Hidden Brooklyn
18 ONE BROOKLYN | SPRING 2019
BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Have you discovered
these local sights?
Brooklyn has plenty of attractions right in plain sight! But there are also
some hidden attractions off the beaten path. Read on to learn more about
four of Brooklyn’s best hidden gems to check out this season.
BROOKLYN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, DUMBO
Brooklyn Historical Society’s
Dumbo outpost, located inside the recently
redeveloped Empire Stores — a
commercial complex within a landmarked
Water Street warehouse in
Brooklyn Bridge Park — is the second
location of the nationally recognized
urban-history center.
Founded in 2017, the satellite museum
furthers Brooklyn Historical
Society’s mission to connect the past
to the present with “Waterfront,” a
new exhibition and multimedia experience
for all ages that brings to
life the vibrant history of Brooklyn’s
coastline through the stories of workers,
artists, industries, activists, families,
neighborhoods and ecosystems.
“Waterfront” at the Brooklyn Historical
Society at Empire Stores 55 Water
St. between Dock and Main streets
in Dumbo, (718) 222–4111, www.brooklynhistory.
org/dumbo). Tue–Sun from
11 am to 6 pm. Free for members and
students, $10 for adults, $6 for seniors.
A&A BAKE AND DOUBLE AND ROTI SHOP
Bedford-Stuyvesant Caribbean
eatery A&A Bake and Double and
Roti Shop was recently announced
as a recipient of the prestigious
James Beard Foundation’s American
Classics award, which recognizes
restaurants with “timeless appeal,”
that refl ect the character of
their community.
The thrilled restaurateurs said
there was a simple reason they were
selected for the prestigious award.
“Our food is excellent and
cheap,” said Noel Brown, who runs
the space with his wife Geeta.
Brown’s Fulton Street restaurant
serves up popular Trinidadian
fare, and is especially known for its
doubles — curried chickpea sandwiches
served between fried fl atbread
— along with its bake, roti,
and other dishes from the twin-island
republic.
The food, according to the Foundation,
is a “delicious reminder of
Bed-Stuy’s rich Caribbean history.”
A&A Bake and Double and Roti
Shop 1337 Fulton St. between Verona
Place and Nostrand Avenue
in Bedford-Stuyvesant, (347) 425–
0016, www.aandabakedoublesandrotishop.
com. Open Mon, 6:30 am–
4:30 pm; Tue–Sat, 6:30 am–7 pm.
CENTER FOR FICTION
The country’s only organization
devoted to fi ction recently opened
its doors in Fort Greene. The Center
for Fiction gives the borough’s many
scribes and bibliophiles a chance to
come together in a new and modern
space, said its executive director.
“So much of our encounters with
others happen in virtual spaces now,
and for us it’s really important to have a
place that people can walk into and talk
with one another face-to-face — about
books, about cultural experiences
they’re having,” said Noreen Tomassi.
“Brooklyn’s crawling with writers, and
there’s so many readers here.”
The space features state-of-the-art
facilities, including a 140-seat auditorium
equipped to livestream events.
The space houses regular readings
and panel discussions with the city’s
many authors, so keep an eye on the
Center’s website to see if your favorite
author is stopping by!
Readers can also indulge their love
for a good old-fashioned book at the
center’s bookstore, which offers classic
and bestselling fi ction reads, along
with a selection of poetry, kids’ books,
graphic novels, and nonfi ction.
The Center for Fiction (15 Lafayette
Ave. at Ashland Place in Fort Greene,
www.centerforfi ction.org).
HANK’S SALOON
One of Brooklyn’s most beloved
dive bars recently got a second lease
on life. Hank’s Saloon, which was
forced out of its century-old home by
new construction, has re-opened on
the second fl oor of Downtown’s Texas
eatery Hill Country Food Park. The
new iteration of the bar boasts some
memorabilia from its past life, including
the old cash register behind
the bar and some of the stools, said
the bar’s owner.
“It’s a nice little walk down memory
lane,” said Julie Ipcar. “Some of
Hank’s memorabilia is in there.”
The new Hank’s Saloon on Adams
Street can pack 150 people inside —
nearly double the crowd that could fi t
in the Third Avenue haunt. The bar
also has an improved stage and sound
system, and live music on Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday nights.
Patrons can enter the saloon
through the Texas-inspired food hall,
or through a separate entrance on
Adams street once the hall closes at 8
pm, which Ipcar says gives the spot a
special, speakeasy-style appeal.
“You can’t just walk in. But New
Yorkers love the idea of secret locations,”
she said.
Hank’s at Hill Country Food Park
345 Adams St. near Willoughby
Street Downtown, (718) 885–2427,
www.hcfoodpark.com/hanks. Open
Sun–Wed; 4 pm–midnight; Thu–Sat,
4 pm–2 am.
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