One of the best small-to-medium sized venues I've been to. They have a front room with lounge chairs and a relaxed atmosphere. Lots of great local brews on tap (all $6). Decor by Shepherd Fairey. My only complaint about the front room was that they have a separate music feed than the concert hall. It was nice because you could actually talk and get away from the noise; however, it's hard to notice when the show starts. The only other problem was that it's kind of in the middle of nowhere. Our cabbie got lost. Then, when we were leaving, we got lost trying to find the subway. The stage set-up is rad, though. You can get up real close. The crowd was pretty chill. I had a great time. read more

I went to the Bell House for the first time this New Year's Eve, to see Lee Fields and the Expressions play. I wasn't particularly inspired by the venue one way or another, probably because I was really surprised by the crowd flooding the floors. Honestly, I know Brooklyn's hipster population is always thriving, but I definitely wasn't expecting to be trying to dance to soul and funk music in a sea of hipsters. I expected a riotous dance party, but mostly the concert was just full of flanneled young people bobbing their heads along. The vibe was kind of disappointing. They also weren't bothering to give any cut on drink prices for NYE-- I paid $8 for a pineapple vodka, though the bartender was sweet. I will say, the women checking tickets were really accommodating; we lost our print-out on the way, and they accepted looking at the electronic copy on our iPhones without any hassle. Maybe most annoyingly, they weren't at all prepared to accommodate the number of patrons at a sold-out show who would doubtlessly want to use the coat check on a 15-degree F night; we got there around 10:30 (the show had started at 8:30, and the pre-bands went on until midnight anyway), and the coat check, which still had a long line of people hanging around, was just about to shut down. So, carting my coat around for the night didn't aid the dance party, either. I'd probably go back if there was a band that I REALLY wanted to see play or if I ever end up living in the neighborhood, but overall I was underwhelmed by the environment. read more

The Bell House is a super-unique find in a part of Brooklyn where it is certainly the jewel of the Nile. Between its excellent variety of shows to choose from and its unparalleled beer selection as far as music venues are concerned, I would be sure to recommend it if one of your favorite groups happens to have the Bell House on its tour roster. The atmosphere in the venue itself is eclectically rustic, and the outside bar area is cozy and I believe there are old school video games available for play. It's always something special at the Bell House - whether it's a pig roast before a comedy show (a very tasty one at that!), or comfy couch-seating at a burlesque show. I've always enjoyed myself there and am looking forward to ringing in more great memories at this place. read more

I really want to give this place more stars but the music was so INSANELY loud that I can't remember anything else about it. My friend that I brought there is a sound guy and he literally left the bar in search of ear plugs at whatever store in the area he could find (which isn't much due to its location) because he was honestly worried that it would mess up his hearing. We ended up leaving after only about 20 minutes because all of my friends agreed it was too much. Please owners - turn it down a bit. I love loud dance parties, and attend them all the time, and really like your space (lots of room, cool interior) but this was a whole other level of craziness. read more

The place is interesting. You walk in and its a bar, like any other bar in the city. The atmosphere is kind of rustic, the furniture, a little old fashioned. They gave me my wine in a plastic cup, which was interesting. But their secret is that behind the bar is a small theater with a stage. Its a little far to get to just for happy hour, but I might just go to their next event. read more

After driving to seemingly an abandoned industrial wasteland we arrived at the Bell House. The streets are a parking lot for panel vans and shipping crates, so definitely an eerie vibe if you have to go too far alone. Luckily I have always found parking very close to the doors. This is a small to mid sized venue, with an interesting concept. When you walk in there is a lounge/bar with a lot of funky micro-brews on tap. They have some couches to hang out, and the venue is behind the bar. In the venue, there are 2 speed bars, but its mostly PBR and cans in there. The stage is easy to see, and I've gone to both comedy and music shows here. They have loads of flyers for things like ping pong league, but I don't live close enough to partake on the reg. Pretty cool place, be prepared for a hipster crowd and a pocket full of flyers for the next rally at the end of the evening. read more

Beefsteak!!!!! Bring friends & have meat & beer - good times! read more

The Bell House - House was cut off...all u drink n eat. - Music Venues Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

If you want to dance in a large space in Brooklyn, this spot is your jam. The main hall is huge, but there's also another room that's just a bar you need a break from the dance hall. There's usually a long line to get in, but it moves along really quick. The pro tip (according to several people I spoke to in line) seems to be to get there right at ten when the line is short. You can get a re-entry wrist band and go to another bar nearby if it's not quite popping yet. Drinks were reasonably priced and the bartenders served us quickly. The DJ wasn't great the night I was there, but I'm sure the music is fine other nights. read more

I attended a Moth show last night with an elderly friend at the Bell House. She uses a walker, which she feels self conscious about. The moment we arrived, the bouncer at the front door was super proactive about cutting her to the front of the line, politely and unobtrusively asking other patrons in line to step aside. He then personally and patiently ushered us to an area where she could sit comfortably and be first to enter the venue when it was time for the show. When he passed through later, we chit-chatted about our favorite beers. (I wish I had gotten his name. He recommended his favorite Porter to my friend and I, which only makes his stock rise in our eyes!) He was notably more pleasant than most bouncers, and was notably more helpful to my elderly friend than most food and beverage establishments are. I'm surprised to see complaints about bouncers on here; I don't Yelp often but wanted to commend him and the rest of the staff on how accommodating and welcoming they were to my friend. Kudos also to the Moth staff. Production intern Catherine (Kathryn?) introduced herself when the doors to the venue opened and then offered courtesy seating to my friend. Thanks, Bouncer-Who-Likes-Porter and Catherine. Your moms raised you right. read more

I went to the Bell House last weekend for a show - and I must say it was one of the best new music venues I've been to in awhile. It was easy to get to from the F or G train - and despite the seemingly deserted area it's in, it seems that Gowanus is going to be a trendy spot in no time. The sound was amazing - the layout was great, but what I liked best was the lounge attached to the music venue. They had a great happy hour (2 for 1) and a fab. beer selection. ALSO once you are in the actual music venue there is yet another bar for your consuming needs. I will definitely be back! read more

only OK. The sound has been good some night, worse others. It's a bit of a "I'd love to watch a rock show, but I got to get home and watch my TIVO" crowd. The bartenders were great - I might come here not for bands - but mediocre sound and ad exec-filled crowds probably will push rockers to other, less suburbany, venues. read more

It's a concert venue, what is there to say? Only that it boasts unparalleled sight lines -- the stage actually thrusts out, making you feel closer to the performer, and the bar on the far left is raised up about a foot and a half; the acoustics are top-notch; the booze isn't crazy expensive, unlike some places (ahem, Webster Hall); and it has one of the nicest front bar/lounge areas anywhere. The decor is old-timey dark wood, the chairs are real leather (!), and the chandeliers are gorgeous. Also, if you're keeping an eye out and are quick on the trigger, some pretty big bands (i.e. Walkmen, National, Okkervil River-level) have played there and will again. Still, go for the up-and-comers, get a sense of the place, and revel in it. Or just go to a DJ set on a random night. Really, just any excuse to go, GO. read more

If you're going to have a New Years eve party, at least have the decency to show the ball drop. There were 2 MacBooks and a giant projection screen, but they were broadcasting ads for their next Rub event all night instead. Sad. The DJs were decent, though someone might as well have pressed "play" on a Pandora play list. On the plus side, drinks were quasi-reasonably priced and the bartenders were nice. Thankfully we were in good company, or the night would have been disappointing. I would plan elsewhere for your new years. read more

I know I'm a bit late to the party but this place couldn't have been better. I was instantly transported to my days in the late 80's early 90's drinking inexpensive beers with nice people(who don't hold up their cell phones for the entire show) listening to excellent music. The bar staff were great and the sound was excellent. Thanks Bell House! read more

They host a lot of great events here and do it right. The two I've been two had a boutique set up for BBQ sandwiches which was spectacular. Service at the bar was good. Event space was good and the check-in/ticket line went smoothly. At one event I had a family emergency but had tickets for myself and several friends. I contacted the venue and they got back to me immediately and agreed to change the name on the tickets so that my friends could still get in (they ended up not making it, but for reasons entirely unrelated to the venue). It was generous that they would do this, but the speed/ease at which they did it for me meant a lot to me. read more

The Bell House is a great night out. I enjoyed walking through what feels like old Soho or East Village and finding this jewel of a spot. Reasonably priced drinks, great sound system and comfortable (not too big/small) stage area. Warehouse height ceilings are a plus. Best of all, Saturday night is gay dance night where you can boogie to dj music until 4am! I had a blast. read more

The Bell House - Music Venues Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Bouncers at the door are complete D-bags, it's not worth coming. They make you wait outside in the freezing cold (8 months of the year) so bring your thermals, come wasted, or don't come at all. read more

Great joint, lots of space, good selection at the bar, clean bathrooms, dubb pies, and a great staff. They have fun events most of the time, other then just music. A real nice place to be on any given evening. Best thing is that there are two bars, one in the events area and one in the front. The front doesnt get too crowded after the show starts, so just wait until 8ish to get there and you'll be fine (if you want to have asemi-chill drink.and sit down. read more

Just saw Eliot Glazer. Gagged. Also the drinks and the staff are solid. Super solid. read more

I used to work across the street from this empty warehouse. Now it's a hipster palace. Come here if you like DARK lighting and ironic facial hair. They have a decent selection of beer - but it might take you up to 15mins to claim your beverage. I'm a fan of the interior design and their cheap happy hour pies. Keep an eye on them- they throw decent themed events. read more

oh hooray. a place for music and events in gowanus? yes, indeedy. and how very gowanus it is. tucked amidst warehouses and loading docks and within spitting distance of that beloved and diseased waterway, the bell house looks rather unassuming from the outside, but the inside is delightful. brought to you by the same dudes who done did union hall, the decor is simply lovely. beautiful wallpaper, chairs you want to get drunk enough to try and steal. just damn pretty. the space for shows is ample but not stupidly huge and the staff are dolls. so excited to hole up here this winter. read more

The Bell House - Music Venues Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I would describe the bouncers as unnecessarily rude. Dear Yelp friends, let me set the scene: my friend and I walk into the bell house at 11:45. We had planned to come for an event but got the date wrong. Oh well. We figured we'd get a drink and plan where to go, expecting one hour of chill fun because the bell house allegedly closes at 1 on Friday. The bouncers card us, we enter (we are both over 21--27 to be exact but we seem young and fun) and we pay 7 dollars for our beer. Then we sit and begin to have (a little bit of) fun. Ten minutes later the bouncer who is on a horrible power trip yells at us to leave saying "we're closed!" What? "Can we finish our beer? We just got here five minutes ago." "No we're closed!!! We did last call!" "Oh but we weren't here for that and we thought you closed at 1. No one told us the bar was almost closed when we came in." "No." What? Why were we allowed to purchase a drink five minutes before this mandatory EVACUATION?? Why did the bouncers not tell us the bar was closing an hour early when we entered? All in all they were just really rude, and I didn't understand the extreme urgency of making everyone leave exactly at 12. Oh well. read more

Bell House is a very fun venue for music, podcasts, comedy, etc. There are limited seats, so show up early if you're there for a show. I've been there for a 90s dance party, an improvised musical, live NPR game shows, and more. The bars (in the front and back in the venue space) are well staffed and I never have to wait too long. Always pleasant, despite having to wait in lines outside for shows! read more

In a few words: be nice. Awesome place and venue, but staff (not bartenders) don't treat you nicely and with respect, it's disappointing.

Came early for Demetri Martin show. Ordered the pulled pork sandwich and bought an extra side of Cole slaw because it is so deeeelish!!! The slaw is made in house. It is not from a big plastic container for sure! The pulled pork was also juicy and tender. The staff is very friendly and courteous and accommodating. I love this place!!! read more

I came here for Eliot Glazer's Haunting Renditions, which is a monthly musical show that is hilarious and filled with oldies musical references. This was a holiday themed show which was great. It was the last one he'd be doing on the East Coast for a couple months, so be sure to see him next year! And to be safe, make sure you get tickets online because it will assure you a seat at the show. Now onto the venue... I was totally kidding about a seat at the show. I really meant spot because my friend and I totally stood throughout the whole thing because they had no seats. We came via subway, F/G to Smith Street is nearby but walking through across the little bridge in Gowanus is honestly awful -- in addition to all the warehouses and low-rise storage buildings you pass on your way to the Bell House. But once you see it, it's a very lively place. We were really confused as to where to go and we had arrived at 7:30PM (it said doors opened at 8:00PM). Only once did a bouncer tell us what was happening, but here's a major pro-tip. Come around 7:30PM and stand on the line that is to the right of the door. If you have a friend, have them wait on line for you to hold your spot and you can go in, get your ID checked, hand stamped after checking in at will call, and go back and then tell them to do the same for you. It's not a rowdy crowd, so unless you're being rowdy there won't be a problem. Now if you haven't bought a ticket, you still can and you'd have to wait on standby to the left of the door. Unfortunately, we arrived at 7:30PM and doors didn't really let people in until 8:30PM. And then the show didn't really start til 9:00PM. But you're better off getting there early if you want a good spot. And like I said, I stood the whole time, so that was like what? Almost 3-4 hours of standing? So if you don't have the patience or legs to stand... don't come here. read more

I came here for the Guactacular festival, a fun evening of unlimited samples of guacamole from amateur contestants, chips and beer specials at the bar. I would recommend that you get here early for food-related events as they ran out of most of the guacamole after the first hour (the event was scheduled for 3 hours). The venue is spacious and has a nice layout with a box office, stage space, an indoor area and outdoor seating. Getting here on the subway (N or F trains) was easy enough. read more

Had to wait on a 45 minute line even with tickets. Missed 30 mins of the show as a result. Why can't they have one other ticket taker for an hour to cut line in half? Also you had to get a dark black stamp on top of hand and a wristband to enter the venue. Can't the idiots here devise a system where one would suffice? Or maybe a handstamp that doesn't make you look like a clown at work the next day? Great space but run by rookies. read more

I had the BEST TIME HERE for the LOST (my favorite show ever) Season 5 Finale Party last May! It's a perfect place for screenings and concerts. I arrived here early with my friends and we scored seats right in the front to catch the performance and watch LOST on the big projector! It's a great spot with a bar area upon entry with the performance space in the back. The area is okay, you can just add this to the long list of cool bars in shady areas of Brooklyn. No biggie, because I'll be back for the LOST Season 6 Premiere (and probably the Finale) party!!! read more

I was exiting this place after a perfectly nice time. Needed to grab my coat from coat check and was told to get into the line that snaked out into the freezing cold outdoors - even though every single person in that line was *depositing* and not picking up their coats. After trying to argue the point and avoid having to stand out in the cold, the manager pushed my husband out by the scruff of his neck while taking away our coat check ticket in the process. During this altercation, the manager's defense of his position was that he "told [my brown husband] in English to get in line". I'm fairly certain he'd have kept us waiting for ages if I hadn't called 911 at that point - which resulted in our coats being brought out to us within minutes. Will never go back here. read more

There is no doubt in my mind that The Bell House is the GREATEST PLACE IN NEW YORK CITY. They constantly have super fun events going on. I first came here last summer for a 90s dance called Saved By The Bell House (lulz). The 90s cover band was awesome (Bayside Tigers, check 'em out), and the venue was decorated like a 90s high school dance. I freaking love the 90s more than words can express, thanks to The Bell House this was the best night of the whole summer. The second time I came here was for The Sound of Music Sing Along. The Sound of Music is my 2nd favorite movie of all time. I grew up watching it and singing its songs with my family. The sing along was more fun than I ever could have imagined. There was also a trivia contest and my cousin and I won it! We got free drinks as our prize. I love musicals and I love to sing so I kept my eye out for the next sing along. The third time I came here was very recently for the Grease Sing Along and 50s Dance. Another amazing night. I hear that Annie is going to be the next sing along so I keep checking their website to see if it's official yet. There were other sing alongs that I was unable to go to, much to my dismay. Like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. They also had a Harry Potter Yule Ball that I was unable to attend but I heard it was too much fun. I just cant believe this place exists! They constantly have events that involve all my favorite things- dancing to the 90s, singing along to my favorite movies, and Harry Potter. THANK YOU BELL HOUSE!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HAVE MORE SING ALONGS! read more

the staff is super rude and very condescending--they make it seem like they are doing you a favor by existing the people at the door were super unpleasant and rude AND THE "BOUNCER" WAS THE BIGGEST JERK EVER its super expensive, the location is pretty bad, and it pretty much caters to yuppies and hipster wannabes read more

I went to this place a few months ago for the first time and was totally impressed. It's kinda like the annoyingly perfect older sister to Union Hall. You know, the girl who does everything right and who you'd totally hate if she wasn't so awesome. The concert area is soooo much bigger and better than that at Union Hall, and while I didn't spend much time in it, the lounge area looked great as well. Lots of beer on tap, and the bartenders were friendly. They have tons of stuff happening there all the time, and the shows are always super cheap. read more

this is a fantastic venue. things the bell house has right: 1. the stage is high so even a shorty like me can see performers 2. the layout of the floor is such that even if you're in the back, you're never really that far away. 3. there are 3 places to grab drinks, 2 of which are commodious. 4. the drinks are priced right 5. its close enough to the subway, but in a somewhat remote spot so you never feel hounded 6. the place never feels super crowded. maybe its the magic of having the bars spread out, but even at the sold out show i went to last night, i always had ample elbow room. i was tempted to dock the bell house a star because the show i went to last night had some pretty bad sound equipment problems. but the show was a haiti benefit concert, so i thought that evened things out. all-around, fantastic venue. (also a good spot for one of the many other events they hold there. i went to a craft show back in the summer that had a great vibe to it.) read more

Good happy hour from 5-7pm. Buy a Guinness, get one free. Quiet enough to read the paper or a book. Good place. Hope it doesn't get overrun by morons, like Union Hall. read more

This use to be a nice place to go to see a show. Now, it's overcrowded and down right unpleasant. You pay $30+ for one ticket to wait on line for over an hour. To then have to stand up for the duration of the show. The bouncers are always cool guys. But the chick.at the door is rude and unprofessional. read more

The boyfriend and I attended the annual Yule Ball charity event hosted here by the Harry Potter Alliance just the other week. I've never had an easier time finding parking in Brooklyn! The Bell House also wins bonus points for a solid craft beer selection on tap, as well as having a photo booth. There's a small lounge area with some couches and tables near the bar, and a coat check window but it was closed the night we went. The performance space is on the medium side, but never got uncomfortably crowded throughout the night. Décor makes you feel like you're in Midwestern America, but there are also these great chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Overall, a pretty cozy and laidback venue. And by the looks of their calendar, they regularly have a variety of inexpensive/free events going on here - will definitely return if something catches my eye. :) read more

Been to this venue before and it was fine, but it's not ideal for a Podcast. We got there at doors and couldn't find a seat because most chairs were reserved or being held. This wasn't my first live podcast rodeo and I've never had to stand before because they were held at venues with more seating. I found it unfair that seats that were being held were not monitored accordingly. There's also definitely more space for seats and they kept the room standing. I definitely would have enjoyed the podcast more if the Bell House was a more adequate venue for it, I'll never go to it for a podcast again. Shame. Other wise it's fine, polite staff and the like. read more

Good venue for music and shows. I saw the Point Break show, and it was entertaining. Bar has standard selections at good prices. Would return here for another show. Bar in the front gets packed on Fridays. read more

They sell more tickets than seats (for comedy shows); this has happened twice. Basic math is not that hard...