People who don't know Brooklyn tend to think of it as a middle and lower class suburb of Manhattan. Not anymore. Nowadays, that's no longer the image most New Yorkers have. Gentrification seems to have progressed mercilessly in this city of many neighborhoods, some poor, some rich and others solid middle class.
Park Slope is an all time favorite nest for the yuppies while a good concentration of hipsters are found in the gentrified areas of Brooklyn Heights, Red Hook, Fort Greene, Williamsburgh, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, and Prospect Heights. The primary lure are the gorgeous brownstones, outstanding restaurants, galleries, historic homes and churches along tree-lined streets and its proximity to Manhattan. It is culturally diverse and a gastronomic paradise. The downside of it is that living in South Brooklyn is no longer cheap!
First stop : Motorino's in Williamsburgh.
It's a Sunday morning and the game is on. Germany versus England.
Motorino's even has a World Cup menu special.
After watching Mike Colameco's feature of Motorino's as the best pizza place in town, I felt compelled to try it. I dragged Chong to this unknown spot in the neighborhood where we used to work. As we all know, pizza is a big deal in New York, so here we are on a mission. Forget about how you eat it, folded or with the use of knife and fork, there is as artisanal pie craze that's happening here and boy are we hungreeee!!!
Totally irresistible is the Prosciutto di Parma, puffy and crispy crust with generous amount of that salty ham. Mmmmm-good.
Margherita DOC with tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala and basil. The mozzarella made from buffalo milk is flown fresh weekly from Campania and the pizza cooked in wood-fired brick oven. Now that's respectable. Entire volumes could be written about pizza and this Motorino's signature dish could very well be in one of them.
It's a simple setting right on the Graham St. in Williamsburgh; the joint is a large high-ceilinged room with warm lighting over wooden floors and soft-hued marble. The air around is filled with the scent of the bubbling pizza. Five stars for Motorino's.
Next stop: Cobble Hill
Cobble Hill is a charming neighborhood filled with mouth-watering beautiful brownstones. Like the rest of Brooklyn, it is foodie-friendly and it boasts a local bookstore Bookcourt on Court Street - you wouldn't want to leave once you're inside and trapped in rows of shelves of neatly arranged wide selection of books.
Walk a few steps and grab lunch at a cafe or satisfy that sugar craving at Sweet Melissa's Patisserie.
Catch a movie at the nearby Cobble Hill Cinemas which shows a mix of first run, foreign and independent fare.
Or stroll with your kids or walk your puppy in this pet-friendly community...
Oh what a beautiful day, a perfect place to spend Sundays. I'm sold, I think I love Brooklyn. Who knows what you'll find in it, it is a culture all its own, it even has its own language. Fuggedaboudit, now I know I don't have to fly anywhere to find interesting places. It is right here, I just have to walk.
I'll see you at Red Hook next time.
