Real estate

Even with development at a fever pitch in neighboring Williamsburg, Greenpoint still has the old-world vibe (and prices) of a central-Brooklyn ’hood. (Rentals run between $800 and $1,000 for a studio, and $900 and $1,200 for a one-bedroom.) You just need to know where to look: Check real-estate listings in the Greenpoint Gazette and Greenpoint Star, and tenants wanted signs in the windows of Polish-run businesses, or try local broker Eve Levine (347-526-1383). “Most of the landlords own only one or two buildings, so it’s still very mom-and-pop,” says Levine, a four-year Greenpointer who also leads a happy-hour real-estate seminar called “Home Buying for Hipsters.” She estimates that the current market for a single- or multifamily unit ranges from $400 to $700 per square foot, and suggests the best deals can be found when multiple families go in on a building together or look a little farther afield: “You can save over $200 a square foot if you simply cross McCarren Park.”

Your guide to Greenpoint:

• Eating and drinking: Manhattan Avenue is still the main drag, but a slew of new places have opened on Franklin Street.
• Clubs and venues: Old-school Slavic clubs pack in the locals, but there are a couple of joints that pull in outsiders.
• Shopping and services: There’s still a healthy nexus of 99-cent stores and Polish pharmacies, but a new crop of tony boutiques is emerging.
• Transportation
• Public space
• Real estate

• Greenpoint's future: How a sewer line, an oil spill and Magic Johnson will help shape the years to come.