The six roommates of Merlins Place have opened up their duplex loft in Bushwick as a community space. A short walk from the Morgan Avenue L stop, we host singing circles, drum circle raves, bodywork classes, meditation, and writing nights — all in the place we call home.
MERLIN’S PLACE · BUSHWICK, NYC
Our recurring gatherings bring people together to make music, move, write, listen, and connect. Browse in weekday order, Monday through Sunday. Gatherings without a set weekday appear last. Some meet weekly; others follow a course or an announced date.
Monday, October 12 · 6–7:30 PM
Zach’s yoga class uses the body’s meridians — the pathways through which qi is understood to flow in Traditional Chinese Medicine — as a guide for movement and stretching. I’ve been training with Zach since we met last year, and I find his style gentle, challenging, and mind-expanding. All levels welcome!
Details and RSVP ↗
Monday, October 12 · 7:30 PM
25 minutes of seated meditation, followed by 25 minutes of silent personal practice: journal, stretch, read, or continue meditating — the choice is yours! A brief sharing circle at the end offers a glimpse into one another’s inner worlds. No need to RSVP; just show up!
Get upcoming dates ↓
Tuesday, October 13 · 6:15 PM
2 hours of co-writing, followed by optional publishing on Substack. Those who publish can share links to their pieces to receive comments and discussion from the group.
Details and RSVP ↗
Wednesday evenings · Enrollment closed
Explore touch, communication, and giving and receiving bodywork in a shared learning environment. Enrollment for the current course is closed; this listing is informational.
Thursday, October 15 · 7–9 PM
Discover the pleasure of your own voice and what happens when we weave our voices together. Through movement and vocal exploration, we’ll find greater ease and resonance, then follow a hand drum into shared rhythms, melodies, and unexpected harmonies. A single note can become part of something beautiful as others echo it, accompany it, or take it somewhere new — from tenderness to unbridled play and emotional release. No singing experience needed!
Details and RSVP ↗We begin with movement and vocal exercises, then weave sustained notes, repeating melodies, rhythms, and harmonies into a shared sonic field. Five drum rhythms invite us to explore the masculine, feminine, inner child, ancestors, and nature. A single note or repeated phrase is enough to join in. Single-session participants join the group warm-ups, vocal exercises, and improvisations, and can learn by observing individual coaching. Full-course participants have priority for focused work on their voices.
Friday nights
Live music, close listening, and making music together in an intimate home setting. No current public RSVP; this listing is informational.
Saturday, October 17 · 2–5 PM
A mini linguistic festival! Speak Spanish, French, German, and Mandarin Chinese with some of the most vibrant friends I know — native speakers who are artists, entrepreneurs, and scientists. Beginners are welcome to soak in the sounds and rhythms, and side tables open up space for any language you bring.
Details and RSVP ↗
The main table rotates through four 45-minute conversations. You can also create or join a side table to keep speaking one language or explore another. If fewer than three people RSVP for German, it may move to a side table, allowing more time for the remaining main-table languages.
When you RSVP, list the languages you’d like to speak and your level in each: fluent (F), intermediate (I), or beginner (B). Bring drinks, snacks, and friends. A $10 suggested donation helps pay some of our native-speaking facilitators; see Partiful for details.
Ulysses’s inspiration: while living in Paris, he met an Austrian writer for an hour of German conversation each week for over a year. Their conversations about life, art, and philosophy — and the pleasure of forming a sentence and knowing it landed — kept the language alive in his mind all week.
Saturday, October 17 · 6 PM
Join us for a cathartic evening of drumming, dancing, and singing! We’ll have djembes, congas, bongos, cowbells, shakers, and more — bring your own percussion, too. Beginners welcome, or just dance to the live drums! Join in or step away anytime, with low-stimulation lounges upstairs for a breather. Hang out afterward until midnight. Juices and seltzers provided; bring drinks and snacks to share.
Details and RSVP ↗Join the circle, dance to the live drums, or simply immerse yourself in the sound. You’re free to join in or step away whenever you like, and you’re welcome to bring your own percussion. After the drumming, stay and hang out until midnight. We provide juices and seltzers; bring drinks and snacks to share.
Weekly · Invitation only
Gather for interpersonal connection, attentive listening, and authentic expression. Circling invites us to slow down and explore what we’re experiencing in ourselves and with one another.
Merlins Place hosts a weekly, invitation-only circle. If you’re interested in joining, you’re welcome to email us to learn more.
Inquire about joining
Monthly
A monthly community clinic at Merlins Place. Upcoming announcements include the date and how to book.
Get upcoming dates ↓
Art Jam has also been part of life here. Future editions are still being considered; any new dates will appear in the Dispatch.
Proactive contribution. Our community thrives through giving before receiving. Because by giving, we create an ecosystem of mutual support and generosity.
Radical hospitality. Inspired by the spirit of Burning Man, we keep our door open. This shared responsibility calls for everyone who enters to care for and nurture our space, cultivating a sense of collective ownership.
Trust and connection. We invite friends into our space, and they in turn invite the people they love, creating a snowball effect of trust and connection.
Creative expression. We provide creatives and builders with a canvas for expression. Here, everyone is welcomed, encouraged, and supported as they pursue personal growth and bring projects to life.
Meaningful relationships. We understand that our happiness is deeply connected to our relationships, that's why we intentionally cultivate meaningful connections and practice open, thoughtful communication.
Authenticity. We strive to question assumptions and work through disagreements by exploring deeper understanding, rather than conflict. This is a safe container for authenticity, where everyone can be who they truly are without fear of judgment or exclusion.
Nourishment. Our goal is to build a space that nourishes us first, and in turn, it nourishes others. We share this space with the community, but it is first and foremost for the residents, who care for one another and pursue their passions together.
This is not just a social experiment. This is our life and how we choose to live it — together.
From singing circles and live jams to the Drum Circle Rave, music here is something we create together. There is room to listen, find a rhythm, lend your voice, or dance. Our gatherings bring experienced musicians and curious beginners into the same room.
Our audio-reactive, 3,000-LED light matrix began as a deeply collaborative community project, bringing together coders, artists, and hardware builders to transform our ceiling into a work of art. That spirit continues in writing alongside one another at Hit Publish, making music with friends, and bringing our different skills to shared projects.
Our gatherings offer different ways to pay attention: to ourselves, to our bodies, and to one another. Monday Meditation, Meridian Yoga, Exploring Bodywork, and Circling and Authentic Relating invite us to slow down, listen, and connect.
KEEP IN THE LOOP
Upcoming dates, invitations, and ways to join in. Request to join the list on your preferred app.