Greenpoint , Brooklyn

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Interesting neighborhood

I moved to Greenpoint after living in South Williamsburg. Greenpoint has the trendy, hipster feel of Williamsburg, but it is more downplayed and relaxed. After the obligatory hajj to Williamsburg, every hipster faces the critical decision of where to go next. Many head further and further east out of some sort of sick and depraved sense of manifest destiny, ignoring how intolerable they are making each new neighborhood. These are the true believers; they will live the lifestyle to its fullest until their parents stop paying rent. Hipsters who grow weary of the extreme posturing but still love their skinny jeans can go north to Greenpoint. Once they cross McCarren Park and encounter hordes of drunken old Polish men, something changes and life starts to revolve around brunch and pierogies. I recommend Greenpoint.

In all seriousness, this neighborhood is wonderful. It’s quiet, green, and full of wonderful restaurants. In the summer, there is nothing better than scoring some blintzes and going on a walk to the Williamsburg waterfront or to Newtown Creek. The neighborhood is still very Polish and you will hear a lot of it as you walk around. When shopping in the bakeries or meat markets, you might find yourself as the only person speaking English, but the bread or kielbasa is truly fantastic.

The Polish restaurants are the most obvious sources of great food in the neighborhood, but there are also a couple of decent Thai places, a great Mexican joint, and some very legitimate pizza. There are a number of places for those seeking libations, including a beer importer with a truly ludicrous selection on tap and in bottles.

Yes, the subway option sucks here, but having to ride the G is worth it for the rest of the neighborhood experience. On a nice day, it’s a very enjoyable walk to the Bedford L, anyway.

Ben Hughes

Little Poland and Williamsburg Jr.

I once told a female friend that living in Greenpoint is like living with an alcoholic boyfriend with a great sense of humor: He’s fun for a while, but sooner or later you’re going to get tired of him and move out. So, I did. However, after a couple short stints in Crown Heights and the Financial District, I found myself here again in totally unplanned fashion. The good news in this case is that the boyfriend has sobered up. Or maybe I did.

Greenpoint has a few transplant-created restaurant gems, often spilling over with yuppies and artsy hipster types, and there are a few hits among the Polish eateries, pizza joints, and cheap Mexican spots up and down Manhattan Avenue. There are also the standard slew of watering holes for the young and hip as well as the old school “native” Brooklynites. Greenpoint, like neighboring Williamsburg, is a great place to drink. For certain, there are plenty of drinkers here. The possibilities are endless, whether you’re looking for an “urban-rustic” cocktail spot or a dark and dingy pub.

McGolrick Park in the still-predominantly Polish section of the neighborhood is a gorgeous greenspace with an stately and slightly unusual concrete and stone pavilion at its center. You’ll find bird feeders sitting on benches, older folks chatting, screaming children, skateboarders, and lots of young folks hanging in the dog parks. This is probably my favorite place in the nabe.

Compared to a lot of New York neighborhoods, Greenpoint is relatively affordable. Rent and food are both cheaper than in Williamsburg, and once you get to know the guy at the local bodega, you don’t always have to pay what the strangers pay. Sometimes, if you bring the cashier an espresso, he’ll make you a sandwich for free. I suppose this could be said for much of Brooklyn, which ads to much of the appeal. New York is interesting in this respect, where folks often seem to be operating on “the buddy system” when it comes to commerce and exchange. This was something totally foreign to me until I came to New York, where it seemed every other city in which I had lived, from Los Angeles to Boston to Phoenix, business proprietors counted your change to the penny. It’s strange at first, but you eventually you get used to it.

The major drawback is the lack of convenient and/or consistent public transportation. A lot of folks just take the extra time to walk to the L train. The G train is aptly titled “The Ghost Train” by some. Don’t even try to wait for one after midnight. It won’t come. It’s the only train not connected to Manhattan, and you’ll begin to further understand where the city’s budget priorities are. The buses in the neighborhood only show up half the time as well, and that’s generous. If you move here, get a bike. Or better yet, a car. Maybe an odd suggestion to New York residents, but you’ll marvel at how your perception of the neighborhood changes.

Give Greenpoint a go. I’ve spent a lot of the past 3 and a half years here, and now that I’m back, its starting to feel like home again.

Justin N.

Greenpoint

I moved to Greenpoint after living in South Williamsburg. Greenpoint has the trendy, hipster feel of Williamsburg, but it is more downplayed and relaxed. After the obligatory hajj to Williamsburg, every hipster faces the critical decision of where to go next. Many head further and further east out of some sort of sick and depraved sense of manifest destiny, ignoring how intolerable they are making each new neighborhood. These are the true believers; they will live the lifestyle to its fullest until their parents stop paying rent. Hipsters who grow weary of the extreme posturing but still love their skinny jeans can go north to Greenpoint. Once they cross McCarren Park and encounter hordes of old men who have lived there for decades, something changes and life starts to revolve around brunch and pierogies. I recommend Greenpoint.

In all seriousness, this neighborhood is wonderful. It’s quiet, green, and full of wonderful restaurants. In the summer, there is nothing better than scoring some blintzes and going on a walk to the Williamsburg waterfront or to Newtown Creek. The neighborhood is still very Polish and you will hear a lot of it as you walk around. When shopping in the bakeries or meat markets, you might find yourself as the only person speaking English, but the bread or kielbasa is truly fantastic.

The Polish restaurants are the most obvious sources of great food in the neighborhood, but there are also a couple of decent Thai places, a great Mexican joint, and some very legitimate pizza. There are a number of places for those seeking libations, including a beer importer with a truly ludicrous selection on tap and in bottles.

Yes, the subway option is frustrating here, but having to ride the G is worth it for the rest of the neighborhood experience. On a nice day, it’s a very enjoyable walk to the Bedford L, anyway.

jd

I moved to Brooklyn with every intention of trying to live here, and feel very lucky that I am able to do so. As a young designer fresh out of school, I was naturally looking toward Bed-Stuy and Bushwick/Ridgewood (where I had lived previously) to save money. For a one-bedroom or studio you will pay a bit more in Greenpoint, but it’s very worth it. In Bushwick you can either live in the art commune near the Morgan stop on the L (“Morgantown”) or in a real neighborhood with character near Dekalb. I like warehouse galleries and Mexican food as much as the next person, but they both get to be a little much. Greenpoint really offers the best of both worlds. It’s somewhat industrial, with enough cheap space around for studios, galleries, interesting art spaces, but also an authentic Polish neighborhood, with all of the cheap and delicious culinary benefits that affords — and good Mexican to boot.

The Polish in the area seem to be generally older. Although there are some families, especially in and around McGolrick park, it seems to be less than in Bushwick, which is nice if you’re not into screaming kids. Manhattan Ave. and Franklin have a lot of activity in the evening, but if you live on any other block it’s dead quiet at night — so it’s perfect whether you want to go out or stay in.

Food is a very big deal to me and Greenpoint has really great variety. Sushi, sandwiches, Polish, tacos, kebabs/falafel, bakeries, pizza, Thai. Fantastic coffee everywhere. Good bars. Even some fancier steakhouses. There’s a farmer’s market in McCarren Park.

Subway proximity is definitely the biggest drawback to living here, but it doesn’t affect me personally much because I work in Williamsburg. Walking across McCarren Park beats any subway commute no matter how close you are, so for me it’s a no-brainer. But even if I worked in Manhattan I think I would still live here. I’ve rarely taken the G — if you’re closer to Nassau you might as well walk to the Bedford L, which I don’t mind much. There’s a bus that goes straight up Manhattan Ave. too if you live way up there.

All in all, highly recommended. Someday if I can ever afford to live in Brooklyn Heightsor Fort Greene maybe I’ll move, but otherwise I can’t see myself wanting to leave any time soon.Zak G.

JA nie mówię język polsk

Once upon a time I lived in Vegetarian heaven, but my stay was short lived. Attracted by cheaper rents, I moved to Greenpoint like so many former Williamsburg dwellers do. While I enjoy a good potato pancake and cheese pierogi, I do miss the splendors of Vegetarian hotspots on every corner. If you love sausage and fish heads though, there is no shortage of these commodities in all grocery stores! Oh, and you might want to pick up a few polish one liners. I find that people approach me in Polish first and English second.

It’s also a far trek to the subway, but it’s keeping my waistline in check. All in all, if you don’t mind walking this is a wonderful place to live. Laundromats are on every corner so your clothes will always be clean. Well, and if they aren’t, you just have no excuse. I would have to say the best thing that’s happened to me in 2010 is Vinny’s Pizzeria opening up a second location across the street. If you haven’t eaten at Vinny’s, you haven’t lived.

Katie H.

the little village with everything (i.e. pirogies, beer, cute architecture)

Greenpoint’s my new favorite neighborhood in NYC. Besides Greenpoint’s well-deserved reputation for crazy delicious Polish Food and its “I grew out of billyburg and moved here” rep, Greenpoint offers a general sense of small town charm that’s really hard to find in nyc, even in Brooklyn. While neighborhoods like Clinton Hill/Fort Greene/Bedstuy (these are my home turf) and cobble hill/carrol gardens/boerum hill all blend together, Greenpoint feels a lot more autonomous and isolated—in the best of ways.

Step over the borderline from Williamsburg and all of a sudden, the air feels a bit cleaner, the noise level goes down, coffee shops and book stores stop looking overly hip and start feeling genuine (ex: book stores that stock amazing poets, affordable coffee shops that still taste good, bars that may actually ask you to stop being so damn rowdy).

There are also some really beautiful quiet side streets here—lined with row homes, each in different colors, each one’s done something unique in their little front yard space. It’s quaint and low key enough that you start to feel like you’re not in the city.

What's awesome

cheap polish food, authentic small town vibe, a wide variety of residents (different ages, different backgrounds), a low key atmosphere w/ enough nightlife and cool restaurants to still keep any sane hipster happy, cool industrial waterfront space, quite safe

What's not so awesome

Greenpoint’s a bit more expensive than Bedstuy. Also, depending on where you live, the G train may be your main public transit option—this isn’t much of a problem during the day, but late night service can get pretty slow.

Katie P.

Not just the Polish

This area is AMAZING. If you don’t feel like paying Williamsburg ridiculous prices, def check out this area. It’s walking distance from Williamsburg, right near the pier so you can take the ferry and SUPER close to the midtown (if you work in the city).

The G is NOT the worst train in the city. I vote for the L train honestly.

The apartments are pretty kickass and they are really affordable and the buildings are clean. The neighborhood is definitely a mixture of hipsters, professionals and Polish people but it makes for an interesting time.

What's awesome

The location

Pamela K.

Greenpoint

Greenpoint is a fun quirky neighborhood in Brooklyn that has changed yet remained true to it’s roots.
Greenpoint, after a long history as a working-class neighborhood, Greenpoint began to see some of the effects of gentrification by the 1980’s. The New York Times noted extraordinary rent increases and displacement as early as 1986, mirroring the pattern of residential conversions of industrial buildings seen in nearby Williamsburg, as well as the similar formation of a smaller art community. Unlike Williamsburg it still maintains some of it’s original flavor perhaps that is due to the lack of public transportation.
Years ago when it was pretty desolate in the 1980’s Times Square Church did outreaches to the children in the area and I took part in that. I notice that where the church did outreaches back in the late 80’s all of those areas are now experiencing renovation and new life.The church is no longer focused on reaching the city which is to bad it could use some help in certain areas. The park and area has changed since then but the park has changed the most. It may also be due to the fact that people from near by Williamsburg spend time here too. There is a city rezoning plan approved of in 2005 of Greenpoint and Williamsburg which was modified in 2006 but met with some objections.
There is a Farmer’s market there now. http://www.yelp.com/bi…
There is a pool there. It closed in 1984 and reopened in 2006. http://www.mccarrenpar… There are pool parties and concerts in the summer. However the pool parties are pool less. It draws a lot of people to the area from near by Williamsburg.They have movies in the park in the summer. http://offmanhattan.co… They also have concerts and events at the pool site. It is being renovated to be a real pool again. http://www.nycgovparks…
Here are pictures of what it was like before. http://www.forgotten-n…
There are rumors of the pool being haunted maybe that is the hold up. http://www.brooklynveg…
It’s planned finish date is now 2012.
Greenpoint has some important architectural land marks too many to mention so I am including links. http://www.nyc-archite…
Here is a site with some fascinating history facts about Greenpoint. http://www.greenpunkt….
Some residents of Greenpoint are making an effort to be green. http://www.greenpoints…
It has been said that Brooklyn’s local accent comes from Greenpoint. http://brooklyn.about….
Of most interest to me personally is the food scene in Greenpoint. http://greenpointfoodm…/
http://www.zerve.com/F…
http://www.yelp.com/bi…
http://www.nytimes.com…
http://newyork.serious…
There is a food crawl in Greenpoint on Thursday which I think is genius because it isn’t the usual dumpling crawl. http://www.facebook.co…
The only pictures I have are of restaurants so I looked on the internet to find pictures of the park and neighborhood.
All pictures are from http://clubzone.com.
Greenpoint has arrived as some hill billies we met spend their weekends in Greenpoint driving in from Long Island so they can feel like they are slumming with the city folks as they head back to their suburban fortresses detached from the real world.
Greenpoint is largely Polish but there are also Hispanics and the neighborhood becomes more mixed as time goes by.
If I were going to live in Brooklyn again I would check out Greenpoint because it has a great mix of old and new of everything from housing to restaurants to the residents themselves.
Unlike near by Williamsburg anyone will be made to feel welcome here. It is an up and coming neighborhood and if you are looking for an affordable place to live in Brooklyn I woudl look here before prices reach sky high once it booms and it will. You heard it here first.

Pinky P.

Greenpoint – not williamsburg's little brother anymore

Tucked between hipster heaven williamsburg, and uptight LIC, its basically a perfect mixture of both. The real estate prices are more affordable than those areas as well.

The nightlife gets better every month. A new bar here, a new restaurant there, its certainly one of those neighborhoods, where 10 years from now, you would have wished you grabbed a piece of real estate. ABSOLUTELY!

David Kazemi

East River flows by

Walking out of the Brownstone on a beautiful sunny, but cool day, I look to my right and see the glorious old river. This is the first of the sights and smells that make Greenpoint unique. Just a few meters up, one encounters a cornucopia of quaint Polish delis and restaurants. The aromas of fresh bread, kielbasa and cabbage permeate the otherwise pristine atmosphere, but one becomes accustomed to the ambiance quickly. This is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in NYNY and I enjoy experiencing the people and life there every time I visit.

Don

Why would you ever live there? If I can’t get into Manhattan without changing trains, I want nothing to do with it.Ricky C.

Greenpoint is the best place for Polish well, Polish anything in NYC. It’s still pretty heavy in the Polish population, but if you’re looking for the best pierogies in the whole city, this is the place to be.Patty K.

I haven’t spent much time in Greenpoint before 8pm, so I’m not sure what it would be like to live there and be around during the day, but there’s a great nightlife for young people. It’s overpopulated by hipsters, but there does seem to be a very vibrant community.Danny L.

,It’s perfect! A little out of the way, but I don’t mind taking the G to the L in order to get into Manhattan since all my friends live around here or in Williamsburg. There’s tons of great bars, and my rent isn’t too bad compared to what some people are paying in Billyburg. It’s still pretty steep, but hey, I’ve seen worse. Plus, lots of wide, industrial-style streets make for easy bike riding!Jilly K.