Outside Provence en Boite
One of the problems with living in Williamsburg, is that you get really lazy.
I literally have to cross the street to do my laundry - I drop it off, and hours later it's clean and folded in a nice little bundle (for about half the price it cost when I did it myself at the laveries in Paris!) I have three 24-hour grocery stores, a Duane Reade, and an endless array of bars, restaurants and vintage shops within a five-block radius of my apartment.
On the one hand, all of this convenience is amazing and makes my life super easy. On the other, I recently realized that I rarely take the time to explore all the other neighborhoods that New York City has to offer.
I literally have to cross the street to do my laundry - I drop it off, and hours later it's clean and folded in a nice little bundle (for about half the price it cost when I did it myself at the laveries in Paris!) I have three 24-hour grocery stores, a Duane Reade, and an endless array of bars, restaurants and vintage shops within a five-block radius of my apartment.
On the one hand, all of this convenience is amazing and makes my life super easy. On the other, I recently realized that I rarely take the time to explore all the other neighborhoods that New York City has to offer.
Carrol Gardens
So this weekend I decided to get my butt on the somewhat heinous G train and enjoy one of the last nice days we have left before the brutal chill of winter truly hits, and made my way to Carroll Gardens, an adorable neighborhood in south Brooklyn.
(Fun fact I learned from Wikipedia: apparently Solange Knowles lives in Carroll Gardens. If you're lucky maybe you can catch glimpse of Beyonce, Jay-Z and their future insanely talented offspring.)
(Fun fact I learned from Wikipedia: apparently Solange Knowles lives in Carroll Gardens. If you're lucky maybe you can catch glimpse of Beyonce, Jay-Z and their future insanely talented offspring.)
the park at Carroll Gardens
When I got off at Carroll St., I immediately noticed a heavy French influence in the neighborhood. I'm used to overhearing French on a daily basis, in both Manhattan and Williamsburg (and I will admit I love eavesdropping on French conversations every chance I get.) But I overheard more French in Carroll Gardens than I have anywhere else in New York City so far - and it didn't seem like they were French tourists, but rather French families who actually lived there.
There are a ton of cute French restaurants and bistros that I plan to check out next time I visit this neighborhood, including: Bar Tabac, Provence en Boite, Sue Perette and Café Luluc - all within a few short blocks of each other along Smith St. The tree-lined streets are full of quaint brownstones, and the park in the center of the neighborhood was full of families, enjoying the beautiful sunny November afternoon.
(Please note that these places all technically overlap within Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill - thanks to Scout Paris for helping me navigate the complex neighborhoods of Brooklyn!)
I definitely plan to head back to Carroll Gardens soon, and hopefully get the chance to try some of the food available at one of the many French-inspired cafés. All in all, it was a lovely "trip" and I was relived to learn that there is life outside of Williamsburg.
There are a ton of cute French restaurants and bistros that I plan to check out next time I visit this neighborhood, including: Bar Tabac, Provence en Boite, Sue Perette and Café Luluc - all within a few short blocks of each other along Smith St. The tree-lined streets are full of quaint brownstones, and the park in the center of the neighborhood was full of families, enjoying the beautiful sunny November afternoon.
(Please note that these places all technically overlap within Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill - thanks to Scout Paris for helping me navigate the complex neighborhoods of Brooklyn!)
I definitely plan to head back to Carroll Gardens soon, and hopefully get the chance to try some of the food available at one of the many French-inspired cafés. All in all, it was a lovely "trip" and I was relived to learn that there is life outside of Williamsburg.
RSS Feed
