Williamsburg Zine
Zine, 36 pgs, quimbysnyc.com, $8
This zine is both cute as can be and a bit of a middle finger to Fodor’s and other members of the travel guide establishment. Williamsburg Zine is surprisingly high concept, attempting to reflect the notorious Brooklyn neighbourhood beloved by hipsters, developers and, now, pretty much anyone with plenty of cash. Part history lesson and part recap of top sights and sounds, there is a ton of useful content jammed into this zine. Pretense free, this is all immensely useful content that sticks to facts and recommendations in lieu of style or trends. Lessons learned go all the way back to 1638, and snake back through the region’s separation from neighbouring Bushwick, the establishment of industry powerhouses such as Pfizer and Corning in the ‘hood, and myriad other facts and figures about this history-dense borough. The zine also provides a handy retail guide, listings, maps and a great 101 on the Williamsburg Bridge. Sure, you could probably dig up most of this content online in 2-3 hours but personally, I think it’s kinda fun to have everything available in a homegrown, pocket-sized primer that is far less bulky in a purse or knapsack than Lonely Planet.