'Pandemic Pivot' Breeds New Family-Run Events Venue In Park Slope

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — When Danielle Edwards-Clarke had to close her beloved fitness studio when the coronavirus crisis hit last year, she didn't have much time to think about when it might reopen.

"Before I could even focus on what’s next for the business, I had to focus on what’s next for my kids," the mother of two said. "I had to focus on being a lunch lady, gym teacher, English teacher — wearing all of the hats."

On top of the logistics of remote learning, Edwards-Clarke said she struggled emotionally, feeling like she had failed her dream of running a women's fitness bootcamp. The studio, known as The New Body Project, had started to gain popularity just before the pandemic struck, she said.

It was only several months later when Edwards could, both logistically and emotionally, revisit what to do with the Sixth Avenue storefront.

Looking at the historic space, and thinking of her family, an idea came to her.

"I decided to reach out to my sister-in-law who does event planning and said, 'How about we turn this into an event space?'" Edwards-Clarke said, noting her sister-in-law's eight years running her business Couture Planning.

Soon, the event venue Atrium82 was born.

After months of planning, Edwards-Clarke and her sister-in-law, Mariama Delph-Clarke, launched the intimate event business in October, opening the space for everything from baby showers, to birthday parties and soon, a wedding.

The duo is now hoping to spread the word about the business so it can become a true community space.

"We’re waiting for that big moment where we are a space the community will know is available to be used," Edwards-Clarke said.

So far, the co-owners have hosted a Halloween party open to local trick or treaters and have an idea for weekly pop-up shops for community vendors in the works. Atrium82 has open houses from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday.

The Sixth Avenue space, found near St. Marks Avenue, can also be rented by independent planners to host their own events, Edwards-Clarke said.

As the business grows, Edwards-Clarke said at the very least it has breathed new life into the entrepreneurial spirit she once knew.

"It has brought me back to some sense of myself again ,redefining who I am not just as a business woman, not as a mother — as me," Edwards-Clarke said. "I am a person who does not allow defeat to keep me grounded in one place. This pivot has given me an outlook that...not all change is bad. It's a beautiful thing."

This article originally appeared on the Park Slope Patch