By Seth Fera-Schanes

As you walk towards the L train subway platform in Manhattan you will quickly notice a shift in dress and topics of conversation of those standing next to you.  The reason?  You are heading to Williamsburg, Brooklyn; home of the hipster.  Note, we probably can debate where the new hipster neighborhoods are heading but I will save that for another post.

Just one stop into Brooklyn sits Bedford Avenue.  This is actually a really long street and if you stay within North 1st to North 12th (MaCarren Park) you will be able to visit a lot of the fun shops and restaurants in the neighborhood.  I would fully encourage you to venture past these arbitrary boundaries but this is a good starting point for your next trip.

Once you have walked Bedford, you will want to make your way over to the water.  North 7th street is usually a good place to begin.  Walk to Berry St then Wythe Ave and finally Kent Ave. The walk is about 8 minutes (not to be too precise) and is worth the trip.  Along the way there are more great shops, street art, iconic water-towers and old brownstones all ending with a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline.

A few of my favorite spots:

1.  Bedford Cheese Shop – Incredibly knowledgeable staff and some really stinky cheeses (in the best way possible.)

2.  Artists & Fleas – Local artists and antique vendors all under one small roof.

3.  Spoonbill & Sugartown (bookstore) – Cool vibe, friendly staff and a great selection of art books.

4.  SEA (Thai restaurant) –  Not many other restaurants can boast they have an above ground boat pond let alone swinging chairs and an ultra hip bathroom.  Plus the food is affordable and really good.