Berliniamsburg
If you walk along North 3rd Street in Williamsburg, between Berry and Wythe, and squint just a little bit, it’s possible to pretend you’re in Berlin. This is a good thing. Maybe it’s the old converted factory across from the sleek new condos, or the authentic bier hall at the corner… For us, it’s actually the unusually high density of fantastic businesses on both sides of the street, smart and tasteful refugees from the second wave of gentrification: There’s perfect coffee at Modca, brilliant (and useful) local art at the Brooklyn Art Library, great vintage fashion at Japanese boutique About Glamour, finely curated books (new and used) at Book Thug Nation, and, lest we forget, the unimpeachable brilliance of chocolatiers the Mast Brothers. Grown-up stuff for a neighborhood growing up.