Things to Do in Greenpoint Brooklyn: The Polish Side

Greenpoint is another of my favorite Brooklyn neighborhoods (after Coney Island, of course XP). It sits right on the East River, so you can get there on the NYC Ferry, and it's next door to the much-hyped Williamsburg.

Wandering its streets is a trip to Poland without ever leaving New York. Keep reading and you'll see why…

Brooklyn's Little Poland

There's a good reason people call Greenpoint Little Poland: according to Wikipedia, this neighborhood has the second largest concentration of Poles in the country after Chicago.

Walk down the main drag, Manhattan Avenue, and you'll hear people speaking Polish, shopping at Polish grocery stores, having lunch and dinner at Polish restaurants like Karczma (136 Greenpoint Ave), where the goulash and the pierogi hold their own against the originals.

You'll notice that even at the supermarket, the cashiers will automatically start speaking to you in Polish.

Once you get away from the main streets and head toward the East River, you'll see the neighborhood turn industrial. There are plenty of old factories and warehouses, surely future art galleries, studios, designer shops… A lot is still coming to Greenpoint.

What to do in Greenpoint

Greenpoint is just a few blocks from Williamsburg, the Brooklyn neighborhood where much of New York's indie and avant-garde scene has relocated.

In fact, more and more hipsters are settling in residential Greenpoint, which is quieter, more authentic and cheaper than Billyburg, but only a few blocks away from it.

That's why you'll spot the occasional cutting-edge shop around here, right next to old storefronts still run by their owners selling odds and ends.

You'll also come across a handful of nightspots with a distinctly Central European feel. It's fun to see Polish New York thrashers in leather jackets and skinny jeans lined up outside waiting to get in.

McCarren Park

The huge McCarren Park sits on the border between Greenpoint and Williamsburg (776 Lorimer St, Brooklyn).

In summer it hosts film festivals and music events. There's a ton of life here during those warm months.

WNYC Transmitter Park

WNYC Transmitter Park is another Brooklyn park on the banks of the East River. The park itself isn't all that different from others; what makes it worth the trip are the panoramic views of Manhattan and the summer events staged against that backdrop.

This is where the transmission antennas of public radio station WNYC operated between 1935 and 1990, hence the name.

Getting there is easy: just walk to the end of Greenpoint Avenue until you hit the river.

Pulaski Bridge

North of Greenpoint you can walk across to Long Island City in Queens via the Pulaski Bridge, a drawbridge over Newtown Creek, a tributary of the East River.

It's a busy bridge with a pedestrian walkway. It's noisy and the industrial surroundings aren't the prettiest, but it's always fun to connect the pieces of New York on foot and explore new corners.

Where to eat in Greenpoint

Greenpoint is a lot more than Polish food. Like everywhere in New York, there are people here from all over.

For instance, you can have a Thai feast at Boon Thai Restaurant (681 Manhattan Ave) for genuinely lower prices than Manhattan restaurants, served by its own friendly owners.

There are also pizzerias, delicious bakeries with muffins, cupcakes, donuts and bagels, plus the classic fast food chains you find everywhere in the United States.

Where to stay in Greenpoint

Greenpoint is still a residential neighborhood, so it doesn't have the hotel variety of its neighbor Williamsburg, but there are more and more places to stay, like the fabulous The William Vale and its rooftop with Manhattan views.

Among the new hotels that have landed in the neighborhood, The Box House stands out, set inside a former Greenpoint factory.

Another option is to check Airbnb, where you'll find rooms and garden apartments in pretty Greenpoint houses so you can stay like a local.

How to get to Greenpoint

It's worth knowing that Greenpoint doesn't have a subway line with a direct connection to Manhattan, so you'll have to transfer. That's not a problem during the day, but if you're the night owl type, keep in mind that after midnight the trains run less often.

Either way, the most fun way to get to Greenpoint is on the NYC Ferry, which has one of its stops in the neighborhood (East River Route, India Street/Greenpoint stop).

Address

Greenpoint is northeast of Williamsburg along the East River, the northernmost neighborhood in Brooklyn

How to get there

G subway. Greenpoint Avenue and Nassau Avenue stations

Map