Shopping Report - Dumbo, Brklyn

DUMBO - Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass - what will they think of next to name the next hip enclave? Dumbo, Brooklyn's riverfront neighborhood, has actually been around awhile, and to my surprise on a recent trip, Dumbo has grown hipper by the second. Back in 2001 I was lucky enough to have my design studio and factory in the Gair industrial building on Water Street. For nothing a month, I had a fabulous view of the Manhattan skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge was within arm's reach. Back then we had Peas & Pickles (the local grocery store and where I got my daily dose of sushi for lunch), a pizza joint on the corner, the hip restaurant Rice, Jacques Torres chocolatier, and Bliss Spa's headquarters (unfortunately, not open to the public.) Today, it's a much different story, with a huge West Elm flagship, Starbucks, 3 high-end baby stores, 3 womens boutiques, a bank, a Bosche showroom, and a new green space along the waterfront. I guess a lot can happen in the span of a few years, but it feels like just a blink of an eye for me. For my last hurrah in NYC before heading home to La La Land, I trekked over to Dumbo from Brooklyn Heights, a quick walk along tiny cobblestone streets with the NYC skyline to my left.

First stop along Water Street, and a must, was at Jacques Torres for their much coveted chocolates to-go. Also picked up a canister of their famous hot chocolate in hopes of replicating the experience at home. At the corner of Main and Water there's a huge outpost for fancy-pants kitchen equipment at the Bosch showroom (this is where you purchase your stainless steel appliances for those fancy lofts in DUMBO.) And caticorner there's a new artbook store which caters to the many artists and collectors that live/work in this warehouse district. Around the corner along the waterfront is the finally completed Brooklyn Bridge park with a spacious green space, pirate-themed playground, and lovely path along the waterfront (the lapping water along the pebbled beach area almost for a second made me think, "I could live here, it's not totally landlocked." But then, I remember you can't swim in the East River and got over it.)

Back up to Main Street at Front Street, low and behold, there's a Starbucks. The end is near...but I guess these poor folks need a good coffee and Jacques Torres hot chocolate doesn't cut it on a daily basis. Over on Main Street things have really gone up a notch with the conversion of 70 Washington Street to luxury lofts and the upscale womens boutique Zoe. I was in heaven at this store, drooling over the Chloe, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and Missoni. I great find for those in the hood who don't want to trek to Jeffrey's or Barney's in Manhattan. I was happy to see that Rice, across the street, was still there, and now has a lounge called Low Bar. Enjoyed my favorite Thai chicken curry dish with black rice before venturing on with more discoveries. Also on Washington Street are two new baby stores - Half Pint (tons of Small Paul, Tea, and pricey strollers) and Pomme (a minimalist underground store featuring uber expensive imports from France.) Along Front Street there are two new womens boutiques - Loopy Mango (a vintage-inspired boutique featuring their own in-house crochet line, Current Elliot, Lyell, Hazel Brown, Made, and Mike & Chris) and Blueberi (home to Stacia, Citizens of Humanity, and beautifully displayed full ensembles complete with jewelry on the racks.) Around the corner on Pearl Street I was happy to see my old buddies at Halcyon (who used to be my neighbors on Smith Street and where Stacia once held an event) are still in business and thriving in Dumbo with their retro-inspired record shop slash hip hangout with live events. Further down on Pearl and somewhat off the beaten path is a super minimalist baby shop, Modern Tots, that takes furnishing the kid's room to a higher level. It's the Swedish Ikea look, but with a hefty price tag.

So I'm happy to say, my vision of Dumbo is almost complete. A little sad that my studio is no longer there and more than a few artists displaced with the conversion of 70 Washington Street, but cheers to Dumbo for growing and staying cool. Dumbo has certainly given Tribeca a run for its money!