PR:"OTHER" FIFTH AVENUE

Contacts:Chris Heywood, NYC & Company, 212 484 5458, cheywood@nycvisit.com
Sarri Harper, NYC & Company, 212 484 1284, sharper@nycvisit.com

DISCOVER NEW YORK CITY’S “OTHER” FIFTH AVENUE

—Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood offers some of the City’s Best Shopping and Dining—

New York, NY (October 30, 2007)—While Midtown Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue is a shopping destination known around the world, what many visitors don’t know is that there is another exciting Fifth Avenue right across the river in Brooklyn’s stylish Park Slope neighborhood. Tree-lined streets dotted by historic brownstones, chic clothing boutiques, celebrated cafés, restaurants and bars—and, of course, one of the City’s largest and most beautiful parks, Prospect Park—make Park Slope one of those neighborhoods well worth a subway ride out of Midtown.

"Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood exemplifies what the New York City experience is all about," says George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company, the City’s official marketing and tourism organization. "Fifth Avenue’s top restaurants and cutting-edge boutiques combined with the area’s quaint community feel offer visitors a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the energy and diversity of the five boroughs."

Matter, a design store located at 227 Fifth Avenue at President Street, sells beautiful, modern designs— anything from glassware and dining room tables to art to pet toys—with many items running less than $50. Open Tuesday through Saturday, noon–7pm; Sunday, noon–6pm; and Monday by appointment.

For those looking to improve their lives and the world at large, try shopping at 3r Living, located at 276 Fifth Avenue at 1st Street. The home decor and lifestyle store sells merchandise that is both stylish and environmentally conscious. Touting "future-friendly products" with an emphasis on the three Rs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle), the store seeks out the best quality and the most reasonable prices in eco-friendly products. Open Monday through Saturday, 10am–6pm; and Sunday, noon–5pm.

Fifth Avenue also boasts some of the City’s best restaurants. For those seeking fresh fish in a lively atmosphere, there’s Brooklyn Fish Camp, an outpost of the famous West Village hotspot Mary’s Fish Camp. It’s run by the same owners, attracts the same hipster crowd and features the same delicious menu, including the addictive lobster roll. Located at 162 Fifth Avenue at Degraw Street, the eatery is open for lunch Monday through Sunday, noon–3pm; and dinner Monday through Saturday, 6–11pm; and Sunday, 5 to 10pm.

Another West Village outpost, the new A.O.C. Bistro opened in August in Park Slope at 259 Fifth Avenue at Garfield Place. The menu features classics like duck confit and coq au vin; a long, sweeping bar, modern white pendant lamps and a contrasting dark floor create a lovely setting in which to enjoy these French favorites. Open Monday through Thursday, 5pm–1am; Friday through Sunday, 10am–1am (718-788-1515).

For wine and tapas enthusiasts, newcomer Café Tapeo has joined Park Slope’s restaurant scene. Located at 52 Fifth Avenue at Bergen Street, the eatery features a rustic decor and a well-known roster of beers and wines, including organic selections. The candlelit corner bar offers a selection of empanadas as well as other savory offerings like brown-ale-braised baby back ribs, coconut shrimp and paella. Open Monday through Sunday, 5pm–1:30am.

Not to be missed by coffee aficionados is the independently owned and operated Gorilla Coffee, located at 97 Fifth Avenue at Park Place. The organic coffee is roasted daily in small batches by hand. Open Monday through Saturday, 7am–9pm; Sunday, 8am–9pm.

The Chocolate Room is perfect for the chocolate addict. With confections from in-house chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt, visitors can enjoy delicious homemade desserts accompanied by fine wines and coffees. Located at 86 Fifth Avenue at Warren Street, desserts in the Chocolate Room range from classic chocolate pudding to spiced hot chocolate cake and frozen white chocolate mousse. Fine chocolates, including Valhrona, Sharfenberger and El Rey, are used in the preparation of the chocolate, and the establishment also sells ice cream, hot chocolates, shakes and organic coffee drinks. Open Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, noon–11pm; Friday and Saturday, noon–midnight; closed Monday.

As long as visitors are in the neighborhood, a stroll over to Seventh Avenue is well worth the two-block walk. On this family-friendly strip, more great shopping and dining can be found. Also close by is one of the City’s largest parks, Prospect Park, a 585-acre urban oasis located in the heart of Brooklyn. Skating, birding, pedal boating and picnicking on the Long Meadow are some of the things that visitors can indulge in while there. The main entrance to the Park, Grand Army Plaza, is an architectural masterpiece patterned after Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.

The area has no shortage of cultural institutions, either, including one of the City’s largest and most fascinating museums, the Brooklyn Museum, located at 200 Eastern Parkway at Washington Avenue. And right next door is the picturesque Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

And right on Fifth Avenue is the Old Stone House, a 1699 Dutch stone farmhouse with important ties to American history. A member of the NYC Historic House Trust, it is located on Fifth Avenue at 3rd and 4th Streets. Open Saturday and Sunday, 11am–4pm.

For visitors who want to stay in the area for more than a day (who can blame them?), there are lovely accommodations from which to choose. Nearby is the wonderful New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, located at 333 Adams Street at Tech Place and Willoughby Street. And opening soon is Brooklyn’s first boutique hotel, hotel le bleu, located right in Park Slope at 370 Fourth Avenue at 4th and 5th Streets.

For more information on visiting Fifth Avenue and Park Slope or any other New York City neighborhood throughout the five boroughs, go to nycvisit.com.

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About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide.