Mike Sniper has some opinions when it comes to running a record label: “If a label is to maintain any esteem or credibility, it should maintain a 50% homegrown talent base. If you can’t maintain that meager ratio you’re probably not a record label, you’re a manufacturing plant with a cool logo.”
As owner and founder of the Brooklyn label Captured Tracks, Sniper’s been on the pulse of Brooklyn’s independent scene, releasing a finely-tuned catalogue of bands including Beach Fossils, Soft Metals, Thieves Like Us and his own shoegaze project Blank Dogs. Unlike other indie labels that cloak their commercial aims with DIY posturing, Captured Tracks has remained committed to nurturing its homespun network of young artists, following a philosophy not unlike those decades-since deceased indie greats that have their mark.
If his label gives any hint to what he’s all about, then his record store, Co-Op 87, is him putting his ideas into practice. On Guernsey Street, his shop has added some serious crate-digging culture to Greenpoint’s ever increasing popularity, and if you’re lucky enough to see the don behind the counter, he might give you some tips to what’s cool around the block. If not, then listen up, here’s how to live Greenpoint like a local.
Share this guide:
The staff and I really find it difficult to stay away from this quaint, casual french cafe. They have amazing coffee, a great selection of wine and great no-frills French cooking. Definitely the best omelets I’ve had in Brooklyn and the Branzino with risotto is the best entree on all of Franklin Ave. Avoid the long lines of the brunch and lunch spots near Nassau and Manhattan Ave., this place has better food and prices, a friendlier staff and I’ve never waited for a table, ever.
It wouldn’t be a Greenpoint guide without a Polish restaurant. There are many of them so I’m sure everyone has their opinion, but this is my spot. As non-Poles refer to it “The Place With the Knights Outside” has, to me, the best stuffed cabbage in the competition and my favorite dish of all of them, venison and walnut meatballs. So good. It’s easy to order too much food here, so make sure to ask the staff about portion sizes, or you will leave in the midst of a food coma.
Shameless self promotion? I’m one of the owners or this vinyl-only record store on a quiet street in South Greenpoint. The fact that it’s not very big makes it so that we’re turning over our used stock very regularly and need to curate our new stock to only the best of the best. No genre takes a front seat, either, as there’s tons of reggae, latin, jazz and everything else you can imagine.
There’s a lot of boutiques opening on Franklin St. and this one gets my vote. There’s one location for men and one for women across the street from each other. I don’t like clothes shopping in a huge store as it makes me indecisive, and this place is just the right size with a carefully curated selection of well fitting clothes from great designers. The selections tend to turn over every 3-4 weeks, so I try to scope it out once a month.
Frankly, I’ve really had it with all the post-Mad Men onslaught of old-timey bars with guys in bow ties spending 20 minutes on an Old Fashioned. Daddy’s is the exact opposite of that. It’s kind of the de facto after party place for a lot of the shows we throw at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 285 Kent or Glasslands and it’s super casual. There’s almost always a great DJ there playing anything from post-punk, reggae, rockabilly or off-kilter disco. It can get crowded if something particular is happening there, so be prepared for a sudden onslaught of (probably drunk) patrons.
Join Unlike to share your places with friends and be inspired by discoveries from across the globe.
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
We will never post to your wall without your permission.
Log In to share your places with friends and be inspired by discoveries from across the globe.
