The best new Brooklyn spots: Where to find cool new venues in Brooklyn

RECOMMENDED: What's new and what's best in Brooklyn

These Brooklyn business owners opened their venues for various reasons: Helen Williams-Nurse of TracyChambers Vintage wants to celebrate the culture of Bed-Stuy, while Alec Duffy of Jack saw a need for a cultural space in Clinton Hill. Learn more about these new Brooklyn spots and find out why the owners chose to put down roots in Kings County.

Greenpoint heavy-metal bar Saint Vitus

RECOMMENDED: What's new and what's best in Brooklyn

What it is: This heavy-metal haven is easy to miss; there’s no sign on the exterior, and nary a light from the bar is visible from the street. Upside-down crosses, red candles, a stained-glass representation of Jesus on the cross and a 150-year-old Bible are just a few of the touches signaling that you’re in headbanger country. “Basically, all that shit was in my room,” says Arthur Shepherd, who co-owns Saint Vitus with Justin Scurti and George Souleidis. The back of the 2,500-square-foot year-old space is a full-fledged (and completely black) live music venue.

What to expect: You’ll see plenty of metalheads, obviously, but the bar’s vibe is refreshingly friendly and democratic for a place that caters to genre aficionados. “We get people here who aren’t wearing the uniform—all-black tight pants, black vest, long hair, tattoos—but they’re here and having a great time,” notes Shepherd. Part of the draw lies in the venue’s strong draft selection—New York faves like Sixpoint, Captain Lawrence and Ommegang ($6) are regularly on tap—and fun beer-and-a-shot specials like the Pope (a Coors tall boy, a shot of Tullamore Dew and a Brooklyn Brine pickleback; $9).

What’s happening: Since opening in May of last year, the venue has already become a mainstay for NYC metal fans. It now hosts four or five shows a week, featuring increasingly bigger acts, such as Cali punk vets the Descendents and the bar’s namesake, L.A. doom-metal band Saint Vitus. 1120 Manhattan Ave between Box and Clay Sts, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (saintvitusbar.com)—Tim Lowery