Greenpoint is the northern corner pocket neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Greenpoint is largely a working class neighborhood sometimes referred to as "Little Poland" due to its large population of working-class Polish immigrants, reportedly the second largest concentration in the United States after Chicago.
You can see the skyscrapers of Manhattan in the distance, with the East River between, separating Brooklyn and Manhattan. In the early days of Brooklyn, Greenpoint was mainly farmland. Come the 19th century it became highly industrialized like most of North Brooklyn with a focus on shipbuilding, given its proximity to the water. The Polish settled the area before the turn of the century and Greenpoint has been categorized as a predominantly Polish neighborhood ever since.
There is a definite Polish feel to the neighborhood churches and buildings. To the left in the photo collage above is St. Anthony - St. Alphonse Catholic Church. Its Gothic Revival style has a strong presence on Manhattan Avenue. The Polish National Church of the Resurrection, on the right in the collage above, is located on Leonard Street.
At Slodycze Wedel is a Polish specialty candy store located at 772 Manhattan Avenue
The shelves were filled with all kinds of Poland imported chocolates and wafer candies and cookies.
It even had a friendly, purring cat, who was all decked out in a shirt collar and tie.
I peeked into the windows of various bakeries....
....where I saw the most delicious babkas, breads, donuts and pastries. It took great self control for me to not buy a cheese babka as they looked so good! Perhaps I'll come back after my daughter's wedding, when I am not dieting any longer ... sigh.
Another temptation were the fresh, daily made donuts at the Peter Pan Donut and Pastry Shop, located at 727 Manhattan Ave. in Greenpoint.
They have such a large following of fans from all over Brooklyn that they often sell out all their delicious home made donuts quickly. The jelly donuts are especially good!
The meat stores in Greenpoint are a sight for both the eyes and the nose, because as soon as you walk inside....
...the spicy, garlicky, salty, and sweet smells of kielbasi, sausage, and other cured meats immediately whiffs into your nostrils. It is a carnivores delight!
Just look at the size of those sausages! I was also tempted by the stuffed cabbage rolls that were for sale.
Even the newsstands in Greenpoint are dominated by Polish and Eastern European magazines and newspapers.
The Greenpoint neighborhood is served by the G line subway -- the only NYC subway that does not enter Manhattan. This fact has hindered the growth of Greenpoint but many young people are beginning to spill over from the adjoining Williamsburg neighborhood, due to the slightly more affordable rents that are available
Housing is varied, from a few brownstones to...
... predominately plain, wood frame and brick multi family homes.
That is not to say that real estate is cheap here, as you can see by this photo buildings for sale on a real estate office.
Greenpoint Brooklyn is certainly a colorful place to visit!
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