The top venues to rent in Brooklyn, NY

If Don Draper weren’t so stubbornly tied to his beloved Manhattan roots, he’d probably frequent this historic distillery. As the first New York City distillery post-prohibition, King’s County Distillery produces its whiskey entirely on-site – from grain to bottle. Housed in the 123-year-old paymaster building, this space is the entrance to Brooklyn’s Navy Yard, ironically steps from the legendary site of the Whiskey Wars of the 1860s.

The event spaces have been preserved and rustic, with peeling sage walls and creaky wood floors (maybe a health hazard in most cities, but an aesthetic perk in Brooklyn). The South Gatehouse is the main tasting room and cocktail bar, where you can sip Old Fashioneds alongside 130 of your closest friends – or host 40 of them for a seated dinner. The North Gatehouse is the exclusive event space, with dark brick walls, greenery, and access to a garden in the warmer months. A more intimate option, it can host 55 standing and 25 seated guests.

Walk into Weylin and you’ll be shocked that this venue was only built in 1975. The interior looks more like a Roman chapel with a round, frescoed dome, intricate mosaics, and wood carvings, offset by a gold leaf trim that would make the Pope blush.

Purposefully restored to be an event venue, there are several spaces to rent. The main rotunda holds up to 600 standing guests, with 110-foot ceilings and an iconic baroque-style dome. The smaller oculus dome space holds 400 standing guests, and the two can be conjoined to accommodate up to 1,000. The brick-lined Gallery and speakeasy bar hold 275 guests and 100 guests respectively, and there are also several intimate spaces for photoshoots or intimate showings for 15 guests.

Escape the stress of the city at this lush oasis in the heart of Brooklyn, just across the river from the concrete jungle. The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is one of the city’s most iconic green spaces, featuring plants and flowers from New York and beyond. Its iconic architecture and abundant greenery make it a much-loved escape for Manhattanites.

Two structures are available to rent for personal and corporate use. The Palm House, a glass-walled greenhouse space with abundant natural light, can host daytime and nighttime events for up to 250 seated guests. The Atrium boasts glass floor-to-ceiling windows and a living roof full of native grasses and flowers and can host more intimate gatherings of 125. Both spaces are ecologically sustainable, and have outdoor terraces for cocktail and reception use.

Exclusive catering rights are given to Union Square Events, which specializes in American-style cocktails and canapes.

Among the many converted factory spaces along the Williamsburg waterfront is XX Venue, which functions as an event space as well as an independent art gallery and a culture destination. With 15,000 square feet of hardwood madera floors, white walls, and abundant floor-to-ceiling windows, it’s a flexible blank slate to build your ideal Brooklyn bash.

Because the venue encompasses the entire top floor of the building, it offers expansive views of the Manhattan skyline and the East River. Furniture vendors can provide interior design options, or it can be left blank for a more customized setting. The open space can also be separated into breakout rooms or smaller reception spaces.

This wouldn’t be a Brooklyn venue list if there wasn’t a warehouse space. Though many of them are now apartments for creative freelancers who love to sleep without a bedframe, this former factory has been transformed into a 10,000-square-foot studio and event space.

There are four studios and a lobby, and each studio can be separated individually using the retractable walls or combined with the one next door. Studios 1 and 2 can hold up to 400 standing guests (200 seated), and Studios 3 and 4 can hold 200 (100 seated). The spaces can also be used for photography, filming, or live performances. The high ceilings and column-free interior mean that they are also drive-in capable from street level.

Industria also has a smaller, 7,500 square-foot location in Manhattan, in the West Village.