one drink because I was still drunk from last night’s party. But glad I made it to BK for this!).
3) Awesome Unilocalers! the 3 musketeers (Jimmy, Will and Wing) and Jennifer (Jimmy’s G/​F). Matteo, Vivian, Juan (both of them) Liz, Rachel, Cassy, Cassandra, Jennifer (Jro), Briana, Mabel, Radford, Dan (and His lovely wife),
4) New Unilocalers (well That I’ve never met in person) Elle, Angelina, Michelle, Jeff, Greg (Thanks for introducing us the Fire Island Beer!), Stella
Thanks Peter D. and Jane K. for inviting us to a nice Spot!, Without you, I wouldn’t be able to find a nice BK place to hang out. (BOOKMARKED!)
P.S: I Purposely didn’t write everyone’s second last name Initial, but you guys know who you are.
P.P.S: Finally Pictures where Everyone is at the Event (Not just Will and Wing)

TOP 10 Reasons as to…
Why I Love Unilocal Elite Events, Part 1:
1. They make me happy with my Elite friends and their +1s.
2. They make me feel alive and oh-​so-​slightly inebriated. (Thank you to Fire Island and Coney Island for fab’ beers)
3. They make me want to be a better king – Wait, Say what? How did that get in there?
4. They are thrown by awesome CMs Peter and Jane!
5. They are full of new Unilocalers with trusting, funny attitudes! – Hi Lynn, Jessica, Sabrina, Yin, Nora, Mei, Sakura, Gary, Jim, etc!
6. They are full of drinks for the unencumbered Sunday minds… Wing, where’d you go?
7. They have free food, lots of it! Pork sliders! Elle give me back my grapes!
8. They love me, or at least whoever Unilocal tells them «me» is, ROTD for Habana Outpost!
9. They are always there for me, you can always find one around BK, Manhattan, and now Queens.
10. They are full of interesting pictures and real talk (photos posted and see you at the next one)!!!

A fantastic event at one of my favorite drinking spots in BKLYN. Blessed with a summer-​like weather, the idea of a Unilocal event in a beer garden on an early Sunday afternoon worked marvelously. Thank you, Peter D. and Jane K.
Sun + friends + drinks + food =a hellova good time!
The pulled pork sliders were yummy, but unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to try the sausage bread everybody was raving about :-(I got distracted by the tasty brews…
And what sweet nectar we had, thanks to Greg Glassman and Fire Island Beer Co.[1]. The pumpkin ale was AWESOME: flavorful and silky, with a creamy head and a hint of pumpkin. I really enjoyed not just the beer but getting to know Greg as well. I propose Fire Island Brewing Co. as the official Unilocal brewery!
I found Aimee O.‘s name tag on the men’s bathroom wall… Not sure I want to know how it ended up there
Shout outs to some Unilocal friends I finally had the chance to meet in person: awesome Ron, Gino, and the lovely Elle.
And finally, a great afterparty at Soda Bar: more Unilocalers, more drinks, more fun!
What a fantastic way to say au revoire to Summer!
— — — — — — — — — — — — –
[1] Greg was also at the Sugarlounge event.
Greg said they’re going to have an event at Branded Saloon in Prospect Heights Sat. Oct. 2^nd at 9:30pm. All of their beers will be on tap and Radio Jarocho will be playing live.
More info on this brewery here:

Great day for the BK. On a block off Franklin Ave, once a seedy strech in the 80’s and early 90’s this area is certainly coming into it’s own.
…Great out door space at Franklin Park.
…Gorgeous day– the Unilocal Gods gave us.
…Food glorious food– sausage rolls, deviled eggs, pulled pork sliders, bruchetta with tomato and hearts ot palm– I think
…Coney Island Amber was great, tried the Six Point too
…Fun, fun and friendly folks…
…Makes me miss Brooklyn living…
Thank you for the memory!

Sunday, to others it’s a day of rest from a busy work week. For others it’s literally a day of rest from a long night of drinking and partying…
Today was a GREAT EVENT at Franklin Park. My plus 1 and I got to the area bit early so we went to get some tea at a local café around the corner. Once 2 hit we headed to Franklin Park where other fellow Elite were already lined up.
As usual it was good seeing Jane K., Peter D., Wing L, Matteo R. (we finally get to meet), Radford T., Jennifer C., Angelina K., Brian H., and Yin C…
*** If I forgot a few names. My apologies, I was a bit tipsy from all those beers!
Once inside we were met by trays of Deviled Eggs, Strombolis, freshly made Sliders still warm and a really large tray of Cheese, Grapes, Strawberries and Walnuts. It was really refreshing having all this with awesome beer.
Great food, 3 kinds of beers (I downed about 7) and really awesome people… The thing about drinking in the afternoon makes you forget a few names. I met some new people and hopefully I see them again!
I had a great time and the weather was great. My Plus 1 really enjoyed the event (it’s his first one).

I woke up this morning to the sounds of birds chirping, the golden sunlight streaming through my windows and a remarkably good hair day. Little did I know that things could only get… better?
Because I was headed over to one of the awesomest (not a word, I know) Elite event’s I’ve been to this summer. (I haven’t been to too many, but I know awesome when I fall into it.)
One where there was a giant spread that magically replenished itself as Unilocalers made their rounds.
One where the beer was plentiful… that Pumpkin Ale hit the spot the first time… second time… err, third time… around.
One where I got to actually talk to some Unilocalers that I haven’t seen in a while and catch up properly.
One where my «plus one» was as happy as I was to be there. She’s my favorite +1 ever.
Some of the things I learned at today’s event were that I can brew beer at home, that trick-​or-​treat for grown-​ups includes restaurant-​hopping, that boxing improves upper body strength, and that a hat can be served with ketchup or mustard.
Hooray for Peter D., Jane K. and Jessie for making this event oh so… awesome.
Best Sunday Afternoon Ever!

10 reasons why I gave up watching up football at home on a Sunday to go to the Elite Event @ Franklin Park in the bowels of Brooklyn:
1. To discover that Deanna W. was a real person. Seriously, she talks, breathes and interacts greatly. I never believed she was real before today, but now I am a believer and not just an e-​friend. She also has cool friends that she brings with her.
2. Liz C. said she would be there and she was. Unfortunately, due to the Unilocalness of the event, we could only discuss eggs. Sad, I know.
3. Six Point. If you don’t understand this, you don’t get the whole purpose of these Unilocal Elite Events. I heard there was food too, but I never can beat the vultures away to get any. Actually, there was plenty to be had today and people seemed to be enjoying it.
4. The discovery of a new, extremely random place to go. Franklin Park is most definitely awesome. A great outdoor area, double interior bars, this is the place to go for at least 3.71 hours on a weekend. If you log that time during the week, I am impressed, but you obviously need to get a job or take my job so I can go.
5. The chance to interact with my maiden Unilocal friends, Abby M. and Danny P. Without them, I would have stood in the corner for much more time than I already have at Unilocal events and tonight was no different. The fact that they were both in hockey gear, drinking beer and devouring food was only a bonus for us all.
6. The distinct opportunity to talk to Rachel A. outside of the usual PM exchange. Also, to watch her hold Cece’s yoga mat while drinking beer. I always thought beer and yoga were a no-​go, but apparently it works.
7. To walk five blocks the wrong way after getting off of the ²⁄₃.
8. Because they had football on big screens the whole time. This was part (all) of the reason I immediately parked myself at an indoor table and only left due to social invitations.
9. The service at Franklin Park. All of the bartenders were quick, efficient and extremely nice. I hope this is due to Unilocalers being good tippers, but if not, they are just nice people at a cool place to hang out.
10. The chance to get some info from peter d. In addition to the best places to get cool t-​shirts, where to find free food and ways to make your girlfriend mad, I learned some inside info that I will never share. Fine, he told all of you too, but I felt special at the time.

As fun as this event was for me, I can’t quite get it into my mind that this event really happened and that I wasn’t just imagining it. Why? There are a few details about this event that is out of the norm from all the events I’ve been to for the last half a year.
(1) That it happened on a weekend instead of a weekday. Sunday to be exact.
(2) The event was scheduled for 2PM to 4PM instead of the usual 7PM to 9PM. Goodness. There was actual sunlight at this event. Not only that but the weather decided to be beautifully sunny. So that is how my friends looks like when they aren’t viewed in a dim setting. I can now confirm that I seem to have some pretty nice looking friends on Unilocal.It was also a great excuse for Laura A to use her sunglasses to hide from the photographers. No paparazzi as she would say before running away.
The Franklyn Park venue has a pretty big space including a nice outdoor seating area and the place has two bars within. TWO separate bars. * Counts fingers fuzzily from drinking to make sure I am right. Yep two.* How awesome was that? Three separate beers on tap were provided including a brand new flavor from Sixpoint Ale that I was told just went on sale to the public only about a week ago. Food was provided. Bellies were happy. All the people around me keep on telling me about this sausage bread thingy. «You must try it», they will say. «It’s delicious.» I guess everyone else must have been told the same thing because every time I went to the table with the food, this particular selection was always the only empty one. It was great staring at the sausage rolls longingly from a distance though.
I was especially excited to finally meet my nemesis and arch-​rival for a little popsicle throw down I’m having with another Unilocaler named Elle P. What popsicle thrown down you ask? Too long to explain so read this review from Elle P:
She was my plus one for this event. I wanted to stare at my competition face to face. I came away whimpering. Despite that *puffs out chest* I WILL prevail in the throw down. (*)
Two fun filled hours passed by quickly and our group refused to leave. We loved the atmosphere of the place too much. Another hour and a half later, we were still there but finally… reluctantly we left for the after party a few blocks away started by our very own Jeff O. Too many friends to say hi to, and too many new people to meet. Two hours never seems to be enough anymore for these great events. Any chance that they will become four hours long Peter D and Jane K? No? Sigh…
Thanks Franklyn Park for hosting us. Without this event, I honestly wouldn’t have known about this great place because it’s an area I rarely frequent. Thanks as always, Peter D, Jane K (Congratulate her on her move to a new apartment everyone), and Unilocal for organizing these events. To my beloved friends on Unilocal and to future Unilocalers that I’ve yet to meet, see you all at the next one.
(*) P. S. Elle P is actually a doll. It was really great to meet you in person.
P. P. S. Oh Yeah. I got to talk to the lovely Helena H for once.
P.P.P.S. And another thing, I’ve finally met an old friend on Unilocal that I’ve been trying to meet for a long time but she’s always too fast for me till now. Hi Ki G.
P.P… Oh F*ck it. Hi to my new friend Stella D. You don’t know who you just friended. Bwah ha ha.