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Carroll Gardens | Cobble Hill | Boerum Hill
Carroll Gardens
Named for Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signatory of the Declaration of Independence, and the lush front gardens that line the neighborhood’s brownstones, Carroll Gardens was a well-kept secret until the 1980s. Traditionally an Italian neighborhood, many old-school vestiges, including some that have served the area for well over a half century, still remain. Court and Smith Streets are the backbone of the community, and now feature a mix of top-notch restaurants and bistros, handsome cocktail lounges and craft-beer bars, and boutiques selling the most current styles, to go along with original mom-and-pop bakeries and butcher shops. A recent influx of French expats makes the neighborhood’s annual Bastille Day festival and petanque (like lawn bowling but played on sand using heavy metal balls) tournament a high point each July.
Quick Bite:
Brooklyn Farmacy.
In 2010 Peter Freeman and his sister Gia opened Brooklyn Farmacy, a 1950s-style soda fountain, in a storefront that was a working pharmacy decades before. The sibling duo is serving up classic Brooklyn egg creams, sparkling sodas, and seasonal sundaes in a space that transports you back in time. The egg creams are made, of course, with Fox’s U-bet chocolate syrup, while the delectable sundaes require their own menu. Visit during the week (before the after-school rush), when you can score a seat at the counter and dive headfirst into the Mr. Potato Head sundae, featuring vanilla ice cream covered with potato chips, peanut butter, warm caramel, and whipped cream. | 513 Henry St.
,
Carroll Gardens
| 718/522–6260
|
www.brooklynfarmacyandsodafountain.com
| Reservations not accepted
| Station:
F, G to Carroll St.
Cobble Hill
Cobble Hill stands out for its 19th-century architecture, leafy and compact park, and more recently, for escalating real estate prices. Dutch residents called the area Cobleshill in reference to a Revolutionary War–era land mound, which was flattened by British soldiers to prevent strategic use by George Washington’s troops. These days, most of the 22-block neighborhood is landmarked as Brooklyn’s second-oldest district, a mix of brick town houses, brownstones, and Victorian schoolhouses, where only the Gothic Revival churches exceed a 50-foot height limit. Historically working-class, the neighborhood has adopted all the trappings of haute Brooklyn, especially along busy Court Street.
Boerum Hill
Understated elegance defines Boerum Hill, where redbrick town houses and brownstones line quiet, tree-lined thoroughfares from 4th Avenue to Smith Street and Schermerhorn to Baltic. The neighborhood saw an influx of immigrants in the late 1800s, with completion of the Brooklyn Bridge and the emergence of trolley cars, but fell into disrepair after World War II. Now fully gentrified, the setting is laden with beautiful cafés and plays host to Atlantic Antic, NYC’s largest street festival and unofficial fall kick-off, each September. Despite its air of sophistication, Boerum Hill presents moments of levity, namely artist Susan Gardner’s sparkly mosaic-covered brownstone at 108 Wyckoff Street.
Quick Bites:
Bien Cuit.
Locally ground flour, hand-mixed doughs, and European recipes are among this artisanal bakery and café’s secrets to success. Some regulars drop by to stock up on classic challah, French pain de mie
(a sweet bread good for sandwiches or to toast) and baguettes, and Italian Pugliese loaves, but others come for the pastries. It’s hard to choose among the cranberry danishes, fruit tarts, chocolate pecan tortes, or the flawless croissants, the latter served plain or with chocolate. Bien Cuit makes sandwiches and quiches, too. | 120 Smith St.
,
Boerum Hill
| 718/852–0200
|
biencuit.com
| No dinner
| Station:
F, G to Bergen St.
Quick Bites:
Two8Two Burger.
Burgers, beers, and fries. That’s what you’ll get at this low-key burger joint. Among stroller-toting parents and neighborhood regulars, you can sidle up to the bar (or grab a table in back) and sink your teeth into a burger patty that was ground that morning by local butcher Los Paisanos. The headliner is the two8two burger, topped with roasted poblano chilies, cheddar cheese, and two8two sauce (a combination of mayo, ketchup, and spices). The bar features a variety of craft beers on tap, including a couple of local selections, as well as the chipotle-habanero Bloody Mary—it’s as hot as it sounds. | 282 Atlantic Ave.
,
Boerum Hill
| 718/596–2282
|
www.two8twoburger.com
| Station:
F, G to Bergen St., A, C, G to Hoyt–Schemerhorn Sts.