On our recent trip to New York, I really wanted to spend a day exploring Williamsburg, a neighbourhood in Brooklyn which is filling up with ultra cool restaurants and shops.
I went to Williamsburg for the first time last summer, to a party in the most incredible converted warehouse apartments (you know those open-plan, bright and leafy spaces you see on Pinterest? THAT! But with the most beautiful, unobstructed view of the Manhattan skyline that I have ever seen.)
Williamsburg definitely felt like a mini Manhattan, but with that grungey Brooklyn vibe. A lot of the too-busy-to-get-a-seat restaurants have set up shop in Williamsburg, where it’s much, much easier to get a table.
Catbird
My first point of call was of course, Catbird. I have been meaning to make it here on so many of my New York trips, so I was overjoyed when we finally made it happen.
I was actually going to order my wedding ring from here but didn’t in the end, so it was nice to see what could have been.
If you’re unfamiliar with Catbird, they’re a small jewellery brand that make a lot of pretty things. I think I could have bought the whole store, but I settled on a thin gold hammered ring and a few postcards.
Woops! Bakeshop
I know there’s a few of these in Manhattan, but everyone always says to go to the Williamsburg location because it’s way more chilled. This is an adorable (very white, very Pinterest) bakery that sells everything from ice cream to macarons.
It’s beautiful inside, the macaron flavours are all a bit different to what you’d find anywhere else, and everything we tried was delicious! Well worth a trip.
Sweatshop Coffee
As my husband is a coffee-obsessed barista, we visited a lot of coffee shops whilst we were in New York. At the top of his list was Sweatshop, a super cool Williamsburg café that serves espressos under neon signs. They also have donuts. Perfect.
It’s worth heading here to Instagram alone, if you ask me (although Jordan says the coffee is top notch, too…)
As for foodie places, Williamsburg has quite a few that I’d recommend checking out. We went to The Meatball Shop because we’d heard so many good things about it, and it was seriously good – their veggie meatballs are delicious, by the way!
There’s also byCHLOE, which I’ve been to before and really enjoyed (again, it’s worth going for an Instagram!). This place is all vegan and it’s incredibly delish!
Westlight @ The William Vale
If it’s views you’re after, head to the William Vale hotel and make a beeline for their rooftop bar, Westlight. I found this place randomly when looking for bars with views, and I booked it as a little surprise for Jordan a few days after the wedding.
The cocktails are great (although pricey) and the views from balconies outside are some of the best you’ll find!
We also went for a tour around the Brooklyn Brewery, which I actually really liked! Jordan is a big fan of their beers so we booked the tour as a bit of fun, and it was great. I’m not the biggest beer drinker but I did really enjoy the tasting session here.
We managed to find so many awesome photo backdrops too, which is definitely another pull factor for me. I wore , which I had many compliments on that day, and my usual accessories – that , and . Easy peasy!
Williamsburg, you were a dream! Have you been considering a New York trip?
