NY: Bakeri

Bakeri
Address: 150 Wythe Avenue
Neighbourhood: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
website, @twitter, Tel: 718.388.8037

Finding those local charms is fair from easy, not only do you need to have a good insight, but recommendations from trusted sources is key. Sure, one can look up top 10 cafes in Brooklyn, but Bakeri may not be included. It really should. Located on the outer limits of Williamsburg, past all the industrial warehouses, but still within a good walking distance from the Metro is this cafe.

NY: Gimme! more BK

Do you ever go on vacation, but try to maintain your workout schedule?

We really tried while in NYC, but sometimes there is just too much excitement that we couldn't wake-up before the blistering heat wave. The photo above is pre-run with my BFF - gets dragged along to Espresso Adventures religiously and is subjected as a sounding board.. you have one of those friends that you can always count on.... So we dragged our butts out of our rented apartment and went out to explore Williamsburg, BK.

gimme! Coffee
Address: 495 Lormier Street
Neighbourhood: Williamsburg, BK
website, @twitter, Tel: (718) 388-7771

Acquainting yourself with the neighbourhood during your holidays is the best feeling of discovery. Stumbling upon the cafe you were searching for last trip is even bigger bonus. First it happened with Oslo then gimme! We designed our route that we would run up to Manhattan Avenue and loop back towards Lormier. We weren't going for distance, more about exploration. Found some good street art, boutique shops to visit later, and a "White Castle" restaurant. How amazing.
Vibrancy is an appropriate word for the transformation of this once predominately Hisidic Jewish, and Latin community.
Vintage shops, independent cafes, condos, restaurants, popping up like a well-maintained plant.

NY: Cafe Grumpy (Park Slope)

Cafe Grumpy
Address: 383 7th Avenue
Neighbourhood: Park Slope
Borough: Brooklyn
website, @cafegrumpy, 718-499-4409

 A visit over to Prospect Park, meant that I'd be able to see what's happening at the narrow location of Cafe Grumpy in Park Slope. Literally less than 10 minute walk from the lushish greenery, I was treated to a hand poured cup using a Kone Chemex Filter made by Coava Coffee. As I approached the exterior of the unassuming location, I spotted a couple sitting on the bench outside, enjoying their Iced Drinks. It's been quite the swelter in NYC with temperatures reaching 27+ degree range (80ishF), but the rain has also made the days not so enjoyable.

NY: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

Vanleeuwen Ice Cream
Address: 632 Manhattan Avenue (Bedford/Nassau)
Neighbourhood: Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Address: 81 Bergen Street
Neighbourhood: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn

website, @vlaic,

NYC is such a charmer with cafes being cafes, but they also know how to use space, and in a creative way. Food Trucks are a large part of Urban culture and we're glad to see Food Trucks come to Toronto this July (#FoodTruckEats) Good food on the go, makes a huge difference in the lives of native NewYorkers.
Spotted on Bedford Street were many Mexican/Taco food trucks, slinging out not the usual suspects of Chinese food (we see around Robarts), but freshly grilled and served straight up good eats.

NY: Blue Bottle Manual

Blue Bottle Williamsburg
Address: 150 Berry Street (N.6th and Berry)
Neighboruhood: Williamsburg

Borough Brooklyn, New York 

website, @bluebottlenyc (718) 387-4160

 Since breaking into the neighbourhood in 2010, the West coast staple brings a la minute grinding to each cup. Personalized care goes into every cup - but what impresses coffee geeks alike is the offering of coffee week to week.
Seasonal single-origins are available through drip and espresso on the re-mastered 1950 Faema Urania - one of the few manual machines within NYC.
The Vibe within the cafe is excitement, and curosity. As my friends have requested to visit this location - I take the opportunity to have something other than mainstay Hayes Valley Espresso Blend.

NY: Blue Bottle

Blue Bottle Williamsburg

Address: 160 Berry St
Neighbourhood: Williamsburg

Borough Brooklyn, New York 

website, @bluebottlenyc (718) 387-4160

Spring time awaits us, and a trip back to the Big Apple called me over - so the invitation was accepted. Instead of living over in Greenwich Village in the city, I needed a different game plan. It was decided that Brooklyn would be the base location. In particular Williamsburg, located on the L line - it seemed fitting for a visitor to have the best of both worlds. The city within 10-15minutes on the L line and the local artisan feel of emerging Williamsburg. Being impressed with Cafe Grumpy, and Oslo - it made me want to become a local for the week that was to be spent in NYC. H Factor in full force! Team Canada let's GO! Bit of a rain delay - but BK we got you.

NY: Blue Bottle Coffee (Brooklyn)

Address: 160 Berry St
Neighbourhood: Williamsburg
Borough: Brooklyn, New York
Tel: (718) 534-5488 bluebottlecoffee.net‎
@bluebottlenyc


This West coast transplant found itself a new home in the depths of Williamsburg, nestling into a brick-based factory style loft on a seemingly ordinary residential street.  Blue Bottle has been a staple of the Bay area scene since 2002, taking it's simple desire of providing freshly roasted coffee to their neighbourhoods. Not far off from their quest to bring their knowledge to the East Coast almost a decade later. Can this transplant survive in cutthroat NYC?

NY: Oslo (Williamsburg, BK)

Oslo Coffee Roasters

Address:133 Roebling St. (map)
Neighbourhood: Williamsburg
Borough: Brooklyn
(718) 782-0332 website

Inspired by  Norwegian culture, and their mythical gods, comes this neighborhood centred cafe. Massive over sized doors, and many wood themed accents invoke a Scandinavian inspired design. This is everything that Williamsburg stands for: Community, community, community!

Having just stepped into the cafe, the duo team of John and jd made my visit definitely worth wild. The smallest details made me appreciate what the neighbourhood has on its hands, quality coffee with a sense of belonging. They even designed swim caps for the local Masters Swim Club. A TRUE neighbourhood cafe. Roast local, serve local, be local!

Large offset communal tables in the front dispersed with a great array of magazines reflect the interest of their customers. Surfing, Design, Current Events, seemed pretty Hodge podge to me, but it's what the community embraces. Sounds like a meeting places of different minds, mentalities and interests.

NY: Cafe Grumpy (Greenpoint)

Address:193 Meserole Avenue
Neighbourhood: Greenpoint
Borough: Brooklyn
website; @cafegrumpy ;(718) 349-7623

Coming over on the G line and popping up at Greenpoint Stn, meant a bit of walk through an area saturated with Polish food. What's better is that we stopped in for lunch. Need to refuel for proper EA.
After filling our tummies, we walked over to this clearly cute neighbourhood cafe.
Stepping inside the doors made me feel instantly apart of the hive-network and creative energy in the room. As is typical to cafe culture, chatter and laptop action was prominent. A Long communal table played home to 5 Macs, with couches and smaller tables for close chatter.
The back home to the Roaster, with more tables dispersed throughout/. (read: next post). Exposed brick walls. warm hues of orange, I could definitely sit here for hours.