Fashions come and go in New York, but one look that never loses currency in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is helmet head. Tousled hair isn't a goal, but a symptom of the preferred transportation of the young creatives who inhabit the borough's northernmost neighbourhood alongside a sizable Polish population – a concentration reportedly second in the U.S. only to Chicago.
Hearing “on your right,” the courtesy phrase for getouttatheway, is only slightly less common than catching the Polish greeting czesc. It's a funny pairing in Greenpoint, but it works: Vegetarians love borscht.
In the past few years, the number of new businesses has skyrocketed. Residents are buzzing about a forthcoming French bistro (a first), a “social club” (which means bar in hipster-speak) and their own piece of a planned 28-acre waterfront park and promenade, although that's still a year off. Save for buses, the G train – one of the subway's most irritatingly erratic lines – is the only direct route into the neighbourhood (hence so many enthusiastic cyclists). On a recent Saturday, a band of helmeted twentysomethings from all over the city careered around the neighbourhood on an urban field trip, making stops for authentic Polish food, local beer and old-fashioned doughnuts, which they inhaled alongside likeminded others, balancing old-school calories and exercise.
Greenpoint is bookended by two subway stops, Greenpoint Ave. and Nassau, and the blocks in between are rich with stylish boutiques, thrift shops, home-style and fine dining and the best people-watching. Helmets are optional.
Hidden treasures
The name Junk is misleading, especially since the price tags at this thrift shop aren't rock bottom. But that won't keep you from enjoying the weird and wonderful collection of curios, such as large dioramas made by children at a defunct suburban museum. In the right setting, these hodgepodge sculptures of parrots or horseshoe crabs and poster paint might just pass for outside art. 214 Franklin St., 718-383-3751
Green eggs and ham (and challah)
Unlike the surrounding boutiques, Brooklyn Label gets an early start, serving weekend brunch from 9 a.m. The menu brags that everything here is made from scratch, and that includes the tasty red and green hot sauce – find something, anything, to douse it on. It's unnecessary, though, atop Green Eggs 'N' Ham, a hearty dish of eggs and challah toast topped with baby spinach, arugula pesto and a slab of ham (or not). 180 Franklin St., 718-389-2806, brooklynlabel.com
Run by beer importer Ed Raven, Brouwerij Lane serves American craft and KBBK, a locally made kombucha – a fermented-tea elixir favoured by health nuts.
Strange brews
Ed Raven, a long-time importer of German beer, recently opened Brouwerij Lane, where you can buy growlers (64-ounce jugs) of any of 20 beers, including American craft brews, local beers and KBBK, a locally made kombucha – the fermented-tea elixir favoured by health nuts. The former auto body shop is heated by a vintage wood stove; neighbours and visitors hang out while sipping $2 half-pint samples straight from the tap. 78 Greenpoint Ave.; 347-529-6133; brouwerijlane.com
Good looks, great prices
Regulars at Dalaga are loath to share the secret of this jewel: cute women's clothes at prices that leave stylish New Yorkers slack-jawed. The husband-and-wife owners met at college, where he studied film and she fashion; hence the adorable vintage-boudoir vibe. Most of the clothing suits a day-to-night look, but one terrific number, a marabou-feather cocktail dress, was worth sole evening wear for $99. No time to browse? Dalaga's website ships to Canada. 150 Franklin St.; 718-389-4049; dalaganyc.com
