Williamsburg features plenty to satisfy your eyes and ears. Art galleries such as CPR, Miriam, Soloway, and Tchotchke provide much to look at, as does the neighborhood’s wealth of street art. At venues such as Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn Bowl, Music Hall of Williamsburg, National Sawdust, and St. Mazie you can listen to live jazz quartets, indie rock bands, string ensembles, folk artists, and groups that defy characterization. Williamsburg is packed with other things to enjoy as well, from playing bocce to soaking up the sun while admiring the East River and the Manhattan skyline.
McCarren Park
Straddling the border of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, McCarren Park has just about everything you want in a city park, and then some. Its 35 acres encompass basketball, bocce, handball, and tennis courts; baseball, football, and soccer fields; a playground and a skate park; running tracks and bench-lined walking paths; barbecue areas; an outdoor pool and an indoor rec center that hosts a gamut of classes and get-togethers for seniors, toddlers, and everyone in between.
The City Reliquary
From the outside, the City Reliquary certainly doesn’t look like a museum; its multicolor awning more closely resembles that of a bodega. And inside, well, it doesn’t look much like a traditional museum either. Its main room of this ode to New York City is chock-a-block with paraphernalia and memorabilia. Seltzer bottles and takeout coffee cups are given the same prominence as Statue of Liberty souvenirs and photos of Jackie Robinson; a piece of the Flatiron Building is preserved in a bell jar and bygone subway tokens are kept behind glass.
Domino Park
From 1856 through 2004, this stretch of the East River waterfront was home to the Domino Sugar Refinery. Now, amid salvaged syrup tanks and hoists, this five-acre public park includes an elevated walkway with spectacular views of the river and Manhattan, a one-of-a-kind playground inspired by the workings of the original Domino factory, an 88-jet water feature, beach volleyball and bocce courts, and a dog run. Throughout the warm-weather months the park is also the site of free yoga, salsa, and meditation classes as well as family-friendly performances.
The WAH Center
Formally the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, this exhibition space is an ideal meeting of old and new. The 1867 building, the former Kings County Savings Bank, is on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside are exhibits of contemporary art by local and international artists. Special exhibitions are often accompanied by artist talks and other events.