Out and About in D.U.M.B.O.
by Deborah Au-Yeung

7:00 pm, NO F TRAIN FOR ME – I’m getting off. Of work, that is. I think it’d be nice to get some exercise by walking home from my office in the Masonic building on 23rd and 6th. I work at one of those hot new media agencies, the ones that people get excited about, because they pray that the IPO is going to set them free from debt and then some. At least, that’s what’s been getting me excited. But after almost a year of being a desk-jockey for ten hours a day, staring at the computer screen and barely moving, my ass has become, well, a little…soft. So I decided to hoof it home to DUMBO and whittle some ass-fat off.

The DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) section of Brooklyn, is an industrial neighborhood where some of the last affordable loft spaces close to Manhattan can be found. Unfortunately, big, bad real estate developer, David C. Walentas and his Two Trees real estate group has snatched up a lot of buildings. Two blocks away from my loft, there is a building full of multi-million dollar condos. (Read: no artists.) A cineplex, two parking garages and a shopping mall were formerly in the works, but was struck down by the community board in mid- December 1999. The Department of City Planning is now planning a park which would link-up new and existing public spaces through a greenway/bikeway stretching from Greenpoint to Red Hook. The design plan for the future Brooklyn Bridge Park provides for a public park that adapts and reuses the historical pier spaces, but attaining these goals may require complementing recreational development with certain commercial uses such as a hotel, conference center, and marina.  The fear of rampant commercialism is still in the air.  With these plans in the works, DUMBO is still in danger of being gentrified and a lot or artists are going to get the boot. But for now, there still isn’t much of anything around as far as the eye can see. There are no supermarkets, no Starbucks, no newsstands, and no laundromats. If you want those amenities, you gotta haul ass to Brooklyn Heights.

On Jay Street, there’s the Chinese mechanics working on trucks at the auto-body shop, Pedro’s, a fast food Spanish place, which isn’t open past 5pm, and the Jay Street Mini-Mart that just opened in October. On York and Adams, there’s a great little blue-collar bar called Between the Bridges and the super-fresh, super-fabulous little eatery called Superfine located on York and Adams, but more on that later.

Popping out of the revolving doors on 23rd Street, I’m slapped by the winter wind. It’s nippy out, but I’ve prepared by donning my polar fleece camouflage scarf and a safety orange-colored wool cap. I’m warm and won’t get shot by random deer-hunters. It takes me 30 minutes to make it down Broadway to the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge and suddenly, I’m looking at the long, empty pedestrian walkway and thinking, “Where do I get these brilliant ideas?” Then a bicyclist and a jogger sweep by and I tighten my scarf and set off up the promenade. By the time I reach the first tower, I’ve broken a sweat and take a minute to look behind me at Manhattan. Lower Manhattan’s sparkling skyline looms large and Pier 17 twinkles below. I’m born and bred in Queens, but there’s something about the skyline and the East and Hudson River views which always gets me. Not wanting to be mistaken for a tourist, I only look for a minute and then get going.

8PM, DINNER TIME - I get off on the first staircase and make a left on Washington Street, two blocks down to York Street, and boy, am I starving. Beat, but not broke, I head toward the lights of the Between the Bridges Pub (63 York Street, 718-237-1977) where I’m going to have a pint o’ Bass and catch up with my Superfine friends. Superfine (63 York Street, 718-243-9005) is the eatery located next to the pub that serves some mighty-tasty lunch and dinner, Monday-Friday and dinner on Saturdays.

When I first moved to DUMBO in August, covered in dirt from hauling my worldly possessions up two flights of stairs and damn thirsty, I wandered into Superfine and met the girls. Laura, Tanya, and Cara Lee are the co-owners of this ultra-cool establishment where local artists display their artwork on the walls and Manhattan Bridge workers, artists and locals stop by for a bite to eat and to catch up on local events. After Laura the Cook kicked my ass and my best friend Jen’s ass in a couple of rounds of pool, we chowed down on the juiciest, tastiest organic burgers and shoestring fries ever. Fresh and affordable, seasonal, Mediterranean-style organic dishes in a creative, welcoming, bohemian space--I’m addicted.

Anyway, after saying hi to Laura and Jesse in the kitchen and Tanya, who’s running around, I clamber onto a stool at the counter next to the illuminated, pearl-wearing plastic goose and survey the menu board. The small menu (about 7 items) changes regularly. The Superfine Burger with shoestring fries is always on the menu as is the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, tonight with aioli, a garlic-lemon mayonnaise, and pancetta, a salt-and-spice-cured Italian bacon. The salad of the night is Salad Greens with Roasted Beets and Gorgonzola and there’s also a seafood du jour, Seafood Stew. Usually, I’m big into the burger, but I feel like something special tonight.

“Hey, Laura, what’s in the seafood stew?” I shout into the kitchen.

“Aw, the seafood stew is amazing! You havin’ that tonight? It’s got sea bass, sweet little cockles, and mussels in a spicy tomato stew with new potatoes and aioli.” Laura, yells back.

Decision: stew.

I run to the bar, grab a pint and check out the art. Black-and-white photography by Tina West adorns the walls this week. Tina a local photographer who has shown work at the Robin Rice Gallery in Manhattan (http://www.nystyle.com/rrice/) and at DUMBO’s Gale Gates et al. gallery and performance space (http://www.galegatesetal.org/). Superfine showcases local artists regularly and keeps a pulse on the burgeoning art scene. On the counter are stacks of flyers and cards for local events such as the recent FashionLab fashion show.

Last week I picked up a flyer for the event at the Smack Mellon Studios (http://www.smackmellon.org/) on Water Street. Smack Mellon is a 17,000-square-foot former spice factory, which has since been converted into a gallery/performance space with plans for artists-in-residence and recording studios. While I’m perusing upcoming events, my seafood stew arrives. The sea bass and cockles are sweet, balanced by the peppery broth, and the mussels are tender and tasty. Between bites of seafood and gulps of my second pint, I dip the potatoes in the garlicky aioli and sop up the broth with the sourdough bread from Sullivan Street Bakery.

9:59pm, I CAN AFFORD A CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE - I’m done chowing, and on my third pint, when a guy wearing Kevlar-padded leather cycling gear and a silver hemlet, runs up to the counter and begs for two Superfine burgers. The kitchen usually closes at 10pm, but of course, Laura throws down two ½ pound babies on the grill for him.

“Yeah, those are damn fine burgers,” I say.

“Oh, definitely. I haven’t had another since I found these.” He looks me in the eye, trying to figure out if I’m drunk or just chatty. “Name’s Scott Chester. Do you live in the neighborhood?”

“Sure do. What about yourself?”

“Yeah, I live nearby. I own a custom motorcycle shop.”

“Cool, I’ve been looking into getting a bike.” I say, although I don’t know where that came from since I couldn’t possibly afford to get a custom bike. “Do you have a website? I work in web design, production.”

His eyes light up, “I definitely need some site work done.” He scribbles down the URL, his name and number. “And we can look into getting you a bike.”

“Call me. I’ll try to hook you up.” I say, nodding and having some more beer.

Laura and Tanya look at me from the kitchen and sigh.  My neighborhood networking never ends.

10:30pm, happy beery girl – By now, I’m ready to hit the hay. I work in the new media industry and they work me like a dog. And I love it. On the old cobblestone and rail-crossed streets, I walk towards my loft on Plymouth Street, the beer keeping me warm against the wind. Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge light my way home, while the D train rumbles by overhead. At my door, I take a last look. I’m home.

Deborah Au-Yeung spends the majority of her time hibernating in her D.U.M.B.O. loft, writing short fiction and jamming on her electric bass.  She also works at Organic, dabbling in the wacky world of new media.  When she’s not wandering the waterfront on the cobblestone streets of the ‘hood, she can be found sitting at the counter of her favorite local eatery, Superfine.  Please Note: She likes her burgers medium-rare.

Back to the top

Post your comments to the Metropolitan Bulletin Board

About Us 9.11.01 Hardcopy Letters Writers Group Links + Staff Legal Statements