Before I jump into today’s adventure, I’d first like to take you back in time and give you a little background on this beautiful Brooklyn gem. If that bores you and you just want to look at all the pretty pictures skip ahead to paragraph two. Williamsburg has gotten a bit of a rough reputation as of late. What was a constant haven for many immigrants in the past century has grown to be home of a new level of gentrification. Standing on the East part of Brooklyn and just to the left of Bushwick, Williamsburg was an incredible opportunity for trade nestled just on the river. Before it was home to the likes of Justin Bieber and Mrs. Hailey Bieber, Williamsburg promised opportunity to European immigrants in the early 1920’s, protection to Jewish refugees in the post holocaust era, and survival to many Hispanic and Latin immigrants searching for factory jobs from the 60s’ to the 80’s. It wasn’t until artist swooped in in the last 20 years with the promise of low rents for big spaces that we see the new cultural “hipster” twist that is Williamsburg today. With more people comes higher prices and as I traveled the streets today it was hard to miss all the name brands walking around. Not to mention beautiful historic brownstones would sit across from apartments one would only see in modern architectural magazines. Add a little sprinkle of beautiful street art (that seems to be endangered) and you have the best of all three worlds; history, culture, and modernism.

What brought me to Williamsburg in the first place was the amazing street art. If there is ever a place in NYC to capture the imagination of the creatives this is the place. I walked around pretty much all of the neighborhood looking for ones listed online, and secret little masterpieces not listed in the five articles I read. Also, I would like to note most of the best ones I found I would not have seen if my nose was in my phone. It pays to put it down sometimes. Some were of famous people while others were making a powerful statement, and a few were simply just a blast of fun. There were giant murals you couldn’t miss and small ones that just happened to catch my eye, heck some of them weren’t even paintings. But these are just a few I liked best.

After the street art, or more realistically in between, I took a walk down to the Domino Park. Its named after the Domino sugar factory which is still standing and quite possibly the biggest building I’ve come across in Brooklyn. The park sits right on the edge of the water. There was a beautiful view of the city and the Williamsburg bridge, although a teenage couple seriously making out made me feel perverse to stay too long. I’d say get a room but even I can hardly afford rent around here.

After my fun little peep show I went to the famous “Pies and Thighs” restaurant. It advertises the best friend chicken and pies in all of Brooklyn. Now, let’s just say ain’t nobody beat my grandma’s chicken yet, but I’ll give them a close second and definitely number one in NYC (so far). I was pleased to walk into an old school dinner with checkered floors with only about eight tables and when I heard Johnny Cash playing over the speaker it was hard not to get my hopes up. Then I sat down and about cried tears of joy to see SWEET tea on the menu, not iced tea ya’ll, SWEET tea. So, I ordered a glass and the chicken and biscuit and crossed my fingers. I even got a small plate in the hopes of saving room for the banana cream pie. As good as it was, I couldn’t finish but I was sure to tell the cooks how impressed I was.

After my meal I decided I wanted to check out the famous Brooklyn Brewery. I’ve drank their summer ale a good bit and even in South Carolina it was offered in most of the restaurants I’ve worked at, so I walked the several blocks that way.Now I am an amateur craft beer fan, just like every other 20 something in a metropolitan area I suppose, but I have been to my fair share of breweries. Let me tell you, I have never been to one with such a fun vibe. There was graffiti on all the walls and couches where dogs could play. My heart broke I didn’t bring Ducky. And there were giant wooden steps for all to sit on and talk about their day. The whole place was filled with picnic tables lined next to one another. I sat at the bar cause I’m a loner and came to drink by myself like an alcoholic, but the beer I got was incredible and I still had a great time. Afterwards I rushed back home to my new apartment.

All in all, it was an eventful evening. I definitely got the vibe that there are so many different cultures, yet they didn’t seem to clash. There were people strutting along in Marc Jacobs right next to someone in vintage Converses. The history made the more modern buildings stand out and the more industrial looks did highlight the soul in the old. It felt like one giant melting pot and I wasn’t even in Manhattan.