WEEKEND IN

Brooklyn – The Other Borough

By Chantal Martineau

From ultrahip Williamsburg to bohemian Park Slope to quaint Carroll Gardens, is Brooklyn stealing the spotlight from Manhattan?

Now that the average cost of an apartment on the island is over $1-million, Manhattanites are flocking to Brooklyn in droves (even though some Brooklyn neighbourhoods are just as pricey). But they aren’t the only ones crossing bridges and tunnels to get to the brownstone-filled borough. Visitors to the city have heard the call of this grassier, laid-back and culturally diverse corner of New York.

applewood

It used to be that the only Brooklyn stops on the New York City tourist map were the bridge, the Botanic Garden and Coney Island. While these attractions are still highly recommended, the borough is also becoming known as an epicurean destination, especially for foodies who prefer their ingredients to be organic and locally grown. applewood in Park Slope is a warm mom-and-pop-owned restaurant that pays homage to the Slow Food movement. The menu lists the nearby farms that provide the restaurant’s largely organic produce. Its inventive small plates include braised duck leg bolognese, sautéed potato gnocchi and blue lump crab salad with crushed avocado and caramelized orange. It’s the perfect place for a dinner break from shopping on nearby 7th Avenue. From the Slope, it’s just a short walk (uphill) to Prospect Park. Designed in the spirit of Manhattan’s Central Park but with more of an intimate feel, this is where Brooklynites gather to play and picnic en masse.

Huckleberry

Even non-New Yorkers have heard the hype about Williamsburg. It became a hipster haven in the 1990s for its proximity to Manhattan’s Lower East Side and abundance of industrial spaces easily convertible to artist studios. Many of the artists have since moved out to cheaper digs, but a smattering of galleries still exists, such as LMAK Projects on North 6th Street. The neighbourhood still exudes cool, although its dive bars are beginning to give way to chic cocktail lounges. Huckleberry Bar, conceived by ex-Manhattan drink slingers, serves up seasonal cocktails by skilled mixologists and a selection of tasty small plates. Williamsburg is also home to the renowned Peter Luger steak house, a favourite of Sinatra’s that still turns out the best porterhouse this side of Buenos Aires.

If any part of Brooklyn is known for its culinary gems, it’s Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. Check out Brooklyn Social, a quintessentially New York bar and former Italian men’s club, for a pre-dinner cocktail. Then it’s just a few short blocks to Chestnut, where chef Daniel Eardley uses locally grown ingredients to turn out a Nouveau American menu of seasonal dishes, such as haystack shrimp with cilantro purée and buckwheat crêpes with homemade gravlax. Or you could head a couple of blocks in the other direction for masterfully tossed Brooklyn-style brick-oven thin-crust pizza at Caserta Vecchia. If you happen to be in the neighbourhood in the daytime, stop in at the Brooklyn Artisans Gallery on nearby Court Street for handmade jewellery and glassware.

Hotel Le Bleu

And what would a hot new destination be without its very own boutique hotel? Hotel Le Bleu is the first in a string of proposed sleek sleepers expected to hit the borough in the coming year. Located adjacent to Prospect Park, Le Bleu features ergonomic beds, in-room Wi-Fi and a brand-new bar spanning the top two floors.

(Chantal Martineau is a freelance writer who splits her time between New York and her native Montreal. She is a regular contributor to Imbibe and Best Life magazines.)

TOP PHOTO: ROY MCMAHON / CORBIS / JUPITER IMAGES
APPLEWOOD: MICHAEL HARLAN TURKELL
HUCKLEBERRY: BEN MISTAK