First off, I am not a vegan and a life completely void of bacon cheeseburgers is not one for me. I do, however, appreciate high quality vegan goods. Near me in Brooklyn’s Bushwick neighborhood meat-free eating goes beyond lettuce and tomato salads and into the realm of art. Moreover, the handmade vegan bath products, clothing and accessories are crafted from carefully curated ingredients that turn washing your face and putting on lotion into an experience to be savored.
Trust me, I’ve officially switched from Dove to Schoon Soap, made with healthy coconut, olive, sweet almond, sunflower and castor oils, shea butter and oatmeal.
Photo courtesy of Vegan Shop Up at Pine Box Rock Shop
I’ve always loved Pine Box Rock Shop near the Morgan L subway stop, with its laid-back vibe, arcade games and craft cocktails made with friendly ingredients; however, a few weekends ago I fell in love even further when I discovered the Vegan Shop-Up.
Approximately every first Saturday of the month the bar hosts this animal-free event, which gets packed with drink-toting hipsters hopping from table to table. Last time I went, I was immediately greeted with delicious free samples of 3LittleBirds “Butterbeer” dairy-free ice cream featuring a buttercream base with bourbon butterscotch swirl. Seriously heavenly in flavor (although not in price, a pint is $11!).
Orange Harvest Kit from FLO+THEO
Some other great finds:
- Vegan pulled “porkless” sliders from Freakin’ Vegan
- The Orange Silk Bar from Brooklyn Dark made with organic dark chocolate (63% cacao), orange, sunflower and cranberries
- Phoenix Face Oil from Be Clean made with oils like sea buckthorn, vitamin E, Bulgarian rose, neroli, chia seed, rosehip, jojoba and Co2 (a little bit goes a long way!)
- Flo + Theo Lemon Orchard Body Butter
- The nut cheeses from Cheezehound
You get the idea. Basically you’ll be able to peruse artisanal eats and goods — vendors rotate, although many return — while toting a happy hour priced drink. It’s fun a way to immerse yourself in local NYC culture!
Top photo credit: Photo courtesy of Vegan Shop Up at Pine Box Rock Shop.
What are your favorite NYC pop up shops and markets? Please share in the comments below.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
