98. Book Court: This is the bookstore that writers work for even after they have been published. Cobble Hill's literary gem hosts readings from some of New York's most celebrated authors —but they include out-of-towners, too. Book Court's Cousin Corinne is the shop's biennial publication, featuring fiction, photos, and graphic art.
96. Sahadi's: Since 1948, the Lebanese-owned Sahadi's has been an indispensable source for fine imported foods, nuts, dried fruits, and all sorts of delicacies that can't be found elsewhere on this stretch of Atlantic Avenue. Sahadi's hummus is arguably the best in the neighborhood, and up front there are open barrels of bulk grains and spices, an amazing array of olives, nuts, and dried fruits, coffee beans, and assorted spices. Much of the packaged fare is Middle Eastern, but there are plenty of other exotic foods on hand, plus a solid selection of cheeses. If you're on your way to a picnic in Brooklyn Bridge Park, or just on your way home to eat an entire tub of hummus in your underwear, Sahadi's is unbeatable.
95. Peter Pan Donuts: Fact: The old school Peter Pan Donuts at 727 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint still makes the tastiest (and cutest) donuts in all the land. That Peter Pan dominates the donut game is hardly a secret, especially since Tina Fey blabbed to the press about her favorite: the white-cream-filled powdered doughnut. In an interview, Fey revealed, "I really believe, when I first tried it, if I had a penis, I would put it in this doughnut. I finally understand what you guys are thinking about and what motivates you guys."
87. Prettiest Little Sewage Treatment Plant in Town: You can spot the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Greenpoint from miles around not just by its smell but also by its dramatic 145 feet high "digester eggs" which process tons of sewage into fertilizer in a complicated scientific process that we'll just call "magic." And if these four magnificent eggs weren't breathtaking enough, the DEP illuminates the eggs with a sensational blue sci-fi light. Take a tour of the eggs, which are also visible from the Newtown Creek Nature Walk, arguably one of the funniest (and surprisingly educational) parks in the five boroughs.
74. Kent Avenue Bike Lane: Hats off to the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, which spent years laboring to create a safe and pleasant way to connect north and south Brooklyn by bike. The DOT finally listened, and this dedicated bike lane now takes cyclists all the way from Greenpoint to the Brooklyn Navy Yards, where it continues on other streets to offer a safer route to the Manhattan Bridge, Park Slope and beyond. As an added bonus, it also doubles as great free parking!
61. The Brooklyn Flea: If you're looking for relaxed weekend activities, it's hard to beat a leisurely stroll through the Brooklyn Flea, where a wide array of clothes, jewelry, tchotchkes, furniture, and foodstuffs abound. In addition to its Fort Greene location, this summer the Flea expanded to the almost-idyllic Williamsburg Waterfront at the end of North Sixth Street on the east river, now accessible by ferry!
60. Bowling: Manhattan can keep their glitzy new bowling alleys; Williamsburg Brooklyn has them all beat with the one-two punch of The Gutter and Brooklyn Bowl. When the atavistic Gutter opened in 2007, it was the first new bowling alley to roll into Brooklyn in half a century. It's still our favorite, and besides the bowling (which is scored on vintage computer modules), they've got a pool table, a wide variety of craft beers, and a small music venue.
53. Smorgasburg: You can't beat this all-food Saturday market at the Williamsburg waterfront. Cheekily named Smorgasburg, it features over 100 local vendors selling everything from homemade mustard to banana-ricotta spring rolls.
50. McCarren Park: Though McCarren Park in Greenpoint/Williamsburg has developed a reputation as hipster central, in reality it's enjoyed by a wide range of New Yorkers. And for whatever reason, the Parks police just don't seem to care about the liberties many parkgoers take with impunity. Stop by on any given weekend, and you'll find families barbecuing right next to "No Grilling" signs, brazen beer and alcohol consumption, and the scent of reefer wafting in the air. Sadly, the pool is no longer for concerts (someday they're supposed to open an actual pool), but McCarren Park remains a great place to picnic, play tennis, softball, and kickball, dazzle the public at the piano, or just drink a beer and sunbathe in your bikini, which we can't advocate enough.
45. Low Riding: Unlike much of Manhattan, Brooklyn has an abundance of low-rise buildings, which means (fact!) Brooklyn gets more sun, which means Brooklyn's fauna is more lush, residents' souls are more buoyant, their sperm is more potent, and their children will one day rise up to rule the world!
43. Franklin Street: This quiet little corner of Greenpoint by the East River is one of Brooklyn's most charming commercial districts. Toward the north end there's TBD, Hayden-Harnett, and Permanent Records; at the bottom you've got the adorable bakery/coffeshop Cookie Road and Gothamist favorite The Diamond bar. In between, there's an ever-increasing number of cute boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, bars, and craft beer purveyors. Because this neighborhood has always been a little isolated from Manhattan (the G is the only subway), an atmosphere of small-town community friendliness prevails. With the new East River ferry service, we sure hope the city slickers don't move in and ruin it!
42. The Open Space Alliance: Formed in 2003, this successful organization partners with the city Parks Department to green up North Brooklyn, and they're damn good at getting it done. Among OSA's achievements: the concerts at the Williamsburg Waterfront, opening Greenpoint's Transmitter park, a kayak launch and mini park at the north end of Manhattan Avenue, a new skateboard park in McCarren, and much more.
28. Ferries: East River Ferry service has been restored to whisk you away to Manhattan, Governors Island, or—even better—points south and north in Brooklyn.
22. Spectacular Views: Obviously, one of the great things about being outside of Manhattan is that you can step back and take in the skyline from a removed vantage point. From the Red Hook piers to the Brooklyn Promenade to the end of India Street in Greenpoint, the stunning Manhattan skyline is right there, seemingly within arm's reach, day and night. It's not just the view from the Queensboro Bridge that, as F. Scott Fitzgerald put it, "is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world."
9. Brooklyn Beers: Local brewers Kelso, Sixpoint, and Brooklyn Brewery have happily become almost ubiquitous in Brooklyn, and even in parts of Manhattan. At the latter brewery in Williamsburg, they've expanded operations so that now most of their product is actually made in Brooklyn. They offer tours on weekends and weekdays, and a $4 Friday night happy hour that lasts until 11 p.m., with your pick of up to 8 draft beers and our growing number of Big Bottles.
8. Brooklyn Heights Promenade: It's not just a made-up place where Ed Norton went to brood in Spike Lee's 25th Hour; the Brooklyn Heights Promenade is real and it is breathtaking. "There may be finer views than this in the world, but I don't believe it," said President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 when he visited Brooklyn Heights. These views of the city skyline are so mesmerizing you'll totally forget you're sitting on a bench above the BQE.
4. Green-Wood Cemetery: Yet another urban oasis in Brooklyn, and this one the dead can enjoy, too! The dramatically sprawling Green-Wood Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark cemetery has been around 170 years, and continues to draw those who come to pay their respects and others who just want to savor its serenity... or its spookiness. The cemetery's website tells you all you need to know about visiting this extraordinary place, which is currently hosting an evening summer time musical theater performance called The Spoon River Project. Come to one of the midnight shows and get a private tour inside the cemetery’s Catacombs, built in the 1850s, normally not accessible to the public.
i hope you'll share some of yours!
1 comment:
i cant wait to visit and try every last one of these especially the hummus place. and ill have one tina fey donut too.
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