Cool Streets

Java Street

There are a few streets down by the Greenpoint waterfront where even the Google Street View car does not bother to venture. One of them is Java Street, where the road is still made of original Belgian blocks. Other streets have had their Belgian blocks either removed or paved over.

The environmental impact statement for Greenpoint Landing, the development just to the north of Java Street notes that “Worn paving along West Street also reveals the underlying Belgian block paving; Belgian block paving lines the entirety of Java Street as well.”

Franklin Street

It’s no secret that Franklin Street is the neighborhood’s chic street. Brooklyn Paper declared it Brooklyn’s new hotspot back in 2007. The Wall Street Journal dedicated an article to the street in 2011. A year later, The New York Times declared it a fashion avenue. Nonetheless, the street’s mix of restaurants, bars, and boutiques continue to make it a draw. Close enough to the waterfront for that industrial chic and with new development along the way on the coast, Franklin Street’s “cool” reputation is likely here to stay.