NY Mag Best of NY 2009: Dumbo

New York Magazine’s Best of New York issue, released this week, has a few Dumbo (and Downtown Brooklyn) winners for 2009:

  • Best Bakery: Almondine Bakery, 85 Water St., nr. Main St., Dumbo; 718-797-5026
  • Best Playground: Brooklyn Bridge Park, Main St. at Plymouth St., Dumbo
  • Best Cubicle Rental: Green Desk, 155 Water St., nr. Anchorage Pl., Dumbo; 718-210-3650
  • Best Organizer: Sonia Kashuk Makeup Bag, Target, 139 Flatbush Ave., nr. Atlantic Ave., Downtown Brooklyn; 718-290-1109
  • Best DIY Home: Urban Glass, 647 Fulton St., nr. Rockwell Pl., Dumbo; 718-625-3685
  • Best Home Bargains: Nova Zembla, 117 Atlantic Ave., Downtown Brooklyn; 718-222-5705

Congratulations! After the jump, NY Mag’s description of Almondine, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and Green Desk.

{NY Mag Best of 2008, 05Mar2008}
Green Desk photo credit: Frank Oudeman/Courtesy of Green Desk


Best Bakery: Almondine

What you look for in a proper French bakery: a buttery croissant that’s so flaky it “weeps” when you bite into it; a crusty baguette with an airy, fragrant crumb; and a baker-proprietor who’s so omnipresent he must sleep on a cot next to the oven. That’s what you get at Almondine, where Hervé Poussot, formerly of Le Bernardin and Windows on the World, keeps his Dumbo clientele awash in lush raspberry doughnuts, artful tarts and pies, hefty sandwiches, saucer-size cookies, and a hot chocolate that rivals Jacques Torres’s across the street. Both the baker and his inventory are French, but not too, which means he’s open to innovations like a signature baguette that’s part whole wheat, and a soft, chewy pretzel roll blanketed with melted Gruyère.

Best Playground: Brooklyn Bridge Park

Parental warning: You might be able to keep your eyes on your child as she tumbles around Brooklyn Bridge Park’s fantastic, nautical-themed playground, but you will not be able to keep that child clean. Just check out those toddlers commando-crawling out of the hull-shaped sandbox with mud all over their chests. Or the platoon of 5-year-olds sprinting through what may be the city’s tallest-spraying sprinklers and testing out climbing maneuvers on the pirate-ship-shaped obstacle course of ladders and slides. Then again, parents are usually too busy admiring the postcard views across the East River to get overprotective. But when their services are finally called upon, there are bathrooms and kiddie food nearby at Bubby’s and Front Street Pizza. Bring a change of clothes.

Best Cubicle Rental: Green Desk

When it comes to the basics, Green Desk finds a happy medium between the two office-rental extremes (generic and grim vs. slick and expensive). But there’s much more than good looks to recommend this space. The smallest open cubicle ($375 per month) enjoys the same amenities as the biggest corner office ($4,500): free Wi-Fi connectivity, a receptionist to direct visitors, access to conference rooms, and a shared kitchen. Those longing for human interaction can cast about for a new work best friend among the various entrepreneurs (filmmakers, website designers, lawyers, TV producers, perfumers, etc.) who have set up shop. On top of everything else, the owners have made a serious commitment to sustainability—all four floors are wind-powered and have energy-efficient lighting and free organic-coffee stations, and a recycling program means you may end up in an ergonomic chair formerly occupied by a Wall Street titan.

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