Advice for moving in Williamsburg Brooklyn

by Paul Lenkiewicz

Williamsburg has become one of the most popular neighborhoods in NYC

Whether it is all the new construction and proximity to Downtown Manhattan, or because of the hipster charm of its own, Williamsburg appeal is undeniable in recent years. If you are considering moving to Williamsburg or Brooklyn, we put together some tips from locals.

Transportation

The most coveted spot in this part of Brooklyn is the Bedford stop on the L train. There has been a lot of drama surrounding the Canarsie Tunnel and the repairs to be done to it to repair damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Without a path from Bedford Ave to Manhattan on the L train, major part of the appeal would be gone. Luckily, in the beginning of 2019 Gov. Cuomo has announced that the 15 month shutdown of the tunnel is scrapped. For now the L train will still get you from Bedford Ave to Union Square 14th street in under 10 minutes. In addition to the L train, you also have the often forgotten green G train at Metropolitan Ave to get you to Queens, Prospect park and South Brooklyn easily with many transfers along the way.

Parking

While many New Yorkers do not drive and do not consider this to be a priority, Williamsburg is actually a very driveable part of the city. With access to the BQE, Williamsburg Bridge, and Pulaski and Kosciuszko Bridges, it is not a bad place to own a car. Most streets are still alternate side free parking, and because most people in the neighborhoods either do not own a car or have a garage, parking is actually easier than many other parts of Brooklyn – with one notable exception being the waterfront.

Restaurants

Williamsburg is home to some of the most original places to eat in New York. You can find great value on most busy streets. SEA – a large Thai restaurant at 114 North 6th street has been a staple of the neighborhood almost before the neighborhood was cool. It used to be an experience to find it buried among old warehouses in a somewhat shifty part of town in the late 2000’s, but the neighborhood has completely transformed around it, with high rises and many other fancy establishments surrounding SEA today. Here are some of our favorite places to eat in Williamsburg

King County Imperial at 20 Skillman Ave – Modern Chinese made with local ingredients, including some from its own garden. This place gets very busy, as it has some of the best dumplings in NYC.
Llama Inn at 50 Withers St – Quality Peruvian dishes in a great atmosphere. Do not forget to try their Pisco while visiting.
Pates et Traditions at 52 Havemeyer St – South-of-France restaurant specializing in crepes, with great cocktails that just beg to visit every weekend for Brunch
House of Small Wonder at 77 N 6th St – funky tucked away cash-only Japanese cafe that is almost outdoors with a large tree growing right through the middle of it, focusing on quality over quantity.
Juliette at 135 N 5th St – Basically French fine dining at extremely reasonable prices for NYC. Food is solid every single time. What more can you ask for?

Nightlife

I know that everything has been super positive so far, and that’s not going to change with the nightlife. There appears to be just an endless string of great bars in the area. There are the neighborhood staples such as Whiskey Brooklyn, the Panther Room (formerly Output) and Freehold. You are guaranteed to find loads of young people partying there every weekend. Some possibly less well known spots include:

Barcade at 388 Union Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211 – As the name indicates, it is bar + arcades. This is the original location for a spot that now has several locations around NYC, in addition to New Haven, Philadelphia and LA. They have some really awesome vintage arcades for a blast from the past.
Bushwick Country Club at 618 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 – Technically Bushwick, but who cares. Definitely a unique vibe at this ironically named bar featuring cheap drinks, a photo booth & a six-hole mini-golf course.
Alligator Lounge at 600 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211 – Free pizza with every drink. Seriously. Pool, awesome karaoke in the back, arcades. This is a neighborhood staple, right off the Lorimer stop on the L train.
Banter at 132 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 – If you are a big foosball or soccer fan in general, this bar has some serious Euro vibes. The competition at the Foosball table tends to be fierce, and the beer selection isn’t all IPAs.
Radagast Hall at 113 N 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 – Sprawling, boisterous beer hall offering brews, grilled wursts & regularly scheduled live music.
Berry Park at 4 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11211 – One of the first venues in this part of Williamsburg. Has been successful for years because of the awesome rooftop bar, young crowd, and great music.

Moving to Williamsburg/Brooklyn

An insider’s tip about moving to Williamsburg is that it is actually significantly cheaper to move to than Manhattan. Because many moving companies actually keeping their trucks around Brooklyn at night (truck parking lots in Manhattan – yeah right), their travel is much shorter and the savings are passed on to you. If you are moving yourself, the proximity of the many truck rental locations including some small businesses will be beneficial. Lastly, parking and tickets in Brooklyn are not nearly as much of a problem as Manhattan. You can get offers from local moving companies, including those based on Brooklyn via Citymove, without having to email or call each one.