Nassau Ave, Greenpoint

Being that Nassau is one of the more convenient streets in Greenpoint, I'm actually a little bit surprised at how little there is to do on it. Yeah, most of it is residential, but it's bizarre to me that the street hasn't picked up in the way that Greenpoint and Manhattan have. The nice thing about Nassau is that part of it is on the park so you can actually see green every day if you live on this street. That sounds like a short order but green is something we don't get much of around these parts. The other cool thing about Nassau is that the G train goes directly to it. Granted, the G train is infamous for being the worst train in New York City. People have joked that it's the only time you can finish War and Peace (riding on the G). But, at least there is a stop. Most of Greenpoint is completely isolated from the subway system so it's shocking that more joints haven't popped up on this street in particular. Having said that, there are a few standouts that Nassau Avenue can claim as it's own.
Spritzenhaus is a behemoth of a beer garden on Nassau at the north end of McCarren Park. It is in an abandoned office building with cool new finishes. And, they have an incredible selection of beers as well as ridiculously sized brats. I love this place! Palace Cafe is like the Greenpoint version of Mars Bar to me (without the crack addicts). It has been around forever, the beer is cheap and it is an actual dive bar. It's not pretending to be divey. It's a dive and it's awesome. They actually have Pantera on the juke box.
The rent is much cheaper in all of Greenpoint than Williamsburg so that's definitely a plus -- and with the Nassau G at least you're not completely removed from society. It's not the most happening street in Greenpoint but it's close to happening streets and it's really cute.

Nassau Ave varies greatly - as you near the BQE the street becomes mostly residential, and as you approach McCarren Park Nassau Ave is lined with varying shops. Here there are a lot of groceries, cell phone stores, wine shops, jewelry shops, bars and restaurants. This section of the street is home to a lot of mom-and-pops type businesses, though you will see the occasional Metro PCS joint.

I really like trolling for inexpensive jewelry around here, and there are a lot of cool things to find if you are willing to look a little bit. Nassau Ave is certainly not a shopping Mecca, but it offers a lot of interesting commodities for sure.

I actually looked at a few apartments on this street, but closer to the residential end of Nassau Ave. I recognized one building as having a lot of hipster-ish parties, which was the only reason why I was reluctant to move in. I really love this area - it's very welcoming to those who live there, and although there is a lot of traffic on this street I would still recommend living on it to those who appreciate an active nightlife and need to be surrounded by life's little commodities.

Nassau is a main drag in Brooklyn, but there really isn’t much to do there unless you are a local resident and you need a new mattress. There are all the standard Brooklyn dwellings – pizza places, delis, and grocery stores. Brooklyn is a great place to live if you like a quieter scene – this borough is less intimidating and much cheaper to live in than Manhattan.

Nassau ave is a pretty busy place. It is congested. It is great for shopping and dining; it is a little too busy for living on if you like things quiet. It is convenient to train stations. There are a lot of different kinds of restaurants and shops to visit, so it is a great place to go if you are looking for an interesting time.