Downtown Brooklyn with Julia Chiang

JULIA CHIANG
Artist, Downtown Brooklyn/Boerum Hill. Find her @juliachiang 

What brought you to Brooklyn?
I moved to Brooklyn for the first time in 1999. My first place was a rent-stabilized apartment in a brownstone in Brooklyn Heights that I found in the back of the Village Voice. I loved it so much, and it was near every train, and I had very old neighbors who had endless stories to share. 

Favorite thing about Brooklyn?
There’s so much energy and diversity. Young first-timers that just moved here mixed with people that have been here for generations.

Wildest Brooklyn story?
Not so wild but unforgettable. I was walking into Brooklyn over the Brooklyn Bridge on September 11, 2001. I’ll never forget the silence and the smell. Everyone was connecting and wanting to check-in, not knowing what to say but having so much to say. There was such sadness and fear and love in people that day.

Favorite spots in and around your neighborhood?
IXV for coffee, tea, and treats
Rucola for early breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Rice & Miso for healthy bento boxes
Sahadi’s for olives, nuts, dried fruit, and so many other specialty ingredients
Books Are Magic, our go-to for books
Brooklyn Museum for their great shows and kid-friendly outdoor space, and right next door, we love the Brooklyn Botanic Garden & Prospect Park for long wandering days
Salter House for tea, beautiful homewares, and clothing, and next door, Picture Room, which is an intimate contemporary art gallery
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) for a movie date or a great performance
Hibino, our family favorite for neighborhood sushi
Bedouin Tent on Atlantic for homemade pita and many yummy vegetarian/vegan options
Oh! Dumplings for homemade dumplings and noodles. They’re great because they have non-spicy items for my family and spicy ones for me!
Public Records in Gowanus for fun and food & drink
Perelandra for groceries and prepared foods. Our kids love their muffins and breakfast sandwich, and their staff is always so kind

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