Cook St, Williamsburg

Cook is a pretty scary street, in my opinion. It's a small street that runs through a part of the neighborhood called Broadway Triangle which is sort of where Williamsburg, Bed Stuy and Bushwick all kind of merge. It's a pretty shoddy part of all the neighborhoods and the street is taken up with mostly low income housing projects. There are some weird little stores like mom and pop electronics and dollar shops as the street hits Graham but there are no restaurants, bars, neighborhood things to do within many blocks. So, it's a really unappealing street. It's dirty and pretty desolate especially at night. I would be terrified to walk home at night if I lived on Cook. I'm even a little timid to walk around this part of the neighborhood during the day. There is a little bit of hipster infiltration in this area but not enough for there to even be a decent deli or cafe yet. And, the projects don't exactly do much for the neighborhood aesthetic. It's really noisy during the day which is a sharp contrast to the dead silence at night. And, the noise isn't a good kind of New York noise. Yeah, the rent is really cheap and it's close to the JMZ train which makes getting in and out of Manhattan pretty simple. But, that's not enough of a perk, in my opinion, to offset all of the bad things about this street. It may be hipsterfied in the next few years but it's not even close yet so I don't even go here.

This street is relatively small; it ends abruptly on each side of Bushwick Houses, a massive collection of low income housing projects. On the northeast side of the gap, this street serves as a potholed collection of warehouses and service stations. Crowded during the day it is not, and it is even less welcoming during the evening hours, though there is a loft community of hipsters nearby.

The southwest side of the gap is a bit more happening - there is a school located here, so there are often kids playing basketball on the outdoor courts, and it intersects with an especially lively section of Graham Ave where there are a lot of cellphone stores and cheap clothing retailers.

With schools, restaurants, and small service-oriented businesses, this street is "cooking" with activity! I really liked the look and feel of the street and of the neighborhood, with its lively atmosphere and packed streets. Brooklyn has a wonderful flare, and if you're thinking of moving to this neighborhood, you should really look into Cook Street!