Willoughby Street turns into a free lunchtime block party on Wednesday, October 21, and the rest of the week in Downtown Brooklyn brings six straight nights of concerts at Brooklyn Paramount and a Sunday morning program for toddlers at the New York Transit Museum. Here is what is happening in the neighborhood from October 20 to 27, with times, prices and how to get there.

Downtown Block Party on Willoughby Street, Wednesday, October 21

The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership is hosting a fall and Halloween-season lunchtime party on the Willoughby Street Open Street, between Jay Street and Pearl Street, from noon to 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The block will be closed to cars for the afternoon. The program includes live music and dance from Brass Monkey and Flamenco Vivo, giant games, ping pong and prizes, with giveaways from event partners including Haus of K. Admission is free.

The block sits right by the Jay Street-MetroTech station (A, C, F and R trains), making it an easy stop for anyone working or studying around MetroTech during a lunch break.

A week of shows at Brooklyn Paramount, October 20 to 25

Brooklyn Paramount, the Live Nation venue at 385 Flatbush Avenue Extension, has a concert every night from Tuesday through Sunday this week:

  • Tuesday, October 20: Paris Paloma, The Fatal Flaw Tour
  • Wednesday, October 21: Sienna Spiro, My House Tour
  • Thursday, October 22, and Friday, October 23: Beck, Ride Lonesome Tour (two nights)
  • Saturday, October 24: Tinashe, One Night With a Popstar
  • Sunday, October 25: Cavetown, Running With Scissors Tour

Tickets for each show are sold through the venue's website, which links to Ticketmaster. Prices vary by show and seat.

Looking a few days past this week, the venue's calendar shows Lawrence playing a three-night run called Staycation on October 29, 30 and 31, with single-night tickets or a three-day pass. On Halloween night, Saturday, October 31, the venue is also hosting Reggae Fest Halloween at Brooklyn Paramount, which includes a costume contest with a $5,000 prize.

The closest subway stop is DeKalb Avenue (B, Q and R trains), with the Nevins Street station (2, 3, 4 and 5 trains) a short walk away. Questions about the venue can go to info@brooklynparamount.com.

Transit Tots at the New York Transit Museum, Sunday, October 25

The New York Transit Museum, housed in the decommissioned Court Street subway station at 99 Schermerhorn Street, holds its Transit Tots program from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday. The hour of story time, crafts, imaginative play and interactive activities is designed for children ages 18 months to 3 years and takes place in the museum's Education Center. The fee is $40 for one child and up to two adults, and museum admission is included. It is not a drop-off program: each child needs at least one adult caregiver, and registration is through the museum's website.

The museum also has a storytelling night this week, NYC's Secrets and Lies: Transit Tales, on Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Four storytellers share transit tales, and the audience tries to spot the one who is lying. The museum's listing shows tickets as sold out; the series is part of the museum's public programs calendar.

Visiting the Transit Museum any day

For anyone who wants to see the vintage subway cars without a scheduled program, the museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 2 to 17 and seniors 62 and older, and members get in free. The museum recommends booking tickets in advance, since only a limited number are sold on site. The main entrance is at the northwest corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, down two flights of stairs, and a wheelchair-accessible entrance is at the corner of Schermerhorn and Court Streets.

A few tips from the museum: there is Wi-Fi but no cell service underground, there is no bag or coat check, eating is not allowed inside, and most of the museum, including the platform level with the historic trains, is not climate controlled, so dress for the weather. The Borough Hall station (2, 3, 4 and 5 trains), Court Street (R) and Hoyt-Schermerhorn (A, C and G) are all close by.

Plan your week

The block party on Willoughby Street is free and runs from noon to 3 p.m. on Wednesday. For Brooklyn Paramount, check the venue's show listings for remaining tickets, and for Transit Tots, register on the Transit Museum's program page before Sunday morning.

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