by Charles Siskin
posted January 5, 2008
When I announced to my traveling companion of four plus decades that I was going to visit Brooklyn on a recent trip to New York City, her immediate reply included references to both my safety and sanity.
So we left the safety and sanity of our digs on Manhattan’s toney East Side and, after several changes of subway trains, found ourselves crossing the East River and arriving at the first stop in Williamsburg.
For the better part of the last century Williamsburg had been home to an ultra Orthodox group of Hasidic Jews, but all that has changed as we noted when we stepped from our train at its first stop.
Out in the street the scene looked pretty much as it might have half a century ago - a bit seedy with rundown storefronts and a group of locals who looked less like the Upper East Side of Manhattan than extras from Goodwill.
For my companion this was not a promising start to our day’s exploration of what I had presented of Brooklyn as the newest enclave for hip young New Yorkers. However, I persevered and, in retrospect, had we not we would have missed a day of great discovery.
Indeed the universe does not end at the East River, but continues across the Williamsburg Bridge into an emerging scene of art galleries, chic new restaurants at reasonable prices and lots of young people who have rediscovered the excitement of living “la vida loca” in some place other than Manhattan.
Call it a Renaissance if you like or better yet a rediscovery of the sort of easy laid-back life I remember from the early ‘60s when I went to school and worked in Manhattan. While there are other areas of Brooklyn that have been on the radar for a while, including Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights, Williamsburg seems to be the neighborhood of the moment.
While perusing the Williamsburg Courier, free for the taking, I discovered more activities than one could possibly attend on any given day of the week. Take your choice of everything from an annual Williamsburg Jazz Festival in the fall to a walk in Prospect Park, where a world-renowned naturalist conducts tours of edible and medicinal wild plants.
In between there are numerous museums, a Book Festival that draws more than 10,000 people and bike racks along busy streets instead of parking spaces to accommodate and address the growing trend in affordable transportation for all those hipsters.
Our initial stop on our extemporaneous walking tour was the Ch’i Contemporary Fine Art Gallery at 293 Grand St., (718) 218-8939. Located on a still somewhat seedy street where glorious iron fretwork hides structures that were in desperate need of attention,
the gallery itself typified the type of restoration that is currently taking place in Brooklyn.
With sleek wood floors and starkly painted white walls that held minimalist works of art, there was an awesome display of beautiful glass sculptures by Oliver Doriss that reminded us of the well-known glass sculpture artist, Dale Chihuly. Mr. Chihuly, in fact, has one of Dorriss’ pieces in his collection, according to a brochure we read about the artist.
From the gallery we moved on to a more developed area where there was an abundance of restaurants, shops and bicycles which was extremely comforting to my companion, who disappeared for sometime into the shops only to resurface in time to enjoy a modestly-priced lunch at one of the outdoor cafes that dot Bedford Street.
Just strolling the area with nothing particular in mind was probably more fun than anything we might have planned. Many of the buildings still sported iron fire escapes that now double as narrow terraces where residents and their pals gather and many a Juliet waits for her Romeo to call out ‘hola’!
Since our return home we have read volumes about the transformation that is taking place daily in Brooklyn from green hotels to new apartment buildings to office buildings that are on the drawing board as the area becomes a very viable destination with each passing day. In fact, according to the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, there is over $9 billion spread over 57 projects in development.
As a footnote to our visit, I had to insist to my traveling companion that we had to return to Manhattan before the subway rush hour, but I promised we’d return and possibly stay for a couple of days and maybe even visit Coney Island.
Getting there: Lots of options leading to Brooklyn via subway. Don’t be afraid to ask at the change booth on entering the subway station. The personnel are friendly and helpful. After receiving instructions, however, my companion felt comfortable enough to reconfirm with someone waiting on the platform who promptly took us under their wing and led us to the wrong train instead. Moral of story: Like your mom said, “Don’t speak to strangers”!
Where to stay: There are numerous new hotel projects on the boards including a Cambria Suites Hotel, Sheraton and Hyatt Place, a new Holiday Inn Express and a Hotel Indigo all in various stages of development.
In the meantime, if you go, the following is a list of several hotels worth checking out:
Marriott Brooklyn Bridge 333 Adams Street (718) 246-7000
Near Borough Hall subway stop with new tower recently built and a 12,000-square-foot Health Club and lap pool
Hotel Le Bleu 370 4th Ave.
Small, 48-room, boutique hotel recently opened
Holiday Inn Express 625 Union St. in historic Park Slope
Moderately-priced chain hotel opened in August ‘06
What to do: What not to do would be easier. The options are numerous and varied.
What follows is just a miniscule list:
Prospect Park 450 Flatbush Ave. (718) 372-0275
There is a zoo, and Audubon center and a great place to people watch or catch an outdoor concert. The Brooklyn Museum of Art is also nearby.
New York Transit Museum
Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street (718) 694-1600
Recently reopened after extensive renovation it is a great experience for transportation and history buffs.
Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour Check it out online.
There are numerous ethnic areas of Brooklyn, but, if you are looking for an Italian option, try the Pizza Tour. However, if you want to go on your own here are two of the more famous Brooklyn institutions to visit:
L&B Spumoni Gardens 2725 86th St. (718) 449-1230
With spumoni in the name what could be bad about this 69-year-old institution?
Grimaldi’s 19 Old Fulton St. (718) 858-4300
Located under the Brooklyn Bridge, the setting alone is worth the visit.
(Charles Siskin is a former Chattanoogan now living in Florida with his wife, Diane "Cookie" Siskin. Charles can be reached at
cater1@mindspring.com)
View Photo: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Typical corner store now restored and home to upscale wine and cheese shop
Typical corner store now restored and home to upscale wine and cheese shop
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