Brooklyn’s trendy Williamsburg neighborhood is one of the borough’s largest, but it’s still great for walking around. If you can dedicate half a day or more to strolling the streets of Williamsburg, here are eight points of interest to check out.
BROOKLYN BOWL
Just across the street from McCarren Park, Brooklyn Bowl is much more than a bowling alley. You can bowl a game if you feel up to it. But plenty of locals come here for the food, drinks, live music, and festive atmosphere.
61 Wythe Avenue
(718) 963-3369
BROOKLYN BREWERY
Brooklyn’s namesake brewery, one of the largest craft brewers in the country, runs small batch tours Mondays through Thursdays at 5pm. Brooklyn Brewery also hosts several events in its tasting room, which is a good place to hit up after hours of walking around Williamsburg anytime it’s open.
79 N 11th Street
(718) 486-7422
BROOKLYN FLEA + SMORGASBURG
If you find yourself walking around Williamsburg on a Saturday or Sunday, seek out the Brooklyn Flea Market and Smorgasburg. The flea showcases and sells vintage clothing, furniture, antiques, and collectibles from hundreds of local vendors. Smorgasburg is essentially the food version. During the summer, these events are held in scenic East River State Park. In the winter, they move indoors to Skylight One Hansen in Fort Greene.
90 Kent Avenue
BUSHWICK INLET PARK
This brand new park, which straddles the border between Williamsburg and Greenpoint, affords excellent views of the Manhattan skyline and other East River bridges. It’s also home to one of the city’s greenest buildings.
Kent Avenue
(212) 639-9675
PETER LUGER STEAKHOUSE
This cash-only Williamsburg meat mecca is celebrating its 120th birthday this year. Even if you don’t splurge on what many consider New York’s finest steak, Peter Luger’s strong legend and charming exterior make it worth walking by. It’s also very close to the Williamsburg Bridge.
178 Broadway
(718) 387-7400
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD
You may recognize this historic house of worship, constructed between 1916 and 1921, from Seinfeld. Even if you don’t, it’s Byzantine Revival features make it worth a visit. The cathedral is a stone’s throw away from McCarren Park and dozens of chic North Williamsburg and Greenpoint bars and restaurants.
228 N 12th Street
(718) 387-1064
WILLIAMSBURG ART & HISTORICAL CENTER
This place to see houses an art gallery and hosts frequent shows and events. It should be a stop on your Williamsburg walking tour because of its old-school bank ornateness. Built in 1867, the building housing the center was once a bank.
135 Broadway
(718) 486-6012
WILLIAMSBURGH SAVINGS BANK
Now used as an event space, the Williamsburgh Savings Bank is probably Brooklyn’s finest example of Classical Revival architecture. Built in 1875 by George B. Post, the structure is on the National Register of Historic Places. The former bank’s facade is illuminated at night, and can be seen from along and across the Williamsburg Bridge in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The bank is on the edge of Brooklyn’s Hasidic satmar district, another area of interest for many visitors.
834 Driggs Avenue