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As long as the weather permits, the Yard—an outdoor space on the banks of the Gowanus Canal—holds the crown for best near-river-front-party in industrial Brooklyn. Set in a sizable lot shaded by water-towered warehouse facades, the locale offers a veritable fresh-air fantasy spot between the stuffy enclosures of neighboring Park Slope and Carroll Gardens; a thin fence separates green grass and gravel from the bridge-dotted, surprisingly odorless(!) canal. The flip-flop oasis is decidedly local, easy-going, and stroller-friendly as nearby foragers and their progeny file in each weekend for a nominal fee to catch attractions ranging from beat-heavy vinyl sets to film screenings, live comedy, and everything else fit for a concrete dance floor and a tented stage. The Yard’s drink hut offers margaritas, sangria, and standard brew staples, perfectly supplemented by tortillas from its neighboring Texican grill, while guests shift gears for an afternoon spent lounging in the shady breeze of a tree ring. Area groups will find no better setting to plot the transition from low-key lunch to deliciously tipsy eve. — Patrick Coffee

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