Lifestyle

New Brooklyn archery outpost gives Gowanus a sharper image

Straddling a white line on the concrete floor, a sinewy lass pauses to straighten her posture before taking aim at her target. Her left arm fans out in front of her, pointing a sleek black bow, as her right hand draws back an arrow, dragging its feathers against her lip. She narrows her gaze, holds her breath and releases the blade with a short whoosh followed by the thwack of impact.

In the right light, she might have been Ygritte, the wildling spearwife from HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” But this target practice is taking place far from Westeros — at Gotham Archery, a 7,500-square-foot urban range recently opened in an old Gowanus warehouse.

“Game of Thrones” archer Ygritte is inspiring New Yorkers.Helen Sloan/HBO

“I’m ready to shoot stuff,” says Jeremy Tzeng, 28, a lanky guy in a collared Nautica shirt and sneakers nearby, who, along with 17 co-workers, recently celebrated a colleague’s birthday at the venue.

There was a time when evening entertainment options in Gowanus were limited to chatting up hookers at Thomas Greene Park or taking a romantic stroll along the canal, a Superfund site. But on a recent night, the locals are crowding inside to spend a few hours staring down an elusive yellow circle with sick gear.

“It looks like something in the movies, like Hawkeye from ‘The Avengers,’ ” says Chris Stein, 39, who lives a few blocks away and quickly signed up for classes with his son. “So kids get excited about it.”

After just three sessions, young Otto Stein was showing an aptitude for the precision sport that outpaced many of the older guests that night. As the group of 20-something birthday revelers suited up in arm guards and quivers, the 10-year-old struck his target dead center from 30 feet back.

“Did you see that, Dad!?” he yells, claiming his sheet to take home.

“He’s a natural,” says Frank Sullivan, 25, a range safety officer at Gotham Archery. “Day one, he was all over the place. But by the end, he was hitting the mark. Now, to hit a bull’s eye at this distance, at his age? That’s really something.”

Sullivan knows a thing or two about aim. His other job is with the New York National Guard, training soldiers out of the 69th Infantry.

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“I’m a qualified expert rifleman,” he says. “The instructive side of [archery] is very similar. Just like with rifles, there is a certain stance you need to take in archery, a certain form. And the way I teach is the same way I would teach with a rifle in the Army. It feels really good when people start to get it and hit the bull’s-eye.” Further down the line, shooting from a distance of 15 feet, another young woman was hoping to channel the spirit of Katniss from “The Hunger Games.”

“As they were explaining the rules and directions, I was like, ‘I have to wear the braid!’ ” says Julie Chen, 30, who plaited her locks a la Jennifer Lawrence during the mandatory safety presentation.

After a few rounds in front of the target, Marvin Charles, 30, shifted to aiming at a dangling pingpong ball.

A trio of pals hope they’re right on target at Gotham Archery.Demetrius E. Loadholt SR

“I hit it a few times,” says Charles with an air of pride. “I’m just extremely competitive.”

Should he or any of his pals decide to pursue the sport, Gotham Archery offers lane rentals at hourly rates ($15), with a discount for 10 or more hours. Bows rent for $10 per day, and accessories are available in the modest lounge area up front, which features a picnic table, T-shirt racks and a refrigerator with soda and water bottles.

No alcohol is served at Gotham (although you can bring in cake for celebrations). And music is banned so the safety officers can be heard signaling when to clear the range to prevent people from getting shot. That hasn’t dissuaded some from using Gotham Archery to play Cupid.

Marlon King, 31, recently brought a date after a few sessions on his own.

“I knew that we both enjoy physical activity,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s sexy, but it’s an out-of-the-ordinary thing to do.”

In fact, his companion took to the sport quickly. “She did very well, she was a good shot,” King says. “I was definitely impressed. After a while, I got tired, but she was still going while I sat and watched.”

He’s planning a second date there, and vows, “Next time I’ll be ready.”