Brooklyn Bridge Park
Eighty-five acres of piers, lawns, and beach reclaimed from the working waterfront.
Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass
The neighborhood where Brooklyn meets the harbor.
Cobblestone streets, brick warehouses, and the city's most photographed view. Your guide to eating, exploring, and getting lost in DUMBO.
0.5
square miles
2
iconic bridges
∞
reasons to stay
The neighborhood
A working waterfront, reborn as Brooklyn's most photographed half square mile.
Once a forgotten warren of warehouses, today DUMBO is a riverfront arts district where galleries, pizzerias, and 19th-century brick stand shoulder to shoulder.
Jane's Carousel
A 1922 hand-carved carousel that glows inside a Jean Nouvel glass pavilion.
Washington Street
The cobblestone shot — Manhattan Bridge framing the Empire State Building.
Two centuries on the river
A short history of DUMBO.
- 1814
Robert Fulton's ferry
The first steam-ferry crosses the East River, anchoring a new commercial waterfront at Fulton Landing.
- 1869
Empire Stores rise
Seven brick coffee warehouses are built along the riverfront — today restored as the heart of DUMBO.
- 1883
Brooklyn Bridge opens
John A. Roebling's masterpiece spans the East River. The first vehicle through is led by P.T. Barnum's elephants.
- 1909
Manhattan Bridge
The second great suspension bridge frames Washington Street. The view becomes the most-photographed in New York.
- 1970s
Artists move in
Cheap rent and cathedral-ceilinged warehouses draw painters and sculptors to abandoned industrial lofts.
- 1979
DUMBO is named
Local artists coin the acronym — Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass — hoping its awkwardness keeps developers away.
- 2007
Historic district
DUMBO is designated a New York City landmark district, preserving its 19th-century brick and Belgian-block streets.
- 2010
Brooklyn Bridge Park
The first piers of the 85-acre waterfront park open, transforming derelict piers into a global destination.
The directory
Every great spot, one short walk apart.
From coal-oven pizza dynasties to barge-top fine dining and warehouse galleries — locally-loved, all within the bridges.
Restaurant
Juliana's Pizza
Patsy Grimaldi's coal-oven pizzeria — the original margherita and the No. 1 pie that keeps topping international pizza lists.
19 Old Fulton St
Restaurant
Grimaldi's Pizzeria
The line wraps the block for a reason: blistered coal-oven crust under the Brooklyn Bridge, a New York rite of passage since 1990.
1 Front St
Restaurant
Cecconi's DUMBO
All-day Venetian dining inside Empire Stores with a wraparound terrace pointed straight at the Manhattan skyline.
55 Water St
Restaurant
The River Café
A floating barge restaurant beneath the Brooklyn Bridge — Michelin-starred fine dining and the most photographed view in the city.
1 Water St
Restaurant
Westville DUMBO
Veggie-forward American comfort food in a sunny corner storefront on Washington Street — the brunch line moves fast.
81 Washington St
Restaurant
AlMar
Italian café tucked under the Manhattan Bridge — handmade pasta, espresso, and a natural-wine list locals quietly hoard.
111 Front St
Restaurant
Atrium DUMBO
Vine-draped, skylit dining room serving modern French-American plates and one of the best brunches in the neighborhood.
15 Main St
Restaurant
Celestine
Eastern Mediterranean small plates and waterfront tables on the Main Street Pier — sunsets included with every reservation.
1 John St
Restaurant
Front Street Pizza
Square Sicilian slices, square crispy edges. The neighborhood's reliable late-night by-the-slice spot.
80 Front St
Restaurant
Vinegar Hill House
A few cobblestone blocks east, a wood-fired hideaway serving cast-iron chicken and red wattle pork chops to a candle-lit room.
72 Hudson Ave
Cafe
Brooklyn Roasting Company
The flagship roastery on Jay Street — fair-trade beans, baristas who know your order, and a brick-warehouse vibe.
25 Jay St
Cafe
Butler
Pastries, sandwiches, and excellent espresso served in a bright industrial space across from the F train at York.
51 Water St
Cafe
Almondine Bakery
The French boulangerie that brought the perfect baguette to DUMBO. Don't skip the kouign-amann or the morning croissants.
85 Water St
Cafe
One Girl Cookies
Petite hand-decorated cookies, layer cakes, and espresso in a tin-ceiling Main Street café perfect for an afternoon pause.
33 Main St
Cafe
Devoción
Colombian single-origin coffee in an airy, plant-filled roastery. The seasonal espresso flights are worth the trip.
69 Grand St
Gallery
powerHouse Arena
Cathedral-ceilinged bookstore, photography gallery, and event space rolled into one Adams Street landmark.
28 Adams St
Gallery
Klompching Gallery
Fine-art photography from emerging and mid-career artists. Intimate Friday openings, serious curatorial chops.
89 Water St
Gallery
Smack Mellon
Nonprofit gallery in a former tea-warehouse boiler room, championing under-recognized artists since 1995.
92 Plymouth St
Gallery
A.I.R. Gallery
The first all-women artist-run cooperative gallery in the U.S., still going strong with rotating shows on Plymouth Street.
155 Plymouth St
Attraction
Jane's Carousel
A restored 1922 carousel of 48 hand-carved horses, glowing inside a Jean Nouvel glass pavilion at the river's edge.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Attraction
Brooklyn Bridge Park
85 acres of waterfront greenway with Pebble Beach, basketball courts, and the most iconic skyline view on the East Coast.
334 Furman St
Attraction
Time Out Market New York
21 of New York's best chefs and bars under one rooftop inside Empire Stores — open until late.
55 Water St
Attraction
Pebble Beach
A sliver of cobblestone beach beneath the Brooklyn Bridge — the photo spot every visitor asks about by name.
Main Street Pier
Attraction
Washington Street View
The cobblestone street where the Manhattan Bridge frames the Empire State Building. The most-shot block in Brooklyn.
Washington & Water St
Shop
powerHouse Books Shop
Independent bookseller stocking photography monographs, indie zines, and a children's section worth visiting.
37 Main St
Shop
Front General Store
Curated vintage workwear, Japanese denim, and one-of-a-kind objects on a corner of Front Street.
143 Front St
Shop
Modern Anthology
A men's shop and home store with a Steve McQueen sensibility — leather goods, grooming, and small-batch denim.
68 Jay St
Shop
Stewart/Stand
Stainless-steel wallets, design-forward gifts, and accessories made by a husband-and-wife team rooted on Front Street.
141 Front St
What's on
The DUMBO calendar.
Free outdoor films, gallery walks, harvest markets, and the year's biggest art weekend — all within a few cobbled blocks.
- Art
Late September
Art Under the Bridge Festival
DUMBO's flagship art festival — warehouse studios, galleries, and cobblestone streets become an open exhibition for one weekend.
Throughout DUMBO - Family
Thursdays in July & August
Movies With a View
Free outdoor films projected against the Manhattan skyline. Bring a blanket; arrive at 6 for a 9 pm screening.
Harbor View Lawn, Brooklyn Bridge Park - Food
Sundays, April–October
Smorgasburg Brooklyn Bridge Park
Open-air food market featuring 80+ Brooklyn vendors. Come hungry and skip lunch.
Pier 5 - Art
First Thursday of every month
First Thursday Gallery Walk
Galleries stay open late with new openings, free wine, and the chance to chat with artists in person.
DUMBO Galleries - Food
Saturdays, June–November
DUMBO Harvest Market
Local farmers, bakers, and makers set up under the Manhattan Bridge for the neighborhood's weekly harvest market.
Pearl Street Triangle - Music
Sunday afternoons in summer
Summer Concert Series
Free live music from rising Brooklyn bands with the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop.
Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park - Art
June
Photoville Festival
The largest free photography festival in the U.S. — outdoor exhibitions in shipping containers along the waterfront.
Brooklyn Bridge Park - Festival
December 31
DUMBO Drop New Year's Eve
The neighborhood's homegrown answer to Times Square — a giant elephant 'drops' under the Manhattan Bridge at midnight.
Pearl Street Triangle - Music
Friday evenings, summer
Bridge Jam at Pier 2
Roller skating with a DJ under the Brooklyn Bridge. Bring your own skates or rent a pair on site.
Pier 2 Roller Rink
In pictures
The view from the cobblestones.
People of DUMBO
The faces behind the bricks.
PG
Patsy Grimaldi
Pizzaiolo, Juliana's
The man who first brought coal-oven pizza under the Brooklyn Bridge in 1990 — and came back to do it again in 2012 at Juliana's.
JW
Jane Walentas
Artist & Carousel Restorer
Spent 25 years restoring a 1922 carousel by hand, then gifted it to Brooklyn. Now Jane's Carousel turns at the river's edge.
DW
David Walentas
Developer & Neighborhood Champion
The visionary who saw a future in DUMBO's empty warehouses long before anyone else. Two Trees Management began here.
JW
Jed Walentas
Two Trees Management
Carried the family's vision into a second generation — backing public space, Domino Park, and the artists who keep DUMBO weird.
DP
Daniel Power
Founder, powerHouse Books
Built one of America's most distinctive independent publishers — and the cathedral-like bookstore that anchors the neighborhood.
B"
Bobby "Buggie" Rivera
Longshoreman, Historian
A second-generation Brooklyn waterfront worker whose oral histories preserve the working-port memory of DUMBO.
AA
Alice Aycock
Sculptor
Studio resident whose monumental steel works — many built in DUMBO warehouses — sit in collections from MoMA to the Met.
KG
Kathleen Gilrain
Former Director, Smack Mellon
Helped turn a derelict boiler room into one of New York's most influential nonprofit galleries for under-recognized artists.
M"
Michael "Buzzy" O'Keeffe
Founder, The River Café
Floated a fine-dining barge under the Brooklyn Bridge in 1977 when nobody else would — and trained a generation of star chefs there.
Join the directorySubmit your business
List your business on DUMBO's independent guide.
Whether you're a coffee shop, gallery, studio, or rooftop bar — get discovered by the people walking these cobblestones every day.
150+
Local businesses
50+
Monthly events
10K+
Community members
4.8
Average rating
- 1
Tell us about it
Share your business details — takes about 90 seconds.
- 2
We review
Our editors visit, taste, and verify before listing.
- 3
Get discovered
Reach locals and visitors looking for the real DUMBO.
The DUMBO Dispatch
Saturday mornings in your inbox.
One short email a week — new openings, gallery picks, hidden food finds, and what's worth doing this weekend in the neighborhood.
Free. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.