Nowadays, Brooklyn is both destination and home to so many New Yorkers that shopping, eating out, doing errands, and going to cultural events can all be done without leaving the borough. A Brooklyn denizen for years, illustrator Joel Holland knows how special the place is. Imbuing his drawings with the same heart and panache that he brought to the Manhattan book, he takes readers on a trip into its far-flung neighborhoods, from Greenpoint to Coney Island; Bay Ridge to Brownsville.
These pages highlight a telephone book's worth of small businesses that contribute to Brooklyn's multicultural, demographic-spanning appeal: Mom and Pop restaurants and African music sellers; clothing from Carhartt to vintage; vinyl and knitting stores that double as community centers; auto-repair shops and art galleries; and, of course, an endless supply of delis and pizza joints.
Each illustration includes engaging anecdotes and bits of neighborhood lore researched and written by journalist David Dodge, helping bring additional flavor and context to Holland's drawings. This atlas of Brooklyn's best retail is a love letter to a vibrant, ever-changing community.