The owners of popular outdoor beer garden Nowadays in Ridgewood want to build a permanent indoor space nearby — and they’re inviting the public to help make their dream a reality.
Nowadays first opened in 2015 as a seasonal space where people could come and enjoy the warm summer weather and a few cold brews. They eventually added a movie series and their famous Mister Sunday dance parties to the docket of events held at the beer garden.
Now, owners Justin Carter and Eamon Harkin have reached out to the community to help bring Nowadays in to the former cabinet factory on the property at 56-06 Cooper Ave. They’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign in which the public can donate their funds toward creating the new indoor entertainment center.
“We now have an opportunity to build a permanent indoor space at Nowadays, creating a 365-day-a-year home for new parties with DJs from New York and beyond, regular Mister Saturday Night and Mister Sunday parties, listening sessions like Planetarium, live concerts from Le Poisson Rouge, a film series from Maysles Cinema, classes from Think Olio, and a food and beverage program set up by Henry Rich from Rucola,” Carter said on the Kickstarter website.
Carter and Harkin are aiming to hit two goals for their project.
The first is a $50,000 goal, which will go to cover the costs of the slew of architects, engineers and safety professionals working on transforming the empty former cabinet factory into a bumping party space, making sure that everything is up to the toughest safety standards.
Their second goal is another $50,000 — for a total goal of $100,000 — to bring in two top-notch sound systems, and to install acoustic treatment for the space, creating the best sound quality for dancing and listening.
“The indoors of Nowadays is already warm and inviting, thanks to a massive set of wraparound windows that bathe the space in northern and western sunlight. We’ve also laid a large wood floor for maximum coziness,” Carter wrote. “The inspiration for the indoors at Nowadays is the live/work spaces Mister Saturday Night has called home for the past decade. Imagine a loft space where you can throw a dinner party followed by an impromptu dance party. It’s nearly there. We just need your help to cross the finish line.”
Harkin and Carter hope to get the new Nowadays indoor space open for mid-May. According to Carter, the project is on track with construction, but waiting on city agencies for the proper inspections may take longer.
As of Thursday, March 9, the Nowadays Kickstarter campaign has brought in $37,635 of their first $50,000, thanks to the support of 329 backers. The donation process for the project will come to a close on Wednesday, April 5, at 5 p.m. EDT. If the project is not fully funded by that time, the backers will not be charged.
If you are interested in helping Nowadays create their indoor space, visit their Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1289830263/nowadays-help-us-build-our-indoor-home/.
