Top 9 Reasons to Visit Greenpoint, Brooklyn

A far cry from the wasteland of millennial narcissism featured in Lena Dunham's Girls, Greenpoint promises the OG Brooklyn cool that's been replicated across the globe. While the borough's other hoods are pricing out the tapped-in creative types, essentially stripping away the character that once made them so coveted, our favorite area (far) off the L train proudly waves the banner of the anti-corporate, village-in-a-city Brooklyn brand we love. Here, nine reasons to go there now.

21 Greenpoint
Fresh produce dictates chef Sean Telo's daily dishes, but they come without the culinary snobbery often associated with the locavore movement. Expect playfully named items like "Ugly Vegetable Snack," an herbaceous cocktail menu, and rich mains like the creamy steak tartare served on a shank of roasted marrow. Cap your dinner with an obligatory high-five from owner Homer Murray on the way out. (21Greenpoint.com)

Hail Mary
With a Del Posto pedigree, co-owner couple Ham and Sohla El-Waylly riff on "mom-and-pop chic" in a reclaimed space plastered in adult-coloring-book wallpaper. The menu is full of diner staples, from gooey mac and cheese to the spicy fried chicken drumstick, with the claw left on (eat it, or take it home and prank your roommate). Be sure to try a triple-sized slice of confetti cake, a gourmet twist on the Betty Crocker classic. (HailMaryBK.com)

Sauvage
Maison Premiere's baby brother makes good on its name, with dishes foraged from the surf (black bass, line-caught cod) and the turf (strip steak, pot-au-feu chicken). The cocktails and raw bar are top-notch, and the atmosphere is Art Deco meets brasserie, opening out onto McCarren Park in warmer weather. (SauvageNY.com)

Brooklyn Barge
Come for the killer views of the Manhattan skyline and stay for the salads and sliders, water sports, and a unique community engagement program. (TheBrooklynBarge.com)

Ovenly
Greenpoint's best cafe is a tiny bakery minus the percolation pretension but with an adorable boulangerie-style ambience. (Oven.ly)

Wolves Within
At this eclectic, family-owned fashion flagship, you'll find everything you need to assemble your hipster uniform, from woolen Japanese socks to handcrafted USA-made sunglasses. (WolvesWithin.com)

Home of the Brave
This home-goods spinoff of Wolves Within sells all of your nesting essentials, from ceramic mugs to batik pillows. (HomeOfTheBraveNYC.com)

Word
It's the neighborhood bookstore par excellence, offering plenty of personal touches like staff picks and regular readings. (WordBookstores.com)

The Box House Hotel
A boutique alternative to the warehouse-to-condo standard, Box House provides playful, industrial-inspired lodging to temporary Brooklynites. (TheBoxHouseHotel.com)

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