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Disclaimer: I am not a hipster, but I don’t hate them.
Disclaimer: I am not a hipster, but I don’t hate them.Actually during my holiday in New York it has been quite fun to hang out at Brooklyn’s hottest hipster neighborhoods, namely the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick and DUMBO. Why DUMBO? Because I found that there is a bit of that hipster Brooklyn vibe along with a more sophisticated yuppie vibe.
And so… welcome to Hipsterland!
Hipster neighborhoods in Brooklyn > Williamsburg, the hipster heaven
For a short holiday, it was fine to stay in Williamsburg: we were right in the middle of the action and well connected to the rest of the town.
For longer periods, I guess Williamsburg is too much: too much crowded, too much expensive, too much youngish, too much mainstream (…it feels so hipster to state so! ;-)), and I bet it’s a matter of months and well-known commercial brands such as Starbucks and Burger King will open in Williamsburg too.
Anyway, in small doses, Williamsburg is great.
In Williamsburg you can find excellent restaurants and shops, many boutiques, coffee shops and of course many barbershops, all vintage designed, where male specimens go to take care of their full beards.
I especially loved the Grand Ferry Park, a nice green area along the river -close to where the Domino sugar refinery used to be- with a great view on the Williamsburg bridge.
And, of course, the many street art works all around the neighborhood (even advertisement signs are painted on walls, in Williamsburg! :-) ).
And, of course, the many street art works all around the neighborhood (even advertisement signs are painted on walls, in Williamsburg! :-) ).
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| Graffiti in progress…that’s Williamsburg! |
My favorite spot in Williamsburg is the Wythe Hotel, located in a former factory along the river; it is a must-see for design enthusiasts and here you can both enjoy a meal at its exceptional restaurant Reynard and have a drink at the popular rooftop with a breath-taking view on Manhattan skyline and above Brooklyn roofs too.
Just across the street, there are two more popular spots: the Brooklyn Brewery, where the popular beer is still produced, and the Brooklyn Bowl, a pretty unique night / live club with 16 bowling lanes.
But the real gem of the hood is the Orthodox Jewish area where Hasidic Jews live; just a few blocks from the partying Bedford Ave and a trip back in time away, I enjoyed the best people-watching ever and wandered in a surreal Amish-like atmosphere. I’m sorry I don’t have some pictures to show, I just didn’t dare to take any ’cause I was unsure about which kind of rules they live by…
Hipster neighborhoods in Brooklyn > Greenpoint
Coming from McCarren Park, the first spot in Greenpoint I stopped by has been the Five Leaves bar, which was very crowded and loud, but there I had the best pancakes ever!
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| Five Leaves bar, Greenpoint, Brooklyn |
Another great spot in Greenpoint I felt in love with is a former factory on 67 West Street: at the ground floor there is a warehouse full of beautiful handmade wooden furniture (the shop is called From the source), while the rest of the building hosts creative studios and a huge, wonderful open space, which you can rent for events and exhibitions. No need to say I spent one hour in there thinking about where I would put my bed and where my writer’s corner would be… it was exactly the loft of my dreams!
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| the loft of my dreams |
Nearby there are some great boutiques, and going back towards the McCarren park I found some great street art and the Russian Orthodox Church of the Trasfiguration.
Altogether, Greenpoint is a nice neighborhood with several great shops to stop by and a growing alternative art scene.
Hipster neighborhoods in Brooklyn > Bushwick
I loved, loved, loved Bushwick!
And I always will!
The most interesting aspect of the neighborhood lies in the story of Joe, the founder of the Bushwick Collective; Joe’s father himself was one of the victims of Bushwick crime (he was robbed and then murdered when Joe was 12) and now Joe is giving his all to make his neighborhood a better and safer place by inviting many international street artists to paint the walls of Bushwick, especially on Troutman Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue. The guy is still working at his family’s steel fabrication business, meaning he is curating this amazing street art project just for fun and in the interest of the whole neighborhood.
In Bushwick we had a street art walked tour; we came graffiti hunting by ourselves on our first day, but after a talk with Damien –our guide of the Lower East Side street art tour- we agreed on coming back in Bushwick with him to properly enjoy this amazing neighborhood. Again, Damien’s tour was very interesting and we left really impressed by the amazing art works you can find in this neighborhood and by the Bushwick Collective project itself.
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| mural by Damien Mitchell |
They say Bushwick will be the next Williamsburg ‘cause this is the area where the creative community moved to, but right now it looks still pretty grunge and spontaneous, with its traditional small houses still in place.
It is already a cool neighborhood, but still a relaxing place to have a beer at the sunset, when the sun light reflects on the huge windows of the factories around.
Hipster neighborhoods in Brooklyn > DUMBO
I included DUMBO in this post because I find it enough artsy and creative to get the hipster mark.
When I was in DUMBO the whole neighborhood was getting ready for the Design Festival and the creative vibe was especially ringing out; I loved popping in and out from the many art galleries and peeking into DUMBO’s amazing lofts.
My favorite things in DUMBO are an Obey huge mural and the view by the riverside, which is breath-taking!
What are you favourite hipster spots in Brooklyn?
Where do you think the hipster wave would move in the imminent future?
Let me know your impressions!
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