Neighborhood Spotlight: Brooklyn Bridge Park (Pier 5)

Hey Footy Family,

I'm here to talk to you today about one of the best parts about being a footballer in New York City, Brooklyn Bridge Park, aka, Pier 5. I won't mince words here, Pier 5 is the best place to play soccer in New York City. You can make arguments as to why other fields are the best, which I would listen to politely, before simply showing you a photo or taking you to the field and letting that do the talking.

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Up next: Brooklyn Bridge Park

The Field: 

It's hard for me to resist just letting the sight of the field convince you that you need to play here, even just once, as nothing I can say will make a better case for the field. So I won't.

There is no other field that encapsulates the grandeur of living in New York City, while sequestering you from the non-stop energy of the city like Pier 5. The field is huge, well kept, and boasts one of the best views of the city, spanning downtown Manhattan, Governor's Island (shout out to the Gov Cup), The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the inevitably magnificent sunsets to the West. It's been my soccer home for a few years now, and I promise once you play here you won't want to go anywhere else.

The Neighborhood:

The neighborhood around Pier 5 is a wonderful place to explore, even if you're not planning to hang out with your team after the game. The promenade where the field is located makes for a lovely walk and the street leading to the field from the subway is quietly one of the nicest streets in the city, with cobbled streets and beautiful houses that you can ogle and dream of living in one day when rent prices go back down, so not anytime soon.

Forninio's: Only one pier and two minutes from the field, Fornino's is a great place to drop your weary legs after the game, especially during the summer. Fornino's has the same spectacular view as the pitch, but elevated, so maybe even a little bit better. They've got cool drinks, excellent food, and a really friendly staff.

Floyd's: If there's one bar in all of the city that I would say is "the Footy bar" it's Floyd's. Floyd's is the best version of the warm post-game pub you can find within any reasonable distance of Pier 5. They've got soft, comfortable couches, a big projector playing any sports you might ask for, one of the sweetest bartenders in the city, and a bocce ball track inside the bar. If you want to meet and relax with some of the best people in the world, head to Floyd's after your game.

Table 87: About a 5 minute walk from the field, Table 87 has no right to be as good as it is, but I'm grateful that it is. At least that's what I believed until I realized that Table 87 was featured on Shark Tank and took away a $250,000 investment from the show. What seems like a fairly inconspicuous pizzeria brings excellent food and service, high above the bar pizza, some of the best frozé the city has to offer (read, you will go for 1 drink and walk out having had 3), and these amazing little roasted garlic bulbs that I recommend you take with any chance you get and use in your own kitchen. You can thank me later.

Directions: 

Train: The Borough Hall stop is your best bet, where the 2, 3, 4, 5 and R trains stop. If you're off the N or W, Court St. is only a few blocks away from the field. 

Ferry: The New York Ferry has a stop right at Pier 6, next to where Fornino's is just a two minute walk from the field. You can catch the ferry at a handful of locations in lower Manhattan, as well as along stops throughout Brooklyn and Queens making it a surprisingly convenient way to travel around the city.

Bike: There is a bike path that runs along the waterfront, which passes right in front of the field. There aren't any Citibike stations right on the field, but there are a slew of them within a five minute walk of the pier.

Thanks for listening,

James