Industry City in Brooklyn is a multifaceted destination for locals and tourists alike. Located on the waterfront, the 35-acre complex offers a vibrant urban landscape with repurposed industrial spaces, lush green outdoor areas and an array of public art installations. Visitors can explore 16 intermodal buildings filled with unique experiences from local entrepreneurs, such as eclectic eateries, immersive retail outlets and one-of-a-kind events. No two visits to Industry City are ever the same, making it the perfect place to find a true New York City experience.
A Look at Brooklyn’s Industry City
“The tight-knit upper floor and ground floor business communities are the heart of Industry City and very representative of Brooklyn’s entrepreneurial energy,” Jim Somoza, Managing Director of Industry City, said of the space. “Also, the diversity of businesses is what makes IC unlike any other NYC location; the ground floor boasts a variety of small businesses, including design retailers, international cuisines, a row of small-batch brewers and distillers, vintage finds and more.”
The original inception of Industry City dates back to the 1890s; however, the space was redeveloped in the 2010s. The original concept behind Industry City was to show visitors the process behind a product and offer them the chance to meet the makers,” Somoza explained. “We started with the historic Li-Lac Chocolates, who are still with us today —in Building 4, you can watch candies receive their chocolatey coating in the assembly line, located right next to the shop.”
“We continue to emphasize maker-focused retail, but we recognize that not every business needs a giant space. In 2019, we opened a floor comprised of 10 micro-retail shops called The Makers Guild, where craftspeople and artisans maintain working studios that also double as storefronts. From jewelry and hand-dyed textiles to stationery and custom apparel, you’re guaranteed to find a one-of-a-kind souvenir in The Makers Guild.”
“Rather than open run-of-the-mill bars, we opted to create an informative bar crawl — a series of tasting rooms where you can sample a variety of beers or spirits while chatting with the very person who crafted the batch. You might watch rice being steamed while sipping sake with Brian and Brandon, the founders of Brooklyn Kura, or Alex and Amy, the owners of Fort Hamilton, might pour you a flight of their newest whiskeys.”
The shared spaces have undergone some upgrades recently as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We invested in permanently heating our three landscaped and furnished courtyards so that visitors could be comfortable outside during the winter months,” Somoza told us. “Outdoor dining was such an important part of 2020 and 2021, and we are fortunate to have a variety of seating options in beautiful courtyards rather than in/adjacent to the city streets.”
Industry City continues to evolve with the times, and new additions and updates are constantly in effect. “We’re continuing to build out Brewers + Distillers, a row of small batch production facilities and tasting rooms,” Somoza explained. “Currently, we have beer, sake, ginger liqueur, gin, rye, agave and other aperitifs all produced on site. This summer, we are opening Bittermonk, a new cocktail bar that also makes its own bitters.”
