The Brooklyn Botanical Garden opens Yellow Magnolia cafe and revamps the Atrium event space

whynot_31

Media about Yellow Magnolia, their new on site cafe:

http://www.bbg.org/visit/yellow_magnolia

http://ny.eater.com/2014/8/12/6171947/robert-newtons-botanic-garden-cafe-opens-in-october

Media about the Atrium, their revamped formal event space:

http://www.bbg.org/visit/weddings_atrium

Yellow Magnolia is supposed to open any day now, and replaces the outdoor place you could get yummy burgers....

The revamped Atrium is designed to keep the BBG competitive in the highly profitable wedding business... 

epiclylaterd

Got married at the Atrium. Sad to see Charles Sally Charles is no longer the exclusive cater for BBG. Their food was delicious and they took good care of us.

homeowner

Ditto. Charles Sally Charles had great food and a wonderful staff. Many years after our celebration, I saw our event planner at another event I attended at BBG. She not only remembered us, but came over to say how much she enjoyed working with us. I hope they continue apart from the Gardens.

whynot_31

As members of the BBG, the Whynots are admitted free.

This basically allows us to utilize the BBG cafe as we would any other restaurant in the area.

From 2003 - approx 2006, we would frequent the cafe because it was among the area's best restaurants.

I look forward to version 2.0: Yellow Magnolia.

mugofmead111

The revamped Atrium is designed to keep the BBG competitive in the highly profitable wedding business... 

I didn't know weddings took place in there as well. I thought The Palm House was the main wedding venue (unless one were to have just the ceremony on the grounds).

homeowner

@mugofmead, I think that before the remodel, only the Palm House was available for weddings as a reception venue. That works fine for 100+ guests, but it struck me as being very large for smaller groups. The other option for a wedding with fewer guests was to hold the actual wedding outside on the grounds, but not have a reception at BBG. With the Atrium being redone, you have a smaller more intimate space that would probably work better for folks who wanted a 25-150 person sized wedding so you could do both the wedding and reception there with a small group. I attended the opening event and the board members were very big on the fact that the plan was always for the Atrium to be an additional venue space in the gardens.

whynot_31

The Brooklyn Museum also does a large wedding/events business.

I believe it uses its glass, first floor lobby as well as the ballroom that it under the building's dome.

Davina

Yellow magnolia...what a beautiful name. Their food and decor better live up to that name!

epiclylaterd

I like that Charles Sally Charles is a family business. I'm sure they will easily partner somewhere else.

On a side note, believe it or not but the Atrium was the most "affordable" of all the venues we had looked at, by New York City standards. For 100 people it was under $20,000 which is not easy to do if you're having a formal wedding here. Wonder if the new caterer will carry a similar price tag

mcpoet

It's also possible for people to get married there early in the morning, where you're basically just paying for the location for like $500, before the garden opens.  Problem is, the ceremony needs to be completed by like 9 or 10 in the morning, which was way too early for us, so we'll be on the beach in Mexico next year instead. It would have been cool to be able to just walk down the block to your own wedding though.  We're also members and I highly recommend membership for anyone who lives nearby.  It's like having the best backyard in the neighborhood with minimal maintenance costs or labor required.  If you go more than a couple times a year membership pays for itself, and you get reciprocal admission to other botanic gardens as well (there's a number of other benefits including guest passes,extended member's hours Wednesday nights, a cocktail night, movie night, etc.).  It's one of my favorite parts of the neighborhood.  I think I first saw it a couple years before I moved to Crown Heights (I'd lived in Manhattan and Queens before settling down here after getting a job working in the neighborhood) in the movie Brooklyn Babylon, starring Tariq Trotter (Black Thought from the Roots), which was set and filmed in Crown Heights (it's a Romeo and Juliet type story, Hasidic girl, West Indian guy, the Roots perform in it which is cool, and Rahzel narrates).  Not a bad movie. Does a good job capturing the feel of Crown Heights, at least for that time.  Digression aside, I'm definitely looking forward to Yellow Magnolia Cafe.  It says it will be vegetable focused, so I'm hoping they'll have some decent vegan options.

mugofmead111

It's also possible for people to get married there early in the morning, where you're basically just paying for the location for like $500, before the garden opens.  Problem is, the ceremony needs to be completed by like 9 or 10 in the morning, which was way too early for us, so we'll be on the beach in Mexico next year instead. It would have been cool to be able to just walk down the block to your own wedding though. 

Same with me; that was why I was looking into that option. One drawback is that you'd have to have the ceremony rain or shine. 

Trace06

This place is really looking wonderful for people who want to celebrate their vow renewal in an intimate ceremony. So, thank you so much for sharing it here.

Herlin23

You are right Trace; it is truly a wonderful place to celebrate your special occasions. I would love to visit their at least once. Anyway, I have been seeking recommendations for the best birthday restaurants NYC for my 20th birthday party. Can anyone please help in this?