Bay Ridge is gearing up to stay put!
Memorial Day weekend is here, and we suggest spending your extra-long break from work on a leisurely staycation right here in Brooklyn’s best neighborhood, where there are plenty of sights and new spots to visit.
Kick off your weekend with a relaxing stroll along Fifth Avenue for the Storefront Art Walk (Fifth Avenue between 68th and 83rd streets), featuring the work of 15 painters, photographers, craftsmen, and others artists, who have spruced up the window fronts of stores along the commercial corridor. Among the installations you’ll find comic book-inspired sketches, razor wire sculptures, and whimsical window murals.
After you’ve sated your appetite for culture, tour a few new-to-the-nabe joints and satisfy your hunger for good grub. Third Avenue has a collection of new spots that offer something for everyone in your crew.
Stroll over the Georgian Dream Cafe (8309 Third Ave. between 83rd and 84th streets) for a cozy space with Eastern European comfort food including khinkali, known as Georgian dumplings, and a bubbling cheese bread topped with runny egg called acharuli khachapuri that is perfect for sharing. Or sink your teeth into some souvlaki at the Blue Door Souvlakia (8413 Third Ave. between 85th and 84th), which has an atmosphere that will make you think you’re kicking back on the Greek island of Santorini. Then satisfy your post-meal sweet tooth with a smoothie or fruit bowl at the funky health food joint Baya Bowls (9417 Third Ave. between 94th and 95th), which serves cleverly named treats like the “Acai-U-Later” smoothie, the “Bella Nutella” shake, and — our personal favorite — the “Kale Mary.”
Finally, cap your weekend with a cruise on one of the city’s new ferries for a nautical view of your favorite nabe. Venture just north of Bay Ridge to Sunset Park’s Brooklyn Army Terminal (80 58th St. at First Avenue), where a mere $2.75 will score you a 45-minute spin to the Rockaways, complete with a cruise parallel to the Ridge and up close and personal view of the Verrazano–Narrows Bridge.
