Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• A post-stroll cool down can be found at the
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
(
718/246-3963;
www.brooklynicecreamfactory.com
) on the Fulton Ferry Landing Pier. The ice cream is made in Brooklyn in
small batches, and it's as pleasurable as the views ($4 for a cup or cone). If the line outside the shop's historic
fireboat house is daunting, you can usually find a Blue Marble ice cream vendor just to the south, on Pier 1.
• A little further inland, chocolatier extraordinaire
Jacques Torres
(
718/875-9772;
www.mrchocolate.com
)
operates a factory at 66 Water St. Though the chocolates themselves could never be confused with dirt cheap,
once they take liquid form they become affordable. Order a hot chocolate and you're basically drinking a
candy bar. Opt for the “wicked” version, with its subtle hints of hot pepper, and enjoy extra warmth. This
rich treat is a relative steal at $3.25.
6
Mealtime
• Asian fusion fave
Rice
(
718/ 222-9880;
www.riceny.com
)
, at 81 Washington St., brings its exotic grains to
Brooklyn, from Thai black to Bhutanese red. Starches are accompanied by curries, salads, and satays. En-
trees run $9 to $12; brunch is served noon to 4pm on the weekends. There's a great side garden, should the
weather accommodate.
• Nearby
Pedro's
(
718/797-2851
) occupies a ramshackle basement at 73 Jay St. that feels taken straight from
a David Lynch flick. Dominican and Mexican standards are served, with a big plate of pork, rice, and beans
for only $9. Tables at street level allow for leisurely alfresco dining (with cheap margaritas).
Dim Sum Good Eats
The entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge is just behind City Hall, which is just behind Chinatown, which is the cheapest place
around to fuel up for a hearty walk. At dim sum brunches, carts full of dumplings, duck feet, and other delights are wheeled
around the big banquet halls of Chinatown restaurants (p. 49). It's easy to pack away a lot of food for no more than $10.
7
Vinegar Hill
If you're up for more exploring of the area, DUMBO is quick to traverse (91 buildings comprise the historic dis-
trict, representing NYC's best surviving cluster of industrial architecture, from antebellum brick counting houses
to early-20th-century factories). Walk up Front Street, keeping the water to your left. When you reach Gold Street,
peek through the yellow cement blocks on the corner at no. 98. The compound inside belongs to the
Dorje Ling
Buddhist Center
(
718/522-6523;
www.jonang.org
)
. When Front Street dead-ends, take a left and enter my fa-
vorite forgotten neighborhood in New York, Vinegar Hill. The well-preserved mid-19th-century buildings are
oddly juxtaposed with a field of electrical transformers. The neighborhood is only 4 square blocks. Taking a right
on Evans Street will bring you to a cul-de-sac, where you'll see an elegant white
house
behind a gate. Between
1806 and 1966 this is where the Navy Yard commandant hung his hat, while keeping watch over the outfitting
of ships to fight everything from Barbary pirates to Nazis. The residence is now in private hands. Another half a
mile of walking will bring you to more on the Navy Yard. If you walk up Navy Street and turn left onto Nassau
Street (it becomes Flushing Ave.), you'll pass what remains of the derelict Second Empire structures that made
up Admiral's Row. At Carlton Avenue you'll find the Navy Yard's fascinating free museum,
BLDG 92
(p. 89).
Special Events
• Thursday nights in July and August, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and then reward yourself with a free
flick. The
Brooklyn Bridge Park SyFy Movies With a View summer film series
projects just south of the
bridge at Pier 1. (See p. 258 in “Entertainment & Nightlife” for a full review.)
• One weekend in late September (Fri-Sun) you can get the entire DUMBO arts scene at once. During the
Dumbo Arts Festival
(
718/488-8588;
www.dumboartsfestival.com
), galleries and artists' studios open
their doors for some 150,000 gawkers. There's also live music, film, performance art, and installations adorn-
ing the streets.
