DUMBO
The Vibe
Scenic, upscale, artistic with waterfront charm and industrial heritage. The neighborhood where artist-coined name 'DUMBO' (1978) backfired by attracting developers maintains creative DNA through annual DUMBO Open Studios (155+ artists), Smack Mellon residencies, and CAM's giant owl mural on York/Pearl Streets. The Infatuation highlights Barbuto's Italian at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Vinegar Hill House's summer garden (bring bug spray for pork chop), and Inga's Bar superb double patty burger. River Café offers special-occasion dining with East River views, while Gran Electrica's Mexican and back patio balance upscale Celestine waterfront Mediterranean.
Description
Waterfront neighborhood (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) transformed from 19th-century industrial hub to artist enclave to Brooklyn's most affluent district. Belgian block streets and embedded railroad tracks from the 1904 Jay Street Connecting Railroad preserve the era when Empire Stores warehoused Civil War coffee and Robert Gair's factory invented cardboard boxes. The 1970s-80s artist colonization created studio spaces in vacant warehouses, while contemporary muralist CAM (Craig Anthony Miller) paints giant owls and elephants. Brooklyn Bridge Park offers Manhattan skyline views, while A.I.R. Gallery (first US nonprofit for women artists, 1972) and Smack Mellon anchor the art scene.
Neighborhood Stats
Popular With
- Photographers
- Couples
- Families
- Artists
- Tourists
Key Attributes
- Waterfront
- Scenic
- Upscale
- Artistic
- Industrial Heritage
Food Scene
Italian Barbuto (60 Furman Street, 1 Hotel) serves gnocchi with roasted squash and famous roasted chicken with Brooklyn Bridge Park views. Neighborhood tavern Inga's Bar delivers superb double patty burger and mortadella with grated brown butter (low tourist traffic). Special-occasion River Café offers picturesque East River dining with fixed-price 3-course dinners and private garden. Mexican Gran Electrica provides simple excellent food and creative cocktails with great back patio. Lebanese al Badawi/Ayat serves ouzi lamb and bamia (BYOB, good for groups). Budget options include Din Soup Dumplings (hand-pulled noodles, mushroom-shaped bao) and Thai Sidewalk cart ($20 lobster roll).