Brooklyn is getting in tents!
Two eateries in Kings County have installed rooftop tents for the winter, so that customers can make use of spaces that would otherwise remain chilly, empty tundras.
The Turk’s Inn, an over-the-top Midwestern supper club and transported to Bushwick, has installed a giant, inflatable tent — like a bounce house with a floor — on its rooftop, dubbing it the Holiday Village.
The owner of the Turk’s Inn said that the rooftop bar proved to be so popular over the summer that he wanted to keep the party going all winter. He designed the structure, and had it built and shipped to the Bushwick restaurant, where it took six people to haul it to the roof.
When fully inflated, the heated space can hold tables and chairs to seat about 40 people, said owner Varun Kataria. But on weekends, the furniture can be swept away to create a spacious dance floor for about 60, and he also plans to bring bands into the tent.
“We want it to grow organically, to experiment and let the space find out what it wants to be,” said Kataria.
A clear plastic window allows light from a neon “Turk’s Inn” sign to illuminate the tent, and open windows on the opposite wall lead to the rooftop bar. Outside the tent, the Inn also has a heated patio that can be used as a smoking area — smoking is definitely not allowed inside the inflatable tent!
Holiday Market at the Turk’s Inn [234 Starr St. between Wyckoff and Irving avenues, (718) 215–0025, turksnyc.com). Open Mon–Thu, 5:30–11:30 pm; Fri–Sat, 5:30 pm–midnight; Sun 5:30–10 pm.
And in Dumbo, the Time Out Market has created the Rooftop Iglounge, three clear plastic domes that resemble igloos, set up on its fifth floor terrace. The tents are not heated, but with eight chairs covered in fake fur in each tent, they quickly warm up, and the clear plastic walls block the wind while still allowing for stunning views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline.
The tents are first-come, first serve, so visitors should pick up food and drinks inside the Market’s fifth floor and settle in quickly. The Market features outposts of Juliana’s Pizza, the David Burke Tavern, and tacos from Ivy Stark, along with a bar serving special winter-themed drinks, including the Snow White Tini, made with vanilla vodka and chocoloate liquer, and the hot bourbon Tom Toddy.
Rooftop Iglounge at Time Out Market (55 Water St. between Main and Old Dock streets in Dumbo, fifth floor, timeoutmarket.com/newyork). Open Sun–Thu, 11 am–10 pm; Sat–Sun, 11 am–11 pm.
