Jaunted

Where to Eat:
Being a "foodie" is practically a requirement for living in Dumbo, so you'll find some excellent restaurant options if you just wander around, but we recommend Superfine at 126 Front Street. Superfine is ultra-focused on the local scene, on giving the neighborhood a great restaurant with atmosphere and tasty Mediterranean food. The Bluegrass Sunday brunch is especially packed, but well worth the wait.

If you're looking for cheap eats, then you're in the wrong neighborhood. Well, unless you head to Pedro's at 73 Jay Street. You'll spot it easily because of the huge mural all along on side of the building, and because it's a straight shot from the F Train stop at York. In the summer, this place is packed, mainly outside on the sidewalk, with people ordering up margaritas and burritos for (relatively) cheap, since Pedro's is pretty much the last dive to survive in the area's gentrification.

And although we already told you all about the chocolate-covered Peeps you can find at the flagship Jacques Torres chocolaterie at 66 Water Street, you'll want to head across the street to his Almondine Bakery for a few sweets and savories to eat then. It's an easy place to grab a sandwich or chocolate croissant and cappuccino before heading to the park to eat it, surrounded by stupendous views.

Where to Drink:
Dumbo isn't a bar district by far; instead you'll find people sacking out at places like the Dumbo General Store at 111 Front Street. It's located on the first floor of an artists studio building, so the crowd that ends up strolling in here and sitting on mismatched chairs at communal tables for a coffee or sangria is pleasantly eccentric. Occasional live music really gets the place jumping.

Like the Dumbo General Store, reBar is focused less on the getting shit-faced and more on the lookin' classy. Plus, it's located at 147 Front Street right next to one of our shopping picks below—a used and rare bookstore—so reBar isn't the kind of rowdy atmosphere you'd find at large bars like it back in Manhattan. Plus, they've got a sweet microbrew selection and a dark and moody interior to die for.

Where to Shop:
Dumbo might look like a fancified industrial neighborhood—which it is—but it is such a safe and welcoming area like you'd never expect. Many of the residents are young families with professional parents, who rake in the dough during the day to support their Dumbo lifestyle and hire smiling nannies, who take the well-dressed children to shop at stores like Half Pint at 55 Washington Street, which stocks all the Paul Frank monkey pajamas and awesome unique toys you can handle.

Although they'll be moving to a new location this spring, Dumbo's P.S. Bookshop is only going down the block; they'll remain a Dumbo fixture. The current location at 145A Front Street next to reBar is a must-visit for anyone who loves independent bookstores. Their specialties are art and design monographs and international children's books, because you'll find more than a few multi-lingual kids in Dumbo. They also buy books and sell rare and out-of-print, so come ready to drool over beautiful bindings.

Dumbo has far too many worthwhile, independent boutiques to name here, but a few others to check out would be Blueberi for up-and-coming designers, Foragers Market for foodie favorites like fresh blood orange juice from the Aeolian Islands of Italy, and powerHouse Books for their warehouse appeal and excellent sales on books they sell right here from their headquarters.

What to Do:
Now that Brooklyn Bridge Park has expanded to include the newly-opened Pier 1, we just can't understand why tourists would want to stay in Manhattan. The views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and the tip of Manhattan itself are unparalleled, and easily had thanks to the parks, playgrounds and dog runs right on the riverfront. Head to Fulton Ferry Landing, a boardwalk pier of sorts, where an ice cream shop, overpriced restaurant and popular spot for wedding photographs attracts everyone, It's where we took this picture and where you'll eventually head for the best pictures of the bridges. The water taxis also occasionally stop here, but check the schedule posted on the dock.

Last but not least, walk over the bridges! Both the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges are pedestrian, dog and bike-friendly, and the easiest to access is the more attraction—the Brooklyn Bridge. There's a stairwell up on the raised walking platform in a viaduct near the A/C subway stop at High Street-Brooklyn Bridge. Just ask anyone. On the Manhattan side, you can easily access the walkway from the backside of City Hall.

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· Other 'Neighborhoods to Know and Go' [Jaunted]

[Photos: Jaunted]