We do seem to be living in a moment of Brooklyn triumphalism, so it’s to be expected there’s a backlash against Brooklyn’s hyped hip cachet. But what’s remarkable is that as overhyped and overmarketed as Brooklyn gets, it still manages to live up to its reputation—and often exceed it. Over the past twenty years, we’ve watched as Manhattan’s character has been steadily stripped away and strangled into a strip mall of American homogeneity. Meanwhile, Brooklyn keeps getting better.
Some local highlights:
- 100. Street art
- 95. Peter Pan Donuts
- 88. Singing Subaru Guy
- 87. The Prettiest Little Sewage Treatment Plant in Town
- 83. Saltie
- 81. Giglio Lift
- 79. Graham Avenue Meats & Deli
- 77. Brooklyn Kitchen & Meat Hook
- 74. Kent Avenue Bike Lane
- 69. The McKibben Dorms
- 68. Dressler
- 66. RUBULAD
- 61. Brooklyn Flea [1/2 point to Fort Greene]
- 60. Bowling
- 53. Smorgasburg
- 51. Pizza [Roberta’s and Motorino among others]
- 50. McCarren Park
- 49. Coffee Dominance
- 47. Agrarianism
- 46. City Reliquary
- 43. Franklin Street
- 42. Open Space Alliance
- 39. DIY Music Venues [Todd P and Glasslands, among others]
- 33. Third Ward
- 29. Old School Italian [no mention of Williamsburg/Greenpoint, tho]
- 28. Ferries
- 25. NAG [Hell yeah!]
- 23. Art
- 22. Spectacular views
- 17. Low-Budget Films, Homegrown Filmmakers, and the Festivals That Love Them
- 9. Brooklyn Beers
- 5. Small Presses, Literary Journals, & Art Mags