New York City Williamsburg And Greenpoint

Brooklyn Brewery, 79 North 11th St. (www.brooklynbrewery.com), Founded in 1987 by a reporter and a banker, Brooklyn Brewery continues to brew the ubiquitous Brooklyn Lager and Brooklyn Brown Ale. One of the few factories in Williamsburg still operating, the Brewery is generous enough to open its doors to the public on weekends. Get some beer straight from the source—and give your evening a jump-start—at Friday night happy hours. The very curious can get their kicks with the free tours Saturday and Sunday, complete with a free beer at the end. Happy hour beer $4 each or 6 for $20. Happy hour F 6-11pm; brewery open Sa noon-8pm, Su noon-6pm; tours Sa hourly 1-5pm, Su hourly 1-4pm. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transformation of Our Lord, 228 North 12th St. (www.roct.org), Northwestern Brooklyn's history as a center for Eastern European immigration lives on in the Polish neighborhood of Greenpoint to Williamsburg's north, but this towering cathedral by McCaffern Park still thrives after almost a century. Built between 1916 and 1922, the cathedral's Greek-cross plan is housed in a distinctive yellow brick wall exterior and topped by towering domes, a striking contrast to the stark urban setting around it. Vespers Sa 6pm; divine liturgy Su 9am.
Pierogi, 177 N. 9th Street (www.pierogi2000.com), Pierogi has become one of Williamsburg's most acclaimed galleries thanks to eclectic shows—two per month simultaneously shown—by artists like Lawrence Wiener, Gene Oldfield, Ken Weathersby, and Sarah Walker. Appropriately, pierogis and even vodka enliven the openings each month. The gallery provides “flatfiles,” or bundled collections of each artist's work, for browsing; they're also online in a searchable database on the gallery's website. Open Tu-Su 11am-6pm. Wheelchair access.
Causey Contemporary AND Williamsburg, 92 Wythe Ave. (www.causeycontemporary.com), A large, factory-like space is divided in two to feature roughly two artists each month (10 per year). The result feels wonderfully uncluttered and direct. The focus is on painting, sculpture, and photography. Open M 9am-5pm, W-Sa 11am-7pm, Su noon-6pm. Wheelchair access.
Parker's Box, 193 Grand St. (www.parkersbox.com), One of the neighborhood's most cosmopolitan galleries, Parker's Box features a variety of exhibitions, from performance art to mixed media to painting, sculpture, and photography. Open Th-Su 1-7pm. Wheelchair access.