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Girl Gone Travel

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August 12, 2013

A Walk Through Williamsburg, Brooklyn

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New York City changes so quickly that what you once knew can be something entirely different a short time later. This ever-evolving shift is the story of New York and as communities come in and out they shape both the landscaping and the culture of the city, sometimes a difficult pill to swallow for those being pushed out or left with the realization that there is no longer a place for them to call home. I returned to such a place during a tour recently.

I spent an afternoon, one of the best ones we’ve had so far, walking around Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I was invited by Jeff of Brooklyn Unplugged Tours to experience one of his tours and since my kids deal well with walking and sightseeing, I brought them as well for the experience.

girlgonetravel_brooklynThe group on the Brooklyn Unplugged tour of Williamsburg.

As a Brooklyn native it is hard to tour through gentrified neighborhoods in the city. We know what was there before, and what isn’t there now. It’s hard because though gentrification has a way of bringing businesses and crowds back into a community that was struggling, it can’t do so without displacing those who lived there before them.

Williamsburg is cool and hip and trendy. It is also expensive and inhabitable to many, most certainly to those who were in the area when I was growing up in Brooklyn. They were the starving artists and young creatives who found the crime riddled area in search of cheap rents and space where they could practice their art. There was a time when a vague flyer handed out to you in the streets would lead you to a vacant lot that was temporarily transformed for one night into an art gallery, where street artists would showcase and sell their work while DJs mixed tunes and some guy would sell beer out of a cooler. Those days are pretty much over and it’s sad to see that culture gone. There was a lot of not so good things too happening back then, signs of which can still be seen in some areas, but for the most part have been replaced with trendy boutiques, cafes, and high rises.

girlgonetravel_brooklyn

girlgonetravel_brooklyn

What I enjoyed about my tour with Jeff is that he was able to tell the story of Williamsburg from the Dutch settlers to today. He walked us through various sections and pointed out historic sites that helped to shape the neighborhood. Williamsburg is colorful and eclectic. Some things about the neighborhood are a little forced and contrived, and that can be annoying, but if you go into it like I did during a tour, you are better able to see past all that and really get to connect with the history of the area.

And to its credit, there are people in Williamsburg who are also trying to maintain the local pride, history, and heritage and are continuously  working to preserve a sense of community in that area – Brooklyn Brewery comes to mind.

girlgonetravel_brooklyn

Though it’s true that Williamsburg is a different kind of beast than what I knew it to be years ago, and change is inevitable – especially in a city like NY – there is a lot of history there and areas that have been preserved and respected throughout the centuries. There’s a strong creative community, though many of the artists are a little better established than the ones that came before them, and there is a lot of community pride among the newer residents to the area. Jeff did a great job at highlighting it all, and giving us a good  insight throughout the tour.

girlgonetravel_brooklyn

If you’ve never been to Williamsburg, this might be a good introduction, and if you have but want a more in-depth view, then this tour will help give you a bit of that. Wear comfortable shoes as it is a walking tour and pack water. You might also want to bring extra cash as you might make stops at local shops. Thanks to our tour guide Jeff for the experience. We learned a lot and had a really fun day.

brooklyn_girlgonetravelThe Williamsburg Mini Mall

girlgonetravel_brooklynMast Brothers Chocolate Factory

Check out the Brooklyn Unplugged Tours site for information on this tour and many others offered throughout the borough.

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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2 Comments
  • Jeff Stirewalt
    August 12, 2013

    Thank you for coming, Carol. I'm glad you and your family enjoyed the tour.
    This article captures the very essence of the Williamsburg experience. It's always great to get insight from folks who have spent time here in the past, who can contrast the streetscape of today with how it was back then.
    It's especially important for first-time arrivals in the area to understand its background, so what can develop is an appreciation for its legacy: the diverse people whose struggle was, is, and will continue to be what makes America great.
    Thanks so much, and cheers!

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Jeff Stirewalt
      August 12, 2013

      Thank you Jeff!

      Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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Follow @girlgonetravel

A message about yesterday’s event: Happy Monday A message about yesterday’s event:

Happy Monday, y’all. Woke up in time to enjoy the soft glow of sunlight that shines its way around our house in the morning, and sipped on a cafecito without being rushed for anything. So already today is a win. 

Yesterday we worked our longest day yet for our little coffee cart that could (7 hours!!!) at the Heritage Fiesta in Ithaca, NY. 

Though we were ready for a crowd, the reception was also unexpected because there was a popular coffee shop just steps away. 

But we had Cómodo Fam stop by, family (who also fed us 🙏🏾), and soooo many members of the Latinx and BIPOC community who were just excited to see a small business like ours representing. 

I want to share that we were ALL worried about potential harassment and assault by 🧊and fliers were handed out to prepare us. And you would think that it would’ve intimidated the community enough to not come out…BUT WE DID. In numbers. 

And for hours that little parking lot next to Press Bay Alley was packed with all sorts of Latinx and non-Latinx community members, eating, laughing, dancing, singing, and drinking all the cafecitos and refreshers we had to offer. Literally. We went home cleaned out!

All this to say that we are all aware of the threats but we also understand the power and importance of coming together as a community and a people. By no means are we all the same, and Lord knows a lot of Latinos have a lot of self-reflecting to do based on the choices they made, but yesterday was a testament to the best of us, and I thank @yenospina and @lcatompkins for putting together such a wonderful event, for inviting @cafecomodony to be a part of it, and to all the friends, old and new, who came out to support us and la cultura. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #cafecomodo #coffeelover
Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite Finally taking a break to enjoy one of my favorite lazy day pastimes of the season: market shopping for fall goodies - which in the Finger Lakes is especially bountiful. 

📍Joseph’s Wayside Markey, Naples, NY

#fingerlakes #newyork #octobermood #fallday
Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The proce Our neighbors are harvesting the grapes. The process is busy and noisy but also exciting and fun to watch. 

This cloudy morning seems to have calmed things down a bit, but not for long I am sure. These families work hard!

Bonus: they set up roadside stands so we can purchase and taste them 🍇 I highly recommend picking some up if you see some in your drive. 

#fingerlakes #lifeinthecountry #newyork
The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️ The rain has been so good. More, please. ❤️
I want to take moment to send out love to my fello I want to take moment to send out love to my fellow Latinx and immigrant community. 

To send strength to my community of glorious misfits who are out in the world making good trouble and emboldening us to not give up hope on our dreams, our livelihoods, our future, our country, our people. 

The country our parents worked so hard to get to so that we could fly. A country they helped build and bring to prosper. A country our communities help to feed and house and care for. 

I am my immigrant parents dream come true, and my children are a continuation of that dream. 

I just want to remind all of us who represent the targeted, of our worth. Of the value of our contributions. In our languages, our culture, our insights, our work ethic and skills and knowledge. Of the things we bring to the table.

I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or to us. But, as someone whose family lived through a dictatorship, I have an idea of how this story will end. And all I can advise is that we remain on the right side of it, our convictions unaltered, our core values untethered. Our spirits unbroken. In these stories, the monsters might scare us, and even harm some of us, but they never, ever win in the end. 

I am living proof of that. ❤️ And every time you succeed and feel joy, you are too. Pa’lante, mi gente.
Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes. Signs of autumn 🍂 in the Finger Lakes.

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