My Day at Brooklyn’s Huge New Design Destination

Remember when shopping was fun? Remember when a trip to the mall was something you’d get excited about, connect with friends over, plan a whole day around? You just might want to revisit that as an adult at Industry City, a new design destination in Brooklyn where you can score a deal on a Saarinen tulip table, grab a vegan banh mi and a beer, and play miniature golf—all in the same place. Really.

On a recent afternoon, I headed over to Industry City to see what it had to offer. The Industry City complex is, at least as far as this Manhattanite is concerned, pretty deep in Brooklyn. On a map it looks far, but on the D train, it’s only a few stops away, thanks to the magic of the New York subway. You get out just a block from Industry City, although, as I learned later, there’s also a shuttle that will pick you up right outside the subway stop. The first thing you need to know about Industry City is that it is really, really big. The Industry City Megalopolis occupies five whole city blocks, with the huge and airy IC Store by WantedDesign at the south side and Roll & Hill, makers of exquisite modern lighting that makes my heart skip a beat, on the north. And there’s a lot of stuff in between. A lot.

Everything is oriented, helpfully, by a central axis that runs through the buildings, which is demarcated by gates made of steel girders that arch overhead. Follow the gates and you’ll be led through the buildings, past signs that indicate which stores and restaurants are in each one.

A great place to start is at the Design Within Reach Outlet, which is in Building 3. For design lovers, it’s worth making the journey just for this store alone. Basically, it’s like stumbling upon the world’s best garage sale, where everything is from DWR. It’s the DWR version of the IKEA scratch-and-dent section. The prices are generally discounted around 25 percent, which is a pretty good deal when you consider that some of the pieces are overstocks or returns and have no damage at all.

Across a courtyard is the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Outlet, which is another must-see, particularly if you’re a fan of their luxurious, classic style. Here the discounts are even deeper—I spotted pieces that were discounted as much as 50 percent. Rounding out the outlet stores is the Restoration Hardware Outlet, on the complex’s north side.

After all this bargain hunting, you’ll probably be hungry, so head over to Building 2, where you’ll find an almost overwhelming array of food options, including the Avocaderia, which is, as the name would imply, an entire restaurant devoted to the avocado. It is the most millennial thing ever to happen, complete with an Instagrammable neon sign. There’s ample seating in the food hall—on a sunny day, you can sit outside in the courtyard as well.

Maybe you’ve heard of The ABC Carpet & Home, aka the world’s dreamiest furniture store? Industry City boasts a beautiful outpost of the store that’s way calmer than the behemoth Manhattan flagship. Take the Industry City shuttle or walk and catch a pretty neat mural on one of the buildings facing 2nd Avenue.

My last stop was at the Frying Pan Bar in Building 5. On your way there, you might want to peek into the windows of Flavor Paper. You can see some of their incredible large-scale wallpaper hanging on the walls, and watch as the wallpaper is made right here in Brooklyn. Also in Building 5 is the game room, with ping-pong tables, shuffleboard, and an entire indoor mini-golf course. Pick up a beer at the Frying Pan and you can drink while you play.

Seeing as I am now an expert on Industry City, here’s my advice: If you’re a 9-to-5er, go on a Saturday. Almost everything in Industry City closes by 6 P.M., so a Saturday trip means you can have time to browse all the shops before they close. Leave yourself a little time to explore—you’ll be glad you did.

If you’re going beginning November 30, you’ll get to see their holiday marketplace, So Holiday. It’ll feature Shoppe Object‘s community of visionary brands and makers offering ceramics, jewelry, textiles, stationery, and other goods for festive vibes and one-of-a-kind gift giving.

See the whole list of shops and restaurants and their hours and plan your visit!

^{This post is sponsored by Industry City and was created by the Apartment Therapy Creative Studio.
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