Weekend Adventures: Williamsburg, Brooklyn

I wanted to spend a day exploring Wiliamsburg because I have heard there is a lot of great food to try and I wanted to visit a new neighborhood. Going to NYU I often find myself getting in the same routine. I like to stay by school because I know which restaurants I like best and I can easily navigate the area. At least once a month I like to challenge myself by visiting another neighborhood to get a better sense of New York City and its boroughs. I feel that I am living in New York City and I should take every advantage to see as much as I can especially when it is only a subway ride away like Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
You may know Williamsburg,Brooklyn as hipster central but there are many more sides to discover of this popular neighborhood with all things old and new. So take the L train to Bedford Ave. and discover Williamsburg on your own!
I visited Williamsburg through different sites but also through my palate. Brooklyn has a vast amount of cuisine spanning from street food to chocolate made from the best cocoa beans in the world. Williamsburg is known as one of Brooklyn's "foodiest" neighborhoods so come with an empty stomach because it will be more than full when you head home!
Right as you get off the train you will find Oasis. They have a great selection of Mediterranean food that is easy to eat while walking around. I recommend the Falafel, it was delicious and a perfect snack for my weekend adventure.


While walking around Williamsburg keep your eyes open for street art. It could be stickers under your feet stuck to the ground or it could be a mural of a squirrel by ROA. ROA is a very well known street artist who many paints in black and white. He also usually paints animals that are native to the area, like a squirrel for Williamsburg. If you want to see more of ROA's work here is a great site!


Now that you have had a falafel and have taken in the street art, I recommend dessert at Mast Brothers. A Mast Brothers Chocolate bar was listed in The New York Times "A History of New York in 50 Objects."It stated "Brooklyn never hit bottom as deeply as the Bronx, but it began hemorrhaging its population in the 1950s in a mostly white, middle-class exodus. Today, the borough is booming again, inching toward its peak population of nearly 2.7 million in 1940, as young couples gentrify neighborhoods that not long ago were considered marginal at best. Brooklyn has also become a global brand, most identified with artisanal businesses, like Mast Brothers Chocolate of Williamsburg, which opened in 2007."- Lucas Jackson/Reuters"

Mast Brothers' name comes from the sail boats that bring chocolate to them. They pick the cocoa bean that every chocolate bar is made from. This gives each bar distinct flavors. There are free samples of all the chocolate so make sure you choose the right one.... or ones.

My favorite part of Mast Brothers is that everything is made in Brooklyn including the paper the chocolate bar is wrapped in.

After filling your stomach with some lovely delights I would head down to The Sketchbook Project. The Sketchbook Project is a growing library of sketchbooks made by everyday people and well known artists. Anyone can buy an empty sketch book and decorate it however they would like. Once it is filled you return it to the library and it becomes part of the collection. The coolest part is that you can check out the sketchbooks by creating a library card in just minutes! So grab a cup of coffee and relax into a beautiful sketchbook. Oh, and did I mention it is all free?

If you are in Williamsburg on a Saturday and aren't sure what to have for breakfast, lunch or dinner, head to Smorgasburg. Smorgasburg is open from 11am-6pm on Saturday and has over 100 food vendors. It does get a bit crowded and sometimes the lines get a bit long. Here is the video of the wait at Smorgasburg at Mighty Quinn's BBQ tent vs. going the Might Quinn's location in the East Village.
While at Smorgasburg I had Dough which makes wonderfully delicious donuts! These donuts are not your average morning treat. I had the hibiscus donut which was not just a perfect shade of pink, but was also to die for. So whether you prefer sweet or savory Williamsburg has it all and this was a great way to end the day.
Here are directions

I had a fantastic time exploring Williamsburg. I got a library card for the Sketchbook Project and found a new love for chocolate at Mast Brothers. I loved visiting a new neighborhood because it reminds me that I live in a place that has so much to offer. One of my favorite parts about living in New York is that so many different things are so easily accessible. In Williamsburg I found a great mix of food to try and street art to take in. I am sure I will be visiting again soon.

Where are your favorite places to go in Williamsburg?


Alana