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

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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.

Bedford-Stuyvesant vintage shop TracyChambers Vintage

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

What it is: Owner Helen Williams Nurse stocks her Bed-Stuy shop, which debuted this past March, with a treasure trove of ethereal dresses, bold baubles and Easter-ready hats. “I’ve been collecting vintage since I was 13,” says Nurse, a Queens native, who named the store after the ambitious designer played by Diana Ross in the 1975 film Mahogany. She was inspired to open it by the noticeable lack of vintage retailers in the neighborhood.

What to expect: Nurse explains that the store “appeals to the woman who has a nine-to-five, but maybe it’s a funky nine-to-five, or a job in fashion or the arts.” She scours estate sales, thrift stores and even local closets to stock the shop. “Just a few weeks ago, a neighbor saw me outside and came out of his house with all these fabulous shoes and coats that his mother owned,” she says.

What’s happening: In addition to hosting Sip ’n Shop, in which customers are invited to enjoy wine while perusing new merchandise, Nurse envisions the store playing a major role in her most recent project, the Bed-Stuy(le) Vintage Collective. Aimed at celebrating Bed-Stuy’s history, the venture will include an annual fashion event, and a coffee-table book reflecting on neighborhood culture and style, tentatively titled Bed-Stuy(lish). 216 Jefferson Ave between Marcy and Nostrand Aves, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn (917-699-8502, tracychambersvintage.com)—LFC

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