Bedford Avenue: Manhattan Avenue to Broadway, Greenpoint & Williamsburg
Like many famous thoroughfares, Bedford Avenue and what it conjures in our cultural consciousness belies its more complex and unique history. While today we often think of hipster culture, small local boutiques and trendy restaurants, there’s a lot that went into transforming the avenue in Williamsburg into what it is today. The area around the L…
Like many famous thoroughfares, Bedford Avenue and what it conjures in our cultural consciousness belies its more complex and unique history. While today we often think of hipster culture, small local boutiques and trendy restaurants, there’s a lot that went into transforming the avenue in Williamsburg into what it is today. The area around the L train stop is the most well-trod, but Bedford Avenue is in fact Brooklyn’s longest street, stretching from Greenpoint all the way to Sheepshead Bay.
Looked at in its entirety, Bedford Avenue speaks to many aspects of Brooklyn’s history–a transformation from rural to urban in some areas, a bustling commercial corridor with architecture to match its future prospects in others. Today, we’ll be taking a look at the portion from Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint to Broadway in Williamsburg.
Greenpoint and McCarren Park
Bedford Avenue begins without much fanfare in Greenpoint, just off the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and Nassau Avenue. The businesses along the triangular block that is created from the junction reflects the shifting demographics of the neighborhood. Neighborhood establishments like a Polish restaurant, a locksmith and laundromat give way to Five Leaves, the popular corner establishment planned by Heath Ledger before his untimely death. On balmy days (even in winter) you can find Brooklynites sitting outside sipping a cocktail and taking in locally sourced, organic fare. But don’t miss the Film Noir Video Store just next door, a holdout of the disappearing neighborhood video rental spot. Owner Will Malitek says that Film Noir is “dedicated to classic and obscure music and movies” and when you chat with him in person, it’s clear he’s equally versed in both.
After Five Leaves, Bedford Avenue opens up onto McCarren Park. On the map, it looks like the street literally cuts through the park, but in actuality Bedford Avenue feels more like the edge of it due to the unfinished nature of the tennis court area, used in summers for Northside’s Summer Screen film series.
Ever wonder who McCarren was anyway? He was a New York State senator who came from a working class Irish background and learned his trade on the Williamsburg waterfront in its sugar refineries and barrel factories. Apart from McCarren Park’s athletic amenities, which include a running track, ball field and soccer field, look out for its two pieces of WPA-era architecture. First, the famous McCarren Park pool, which was used as a beloved concert venue until 2008 (before its rehabilitation and reopening in 2013). Then closer to Bedford Avenue is the building that houses the bathrooms and the Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA). Along the tennis courts, look out for the hanging “BROOKLYN LOVE” mural, an initiative by OSA.
Next page: North 12th to North 6th >
North 12th to North 6th (continued)
Catch a glimpse of the domed Russian Orthodox Cathedral across the park before heading to a polar opposite endeavor: Turkey’s Nest Tavern, a Williamsburg dive bar known for having Big Buck Hunter and offering styrofoam to-go cups for easy consumption in McCarren Park.
The stretch of Bedford Avenue from North 12th Street to North 9th features an eclectic mix of architecture styles that reflect an evolving Williamsburg. Along Bedford, wooden clapboard houses, many with vinyl siding, sit side-by-side with stately four floor brick walkups, reflecting Williamsburg’s past as a country town. Punctuated along the route is the occasional leftover manufacturing spot, bodega and barber shop that lend to a neighborhood feel. Along McCarren Park are new condominiums like 101 Bedford, built in a retro-brick Williamsburg style. Some my argue gentrification, but it’s still pretty quiet on this end.
Despite being so close to the North 7th Street subway exit, this stretch of Bedford up to North 12th still retains that homey Brooklyn feel with small, local shops. Many restaurants, like The Bedford and Allswell maintain a bucolic feel with small front gardens and outdoor seating space. The Gibson, Mug’s Alehouse and Softspot offer a range of bar options from dive to tavern to cocktail.
Between North 9th and North 10th is also where the Bedford-esque boutique stores begin. In God We Trust, with its coffered vintage ceiling, offers New England-inspired handmade accessories and apparel. Get a matching denim jacket for your pup in their line “In Dog We Trust.” Around the corner is Brooklyn Charm, a DIY jewelry shop with all the trinkets one could desire. A brick and mortar shop that grew out of a successful Etsy store, customers design their own one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. Next door at 167 N. 9th Street in the former J.G. Marshall Manufacturing Company building is Midoriya, the only Japanese grocery store in Brooklyn stocking staples like Pocky, organic soba, and red bean pastries in all its delicious forms. In the same building is also the relocated Earwax Records, an independent record shop selling mostly vinyls.
The intersection at North 8th has become a de facto street art hotspot, with murals gracing three corners. Right now, there’s a pop art revision on Marilyn Monroe by The Art of Chase (entitled “Geezer Monroe”), “Live, Work, Create” on the wall of Brooklyn Industries and a “Smart Fools” mural by Queens-based graffiti crew, Smart Crew. It’s an especially nice juxtaposition with the beautiful row of brick townhouses that take up the eastern side of the block.
Down the street on North 8th is the Brooklyn Winery where you can actually make your own wine! Lunch and dinner are also served here in the open air courtyard or inside amidst the meticulously chosen salvaged decor found by WRK Design.
Things get busier around the Bedford Avenue subway entrance. The brownstones transition to classic New York style apartments with exterior fire escapes. It’s a true commercial corridor with businesses teeming at every step. Don’t forget to look up too though, as many buildings have nice architectural detailing from the cornices to window treatments. One wooden house even has a bay window, reminiscent of San Francisco.
Ignore the influx of chain stores, but do check out the coffee-themed Groundswell mural outside Dunkin Donuts on the corner of North 7th and Bedford, created through a collaborative process with artists and local teens. If you’re looking for coffee shops, check out Toby’s Estate on North 6th or El Beit between North 8th and 9th. For brunch fare, egg and Juliette, both on North 5th are solid choices.
Next page: North 5th to Metropolitan >
North 5th to Metropolitan (continued)
This might be surprising but the mall at the corner of North 5th and Bedford is one of our favorite spots. It’s this little heterotopia that has a fun mix of shops, a chabad house on the second floor and even an internet cafe, the last of a dying breed. On the first floor, Awoke Vintage carries carefully curated vintage clothing. You could spend hours in Spoonbill and Sugartown Booksellers taking in the art, architecture and design books, which are its focus. There’s also the funky and appropriately named Hello Beautiful Salon where you can get your hair cut by a fashion “badass.” You can top it all off with cotton candy at Handsome Dan’s Snocone and Candy Stand.
Also on this block is the tiny, beautiful shop Catbird that’s been on Bedford for a decade specializing in jewelry and gifts. Amarcord Vintage boutique with Italian designer finds, and the Bedford Cheese Shop which wins for best storefront with its black cast iron columns and bay windows, round out this block.
Taking up three-fourths of the block between North 3rd and North 4th is the former factory that houses The Brooklyn Bagel. Today, the arched windows and chimney make the building a distinctive landmark on Bedford Avenue. The Robert James studio and boutique is in this building, with locally made clothing for men that blends a historic New York influence with edgier rocker style. Fun fact: One of the head freemasons in New York State once owned a baking business in the building during the 1890s. This block is going to get pretty busy though, with a Whole Foods planned and potential Apple Store.
At Metropolitan Avenue sits the Metropolitan Recreation Center, a former city bath house built by architect Henry Bacon who also designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Both projects were completed in 1922. Public baths were the city’s physical solution to the lack of indoor plumbing in underserved neighborhoods. In 1895, a state legislative act mandated the construction of free public baths in cities of 50,000 people or more. Today the recreation center houses a pool, which explains the scent of chlorine on the street, a fitness room and community space.
Next page: Grand Avenue to Broadway >
Grand Avenue to Broadway (continued)
Grand Avenue forms a dividing line on Bedford Avenue. Slower to gentrify, the area south of Grand has a wonderful mix of old neighborhood spots and new places amidst a heterogeneous population. Chinese takeouts and burrito joints sit side-by-side with hip restaurants and cafes. Yet, some of the “newer” looking places have been here for over a decade–true trailblazers.
Right around the corner of Bedford Avenue and Grand Avenue is JANE, the newest coffee shop addition to Williamsburg that sells motorcycles and espressos. Founder Adam Kallan says, “We wanted a place where people could hang out without feeling pressured to buy a bike…We like motorcycles…We like coffee.” You can also pick up biking gear, men’s grooming products and books.
Among the highlights along Bedford Avenue in this stretch include the unmarked Maison Premiere for absinthe and oysters between Grand and South 1st, Supercore, a Japanese cafe with a Brooklyn vibe between South 1st and 2nd Street, Videology, a bar that rents DVDs and holds screenings, and Pop Up 339, a small pop-up gallery run by Crosspoint, a branding and design firm. At the corner of South 3rd and Bedford is PT, which takes its name from the Italian slang for post office. The rustic Italian restaurant has a great back garden with seating, home grown tomatoes, and communal tables.
As Bedford crosses under the Williamsburg Bridge, there’s the building that once housed DIY music venue Dead Herring and a refrigerator company whose fridges on the sidewalk are a quirky, permanent fixture. The Williamsburg Music Center, a jazz venue and exhibition space around since 1981, bookends this section of Bedford Avenue.
Next page: Broadway >
Broadway (continued)
As Bedford reaches Broadway, the footprints of the former business thoroughfare are apparent in the grand buildings at the intersection. On one corner is the former Kings County Savings Bank built in the French Second Empire style, now home to the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center. It’s both a national and city landmark.
Across the way is the 1884 Smith, Gray & Co. building, a blue cast iron building of the likes seen in Soho. Just down the street is the domed Williamsburgh Savings Bank that’s currently being meticulously restored. For food nearby here, there’s Motorino Brooklyn by Mathieu Palombino for brick oven pizzas and Marlow & Daughters for an old fashioned butcher and grocery store.
Here is where our guide ends, but Bedford Avenue continues south cutting through Bed Stuy, Prospect Lefferts Garden, and finally to Sheepshead Bay. The best thing about Bedford Avenue–the density of fantastic places to take in–may also be a detractor for some due to the crowds. But the good thing is that each portion of the street has a different character. Bedford has a lot to offer beginning from the tree lined portions along the park in both Greenpoint and Williamsburg, to the bustle of North 7th and vicinity, down to the more up and coming section south of Grand Street. Hopefully this overview of Bedford Avenue has helped you see what it would be like to live, or at least hang out, eat and shop here. For a street so well-known and visited, it’s still surprising to find vacant lots, but this means change is still happening and more exciting things are on the way.
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