ABOUT — Playground Brooklyn

Playground (est. 2016) is a cultural hub in BedStuy that serves coffee, natural wine, books, beer & cocktails influenced by Bangladeshi heritage with a focus on music, arts workshops, programming & events.

Beyond a coffee shop, early on, Playground created the Playground Annex bookshop, Playground Radio, and Playground Youth, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Amid rapid gentrification, Zenat Begum, a first-generation Bangladeshi-American, transformed the space that had been her parents’ hardware store for the last 20 years into Playground— a community hub offering job opportunities for young BIPOC New Yorkers.

From the very beginning in 2016, there was a focus on arts and politics, culminating in a consignment-based zine and merch shop, workshops, and events.

Today, Playground is still a stronghold in the NYC community, with more regular programming than ever before, now including the Recess Workshop series, and Playground Wines.

the early days of Playground

Playground Youth is a community-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving our neighborhood since 2018.

Rooted in mutual aid, we mobilized during the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement to meet urgent needs. Since March 2020, we’ve mobilized 500 volunteers, distributed 8,000+ PPE kits, provided 800+ free meals weekly, and raised $7,000+ to feed over 1,000 people.

We remain committed to building sustainable, community-led networks of care.

Want to get involved? Reach Out!

Playground Youth
Photos + Flyers

Founded in 2018, Playground Annex bookstore showcases DIY and radical literature and art.

Its offerings prioritize works by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists, authors, and collectives, with a focus on forward-thinking publications grounded in an independent, DIY ethos.

As Playground has changed over the years, so has the Playground Annex, both in its physical space and in its content, but its mission has always remained the same.

Playground Annex over the years:

Playground Radio is an online, independent platform that amplifies DJs, musicians, artists, and storytellers from our community.

With over 100 shows from 25 collaborators, it serves as a digital archive of diverse voices and stories, streaming to 3,000+ listeners globally.

We feature a wide range of genres, including Baile Funk, Electronic, House, Techno, Dembow, Reggaeton, Reggae, Drum & Bass, RnB, Hip-Hop, and more.

Playground Wines— Listening bars are reshaping nightlife worldwide, rooted in sound and community.

Playground is BedStuy’s evolution: a cultural hub where music is intentional, hospitality is personal, and community comes first.

Inspired by Bangladeshi roots, our menu pairs roadside flavors and global influences with natural wines, specialty cocktails, and tapas.

With a Tokyo-inspired listening bar sound system at its core, Playground is more than a venue—it’s a platform for connection, creativity, and culture.

recess is a creative programming series at Playground that invites you to pause, play, and reconnect with creativity. Our workshops are led by talented creatives who guide participants to explore, learn, and make something new—a chance to teach your community something you love!
The series is presented in collaboration with safariiicamp’s Maddi Minicozzi, who is expanding their collective creative workspaces to Brooklyn, NY with a sister studio. safariiicamp’s home studio is based in Oakland, CA.

Playground’s Block Party is an extension of ourselves, for BIPOC, queer, and trans community members, artists, and neighbors to connect, build, and rejoice in the pleasures of summer.

The Playground Block Party is a celebration of collective joy, with a focus on artists who use music as a tool for radical change and self-expression. For our 2026 lineup, we’ll continue to showcase boundary-pushing musical and performance acts.

Past performers include JADALAREIGN, Donis, Livwutang, Caleb Giles, Colored Craig, DJ Shannon, DonChristian, and many more of New York’s tastemakers.