DUMBO Hub Journal

Dispatches from between the bridges.

Walking tours, neighborhood history, and honest tips from people who actually live and work in DUMBO.

May 19, 2026

The DUMBO Drop: Brooklyn's Strangest New Year's Eve Tradition

An eight-foot inflatable elephant gets lowered from a warehouse roof every December 31. Here is the story.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 18, 2026

Why So Many Tech Companies Are in DUMBO

The neighborhood between the bridges became a quiet capital of the New York tech scene. Here is what is actually based here, and why.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 17, 2026

Manhattan Bridge vs. Brooklyn Bridge: Which One Should You Walk?

A side-by-side comparison of New York's two most famous walkable bridges — view, length, crowds, and which one to actually pick.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 16, 2026

How to Photograph the Brooklyn Bridge From DUMBO (Without the Crowd)

The four best spots for the Manhattan-Bridge-framing-the-Empire-State shot, ranked by how miserable the crowds are.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 15, 2026

The DUMBO Art Galleries Still Worth Visiting

A round-up of the contemporary art spaces that have survived two decades of rent increases — and what each one shows.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 14, 2026

A Pier-by-Pier Guide to Brooklyn Bridge Park

What's on each of the six piers that make up the park — from soccer fields on Pier 5 to the salt marsh restoration on Pier 6.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 13, 2026

A Walk From DUMBO to Vinegar Hill in Six Stops

The smaller, quieter neighborhood next door — cobblestones, gas lamps, and one of Brooklyn's best restaurants — in a 40-minute walk.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 12, 2026

Photoville: How a DUMBO Pop-Up Became America's Biggest Photo Festival

Inside the free, outdoor photography festival that turns Brooklyn Bridge Park into a gallery for a month every fall.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 11, 2026

Where to Eat in DUMBO: A 2026 Guide

From Vinegar Hill House's wood-fired pork chop to Juliana's coal-oven pizza — a working diner's guide to the neighborhood between the bridges.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 10, 2026

Jane's Carousel: The 1922 Ride That Almost Drowned

How a Philadelphia carousel ended up in a glass pavilion under the Brooklyn Bridge — and why the East River nearly washed it away in 2012.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 9, 2026

The Empire Stores: From Coffee Warehouse to Office Park

A walk-through of the 19th-century coffee warehouses that now house West Elm and Time Out Market — and the lawsuit that almost killed the renovation.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

May 8, 2026

What DUMBO Actually Stands For (And Who Coined It)

The acronym is younger than you think, and it was invented as a defensive maneuver — a name ugly enough to scare off developers in the late 1970s.

By DUMBO Hub Editors

April 25, 2026

The 9 Best Photo Spots in DUMBO Brooklyn (From Someone Who Lives Here)

Skip the line at Washington & Water. We mapped the cobblestone corners, hidden waterfront angles, and golden-hour windows photographers actually love.

By DUMBO Hub Editorial

April 24, 2026

A walk down Washington Street

The most photographed view in Brooklyn — and the quiet blocks behind it.

By Maya Chen

April 23, 2026

DUMBO in 24 Hours: A Local's Itinerary

A morning, afternoon, and night plotted block-by-block by people who actually live between the bridges. Pizza, parks, and the spots tourists miss.

By DUMBO Hub Editorial

April 21, 2026

Why It's Called DUMBO (and Why the Name Stuck)

A real-estate marketing trick from 1978 that locals tried to bury. It became one of the most recognizable neighborhood names in America.

By DUMBO Hub Editorial

April 19, 2026

The DUMBO Pizza Debate: Juliana's vs. Grimaldi's

Two coal-oven pizzerias, one block apart, locked in a 13-year cold war. We ate at both in one afternoon to settle it.

By DUMBO Hub Editorial

April 17, 2026

Inside the Empire Stores: 150 years on the waterfront

How a row of Civil War-era coffee warehouses became DUMBO's civic living room.

By Daniel Reyes

April 16, 2026

Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier by Pier: A Local's Guide

85 acres, six piers, and a working salt marsh. Here's what to do at each one — and which to skip if you only have an hour.

By DUMBO Hub Editorial

April 12, 2026

A Real Person's Coffee Crawl Through DUMBO

Six cafés in walking distance, ranked by what we actually order. Skip the chains.

By DUMBO Hub Editorial

April 10, 2026

Eat your way through DUMBO in one afternoon

Pizza at Julianas, oysters at Cecconis, gelato on the pier. A practical itinerary.

By Sofia Martinelli

April 6, 2026

The 25-Year Restoration of Jane's Carousel

How one Brooklyn artist hand-restored a 1922 carousel from rotted wood and chipped paint, then gave it to the city.

By DUMBO Hub Editorial

March 29, 2026

DUMBO vs. Williamsburg: Which Brooklyn Neighborhood Should You Visit?

Both have bridges, breweries, and great views. They're completely different vibes. Here's the honest comparison.

By DUMBO Hub Editorial