Manhattan Avenue

IF you ever wondered what Williamsburg was like before paint-spattered artistes moved in – or just want to reminisce – then head north along Bedford Avenue, with McCarren Park on your right, until you hit Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint.

This low-rise neighborhood is, as Williamsburg once was, dominated by Polish restaurants, Polish pastry shops and Polish video stores. There’s even a Polish notary public.

However, hipster creep is setting in, beginning at the southern tip of Manhattan Avenue. Here you’ll find Enid’s (560 Manhattan Ave. [718] 349-3859), a bold pioneer in the new territory that has occupied a prime corner, complete with a view of the park, for around five years.

Enid’s main attractions are its spacious bar, groovy thrift-store-style furniture and even groovier clientele (the place really packs ’em in on the weekends). There’s a big projection screen on which classic DVDs are played (with the sound turned down) and the bar has also started serving food. The menu includes sloppy Joes and meat loaf, and clients are asked to bus their own tables. You get the picture.

Across the street from Enid’s is a new arrival, Matchless (No. 557 [718] 383-5333), a former auto workshop that’s been gutted and refitted, but retains a down-to-earth attitude. Happy hour includes some irresistible deals: $2 draft Pabst Blue Ribbon (natch) and a $6 Cuban sandwich. There seems to be a big biker contingent that hangs out here, especially on Monday nights when the bar shows motorbike racing for “Motorcycle Mondays.” Still, Matchless is no dive. Hey, there’s even art on the walls.

The rest of the fun in this block is to be had exploring places the locals hang out. The Sports Bar Polonia (just off the main drag at 85 Nassau Ave. [718] 349-9169) will present a challenge unless you happen to speak a little Polish, but will charge you just $3 for a beer.

There’s an array of tiny, genuine Polish restaurants on this strip. One of the local favorites is Tomzynianka (No. 646, [718] 389 9439) where all the classics – borscht, goulash, stuffed cabbage, etc. – are served at bargain prices (and we mean bargain; a tasty dinner for two costs a mere $14). The place doesn’t serve alcohol, but you are welcome to bring your own beer or wine.

There’s also been something of a Thai invasion on Manhattan Avenue, at spots like Moon Shadow (No. 643, [718] 609-1841), the Amarin Café ( No. 617, [718] 349-2788) and, a little further up, Thai Too (No. 681, [718] 349-8215), all bringing some Southeast Asian diversity to the neighborhood.

This is one of those neighborhoods that will be unrecognizable in a few years.