A Greenpoint Guide for (Almost) Every Craving
In Greenpoint and craving something specific? This guide is for you.
It might be a beige flag, but I’ll admit that I am addicted to saving places on Google maps but rarely ever labeling, rating, or organizing them. That leaves my map looking like a disorganized mess of blue dots and me spending way too long curating lists of places when people come to visit. In desperate hope to make things easier for myself, and for you, I want Satiated to be the place that all of my recommendations live.
When living, or traveling, somewhere, I try and find routine as soon as possible. I want to find my favorite cafe for a morning coffee and pastry, go-to take out spot, and the sidewalk patios perfect for golden hour, spritzes, and people watching. In the first few days, weeks, or months of being somewhere (depending on the length of my stay), I spend hours researching, exploring, and vetting to find a feeling a home and quickly as possible.
After living in Greenpoint for over a year, and making it my mission to find all of my go-to spots, I have accumulated a ton of recommendations. Like probably more than is acceptable for a guide like this. But I’m not in the business of gatekeeping so I am going to share my favorites, and trust that part of your process is discovering something new on your own.
Since moving to the neighborhood, I’ve fallen in love with early mornings at McGolrick Park, walking up and down Norman Ave and Nassau Ave multiple times a day, checking out books from the Greenpoint Library, watching sunset at Transmitter Park, and the inevitabilty of running into someone I know every time I leave the house.
I often question my place in New York, and whether or not this a place I call my ~forever home~ but when I zoom out and take a look at the life I have built in Greenpoint, I can’t help but want to stay just a little bit longer. Greenpoint is a quaint, yet hip, neighborhood with a strong sense of community, a good taste in bakeries and all day cafes, and the pace of life that makes city life feel sustainable for me, for now.
🍭Just a Taste: Places I Consider Perfect in Greenpoint
The first time I went to Five Leaves, it was a hot summer night in 2022 and I was on a first date with my first born and raised Brooklyn boy after a summer of living in Manhattan. We met for sunset at Domino Park and as we were walking, he told me, “I thought we could just walk around and find somewhere to get food.” Me, being a planner, rolled my eyes and immediately pulled up Google maps to find a place that could save the lack of spark between us. I remembered walking past hot people eating oysters and drinking spritzes outside of Five Leaves a few weeks prior and knew that was the vibe I needed. We sat down right before 9pm and he told me he wasn’t hungry so I – having skipped dinner for this date – rolled my eyes and ordered fries and a cocktail while eyeing the burger on everyone’s table. I never saw him again but thankfully find myself at Five Leaves every few weeks. IMO, Five Leaves is a place you can go at any time of the day, grab a table, have a delicious meal, and let the people watching satiate the rest of your cravings. 11/10 experience (unlike that date 🙄)
If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I love an all day cafe. I love a neighborhood spot where you can walk in, at any time of day, and sit to journal, or work, or meet up with friends. Pan Pan Vino Vino is a newcomer in Greenpoint but has quickly found its way to the top of my list for it’s mouthwatering pastries, side walk seating, and killer wine program. Swing by in the morning for an espresso and guava cream cheese bun or sit outside for a pre or post dinner glass of vino. A perfect way to start or end your Greenpoint day.
While I have grown accustomed to being able to shop at one store for all of your groceries, taking a whole afternoon to stop at 3-4 neighborhood speciality shops brings me back to living in Mexico City and throughout Europe. I often walk to Williamsburg to do my weekly shopping at Whole Foods but if I plan it out correctly, I spend my Saturday stopping by the McCarren Park farmer’s market, bread from Nick + Sons, dry goods at Maison Jar, meat from Prospect Butcher Co, fish from Greenpoint Fish & Lobster, and a bottle of wine from Grapepoint Wines. I plan on talking more about this route of Greenpoint shopping but for now I want to focus on Prospect Butcher Co. Worker owner, whole animal butcher with some of the best meats I’ve had (and I usually lean plant based). Grab a sandwich as for lunch and an array of creatively flavored sausages for dinner and it will not disappoint.
What spots in Greenpoint do you consider perfect?
While I may not yet have a spot for every craving, I bet I can steer you in the direction of something to satiate your craving. Scroll down for all of my Greenpoint, Brooklyn recommendations (Last updated: August 27, 2024)
Notice your favorite spot missing? Comment or reply back to this email to put it on my radar.