New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [279]
Spuyten Duyvil.
Only the geekiest of beer geeks will recognize the names of the more than 100 imported microbrews available here. Fortunately for the rest of us, the friendly connoisseurs behind the bar are more than happy to offer detailed descriptions. | 359 Metropolitan Ave., near Havermeyer St. Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/963–4140 | www.spuytenduyvilnyc.com | Subway: L to Lorimer St.
SHOPPING IN WILLIAMSBURG
Though the boutiques on Bedford Avenue are best for people-watching, you’ll also find stores along Grand Street, and on many side streets, especially North 6th.
At the Realform Girdle Building (218 Bedford Ave., Williamsburg | 11211)—the closest thing Williamsburg has to a mall—pick up free newspapers and magazines that will help you get a read on the local scene. Attractions include a small café, a new/used record store, achingly hip boutiques, and an art bookstore.
The small size of the Bedford Cheese Shop (229 Bedford Ave., at N. 4th St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/599–7588 | www.bedfordcheeseshop.com) belies the fact that this is one of the city’s best cheese stores, packed with an encyclopedic assortment of artisan cheeses as well as small-producer cured meats, gourmet imported oils, chocolates, and other dry goods. Don’t miss the quirky and occasionally salacious descriptions of the cheeses (“looks like dirty scrimshaw but tastes like a peat-covered goat teat”).
One of the standout boutiques on Bedford, Catbird (219 Bedford Ave., near N. 5th St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/599–3457 | www.catbirdnyc.com), is a dollhouse-size shop whose shelves are filled with handmade jewelry, home accessories, and whimsical hats.
Brooklyn’s thriving home-design scene is often credited to Future Perfect (115 N. 6th St., at Berry St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/599–6278 | www.thefutureperfect.com), which has since opened a Manhattan branch.
Even if you’re not planning on shipping home a Bone Chair made entirely of cow ribs, you’ll have a great time browsing the playful and often ironic furnishings from better-known local Brooklyn designers and international exclusives. A&G Merch (111 N. 6th St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/388–1779 | www.aandgmerch.com) sells affordable home accessories that are both contemporary and stylish.
Local fashionistas and out-of-towners alike flock to Beacon’s Closet (88 N. 11th St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/486–0816 | www.beaconscloset.com) for its huge selection of used and vintage clothing and accessories where real deals can be scored if you devote some time to browsing.
Mandate of Heaven (158 Cook St., Williamsburg | 11206 | 718/366–2565 | mandateofheavenclothing.com) sells quirky, delicately reimagined pieces sourced from the ample vintage clothing stores of Williamsburg. You’ll find one-of-a-kind and handmade clothes, from jeans to capes.
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Where to Eat | Where to Stay | Nightlife
On Atlantic Avenue’s south side, the three adjacent neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill form a quiet residential area of leafy streets lined with 19th-century town houses.
The action swirls around Smith Street, a famed restaurant row augmented by fresh, fashionable boutiques, as well as Court Street’s restaurants, bookstores, and old-fashioned bakeries.
Nearby on Atlantic Avenue between Court and Clinton is a rapidly gentrifying Middle Eastern enclave, which includes the emporium Sahadi’s (187 Atlantic Ave. | 718/624–4550) great for purchasing a veritable bazaar of olives, baklava, and other treats. Get to this neighborhood by taking the F train to Bergen Street or Carroll Street.