Our city has been thankfully planned and developed with plenty of green space for us to enjoy, to lay in, to read in, and sometimes, if you’re lucky, to make love in. It’s the only gratification we get from spending approximately $0.20 per square foot per day on our cramped Brooklyn apartments.
These little urban oases are ours for the taking, and thus, for the dining-in-al-fresco.
And thus I’ve created for you this handy little picnic guide, so you never have to eat indoors again on a sunny day. Read on to find out where to find your provisions and where to lay your blanket in every part of the borough. Get going, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.
Required Supplies:
Bike
Blanket
Bota
Booze
Boo’s
Basket, or backpack, or plastic bag.
The Best Ways to Picnic, all over Brooklyn
How to Picnic in DUMBO
Brooklyn Bridge Park
This space is like a gift to the city and everyone within it. Stretching nearly half a mile of pure waterfront beauty, it extends from the base of the Manhattan Bridge all the way down through the piers… which, by the way, there’s a hidden pop-up pool right before you get to the piers that you can pop into in the summer months. Let yourself get lost within its many mini-forests or post up right at one of the waterfront tables. This is your borough, this is your park, this will be your picnic. Make it yours.
Foragers
This is the greatest little market in all of Brooklyn. Sure, it’s a bit expensive. And yes, it feels a little pretentious. But you would too if within you was all of the finest provisions foragable within a very tight radius. Go, forage some for yourself and see how good it makes you feel. 56 Adams St.
Rooftop Reds Winery
Ok so this is less a wine shop and more an experience, but experience it you should. The city’s only rooftop vineyard is growing and making wine right in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. So go and get a bottle or two, enjoy the views (and the hammocks!) before continuing on your way to DUMBO. 299 Sands St, Bldg 275.
How to Picnic in Williamsburg
Domino Park
This stunning, expansive, made-to-make-us-forget-all-the-mindless-development park just might be my favorite spot in Williamsburg. In the shadows of the historic sugar factory from which it named, it has benches and lounge chairs, grassy spaces and beach volleyball, two dog parks and a human misting station, and a bright and delicious little taco spot if you don’t feel like assembling your own picnic. It gets super crowded on the weekends, so play hooky and picnic mid-week. And naked.
Bedford Cheese Shop
Their new market space down the street from the original is a gleaming example of the staying power of this standby and small-business growth potential that exists in this town. I will say, however, I cannot believe how long it takes them to cut the cheese here. I’m not kidding, it’s truly remarkable. My suggestion? Go for the pre-cut options so you can be out within the hour. Bedford Cheese, I do love you, but taking an hour to slice prosciutto with only 4 people in front of me is way too many of my precious New York minutes, sliced. 265 Bedford Ave.
Uva Wines
Another neighborhood standby that has moved down the block to a bigger, brighter, and fancier location, but trust that they’re still just as friendly and helpful as before. Go with your cheese, let them smell it and choose a wine for you. They’ve never, ever failed me. 237 Bedford Ave.
How to Picnic in Greenpoint
Transmitter Park
A park that truly reflects the character of the community; simple, approachable, beautiful and energized by the waterfront view, it’s my go-to for sunny days and maybe more than a few late nights.
Eastern District Provisions
This lovely and completely unpretentious little cheese and meat oasis will solve all of your provisional desires, and they never seem to mind that I want to sample all of the hams. Plus, they have the absolute best selection of beers in the neighborhood. Go, get all the hams and all the beers. 1053 Manhattan Ave.
Dandelion Wine
Is it too bold to say that this is the best wine shop in the entire city? Maybe. But I’m going to say it anyway- this is the best wine shop in the whole damn city. Friendly and knowledgeable staff that always chooses something within your budget, they also have a fantastic selection of juice box wines, canned wines, and big boxed wines, perfect to fit any size picnic. 153 Franklin St.
How to Picnic in Sunset Park
Green-Wood Cemetery
Sure, this may sound creepy, but Green-Wood Cemetery is one of the most beautiful places in the borough. Enter through the towering gothic arches and then get lost among while doing a little soul-searching. Trust me, there are a ton there waiting for you. So leave some good intentions and a few crumbs behind, eh? 500 25th St.
Moore Brothers Wine
This stunning space tucked into the massive warehouses in Industry City has some of the rarest collections of European wines in the borough. Trust them to pick something out you’ll love. 51 35th St.
Rossman Farms Market
Like a farmers market with a roof that doesn’t disappear during the week, this produce-forward market also has a fantastic meat and cheese selection and basically anything else to fulfill your wildest picnic needs. 770 3rd Ave.
How to Picnic in Park Slope
Prospect Park
Five times larger than Central Park but designed by the same duo, Olmstead and Vaux, who actually considered this their masterpiece. Yeah, eat shit Manhattan. (just kidding…) Bike around this 585-acre park before choosing a place to settle in, and revel in the fact that you can actually find a spot and not have any other humans within earshot. It’s worth noting that picnics were actually illegal in Prospect Park in the 1800s, so feel good about breaking the laws of way-back-when while breaking the laws of now, wine in hand.
Bklyn Larder
One of the finest artisanal markets in the entire city, buying fancy meats and cheeses here will become your most expensive habit. But don’t let that concern you, it’s worth every single penny. Get all the meats and cheeses or any of their prepared selections. 228 Flatbush Ave.
Zula Wine Shop
Because Amy Poehler can somehow do no wrong, this wine shop is no exception. The lovechild between the comedian and actress and two of her best friends, couple and wine experts Amy Miles and Mike Robertson, their selection includes plenty of inexpensive yet very refined wines and, you know, pricier options too if you want. Expect weekly tastings and very personal recommendations. 487 Fifth Ave.
Leave a Reply