Curated City Guides by Your Favorite Designers and Tastemakers.
Brooklyn:
Ed Nacional
Bars & Restaurants
Blue Marble Ice Cream
Really great rotating flavors and they are all amazing! They have two shops one on Court Street in Cobble Hill and another in Underhill in Prospect Heights. They also have a mobile cart at Pier One in Dumbo and at the Brooklyn Flea. If thats not enough for you you can grab a pint Union Market grocery stores too. 186 Underhill Ave
Mile End
If you ever been to Montreal you know the how amazing the bagels are. Sorry New York but I'm on Montreal's side on the bagel battle. It's not quite the same as rolling up to St. Viateur for a fresh bagel right out of the oven but this is definitely a great option to have here in Brooklyn. Mile End also serves two other great Montreal classics - smoked meat sandwiches and poutine (fries with gravy and cheese curds). 97A Hoyt St
DiFara
A bit of a trek to get to and the lines get really long but this pizza is special. The little 70+ year old owner Domenico Demarco makes all the pizzas himself. He's been making pizza so long that he can reach into the oven and grab a pizza with his bare hands. If you can try both the Margarita and the Sicilian too. I'm a big fan of his Sicilian. 1424 Avenue J
Beer Table
I'm not serious beer connoisseur or anything but love this little spot. Small and cozy. The owners and staff are super nice and know everything about beer. 427 7th Ave
Nita Nita
Great bar with great food and drinks. Big back yard garden is amazing in the summer. Say hi to my good friend and the owner Samantha. She's the best. 146 Wythe Ave
Purple Yam
Ditmas Park isn't the first place you would think to go for great Filipino food, but low and behold Purple Yam lives there. I highly recommend trying Bagoong fried rice, Sisig, Chicken Adobo and the Lechon Kawali. 1314 Cortelyou Rd
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
Pies, and more pies. They all taste great.. 439 3rd Ave
Shops
Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co
Try on some capes, pickup a bottle of Truth Serum and a new Sonic Blaster. While you shop and drool at the nicely branded and designed store, you will be actually supporting the shops real mission. 826NYC a non profit that supports students 6 - 18 with creative and expository writing skills. This all happens in the classroom in the back of the store... if you can find the secret entrance. 372 5th Ave
Bright Lyons
Really nice selection of Mid Century Modern furniture and other goodies. Bright Lyons also houses contemporary art that at first sounds odd but they do a great job of integrating the two themes and making it all feel cohesive. 383 Atlantic Ave
718 Cycles
My local south slope bike shop that I love. Helpful and nice staff. They specialize in custom bike builds but also do general repairs. If you aren't interested in custom building a bike, they carry Public bikes which look awesome. 461 7th Ave
Zakka Books
Huge selection of design, illustration and art books. 155 Plymouth St
Baxter & Liebchen
Yes most of the stuff in here is out of my price range and I shed a tear when I walk in but its really fun to browse. Painful to see so much great condition Danish Modern furniture in one place. 33 Jay St
ETC.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
My lovely finance has the honor of working in the Development office here and I'm happy to pick her up from work and stroll through such a quit and serene place in the middle of the city. One of my favorite places here in Brooklyn. 1000 Washington Ave
Brooklyn Flea
Good vintage and handmade finds, food and great people watching. Both Brooklyn sites are great, but I personally prefer the original Fort Greene Saturday Market. 176 Lafayette Ave
Dekalb Market
A new outdoor market with a mix of flea market stalls and some permanent storefronts housed in salvaged shipping containers. It's also great because it's 7 days a week and open all year round. Flatbush Ave & Willoughby St