Everybody who has lived in New York for more than a decade can tell at least one "woulda-coulda-shoulda" tale about New York real estate. I'll keep mine short. On the way, we would fantasize about opening our own place in one of the surrounding run-down storefronts.
Then we would laugh; at the time, Williamsburg was a gritty square mile or so most often associated with dilapidated factories, immigrant families, Hasidic Jews, and a few artsy pioneers.
Few could imagine it would ever be a bustling center of urban energyβmuch less a legitimate culinary hotbed only one subway stop from downtown Manhattan. Adam and I still trek out to Luger, but we're not laughing so much. Instead, the transformed Williamsburg taunts us with visions of what might have been.
Now it's a destination that no self-respecting foodie can miss. On a day trip, you might visit an old Polish restaurant for a late breakfast, while away a few hours at a combination art installation and historical museum, then hit a few galleries along Grand Street.
Having completed all this cultural reconnaissance, you can treat yourself to drinks, then dinner, at any of the string of Manhattan-worthy bars and restaurants. One note: When I set out to write this article, a friend challenged me to do so without once using the term hipster.
