TOP CHOICES!

DUMBO FLEA MARKETS / DUMBO SIGN

⏰ Sat + Sun 10 am – 5pm April – December.
📍80 Pearl Street – Dumbo Archway
💰 Free to look, $$$ to buy.
📝 Google ‘Powerhouse Books’ and you’ll find the markets a lot easier.
♿ The archway and plaza are paved with cobblestones.
🎧 On weekends, super crowded and loud. Weekdays – empty (as shown below in photos)

The dumbo flea markets have mixed reviews. Like all flea markets, it depends on the sellers. I agree that it is slightly overpriced but you can find some good deals on jewellery, decor and art.

The Dumbo Sign is designed by Dumbo-based multimedia artist David Crumley. Originally set up in front of the bridge – it was designed to change colours based on the reflections of its surroundings. Crumley stated ““I designed the DUMBO Reflector to literally reflect the culture of DUMBO back onto itself.””

POWERHOUSE Arena Bookstore.

⏰ Mon – Fri 11 am – 7 pm. Sat + Sun 10 am – 7 pm.
📍 28 Adams St, Brooklyn.
💰 Free
♿ Accessible.
🎧 On weekends it’s busy due to the flea markets. Music is far too loud.
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POWERHOUSE BOOKS is a boutique bookstore, performance, and events space. You’ll be able to find a range of New York-based books and authors, as well as some souvenirs. I’ve been here twice; the second time, I left after a few minutes due to the loud music in the store.

Jane’s Carousel

⏰ Different season hours. Check here.
📍1 Old, Dock St, Brooklyn.
💰 $4.00 rides.
♿ Not accessible but ability to use the chariots. If you’re after a wheelchair-friendly NYC Carousel -they’re located in the Bronx Zoo, on Staten Island and in Prospect Park.
🎧 Music is playing, many children.
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Jane’s Carousel was created in 1922. In 1984, Jane Walentas began restoration basing the original colours on drawings and photographs. It opened to the public on September 16, 2011. It’s housed in a modern glass pavilion, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel. It gives you a great view of the bridge and pebble beach across the way.

Manhatten Bridge View.

⏰ 24/7
📍 39-21 Washington St
💰 Free
♿ Accessible but a cobblestone street.
🎧 Crowded, public street.
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This iconic intersection is *the* dumbo spot. It’s a famous reference in the 1984 movie “Once Upon a Time in America.”

Pier 2 Roller Rink

⏰ Closed Tuesday & Thursday. Odd hours so recommend checking google as it’s also dependant on the season (closed winter.)
📍 39-21 Washington St
💰 $8
♿ Not Accessible. Bistro area only.
🎧 Semi loud music.
📝 Lockers are 0.25 and only accept quarters. If you don’t have socks, you can buy them.
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If you’ve got some extra time and aren’t heading off to Manhatten to see more sights, you can go rollerblading and look over the East River to New York. It’s a rubber floor (safety) which does feel weird, but they play some pretty banging tunes to make up for it.

Empire Stores

⏰ 8am – 12am.
📍 53-83 Water St
💰 Free
♿ Accessible.
🎧 Bright lights, often crowded.
📝 Events check here. Events usually have their own individual opening hours outside Empire Stores.
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Rebuilt in the late 1860s after a fire, Empire Stores remains one of the last cargo warehouses lining the East River. Opening in 2017, it keeps the iconic brick masonry and iron shuttered facade. It holds restaurants (time out market) and retail, office and event spaces.

Walking through Empire Stores will often have markets, local stores and exhibitions for art.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

🥐 Almondine Bakery

⏰ 8:30am – 6pm. – Closed Mon + Tues.
📍 85 Water St
🌱 vegetarian croissant.
📝 recommendation: almond chocolate croissant
Built in 1835, it’s one of the oldest buildings in historical DUMBO. It was redeveloped in 2003 as part of a rehab project for Bob Vila’s Home Again show.
You can watch the episode on YouTube here.
The three main concepts as per their website are “tradition, innovation and evolution.” In the 6th century, France became the patrons of bakers and you can tell. The almond chocolate croissant was out of this world 10/10! The name ‘Almondine’ is a reference to the famous ‘Tarte Amandine’ in the play, Cyrano de Bergerac.

🍫 Jacques Torres Chocolate

⏰ 10am – 7pm
📍 66 Water St
🌱 vegan chocolates avail.
📝 recommendation: almond chocolate croissant
Their chocolate bonbons and truffles are handcrafted using gourmet 60% Belgian chocolate.

🥘 Time Out Market New York

⏰ 8am – 10pm | Fri + Sat: 8am – 11pm.
📍 55 Water St
🌱vegan and vegetarian options depending on the food hall choice.

Essentially a fancy food hall, you find your food option and take a seat at the communal seating.

I don’t personally recommend the rooftop for drinks as the bartenders can’t keep note of who’s first (there should really be a line system) and as such, you’ll be waiting up to 15 mins at the bar being ignored by staff. You can go out to the balcony for a nice photo.

Other Food Recommendations:

• Grimaldi’s Pizzeria
• Juliana’s Pizza.
• Bread & Spread
• Lucky Rabbit Noodles
• The River Café

☕ % Arabica

⏰ 7:30am – 6:30pm
📍 20 Old Fulton St, Brooklyn
🌱 serves soy or oat milk .
Kenneth Shoji, founder of Arabica reflected on life and decided that he required an amazing up of coffee everyday which is why he founded % Arabica which started in Kyoto, Japan serving beans from their coffee farm in Hawaii.

🍦 OddFellows Ice Cream Co.

⏰ Tues – Thurs: 2pm – 8pm | Fri – Mon: 12pm – 10pm
📍 44 Water St, Brooklyn
🌱 vegan options aval.
Odd Fellows has no reason to slap this hard. While I’ve only been to the Williamsburg store – 10/10 recommedation for their weird and wonderful flavours such as salted caramel toffee, miso cherry, almod poppy seed and matcha strawberry.

READ: Pineapple Street

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson.

A deliciously funny, sharply observed debut of family, love, and class, this zeitgeisty novel follows three women in one wealthy Brooklyn clan

Darley, the eldest daughter in the well-connected old money Stockton family, followed her heart, trading her job and her inheritance for motherhood but giving up far too much in the process; Sasha, a middle-class New England girl, has married into the Brooklyn Heights family, and finds herself cast as the arriviste outsider; and Georgiana, the baby of the family, has fallen in love with someone she can’t have, and must decide what kind of person she wants to be.

WATCH: Once Upon a Time in America.

Once Upon a Time in America  is a 1984 epic crime film exploring themes of childhood friendships, love, lust, greed, betrayal, loss, and broken relationships, together with the rise of mobsters in American society.

It’s a long movie at 4 hours and 29 minutes staring Robert De Niro, James Wood.

liam letterboxed reviewed this 4 stars and stated “there’s a lot thatcould be said about this film, but one thing’s for sure: these men are not good fellas.”

WHAT I DID

My cousin was over visiting from London. To ensure a very NYC day, we started with Bagels and coffee before taking the ferry. (Where I proceeded to flash everyone when the wind picked up my dress… come on!!!! )

Off the ferry, straight through the Jardin River and to Jane’s Carousel. While the markets were closed, we still went to the DUMBO sign before checking out the bookstore. Still full from bagels, we walked down the main historical street stopping in to get the iconic photo and an almond chocolate croissant that i’m still thinking about.

We walked down some brownstone streets on the search for Truman Capote’s house (in which he wrote In Cold Blood). From there, we grabbed a coffee before trying to find The Brooklyn Bridge walking entrance (walked towards the bridge, then followed the tourists.) There were some people offering polaroids for $5 for two, so we grabbed one as a little souveneir as well.

When my partner and I went to DUMBO, it was very much of similar itinerary however we rode City Bikes from Williamsburg, went rollerskating at Pier 2 Roller Rink, grabbed a milkshake at Shake Shack before taking the ferry back which was a 0/10 idea making me feel very ill.

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Have you been?
What did you see / eat / do?
Let me know below.
As always, stay cool.
– Sarah.

Sources:
– https://littlekidbigcity.com/brooklyn-dumbo-reflector-art-installation/
–https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161017/dumbo/dumbo-reflector-sign-time-traffic-weather/