Whether you love the scene or you’re totes over it, it’s hard to argue any place is more the epicenter of the Brooklyn drinking scene than Bedford Avenue right now. The street is lined with a veritable Marrakech (hat tip, Brian Williams) of dining, shopping and drinking options. But how to sample it all? Save this happy guide to plan your next boozy hike through the burg’s main vein. Read the rest of this entry »
Bar of the Week: Rock on at The Gibson
This is the thirteenth in our series on the venues featured in the second Brooklyn Beer Book. This week we turn our attentions to The Gibson, an amusement-filled beer parlor to save you from the Williamsburg main drag craziness.
THE GIBSON
108 Bedford Ave. at N. 11th St., Williamsburg
What is it: An occasionally low-key respite on the edge of Bedford Avenue with a love of craft beers.
Why we love it: It’s less scene-y than most everything else on that street: just a place to grab a brew and kill some time on the foosball table. Read the rest of this entry »
The complete Bedford Avenue happy hour list
Whether you love the scene or you’re totes over it, it’s hard to argue any place is more the epicenter of the Brooklyn drinking scene than Bedford Avenue right now. The street is lined with a veritable Marrakech (hat tip, Brian Williams) of dining, shopping and drinking options. But how to sample it all? Save this happy guide to plan your next boozy hike through the burg’s main vein. Read the rest of this entry »
Bar of the Day: The Charleston
This is the latest in our series on the venues featured in the Brokelyn Beer Book. The Charleston in Williamsburg is a Brokester’s dream: a pizza comes with every beer.
THE CHARLESTON
174 Bedford Ave. between N. 7th and N. 8th Sts., Williamsburg, 718-782-8717
What it is: About as rough and tumble as a bar with gorgeous handmade tables and black-shuttered windows overlooking Bedford Avenue can be.
Why we love it: It’s the cheap-o haven that doesn’t feel like a cheap-o haven. Drinks come with a whole personal pizza.
Who to bring: People watchers, those friends who love to try to eat until they puke, a friendly partner to facilitate sharing a table with strangers on a weekend night.
What to order: Beer and pizza. Period. Make sure there’s parmesan and red pepper at hand.
Charleston fun fact: It’s one of the longest-standing bars in Williamsburg.
How to: a street peddling primer

Safak Aydemir's hand-beaded necklaces.
Stroll down Bedford Avenue on a nice day and the life of a street-vendor can look pretty appealing. So free, so independent, seem those hawkers of books and sellers of handmade mobiles you pass on the sidewalk. You start to wonder what it takes to make a living like this—whether street-vending just might be a viable career path. We’ve certainly wondered all this, and now, after badgering a few street vendors and hard-working public servants, the idea doesn’t seem so far-fetched. For all the enterprising New Yorkers out there with a folding table and dream, the many strings attached and city regulations are no barrier to engaging in this barely tolerated form of commerce. Read the rest of this entry »





