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Arts & Entertainment

100 Reasons Why Brooklyn Lives Up To The Hype

By

John Del Signore

Published Jun 28, 2011

Modified Jun 14, 2019

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Jake Dobkin100. Street Art: You can find art on streets citywide, but it flourishes in Brooklyn more than any other borough, as you can see here. 99. Bierkraft: At this Park Slope gourmet beer store you can choose from 1,000 beers, as well as 14 fresh beers and two casks on tap for growler fills or pints on the premises. There is also a wide array of artisan cheeses, chocolates, and charcuterie. 98. Book Court: This is the bookstore that writers work for even after they have been published. Cobble Hill's literary gem hosts readings from some of New York's most celebrated authors —but they include out-of-towners, too. Book Court's Cousin Corinne is the shop's biennial publication, featuring fiction, photos, and graphic art.97. Brooklyn 'Buch: With store-bought kombucha at $3.50-$4.50/bottle, it makes more sense to brew your own. Kombucha Brooklyn, based out of Red Hook, makes a fine, fresh probiotic beverage, and they want everyone to be in on the fermentation fun. Homebrew kits run for about $35, so you can have your very own mother in a jar in your apartment.96. Sahadi's: Since 1948, the Lebanese-owned Sahadi's has been an indispensable source for fine imported foods, nuts, dried fruits, and all sorts of delicacies that can't be found elsewhere on this stretch of Atlantic Avenue. Sahadi's hummus is arguably the best in the neighborhood, and up front there are open barrels of bulk grains and spices, an amazing array of olives, nuts, and dried fruits, coffee beans, and assorted spices. Much of the packaged fare is Middle Eastern, but there are plenty of other exotic foods on hand, plus a solid selection of cheeses. If you're on your way to a picnic in Brooklyn Bridge Park, or just on your way home to eat an entire tub of hummus in your underwear, Sahadi's is unbeatable. 95. Peter Pan Donuts: Fact: The old school Peter Pan Donuts at 727 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint still makes the tastiest (and cutest) donuts in all the land. That Peter Pan dominates the donut game is hardly a secret, especially since Tina Fey blabbed to the press about her favorite: the white-cream-filled powdered doughnut. In an interview, Fey revealed, "I really believe, when I first tried it, if I had a penis, I would put it in this doughnut. I finally understand what you guys are thinking about and what motivates you guys."94. Jeff Stark and Nonsense NYC: The borough's most prominent events chronicler, champion, and co-creator of the Brooklyn underground is Jeff Stark, who's been known to stage unauthorized site-specific theater performances in locations ranging from moving subway cars to secret abandoned warehouses out of town. The city's alt performance art party scene wouldn't be the same without him, and his weekly newsletter, Nonsense NYC, is pretty much all you need to guide you through the city's best under-the-radar events.93. The Mermaid Parade: This annual celebration of summer, the sea god Neptune, Coney Island, and topless mermaids has become one of the most colorful and creative events in town. All are welcome to drift down to the Boardwalk in whatever aquatic costumes seem appropriate, followed by a party on the ocean's edge that lasts as long as those starfish pasties stay attached. 92. Brooklyn Farmacy: Old-timey soda fountains have been all but eradicated from present-day New York, which is why the atavistic Brooklyn Farmacy is so darn special. Combining the style of an old soda fountain with the contemporary demand for fresh and wholesome ingredients, this Carroll Gardens destination is a perfect sparkling glass of nostalgia, from its mosaic tile floor to its pressed-tin ceiling. Sit down at the counter and order what is arguably the best egg cream in town (and there's nothing more fun to argue about than who does the best egg cream). 91. St. Ann's Warehouse: Possibly the city's greatest presenter of cutting-edge theater from around the world, St. Ann's Warehouse in DUMBO has been home to a large number of outstanding shows over the years. Most recently, the British import Brief Encounter transferred to Broadway, and on the other end of the spectrum, the arresting solo show The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church is guaranteed a spot in our top ten list this year. Unfortunately, with an injunction barring St. Ann's from relocating from its current capacious warehouse to a new space across the street in a turn-of-the-century tobacco warehouse, the theater faces homelessness.

 

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By

John Del Signore

Published Jun 28, 2011

Modified Jun 14, 2019

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At the kickoff to the Celebrate Brooklyn concert series in Prospect Park earlier this month, buffoonish Borough President Marty Markowitz took the stage to give a little speech recalling an out-of-town trip, bragging about the reactions he got when he told people about his home town: "When they heard I live in Brooklyn, they all said, 'Ooh, Brooklyn! I want to move there!'" To our pleasant surprise, the audience erupted into a welcoming cheer for the next wave of infamous "transplants."

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. Here are just 100 reasons why; click through on the photos for the full listicle.

Contributions by John Del Signore, Jamie Feldmar, Elyssa Goldberg, Bethany O'Grady, Melanie Jane Parker, Rachel Pincus, and Eva Saviano.

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John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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