I spent the weekend in Manhattan’s bigger, grittier and (arguably) more chic sister – Brooklyn.
The trip was a veritable plethora of all things ‘Brookers’ – exploring the theatre, culture, art and fashion of New York’s coolest borough. With the Manhattan skyline of the Empire State and Chrysler building ever present though, you couldn’t mistake you were still part of the raw and all-consuming energy of New York City.
The Wythe
First things first, no three-day city break is complete without a chic-as-hell hotel. This came in the form of the Wythe Hotel, located in Williamsburg and perfectly located for anyone wanting to explore the borough with easy access to the City (a mere 10 minute and $15 cab ride into lower Manhattan).
We were lucky enough to have the second best rooms in the hotel – the Manhattan Sky View room. The view was utterly breath-taking and a joy to wake up to/fall asleep to, both day and night (apologies for instagram quality pics!)
The room also has fantastic bespoke wallpaper on one wall that I wanted to bundle up and take back to Notting Hill:
One thing I could bundle up and take home though was the lovely welcoming present that was left in the room – a carry home Wythe branded canvas bag. Ideal for the summer holidays I’m currently planning!
Along with the impressive rooms, the hotel is also home to a restaurant called Reynards. The feel is almost old-school Paris with a menu that rivals any breakfast spot in one of London’s chicest hotels. The apple mint and yoghurt breakfast is highly recommended, along with the sourdough and square sausages with a pot of bottomless coffee as big as your head.
The pièce de résistance of the hotel for many is the Ides Bar – located on the 6th floor of the hotel and complete with the aforementioned views. The bar is busy on the weekends [so arrive early] and stays open late with DJ’s playing into the night. The Salty Dog cocktail is a must for all you cocktail guzzling fans.
A night in Bushwick
Called ‘the coolest place on Earth’ by the New York Times, Bushwick is Williamsburg’s sister neighbourhood. Still relatively cheap rents, Bushwick is a hub for artists of all kinds. From the art galleries of Bogart Street to the boutiques at Shops At The Loom, it’s a gritty mecca for all culture vultures. We were lucky enough to be given a private tour of one of the venues in the area – the Bushwick Starr Theatre. This little performance space is located on Starr Street behind a non-descript door and inside a working apartment block.
The show we were given a viewing of was the upcoming The House of Von Macrame and described as a ‘horror pop fashion show musical’, we didn’t know WHAT to expect. After having a lovely chat with director Nick Leavens and playwight Joshua Conkel, we learnt that the show was inspired by the stylish European B-roll horror movies of the 60s and 70s. After witnessing an hour or so of the tech dress rehearsal, I was left with the resounding feeling that this show was kitsch, fabulous, original and perfectly stylised fun with genuinely great songs that were stuck in our heads for the entire trip. The show is open officially from Tuesday 22 January – details here: http://www.thebushwickstarr.org.
Following our theatrical preview, we decided it was time for food and wine somewhere warm – after bracing the warehouse lined streets in -2 degrees, we were ready for meat. Our restaurant of choice was recommended by the theatre’s founder, Sue Kessler, who was also our dinner guest. Northeast Kingdom is a local favourite and after knocking back some lovely house red and scoffing our hearts out on crispy confit duck and lentils, it’s easy to see why.
Cocktails then followed at Pearls Social and Billy Club – head here if you like cosy, low lit bars serving excellently strong cocktails. The Lavendar Vespa is a must if you like your drinks STRONG.
A potter around Williamsburg
Bedford Avenue is the hub of Williamsburg, lined with vintage independent clothes shops and record stores, book shops and coffee bars. i.e Heaven.
See below for a snapshot of the delights on Bedford – there are many other gems of stores to find if you wander in this general vicinity, as Bedford Avenue runs through the N1st – N12th streets:
New favourite book shop is Spoonbill and Sugartown; really interesting curated selections of books ranging from cookery, design, classic literature and local New York pics of the latest fiction and biographies:
(My personal favourite find – a book of Fitzgerald’s essays towards the end of his life as he battled his depression; a review coming once finished)
For all you fashion lovers out there, head to the inadequately named Beacon’s Closet (handily for us, RIGHT opposite the hotel). This vintage fashion store is more an emporium than a closet – a huge space inside filled to the brim with vintage treasures and handily organised in category and colour co-ordinated. Whether it’s clothes, shoes, bags, ties, scarfs, homeware or knick knacks you’re after – this place will suit your needs. Our finds on the trip included a Christian Dior tie and Donna Karen top for under $30 and a green Prada dress for $40. GO GO GO:
Pizza Perfect
So for this Little Miss, New York is synonymous with pizza. Whether it’s a classic ‘slice’ off the street or a gourmet one, my pilgrimage for the perfect pizza took me to the deepest darkest edge of Bushwick on the second night to Roberta’s. Recommended by friends and internet reviewers alike, this place had to be tried.
Entering through a non-official looking door with an almost missable sign across the door, you pull back the curtain to enter the wonderful world of Roberta’s. The smell alone is enough to literally make your mouth water. On a usual night, there are apparently queues of 2 hours to get a table in here but turning up at 6.30pm on a friday night in bitterly cold January, we were seated straight away.
I may be biased to this place because of the AMAZING names of the pizzas on the menu (see below) but they really are as good as they say. A bottle of prosecco later, we were tucking in the squid starter and then served with the mains. The perfect base and a variety of interesting topics mean they can cater for the fussy and the foodie – 8.5/10 food wise.
Following on from Roberta’s, we headed to local dive bar Bushwick Country Club for one of the notorious ‘Pickle Backs’. This drink is a local institution. A shot of whiskey, followed by a shot of pickle brine, chased with some beer – ummmmm, well, when in Rome as they say! The Brooklyn Bowl was where we ended the evening, a gig venue-come-bowling alley-come dance floor with DJ’s; a great night out.
Treasure hunting at the Brooklyn Flea
Our final day was spent visiting the Brooklyn Flea Market. In the winter months, through until March, this is housed in the old Williamsburg Bank in Fort Greene neighbourhood. The selection of finds on offer is vast, ranging from clothes, art, furniture, vintage gems, glasses, jewellery and much, MUCH more. Picks of the flea below:
(Amazing food stalls are located in the downstairs section of the flea, potentially hard to miss if you don’t see the signs. Everything from miso soups, homemade choccies, lobster rolls, burgers, donuts and even oysters!)
A long weekend in Brooklyn is a wonderful alternative to a weekend in Manhattan. There is a noticeably different vibe in the borough, overrun with beautiful young things it’s a place to enjoy, to revel in. The place is far quieter than the City itself and yet, you are still only a 1o minute cab ride away over the bridge if you need your Manhattan fix (or shops!).
Are there any places in Brooklyn you’ve visited and enjoyed?
LMNH xx
Sounds like a great trip – and a second career awaits in travel writing! xxx