A day in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

If you are familiar with New York, you probably know that there is always a neighborhoods that is trending. For a long time, Soho was one of these neighborhoods and Williamsburg in Brooklyn, may still occupy this position in any way. But the truth is that there are now other neighborhoods that are trending. When I studied at FIT, teachers mentioned that Bushwick, Brooklyn, would be the next district in evidence. I believe that the region has everything to attract even more attention, with so many things going on there. But Greepoint, also in Brooklyn, is another region that is trending. On Sunday, I was there, exploring various places that I share with you on this post today.

Tucked into Brooklyn’s northwest corner — just above Williamsburg and south of Long Island City — the area has of late shed its sleepy image and emerged as a borough hot spot, with a lot of cool restaurants and coffee shops, besides the real state investment. The 2012 arrival of Lena Dunham and her HBO show “Girls,” which adopted Greenpoint for its setting, giving a boost to the hood’s pop cultural cache. With a quiet atmosphere – with charming streets and architecture – Greenpoint can be a great option for a day in New York – especially if you are looking for places off the touristic route.

Spritzenhaus33 – we started our day at Spritzenhaus33 a huge Beer Hall with over 100 varieties of craft beers, cocktails and wine list. The 6,000-square-foot beer hall features a wood-burning oven and a marble bar. The 6,000-square-foot beer hall features a wood-burning oven and a marble bar. Here, the idea is to enjoy a good beer (prices start at $ 6) and pinch some appetizers. The menu is focused on German cuisine – the highlight are the sausages, including vegan version, served like a hot dog, with bread and toppings. Each of these is $8 on average. There are also Belgian fries ($6), pretzel ($4) and salad ($ 11). The atmosphere is very lively.  Oh, and there is no ceremony: you get in, pick a table and make / take your order at the counter.

Address: 33 Nassau Ave. 

Cacao Market by MarieBelle – very close to Spritzenhaus33, you will find Cacao Market by MarieBelle, a space that chocolate lovers – like me – will love! Founded by Maribel Lieberman in 2000, it is a brand of handmade chocolates, whose factory is in Brooklyn. MarieBelle has a store in SoHo, which opened in 2001 and this address in Brooklyn is super new and was opened last year. In addition to various chocolates in beautiful packaging with vintage design, the place serves coffee, ice cream, hot chocolate and hot frozen chocolate, truffles … You can either buy something to take home or enjoy at the place, in the small room located in the back, super charming and reserved – with free WiFi. We tried some truffles and even being a hot day, we tried the hot chocolate, which is strong and creamy, delicious.

Address: 67 Guernsey St.

Ziolko Cosmetics – it is good to know that Greepoint is home to the second largest concentration of Polish immigrants in the United States, behind Chicago. We saw a lot of Polish restaurants and we also visited a supermarket with a lot of Polish products. The area is also full of Polish pharmacies, like Ziolko Cosmetics, where the highlight is the mix of different brands. There are European brands – some Polish – as Eveline, Bielenda, Soraya and Ziaja. Another thing that caught my attention was the presence of brands such as L’Oreal, Nivea and Garnier, but with items from Europe, totally different from those found here in the US. Nivea is a brand with little variety in New York stores and Ziolko has many items! I must also highlight the friendliness of customer service. Ah, Eveline is brand famous for cellulite creams – $ 9 each. It is worth highlighting another pharmacy, Markowa Apteka Pharmacy. Unfortunately it was closed, but the comments about it are great.

Address: 95 Nassau Av.

Brooklyn Groove – right near Ziolko is Brooklyn Groove. Olga Stefanska, the founder, has grown in Europe and when she moved to Brooklyn, she could not find organic cosmetic brands. Thus, the store’s proposal is to offer products with natural formulas, organic, non-toxic and cruelty-free. The store is  so cute and it offers a selection of products from famous brands and as well as other products from small brands not well known. 100% Pure, Bayberry Naturals, Brooklyn Beach, Vapour Organic Beauty, Weleda, Ren Clean Skincare and Priti Nyc are some of the brands available. There are items in all categories: makeup, skin care, hair, body beyond natural perfumes.

Address: 102 B Nassau Ave.

Transmitter Park – one of the Greenpoint highlights of is due to its location. Transmitter Park is on the banks of East River and the view of Manhattan is amazing. The park itself is not much fun – the area is small – but there is a platform on the river which offers a wonderful view of the Empire State, One World Trade Center and Chrysler Building, as well as all other buildings. It is worth taking some time to enjoy the view!

Address: Greenpoint Ave & West St Brooklyn.

The Brooklyn Barge – finally, a tip of a place to have a beer and enjoy the sunset. The Barge Brooklyn opened this year and is next to the Transmitter Park – that is, the same spectacular view, with food and drink. The place has tables with umbrellas and a very lively atmosphere. We didn’t stay there because the sun was hot and we did not get a table with shadow. Remember that The Brooklyn Barge should be open only until October – and reopens next year in the summer. In addition to beers and drinks, there is a menu with options such as sandwiches, fries and salads – you can check out all the options and prices here.

Address: 3 Milton St.

Did you like this post? We had a very good day in Greenpoint! You can check all the places above.