Ride Your City | Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

This neighborhood isn’t only the best in the borough (no bias of course) but it’s almost painfully bikeable. The northernmost hood in the county of kings, it has stunning views of the river and skyline, plenty of options to satisfy that thirst any hunger you work up, and plenty of wide open green space. named for being a seeming oasis of farmland that stuck out in the east river, this point of green, lush, farmland was soon sold and built upon and somehow attracted primarily polish immigrants, who settled in and opened up shop. a lot of them. now as the neighborhood is inevitably transitioning from primarily polish to primarily artists and musicians to mostly hipsters and now, god help us as the yuppies have started to sign leases and buy condos.

mccarren park. this meandering border between greenpoint and Williamsburg is like three parks in one. To the east, plenty of open grass for lounging and people watching, and three available baseball fields. beside that, tennis courts and basketball courts that also function as greenpoint’s outdoor cinema and outdoor concert venue. To the west, a full football field surrounded by a rubber track made for runners and ball catchers. Stop in. Post up, lay down. Thirsty? Pop into turkeys nest. This infamous wine bar sells to go margaritas in styrofoam cups the lids and straws that signs say are NOT to go. But that’s all they are for.

Along the greenpoint corner of the park is Spritzenhaus, a german-style beer garden with a distinctly brooklyn edge. go in and say hi to John. Get a marty robbins. Don’t ask questions, just get it.

Proceed down Guernsey st, greenpoint’s most photographed st. This tree canopy is best in summertime, but it’s gnarly limbs are also intriguing in winter.

Stop at greenpoint glass and snap a pic. This is the best way to react to polish people’s affinity for shine outside of the house… because i’m sure you will begin to realize, they love to chrome out there stoops.

Hop back on Guernsey and follow it until the street turns into Franklin St. Hang a right. Welcome to greenpoint’s much cooler and less touristy equivalent of Bedford Ave. stop in at….

Walk the west for unique vintage threads – 150 franklin st.

Shayz for the hood’s most flattering photo booth – 130 franklin st.

Broken land for a frozen drink that won’t suck – 105 franklin st.

Threes brewing for beers and live music – 113 franklin st.

Ramona for fancy cocktails, especially if this bike tour is with a lover. it’s romantic as fuck in there. – 113 franklin st. (yeah no idea why these addresses are the same. they are in fact different locales.)

Oak and iron for the best little bar in greenpoint – 147 franklin st.

Moonlight mile for bourbon and a free juke box. – 200 franklin st.

take a slight detour up dupont street ad pop in to eastern district on manhattan ave for meats and cheeses, then back down to franklin for wine and she wolf bakery bread at dandelion wine. head south down franklin and take a right on greenpoint ave and head down to the waterfront for one of the best picnic spots in transmitter park while enjoying one of the best views of the skyline that you can find.

take a left on west st and continue down to the end. pop in to achilles heel for a cocktail and some uninhibited neighborhood charm. Continue to the end of the road and hang in the northernmost point in Brooklyn. snap a pic of the chrysler building perfectly in its perfect little brick frame.

head back down manhattan ave and stop in le fanfare for a cocktail made by yours truly and the best burrata in brooklyn.