Abilene

Leah Allen, a Carroll Gardens artist, has decorated her watering hole with thrift store scores, a rescued church pew and a 27-foot-long bar. The cobbled together D.I.Y. aesthetic gives the place a personal feel that's echoed in the mostly-local crowd. Dog-toting Brooklynites colonize the sidewalk tables in warm weather. Inside you can soak up the easy atmosphere over a local draft beer, or square off in a Connect Four bout (the games are stacked on shelves near the bathroom).