What to Do at Every Stop Along the R Train
Union Street
I bet you’re expecting me to tell you to walk up to Park Slope, but au contraire: this is your perfect opportunity to head down to Gowanus. Even if you only make it as far as Third Avenue, Canal Bar is right here, with its popcorn machine, pleasant backyard, and homey diveyness. You might also gawk at the polluted canal itself, a Brooklyn classic; the nearby Carroll Street Bridge is my favorite of the small bridges that span the waterway. If you really want to go to Park Slope, Die Koelner Bierhalle is nearby on St. Marks Place; it imports its delicious and impossibly large pretzels from Germany.