Greenpoint

Brooklyn’s northernmost hood has strong Polish and Italian communities, despite the influx of young hipsters priced out of the East Village. Row houses are converted to studio spaces for photographers, artisans, and designers. Up on a rooftop, farmers harvest produce to sell to local restaurants. Yup, even the charm is homegrown.

EXPLORE ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD:

Peter Pan Donuts & Pastry Shop

727 Manhattan Ave 718-389-3676

A venerable Greenpoint institution, the retro Polish bakery churns out delightfully hot, spongey doughnuts all the live-long day. Old-fashioned rings, French crullers, glazed beauties, and other fried dough delectables send hearts aflutter. Better take a seat at the S-shaped counter, where adorable waitresses in matching dresses serve breakfast sandwiches and pastries.

Le Grenier

19 Greenpoint Ave 718-569-0111

Antiques and salvaged curiosities from the Machine Age are polished, styled, and sold to Greenpointers with an eye for old-school design.

Photo: Courtesy of Le Grenier

Five Leaves

18 Bedford Ave 718-383-5345

Greenpoint cafe gets a high five for its quaint and casual atmosphere. Bonus points for the Greenmarket cuisine (roast organic chicken with potato gratin, beetroot ravioli with sage burnt butter sauce, lamb shepherd’s pie). Early birds can get Ceci Cela pastries for breakfast and sandwiches at lunchtime.

Photo: Will Femia / Courtesy of Five Leaves

The Gutter

200 N 14th St 718-387-3585

My, how divey this place is! The better to keep things raucous, my dear. Seventies-era basement furniture outfits a few wooden lanes where hipster pals share pitchers and try to keep cool while launching bowling balls deep into the night.

Photo: Jon Miller / Courtesy of The Gutter