Greenpoint

by Kathleen Wereszynski

Greenpoint, Williamsburg’s sleepy little sister to the north, is waking up. But the Point’s vibe is decidedly more laid-back than its better-known neighbor. Perhaps because its out-of-the-way locale keeps Manhattan’s curious at bay. Or maybe it’s because the Polish immigrants that continue to call the neighborhood home keep the mood in check.

Slowly, and one by one, new restaurants, bars and storefronts are opening up from Nassau Ave. to Huron St. They sit comfortably between diners that serve up pieorgie and borscht, discount stores and dive bars. Trailblazing anchors like the Thai Café and The Garden organic grocery store to the north and Enid’s bar to the south now have company.

The Pencil Factory pub, 142 Franklin St. at the corner of Greenpoint Ave., is the perfect place to relax with friends and have a pint. After opening in mid-December in the home of the former Miltonian Social Club, the much needed neighborhood bar has attracted a real cross-section of the community: Polish gents, artist types and some of Brooklyn’s bravest.

“We've been completely god-smacked by the response,” says owner Louise Favier. Since opening night, the bar has been doing a better-than-brisk business, with a crowd of about 50 on weekend evenings. They sip on pints of Guinness, Boddingtons and Pilsner Urquell – there are 10 taps in all -- and munch on pizza from Cristardi’s. But the attention to beverage selection doesn’t stop with the beer.

The Pencil Factory’s by-the-glass wine selection is thoughtful and a steal at just $4. Sample the Cape Indaba cabernet from South Africa or the Tarapaca chardonnay from Chile. The space is beautiful, yet comfortable, with a wood floor, tin ceiling and brick walls. The long, mahogany bar fronts wood cabinets set off by modern light fixtures. There are benches and long tables to encourage conversation, which can actually be heard over soft strains of Lucinda Williams and Ella Fitzgerald. The dog-friendly Pencil Factory opens at 1 p.m. each day and offers lox and bagels on weekends.

The much-lauded Photoplay video and DVD rental store, 933 Manhattan Ave., opened in late October. Photoplay specializes in classic, foreign, independent and cult titles.

Owner Michael Sayers, who previously worked as a film programmer at Film Forum in Manhattan, said he opened the store because there was a lack of good movies available in the neighborhood he calls home.

The user-friendly store is organized by country and director for foreign films, by decade for U.S. films, and also by genre: documentary, science fiction, film noir, musicals, westerns, television, blaxploitation, martial arts and silent. And unlike most video stores that make customers feel claustrophobic, Photoplay has an open space atmosphere.

Out of print and unusual titles include “The Honeymoon Killers” and David Lynch’s “On the Air” television show, which only lasted seven episodes. A table of reference books for sale and browsing allows customers to do some research before they select a film to take home.

“People are very happy to have access to films without having to go into another neighborhood, or into Manhattan, something that’s available on the way home after getting off the G-train,” Sayers said. Photoplay is open daily from noon to 11 p.m.

Dining options have expanded in the neighborhood as well. Little Poland might soon share the nickname Little Thailand. Dotting Manhattan Ave. are Amarin Café and Moon Shadow near the Nassau Ave. G stop and Thai Café and OTT near the Greenpoint Ave. G stop. And Wasabi Japanese restaurant, with an original outpost on Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg, has opened a second location in Greenpoint.

Rounding out the new Manhattan Ave. options are Divine Follie, a romantic Italian restaurant that serves up pastas, risottos and paninis, and San Diego Mexican Restaurant, where Greenpoint’s Mexican population and hipsters alike dine on authentic dishes such as chiles rellenos and chicken in mole sauce, while salsa and meringue play on the jukebox.

Further up Manhattan Ave. is the Java and Wood coffee house. Customers drink coffee drinks, teas and chais while flamenco music plays on the stereo. They occupy themselves with chess, Monopoly and all kinds of board games as well as various used book titles. Some of the wood furniture is for sale because the owner also owns a furniture store up the street. Java and Wood, open until 10 p.m., hosts poetry readings as well as live music on Sundays.

Where They’re At:

BARS:

Pencil Factory
142 Franklin St. at the corner of Greenpoint Ave.
718.609.5858

Enid’s
560 Manhattan Ave.
718. 349-3859

Splendid Bar & Café
132 Greenpoint Ave.
718.389.1900

Java and Wood
1009 Manhattan Ave. between Huron and Green streets

STORES:

The Garden
Manhattan Ave.
718.389.6448

Photoplay
933 Manhattan Ave. between Java and Kent streets
718.383.7782

RESTAURANTS:

Thai Café
925 Manhattan Ave.
718.383.3562

OTT
970 Manhattan Ave.
718. 609.2416

Amarin Café
617 Manhattan Ave.
718.349.2788

Moon Shadow
643 Manhattan Ave.
718.609.1841

Wasabi
638 Manhattan Ave.
718.609.9368

San Diego Mexican Restaurant
999 Manhattan Ave. between Huron and Green streets
718.389.7747

Divine Follie
929 Manhattan Ave.
718.389.6770