What's DUMBO?
 

That's all -- what's DUMBO?

Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass (in Brooklyn). Or, flying Disney elephant.

Ah. I'm not familiar with that area. Is it worth exploring next time we're in NY? The only part of Brooklyn I've been to (other than my auntie's apartment when I was a kid), is the River Cafe right at the B'lyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Not particularly unless you want to search out some Brooklyn dive bars. It's still a pretty desolate area, and there's not much to see, though I think there are a few stores over there.

Phew, thanks! I was worried I'd been missing something!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUMBO%2C_Brooklyn

DUMBO was mostly just disused warehouses (sugar factory, the first cardboard box factory, liquor and furniture distribution) until the mid-1980s when a developer (Walentas?) bought a ton of them up for several million dollars. And people thought he overpaid! Anyway, he set out to lure artists there, with the thought that he'd create the next SOHO kind of neighborhood. It took some years, but now DUMBO is pretty cool!

I like very off-the-beaten path kind of stuff, but I brought my father-in-law there to explore, and I think he also thought it was cool. It is THE location for movie filming b/c there are still cobblestone streets and incredible views of Manhattan, framed by these huge bridges.

There are lots of art galleries and a few restaurants. We ate at a sort of over-priced diner that had good food and a great view- I think it was called Bubby's. If you walk a few blocks you can visit a time-warp neighborhood called Vinegar Hill that looks like an early 19th century (late 18th?) neighborhood- all Belgian block streets- and there is also a decommissioned navy commander's residence (mansion) or something, that is now privately owned.

DUMBO is small and you can see most of it in a few hours. There is a famous chocolate shop (Jacques Torres) and you can always eat at Grimaldis (the famous Brooklyn pizza place) if you don't like the offerings in DUMBO proper.

I felt like I was in on a secret, having toured DUMBO, but it's not for a person who likes crowded, big-ticket tourist sites.

Thanks, poodle. I'll look into it next time we're in NY. I'm always up for a new neighbourhood. Maybe it will fit in with my 'walk over the b'lyn bridge' plan. We didn't get around to doing that last time.

These responses inspired me to do some poking around to see if it's worth going. I had heard it was getting developed big time, but have never been there. There is indeed a branch of Bubby's (the original is in Tribeca. Sounds like quite a few restaurants and shops have been moving in, and it is a designated historic district.

I love walking around DUMBO and do so every couple of weeks. I was noticing that there are gobs of European tourists walking around. Its more a "cool" neighborhood, kind of desolate with a great waterfront. Its just a great place to walk around and explore.

Good idea to couple walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, especially right now with the Waterfalls going.

Ah, if only I could do it now but we were just in NY a couple of months ago, then I had to make a second trip to Long Island a few weeks later. Unless fortune smiles on me, it's not likely I'll be in NY again till next spring.

Seeing that I might possibly have inspired someone, here's a recent NY Times article about the changing neighborhood:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/25/ny...mp;oref=slogin

and here are some great photos:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/200...mbo&st=cse

I used to work on Jay Street in Dumbo. This was a couple of years ago, but I really liked the area, cobblestone streets and whatnot. There were some very nice furniture shops around there. I'm sure it's developed a lot since I left the job -- there was a huge high-rise condo building being put up when I quit.