The Three Faces of Dumbo

The Times travel section tackled Dumbo this weekend, but it wasn’t a roundup of the chicest new eateries or best summer hangouts. Rather, they focused on the distinction between the three separate neighborhoods that span the space between the bridges and beyond&#8212touristy Fulton Ferry, where the water taxi drops off out-of-towners for ice cream and Bargemusic; hipster DUMBO with its fancy furniture shops; and what they called the “quietly decrepit charmer” of Vinegar Hill. They propose that the areas share the physical boundaries of bridges and river, but little else. True, some buildings in Vinegar Hill have hit upon hard times&#8212we’ve reported on condos going rental and other projects simply stalling in the area, but is Vinegar Hill really that much worse off than its sister sector of the neighborhood? Some might argue that the absence of $1,000-a-foot lofts is a good thing.
Sharing a River But Not Much Else [NY Times]
Rainbow Over Dumbo. Photo by GaryBurke