Greenpoint
Greenpoint is the northernmost neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City. The area is surrounded by Williamsburg at Bushwick Inlet Park and McCarren Park from the southwest, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and East Williamsburg from the southeast, Newtown Creek and the neighborhood of Long Island City in Queens from the north, and the East River from the west.
The area is also known as Little Poland as there are many Polish immigrants, Polish restaurants, businesses and markets here. Greenpoint was originally farmland and many street names here are the names of farm owners like Meserole (Messerole) and Calyer.
History
When the Dutch bought the farmland from Indians in 1638, Greenpoint was a part of Bos-ijck (Bushwick). The major development of the neighborhood took place in the mid-1800s and the area was settled by the Northern Europeans. Soon, it became famous for manufacturing cast iron, glass and pottery making.
Greenpoint remained an industrial zone from the beginning as it hosted oil refineries and heavy manufacturing. In the 1880s, the area became a home for Italian, Polish, and Russian immigrants. This immigration continued after WWII and soon the neighborhood is known as ‘Little Poland’ of New York City. Puerto Rico immigrants also joined Greenpoint and nearby Williamsburg later.
Micro-level gentrification started here in the 1990s as newcomers opened small restaurants in Greenpoint. One interesting thing to note here is the names of streets. Those Greenpoint streets which run perpendicular to the East River are named alphabetically. Some notable street names are Ash, Box, Clay, Dupont, Eagle, Freeman, Green, Huron, India, Java, Kent, Greenpoint (formerly Lincoln), Milton, Noble, and Oak.
Population
According to the stats of 2010, the population of Greenpoint was 34,719 with a density of 13,000/sq mi (4,900/km2). Most of the people here are White with a fraction of Black, Asian and Hispanic.
What to expect?
A clam neighborhood with vibrant fashion and art scenes. Greenpoint residents will tell you that it has its own charm and charisma. Many businesses here are decade older which makes the surrounding an intimate community. The western edges of the area are covered by peaceful streets and quiet waterfronts. People here go for a stroll in the evening and they go fishing in the morning.
Lifestyle
If you love music venues, restaurants, and bars then you would definitely love to visit Greenpoint. There are many entertainment points here along with new Brooklyn-branded eateries. For fashion lovers, the area offers places like Manhattan Avenue and Old Hollywood located on Franklin Street. Greenpoint has a life for nightlife lovers. There are a couple of family-owned dive bars like Broken Land.
Getting to the neighborhood is a bit tricky as you need to change trains to reach here. The G train is the only subway line in Greenpoint which runs from Queens to Brooklyn. However, you can also reach here through ‘The East River Ferry line’. Bikers and joggers can get to the center of Greenpoint through ‘The Pulaski Bridge’.
Rents in this area are lower as compared to the other neighborhoods but they are also on the rising side as the popularity of Greenpoint is increasing. The area is filled with newly-built luxury condos and elegant brownstones.
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