Neighborhood Guide · Brooklyn
Williamsburg
Brooklyn's creative waterfront.
Joe's Williamsburg
Williamsburg is my backyard. I know it better than any other part of Brooklyn.
When Tina and I first met, we lived at 220 North 10th Street. We were there from 2015 to 2017, when we got married. To be honest, she never liked it, but in my eyes it was pretty awesome. It felt just like the city, only cleaner and more condensed.
I know that wasn't that long ago, but in ten years the neighborhood has at least doubled in size and population. It used to be that if you lived east of Roebling you were too far, and if you lived south of North 4th you were a loser (lol). Now property is selling for more per square foot than many parts of Manhattan, and the "cool" boundary stretches from Bushwick Avenue to the water and from Greenpoint to Division Street.
There's so much going on, you don't know where to go first. Restaurants: everywhere. Nightlife: everywhere. Roof decks: everywhere. Hotels: everywhere. Shopping: everywhere. Grocery stores: everywhere. New buildings: everywhere. Parks: everywhere. Parking: believe it or not, everywhere. Influencers: everywhere. Then there are amazing concept places like Bathhouse and Ice Cold Club. If you want to, you can find something to do any hour of the day or night.
It's still very clean, most of the buildings are well maintained or brand new, and it's impossible to find a rental open house without fifty other people bidding on the same place.
Now that I've moved back to Queens, it's easier for me to have a night out in Williamsburg than to go into the city. It's only a fifteen minute drive, and I really appreciate how great it's gotten.
It's a great place to live and an even better place to invest.
My old backyard, still my favorite night out
Williamsburg is Brooklyn at its most energetic. Former factories and warehouses have become loft apartments, restaurants and music venues, the waterfront is lined with parks and skyline views, and Manhattan is one stop away on the L train.
At a Glance
What to expect
Great food, nightlife, shopping and skyline views.
The lifestyle
Weekends at Domino Park, nights out on Bedford Avenue.
What not to expect
A sleepy, suburban pace.
Living here
Waterfront high-rises, converted lofts and classic walk-ups.
You'll fall in love with
The energy, and the view of Manhattan from the waterfront.
Buildings I Know Inside and Out
Williamsburg has everything from waterfront towers to classic walk-ups. These are the Williamsburg buildings where I've sold and rented.
Around the Block
The Williamsburg Bridge under construction, from a 1903 newspaper.
A little history
Williamsburg began as a small village along the East River, named for Jonathan Williams, the surveyor who laid out its streets in the early 1800s. It became its own city in 1851 and joined Brooklyn in 1855, when the "h" was dropped from Williamsburgh.
The waterfront grew into one of the country's great industrial centers, home to shipyards, breweries and the Domino Sugar Refinery, and the Williamsburg Bridge opened in 1903, bringing thousands of families over from the Lower East Side. As the factories closed later in the century, artists and musicians moved into the empty lofts, and a 2005 rezoning opened the waterfront to the towers and parks you see today.
Tree-lined streets & neighborhood charm
Away from the waterfront towers, the North Side and South Side are full of tree-lined blocks of brick walk-ups and row houses, with murals and street art around almost every corner. The old Williamsburgh Savings Bank on Broadway, with its landmark dome, is now an event space.
The lifestyle
Peter Luger has been serving steaks in the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge since 1887, and Smorgasburg, McCarren Park and Domino Park draw crowds all summer. Bedford Avenue is lined with shops, cafés and bars, and there's live music just about every night of the week.
Living here
Homes range from luxury waterfront towers and converted factory lofts to classic walk-ups and townhouses. Many newer buildings come with gyms, roof decks and doormen, and prices are often lower than for comparable homes in Manhattan.
Famous Neighbors
Writers, legends and a steakhouse with a story of its own.
Getting Around
Subway
The L stops at Bedford Avenue and Lorimer Street and is one stop from Manhattan. The G stops at Metropolitan Avenue and Broadway, and the J, M and Z cross the Williamsburg Bridge from Marcy Avenue. NYC Ferry also stops at North Williamsburg and South Williamsburg.
Street parking
Easier than Manhattan, especially away from the waterfront. Side streets follow alternate-side rules, and many newer buildings have their own garages.
Boundaries & neighbors
From Greenpoint and McCarren Park south to roughly Flushing Avenue, and from the East River east toward Bushwick. Greenpoint, East Williamsburg, Bushwick and Bedford-Stuyvesant are all next door.
You'll fall in love with the energy, and the view of Manhattan from the waterfront.
Thinking about calling Williamsburg home?
Let's talkPhotography via Pexels. Historic image from a 1903 newspaper (public domain).