Brooklyn Brainery
Classes about everything and anything.
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About Us
What we do
We host classes about all sorts of things: from physics to Australian desserts, from HTML to shorthand and just about every nook and cranny in between.
All of our course topics are dreamed up and suggested by you, and our teachers are a group of awesome people from around Brooklyn and the whole city. Anyone can teach--you just need a passion for the topic and a desire to share it with others. We do all the planning, taking care of sign ups, marketing, and materials, so you can focus on the important stuff (teaching, duh).
Classes meet for either one, two, or three weeks, and we keep them as inexpensive as possible (something like $30 for a couple class sessions), because you shouldn't have to spend a paycheck to learn something new.
What we teach
If you can make it, read it or think it, we're probably open to it. It can be crafty, foody, academic-y, whatever you'd like. And though we think kids are cool, all our classes are aimed at adults.
Where are we?
You can find us at 515 Court Street in Carroll Gardens, on the corner of Court and West 9th Street. Closest trains are the F/G to Carroll Street (about 7 minutes).
You can also find us on Underhill Ave. in Prospect Heights (map below) and we couldn't be more excited. The closest trains are the 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza or the B/Q to 7th Avenue.
What are classes like?
The easy answer is that every class is totally different (it's also true)! Some of our teachers are pros at what they do, some are hobbyists, and some are curious people like yourselves who teach in order to explore a topic further in depth.
No matter what the class and who is teaching, our classes are laid back, fun, and participatory. No one will ever scowl at you for showing up late, and your involvement in class--whether through discussion or something hands on--is what makes them all the more awesome.
Where do I sign up?
Check out our course catalog and sign up for our mailing list, below:
Why do you guys charge money? Shouldn't this all be free?
Yep, in a perfect world, it would be.
But in New York, there are a whole lot of essential things that can only be paid for with good old-fashioned cash: rent, insurance, class materials, internet, and a whole lot of Ikea furniture, to name a few. We also like to pay our teachers, because we value the time and effort they take to lead a class, so there’s that to factor in.
With all that in mind, we price classes the amount we would feel comfortable paying if we were signing up ourselves, and we’re pretty cheap, so rest assured we keep things as inexpensive as we can.
And! We help put on two free lecture series each and every month. There's the Society for the Advancement of Social Studies (first Tuesday of the month) for all you history lovers, and Masters of Social Gastronomy (last Tuesday of the month) for all you food folks. They both take place at Public Assembly in Williamsburg, and you can find all the details by visiting the links above.
Who are you guys?
We're Soma, Jen, Kate and Annalie.
Can I get some Brainery swag?
Where can I get some coffee or a sandwich over there?
Glad you asked; check out this list of our favorites.
Do you have gift certifcates?
What if I don't live in NYC? Do you guys have online classes?
Not yet, but we do have Dabbler, the next best thing. Each month, you'll get a well-curated package on a specific topic dropped off in your inbox that'll help you discover a new hobby, gain a new skill, do a fun project, or learn something just plain useful. Read all about it and sign up at dabbles.in.
Find us:
Twitter: @bkbrains
Facebook: facebook.com/brooklynbrainery
Instagram: @bkbrains
Contact us!
Address all love letters to info@brooklynbrainery.com
Refund policy
If you're looking for a refund, you need to back out of the class a week before it starts. We know it's draconian, but since we're not charging a million bucks, it's kinda hard to deal with last-minute bailings. Instead of dropping out if you have a schedule conflict, a better idea is to ask around your friends and see if anyone would take your spot, then just get money from them!
