Burg

one. streetscapes, two. so many fresh flowers in New York, so little time, three. caramelised grapefruit at Egg, four and five. the ferns and accessories at Beautiful Dreamers, an incredibly lovely store which is like a treasure trove, in one corner there'll be a beautiful house plant, in another an amazing Bodkin tweed coat, six. delicious sandwiches at Bakeri, seven. a wall of antique fabrics at vintage store 10 ft. Single by Stella Dallas, eight, nine and ten. Diner is one of my most favourite places in all of New York, it really does tick all the boxes - good service, delicious food and fantastic atmosphere. I loved how the waitress wrote the specials down on our butchers paper tablecloth. And the fruits of her labour? That delicious Apple scone with rose petal jam and clotted cream you can see there. And yes, it was every bit as good as it looks. In fact, it was better, eleven. red building, twelve. antique market boxes, thirteen. Mast Brothers, where else? fourteen. Fresh fruit and vegetables outside Marlow and Daughters. All photos by me.

Williamsburg is an interesting place for me – even though I’ve always stayed and lived in Brooklyn, until my last trip I had never really had much to do with the area. I remember distinctly going to Roebling for the first time to meet Abby and feeling quite overwhelmed; I knew that with celebrity residents including – but not limited to – Alexa Chung and Peaches Geldof this was going to be a hipster hang-out. But my expectations were both exceeded and pleasantly underwhelmed. What I found was a haven of really, really good cafes and some fantastic vintage stores, perfect for losing hours on snow-drift mornings and windy afternoons. As well as quite a few tartan shirts and perfectly formed beards. 

This time I have to say I’ve really gotten to know Williamsburg even better. I had a slew of recommendations for places there – some I’d been to, some I had yet to experience – and a long list of must-visit destinations across the suburb. I was desperate to spend a bit of time exploring, as well as fulfill all the personal shopping orders I had received, quite a few of which were placed at Catbird, the notorious delicate jewellery mecca that I bang on about incessantly. I couldn’t have been happier losing myself in Spoonbill Booksellers or amidst ferns as green as anything at Beautiful Dreamers (who, the owner gleefully informed me after seeing my bag, are going to be stocking Benah scarves next season, wow!) after bracing brunches of caramelised grapefruit and hash browns at Egg, or Apple scones with clotted cream and rose petal jam at Diner. Long walks searching out Bird or a particular Bagel Store were made all the more worthwhile with the promise of tim tam slams at Toby’s Estate or the incredible drip coffee on offer at Bluebottle. Paired with a square or two of something dark and mysterious from Mast Brothers, of course! 

I’m not sure I could live in Williamsburg, at least not right where all the shops and cafes are around Bedford. On the weekends it was madness – not quite at the people traffic level of Soho but bloody well nearing it, considering how “off-the-beaten-track” it is. Lines at Bluebottle went out the door, and on Sunday for brunch Egg had a waiting list two pages long. I think I’d have to take Siri’s advice and live just out of Williamsburg, where you can benefit from all the location and none of the crowds. I always like to be just that extra step removed from the action. Close enough to walk home, but far enough that the walk seems “bracing”. That’s what my place in Paddington is like, and that what all my favourite home bases in other cities are like (our apartment in Paris last summer was the perfect distance away from that main drag of the Marais so that at night we could leave the doors wide open and hear nothing but a distant car and the movement of air). That’s why I love the part of Brooklyn that my friend lives in so much, too. It’s so beautiful there and even though it’s just a mere 15 minutes or so outside of the city it feels so much more removed. It’s like a sigh of relief. Anyway, enough of that. Here are some of my favourite places in Williamsburg. Check out my previous list from the Upper East Side. Next to come – Soho. 

 Notes:

South Williamsburg

Marlow and Sons – 81 Broadway (between Wythe and Berry)

Diner – 85 Broadway (at the corner of Berry) 

Marlow and Daughters – 91 Broadway (between Berry and Bedford)

Dressler – 149 Broadway (Between Bedford and Driggs)

Roebling Tea Room – 143 Roebling St (between Hope and Metropolitan Ave) 

Beautiful Dreamers - 326 Wythe Ave (at corner of South 1st) 

Dumont Burger – 314 Bedford Ave (between South 1st and South 2nd St) 

 

North Williamsburg

Bird – 203 Grand St (between Bedford and Driggs) 

The Bagel Store - 247 Bedford Ave (at corner of North 3rd St)

Mast Brothers Chocolate – 105A North 3rd St (between Berry and Wythe) 

Bluebottle – 160 Berry Ave (between North 4th and North 5th)

Spoonbill Booksellers - 218 Bedford Ave (between North 4th and North 5th) 

Catbird – 219 Bedford Ave (between North 4th and North 5th)

Egg – 135 North 5th St (between Bedford and Berry) 

Toby’s Estate – 125 North 6th St (between Bedford and Berry)

10 ft. Single by Stella Dallas - 285 North 6th St (at corner of Metropolitan Ave)

Bakeri – 150 Wythe Ave (at corner of North 8th St)

Beacon's Closet - 88 North 11th St (between Wythe and Berry)

5 Leaves - 18 Bedford Ave (At corner of Nassau Ave)

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