Sixth day in New York, and a change of scenery: Brooklyn in the morning, the Bronx in the afternoon. On the programme, Dumbo’s best photo spots, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, then New York’s real Little Italy. We end the evening at Union Square and in the Flatiron District.
The Flower District, right by the hotel
Leaving the hotel we walk through the Flower District: 28th Street, lined with florists, looks like an urban garden among the buildings. Then the subway to Brooklyn.
Dumbo, the photo-spot neighbourhood
Dumbo, short for “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass”, is one of New York’s trendiest neighbourhoods: old red-brick warehouses, vintage shops, street art everywhere and a waterfront. At Pearl Street Triangle we come across the most original Christmas tree we’ve ever seen, made entirely of traffic cones, with the Manhattan Bridge behind it.
For THE photo, go to the corner of Water Street and Washington Street: the red bricks, the Manhattan Bridge and the Empire State Building framed under its arch. Be warned, under the bridge it’s deafening, 80 to 90 decibels every time a subway train passes, day and night. New York never sleeps.
Pebble Beach, Empire Stores and Jane’s Carousel
Two more free and quiet spots. Pebble Beach, a small pebble beach with views of both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline. Even better: walk into Empire Stores, a converted warehouse, take the lift to the top, and you get a view down over both bridges and Manhattan.
Right next door, Jane’s Carousel, an authentic 1922 carousel from Ohio, installed here in 2011 inside a glass pavilion so it can run in every season.
Walking the Brooklyn Bridge
The classic not to miss: walking across the Brooklyn Bridge with the Manhattan skyline straight ahead. My tip: take the subway to Dumbo, then walk the bridge towards Manhattan, that’s the direction with the best view.
The real Little Italy, in the Bronx
Back in Manhattan, we head up to the Bronx. Not a touristy visit at all, which is exactly what I was after: New York’s real Little Italy, around Arthur Avenue and East 187th Street, far more authentic than the one in Manhattan.
First stop at Randazzo’s Seafood, a family fishmonger founded in the early 1920s by Frank Randazzo, who came from Sicily. We try oysters and clams on the terrace, with lemon then with sriracha: very fresh, very good and much cheaper than in Manhattan.
Arthur Avenue Retail Market
The heart of the neighbourhood is the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, a covered market open since 1940. Handmade pasta, cured meats, cheese, espresso at the counter, and even a statue of Al Capone. We sit down with a proper antipasti board to watch Moldova - Italy, a World Cup qualifier, among the regulars. Right in front of us, the craftsmen of Casa Grande roll cigars by hand.
Union Square, Harry Potter and Flatiron by night
Back to Manhattan for the evening. By mid-November the Union Square Christmas market is already open: local crafts, hot chocolate (people here drink more hot cider than mulled wine) and gift ideas. Nearby, the largest Harry Potter store in the world, on three floors and about 2,000 m².
We end up in the Flatiron District, in front of the MetLife Tower, the 1909 clock tower that lights up after dark, then in front of the Empire State Building, with completely different lighting from the previous days.
Also on Instagram that day
Practical info
- Dumbo: subway line F to York St or A/C to High St. Safe and easy to reach.
- Dumbo photo spot: corner of Water Street and Washington Street.
- Empire Stores: free view from the top floor, take the lift.
- Brooklyn Bridge: walk it from Brooklyn towards Manhattan, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Little Italy in the Bronx: Arthur Avenue and East 187th Street. Randazzo’s Seafood, 2327 Arthur Ave.