Come explore the NYC rock’n’roll world of Emily and Abigail, creators of Wanderlust Girls! Enjoy their 9 best behind the scenes spots in New York City!
Emily and Abigail (the Wanderlust Girls) met in middle school many eons ago (18 years to be exact), in a small town just outside of Boston.
They grew up sharing a love for fashion, rock’n’roll and adventure. These shared interested morphed into a blog, WanderLust Girls back in 2010, which has since grown into the fashion, lifestyle, travel brand they run today.
The girls recently expanded their business down in Nashville, which you will be seeing more of on their social media soon.
If they are not in Nashville hanging with rock stars or repping their black clad closets on the New York City streets, they are likely in the air jetting to a new location for their next travel piece.
Take a look below to see their 9 best behind the scenes spots in New York City:
I NEED MORE
“I NEED MORE is a clothing store with all the spikes and studs you can dream of. (Yes, we dream about spikes and studs.) The owner, Jimmy Webb is a rock’n’roll legend in the city who we are lucky enough to call a friend. Every piece in the shop is unique, bold, and badass.”
As they say, this is literally a “A Rock’N’Roll clothing store for everybody”! The store is true a labor of love and dedication. You’ll certainly love it all: from the goo goo muck chandelier to the hand pained zebra stripe dressing rooms and painting on the walls!
They are a multi-label store in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and always have big names coming by! A few famous friends in their list are: the one and only Ewan McGregor, Slash, Alice Cooper and Duff McKagan!
Pass by to see what they are up to!
Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 12pm – 8pm
Friday & Saturday: 12pm – 9pm
Sunday: 1pm – 7pm
Location: 75A Orchard Street
Duff’s Brooklyn
“If you ever wanted to sit in an electric chair, look no further! Duff’s Brooklyn has its very own, as well as some of the creepiest, yet amazing decor we’ve ever seen. Enjoy some metal music and don’t forget to spin the wheel to win various prizes. Keep spinning until you get the Jesus juice.”
Founded in 1999 back in the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen, in Manhattan, this metal mecca finally moved into Brooklyn in 2004 and is the place to go if you a heavy metal lover. If you’re not part of this lifestyle, it’s still a fantastic place to go explore and broaden your horizons.
The spot, now located in South Williamsburg, is certainly a true metal place. Names like Pantera, Iron Maiden, Kerry King of Slayer, Exodus, Machine Head, The Sword, and many others have visited it.
Let’s rock!
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 6pm – 4am
Location: 168 Marcy Avenue
Jane Motorcycles
“Jane Motorcycles is our favorite place to go scope for beautiful bearded motorcycle riding men… I mean they have great coffee, that’s why we go. This beautifully curated moto gear shop surrounds the actually really great coffee shop. It’s amazing in the nice weather when they open the garage style door and you can enjoy your latté will gazing at all the motorcycles lined up outside.”
This is the ultimate NYC’s custom motorcycles, apparel, gear, art, books, and espresso shop, and we love it too! Alexander DiMattio and Adam Kallen started Jane with the objective of putting a new take on a motorcycle shop. And…they did it flawlessly!
These guys are from Brooklyn and everything in their store translates the vibe of the neighborhood and the lifestyle they personally enjoy.
They literally created this store out of scratch – actually it’s not their original location, since they were forced to move out of their other place. But, a blessing in disguise, for sure. At this spot, they were able to transform into reality all their dreams of what their store should looks like, such as the huge coffee counter and the garage door roll-up.
We are also huge coffee lovers, and their coffee partner is delicious, with ethically source coffee from all over the world – totally up our alley, since we work with and support sustainable traveling!
Definitely a must-go spot!
Hours:
Monday – Friday: 7am – 7pm
Saturday: 8am – 7pm
Sunday: 9am – 7pm
Location: 396 Wythe Avenue
Pinks
“Pinks a fun hot rod style bar with motorcycle chain chandeliers and random car parts throughout the watering hole. Make sure you stop by for rock n’ roll bingo. Lots of fun prizes and great tunes!”
This is also a place we enjoy a lot!
Pink, in the Lower East Side, is a great spot to go for drinks, good music, a great crowd and even to celebrate your birthday.
They have a pretty cool private room in the back, if you prefer having your guests all together and more comfortable.
As they explain: “Pinks is what happens when a musician & a motorcycle enthusiast come together & build a bar around their love of Kustom Kulture.”
Hours:
Monday – Wednesday: 5pm – 2am
Thursday – Friday: 5pm – 4am
Saturday: 12pm – 4am
Sunday: 12pm – 2am
Location: 242 East 10th Street
Grit N Glory
“Grit N Glory is a rock’n’roll one-stop-shop, located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Whether you are looking for a shirt with a satanic cat on it, some new ink (they have their own tattoo shop) or a tea cup for your vodka, they have it!”
The store offers a full collection for men, women and even a collection for the cool kids, besides accessories and housewares!
You’ll also be able to see some pretty crazy shots signed by Mark Weiss where he featured Alice Cooper, Boy George, Metallica, Guns’N’Roses, Mick Jagger and Ozzy in the 1980’s.
Hours: Daily from 12pm – 8pm
Location: 186 Orchard Street
Three of Cups
“Three of Cups, if you’re are in the mood for a delicious Italian meal and some light death metal you are in the right spot. On street level Three of Cups is a beautiful restaurant with drool-worthy pizzas and pasta dishes. Meanwhile, the basement has pretty heavy metal music playing, leopard print poles, and a badass crowd.”
Who doesn’t love Italian food made from these old family recipes and pizzas, right?
Located in the East Village, Three of Cups was founded back in 1992 and they really know the essence in making good pizza.
If you’re not that into pizza – if this even exists, lol – their food menu comes from recipes from the Southern Italian regions like Sicily, Naples and Bari.
And still, if you’re into pizza and pasta but keep track of all the calories you eat, don’t worry…they have delicious gluten-free options on the menu.
Location: 83 1st Avenue
Gutter Bar
“Gutter Bar Brooklyn, has great cheap whiskey and a retro style bowling alley in the back. Equipped with 8 lanes to show off your skills. They also have a pool table. It’s a really great place to go with a group of friends on a cold winter day.”
We were so excited to see the Gutter Bar as part of Emily’s and Abigail’s list! This is a spot that we go a lot to and always have a great time!
Now, don’t expect a super fancy bowling alley because, as the girls mentioned, it’s a retro style one. But, then again, who need fancy to have fun, right?
They have a full bar, a pool table (be sure to place your Quarter on the table to get in line) and the bowling alley. Oh! And after passing by the restrooms, you’ll see another room! Walk in! They have a stage with live music and a dance floor!
It can be a while – a few hours – until you play, so you can arrive early, or just get your number and enjoy the bar until your time comes.
Hours Williamsburg:
Monday – Thursday: 5pm – 4am
Friday: 2pm – 4am
Saturday & Sunday: 12pm – 4am
Hours Long Island City:
Monday – Thursday: 5pm – 2am
Friday: 2pm – 2am
Saturday & Sunday: 12pm – 2am
Locations:
200 North 14th Street, Williamsburg
10-22 46th Avenue, Long Island City
www.thegutterbrooklyn.com/williamsburg
Enchantments
“Enchantments is the oldest occult store in NYC. This space is filled with wonderfully witchy items from candles to bring love into your life, herbs and oils to rid yourself of ex boyfriends, books like ‘The Witches Bible’ and of course, tarot cards. Literally all you could ever need.”
The store is located in the East Village and opened back in 1982! Their mission is: Our mission is to help people empower themselves, heal and grow through spiritual practice. We believe in the principle “harm none,” and do not endorse items that hurt others.
Their Apothecary has over 100 recipes and can be mixed and matched according to what you are looking for.
Their incenses, oils, baths and other products are hand-made. They still have numerous other products like hand-carved candles, holders, statues, books, jewelry, talismans, cards and so many other super cool magical tools!
Be sure to go with time, since you’ll certainly be drawn to many different products!
Hours:
Wednesday – Monday: 1pm – 8:45pm
Closed Tuesday
Location: 424 East 9th Street
Obscura Antiques
“Obscura Antiques, a small antique and oddities shop located in the East Village. We once got a bat skeleton there! So, if you’re in the market for bones, taxidermy, or even a Romanian AK-47 Bayonet, you hit the jackpot! Give yourself at least an hour to look through everything. You’ll find some gems for sure.”
Looking through these old antiques and oddities is certainly a journey into the past and can be quite amusing if you let your mind fly.
They are the oldest shop in this category in NYC and they ‘carry medical, scientific, natural history, fraternal, circus/sideshow, and all things unusual’.
Plus, as they mentioned, we also believe it’s a great place to find a unique gift. Well, it will certainly be a gift your loved one will remember forever!
Enjoy your exploration!
Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 12pm – 8pm
Sunday: 12pm – 7pm
Location: 207 Avenue A
http://www.obscuraantiques.com
Thank you Emily and Abigail (the Wanderlust Girls), for sharing with us your 9 best behind the scenes spots in New York City!
If you enjoy rock’n’roll, you will also enjoy Saint Vitus Bar in Greenpoint. They’ve already hosted small, unexpected gigs with Nirvana!
Also, take a look at this interview with Andre Vasconcellos, one of the most amazing NY-based guitarists we know!
Photo Credits: Courtesy of all the venues
*Last Update on April/2020.*
