Greenpoint, Brooklyn neighborhood guide
Still dug in its traditional Polish roots while burgeoning a community of creatives, Greenpoint abounds with wacky vintage shops, new-school and old-school restaurants, and grungy nightlife picks
What’s the deal with Greenpoint?
Greenpoint, only accessible via the G train (and ferry), is not as flashy as other nearby Brooklyn nabes—it has a quiet cool.
A century ago the shoreline was specked with factories that processed lumber and rope that attracted working class families—many of them from Poland—whose descendents still live off Driggs and Greenpoint Aves. To this day this neighborhood has the second largest population of ethnic Polish-Americans. That culture now mixes with the creatives who have been moving in the past two decades. If one place best represents where the neighborhood is at it is the former Warsaw National Home, now the popular music venue Warsaw “where punk meet pierogies”.
What will you find in Greenpoint? You’ll find highly-praised tattoo shops, booming nightlife options, the best vintage stores in NYC, waterfront views, historic buildings, and incredible Polish food.
If you only do one thing
Fill up on homemade polish staples, starting with a donut at Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop, followed by pierogies and kielbasa at Karczma.
Go off the beaten track
Head to Newtown Barge Park to stroll the promenade on the edge of the East River, and see sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline.
On a sunny day
Find a spot at McCarren Park for a picnic, and bring to-go pies from hugely popular pizza joint, Paulie Gee’s. Opt for the Hellboy or Ricotta Da Vegan.
On a rainy day
Spend the afternoon at vintage treasure trove, Dobbin St. Vintage Co-op, to fill your home with stunning (and affordable) home goods from the ’60s and ’70s. For more convincing, scan their eye-candy Instagram page.
Get cultured
Flock to Archestratus, a bookstore that specializes in culinary texts from all over the world, from vintage cookbooks to chef biographies. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, there’s a cafe-meets-wine-bar in the back for house-made cookies and savory snacks.
Chill out
Meet friends at Milk and Roses at the end of Manhattan Avenue, and kick back with a cocktail in their fairytale-like garden.
Nearest subway stations
From Manhattan or Queens, take the 7 or E train and switch to the G line at Court Square station. Hop off the G at Greenpoint Ave or Nassau Ave for Greenpoint. Alternatively, you can take the L line and switch to the G train. You can also take the ferry over from East 34th Street to Greenpoint.
What else is nearby?
Long Island City is a culture hub, where MoMA PS1, Obie-winning theater the Chocolate Factory, and new writers’ and artists’ salon the Oracle Club are found.
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Things to do in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
5 great outdoor dining spots in Greenpoint
Greenpoint’s next-door neighbor, Williamsburg, may be bursting with all the hip restaurants But this north Brooklyn enclave boasts a good number of gems that make it a culinary destination in its own right. The Polish businesses are still open, but New Yorkers will find a diverse array of dining options outdoors this summer. Here’s where to go:
A fridge full of free food has popped up outside Greenpoint’s The Lot Radio
A lime-green refrigerator sits just outside the fence of The Lot Radio on Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint. “Free Food” is painted in bubble letters—large enough for passerby to notice—along the front of the fridge. “This is community love, this is mutual aid,” the writing continues. Inside the refrigerator door is shelves lined with free food—a supermarket-level variety of produce and dry goods—from fresh fruits, leafy greens, herbs, and potatoes to milk, yogurt, eggs, hummus, and loaves of bread. The Greenpoint Fridge, an initiative of North Brooklyn Mutual Aid, is more than just a singular fridge. It's a plan to help solve food insecurity and food waste one day at a time. An estimated 1.4 million people rely on emergency assistance like food pantries and soup kitchens in New York. The fridge concept, first started in Bed-Stuy by Thadeaus Umpster—a member of the anarchist organization A New World in Our Hearts, is a new kind of grassroots activism, rallying around the disparities of eating. As of today, there are “community fridges” established across the city, from Harlem to Elmhurst, Astoria to Bed-Stuy. The fridges represent mutual aid and are based off the idea that solidarity is what communities need to rebuild and become stronger, and individuals are more empowered with easy access to nourishment. Photograph: Archer Lewis Goods are placed in the Greenpoint Fridge daily by fellow neighbors in the community, and items are up for grabs for anyone—there are no barrier to
