"Little Poland"
Mapping the Polish Community in Greenpoint, Brooklyn
The size and character of "Little Poland" in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, has fluctuated since its birth in the early 1900s. As the political and economic state rose and fell in both the United States and Poland , so did the desire for Polacks to immigrate to the United States. In recent years, many Polish businesses have closed, a large majority of the Polish community has left, and non-Polish people have moved in. However, due to the "live-work" nature of the community, the availability of international goods, and the fact that many Polacks have successfully lived their entire lives in this neighborhood never needing to learn English, I argue that the community still deserves the title "Little Poland."
Early Immigrant History of Little Poland
Polish immigration in Greenpoint, Brooklyn occurred in waves. The earliest wave began in 1903, following the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge. After the bridge opened, and manufacturing and ship building increased on the Greenpoint waterfront, Polish immigrants came to Greenpoint seeking economic opportunity.
The following waves of immigration came in response to poor living conditions in Poland. Post WWII, immigration occurred in response to the soviet era. Additionally, in the 1980s, Polish immigrants came to Greenpoint with the solidarity movement ,
"which started out as a free trade union but quickly became far more: a social movement, a symbol of hope and an embodiment of the struggle against communism and Soviet domination.
and to avoid the imposition of the Martial law .
The last wave occurred when communism and the Warsaw Pact collapsed.
"The original members included the Soviet Union, East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Albania. Although the Soviets claimed that the organization was a defensive alliance, it soon became clear that the primary purpose of the pact was to reinforce communist dominance in Eastern Europe."
New Polish immigrants who had lived under communism experienced tension with Polish Americans who had lived in Greenpoint their entire lives. Communist migrants, mostly men, lived in small shared apartments, were made fun of by locals for “sharing a mattress”. They were also criticized for their alcohol consumption.
As the population continued to grow, and the community became full of Polish owned and operated businesses, the area was named “Little Poland.”
Below is a chart from the 2013 publication of the Newest New Yorkers.
Newest New Yorkers, 2013
As seen in the chart, the main cause for Polish Immigration changed significantly from decade to decade. In 1982-1991, the main case was Refugees/Asylees. In 1992-2001, the main cause was when Diversity Visas were given out by the United States, which favored Polish Immigration. In 2002-2011 the primary categorization of immigrants were those who received "immediate relative visas," meaning they are the spouse of a U.S. citizen, the unmarried child under 21 of a U.S. citizen, an orphan adopted abroad by a U.S. citizen, an orphan to be adopted in the United States by a U.S. citizen or a parent of a U.S. citizen (who is at least 21 years old).
Historic Locations
Green Farms Super Market, despite it's English name, was a staple grocer selling authentic polish goods. Polski Meat Market, opened by Adam Parys a son of Polish immigrants, was opened in 1990s. It was a favorite in the neighborhood, as meat is centric to polish cuisine. It is now closed. Nowy Dziennik , the polish newspaper with headquarters in Greenpoint published an article in 2007 titled "Farewell, America" where they discussed many Polish people returning home.
"Nowy Dziennik itself is a symbol of vanishing Polish Greenpoint. The Polish daily once was a ubiquitous presence in Polish shops, but declining circulation has now forced it to become just a weekly paper and it has left its former offices on the corner of Franklin Street and Greenpoint Avenue. "
"A Land of Opportunity Lures Poles Back Home"
In 2008 Kirke Semple of the New York Times published an article titled, “A Land of Opportunity Lures Poles Back home.” He tells the story of Elizabeth Baumgartner, a Polish-American from Queens, who had previously published “how-to” books for Polish immigrants in the United states. Topics included buying a house, investing in mutual funds and starting your own business. However, now (in 2008), she has switched gears and started publishing books about returning to Poland.
This return is the result of both factors within the United States and factors in Poland. At this time, the United States was experiencing stricter immigration laws, severe gentrification, and simply the aging population of the Polish community. Back home in Poland, the country was recently admitted to the E.U., creating increased employment at home. In Greenpoint, Polish owned businesses are being forced to close with a large loss in customer traffic and a struggle to find Polish-speaking employees.
Semple spoke to Tomasz Deptula, an editor and columnist at Nowy Dziennik (The Polish Daily News), who told him,
“It’s a rather sad story, especially from my point of view,” he said. “I’m feeling like I’m facing extinction.”
Along with the Polish-American return to Poland, there as been a vast decrease in new Polish immigration to the states. Semple explains:
“Many poles, particularly young people who once might have considered coming to the states after high school or college, have decided instead to stay in Poland or get work in Dublin, London or other booming European cities. The euro is robust, they argue, and home is never more than a cheap two-hour flight away.”
To me, an outsider, Greenpoint still feels like an immersion into a different culture, with Polish writing on the majority of storefronts and minimal English to be heard. However now, interspersed with the Polish storefronts, are Thai restaurants, Japanese restaurants, Mexican restaurants, burger joints and more. After speaking to the cashier at Adam's Delicatessen, Semples argument was confirmed. She told me about how she and many of the Polish people she knew have either moved to Maspeth, Ridgewood, or back to Poland, detailing the stark change in the Greenpoint population.
"It's all young people now who can pay much more. The rent is too high."
I asked her if she had a favorite Polish restaurant in the neighborhood. She told me it has closed.
Old "Time Out New York Sign" on the window of Adam's Delicatessen in Greenpoint, Bk
Polish Dish featuring Sausage, Roasted Meat, Dumplings, Relish, Pickled, Sauerkraut, and other cooked vegetables.
Polish Foodways in America
Helen Stankiewicz Zand, a Polish immigrant writes about the similarities and differences between Polish culture in Poland and Polish culture in America in her work, Polish Foodways in America. Zand explains how even a few short years after leaving Poland and coming to the United States, many aspects of life such as work, leisure, and community all changed drastically. However, church life and home life were preserved. Particularly, foodways. The main difference in America was abundance and variety. Polish Americans cooked feasts regularly that back at home they would only cook on special occasions. Meals include a variety of vegetable and meat soups, meat dishes, particularly roasted pork, substituting fish on fast days, and potatoes, noodles, dumplings (peirogi) and cereals to accompany. Along with the main components of the meal were large batch home made relishes, pickled goods, and vegetables, most commonly cabbage. Though polish cuisine was not known for desserts, two pastries are characteristic of the Polish kitchen, Pączki (donuts) and chruściki (polish angel-wing cookies).
Greenpoint Today
Though Greenpoint has experienced clear gentrification and a decrease in Polish residency, it is still evident that there is a strong Polish presence. There are numerous Polish business-- restaurants, doctors, grocers, etc. Walking into Polish stores, the only language heard is Polish. These are only some of the Polish food destinations.
Polam International Meat Market
Polam international is not for vegetarians. The smell of meat, cured and fresh, wafts into your nose as soon as you open the door. Francis Lam, renowned food journalist, detailed in his NYT article:
"Inside the Polam International Meat Market, though, you could easily be convinced that nothing had changed on these blocks for decades, and that nothing should. There were curtains of smoked sausages, tray upon tray of unidentified cured, smoked, roasted, poached, emulsified, rolled, cased, cubed, caul-fatted meats. It’s a museum of meats, and just 20 minutes inside the store will leave your clothes smelling of salt and smoke for hours. "
Food in Every Country details the importance of meat in Polish cuisine. Today, meat accounts for 27.9% of the nation’s total food sales.
The Window at Polam International Meat Market
Polish and Slavic Center Cafeteria
Photo: Konstantin Sergeyev of NYMag
New York Magazine categorizes PSC Cafeteria:
"Terrific, budget-friendly home cooking at the no-frills cafeteria adjacent to Greenpoint’s Polish and Slavic Community Center. "
Walking down the street, PSC cafeteria is far back from the sidewalk tucked next to the culture center. Meals are casual, delicious, and the sense of community is palpable.
Krolweski Jadlo
With a critical eye, the gimmicky nature of Krolewskie Jadlo's decor may be off putting. However, David Kortava of the New Yorker argues behind the restaurants decoration and the servers traditional dress, is a seriousness of culinary intent.
Krolewskie Jadlo, meaning "Kings Feast", lives up to its name. For example, the $52 Koryto:
"The long wooden trough arrives overflowing with enough meat—bacon, kebabs, kielbasa, blood sausage, grilled pork shoulder, and beer-baked hock—to pacify any band of mortals hubristic enough to attempt finishing it. The stuffed quail requires the sacrifice of two whole birds, and a comical quantity of buckwheat. Venison-and-walnut meatballs are wedded with black-truffle oil and foraged porcini mushrooms. Another dish resembles a sushi roll, except—in keeping with the spirit of epicurean derring-do—the filling involves dried plum and bacon, and the wrapping is a cut of wild boar. "
Though this restaurants decor seems to be an attempt to promote the etic understanding of Polish culture, and the restaurant is a relatively new venture, the food seems genuine to Polish cuisine.
Polka Dot Cafe
Marzena Parys, owner of Polka Dot, took over the business 13 years ago when her husband passed away. Before, it was a butcher shop, Poleski Meat Market, run by Parys’s husband and his all-male staff. Now the staff is entirely female. The restaurant has been open since 1996. The simple style of the restaurant was re modeled in 2016 to mimic her grandmothers kitchen.
Parys has shifted away from just cooking meat dishes. She explains,
"I try to cook traditional food, but we are also open to new things- new recipes for a new generation."
Leah Kirts of Edible Brooklyn calls Polka Dot the "bridge" between historical "little Poland" and the influx of young newcomers.
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a favorite for Manahattanites and Brooklynites both. It has been around for more than 60 years.
The Website details:
"It would be hard to fathom the shop existing anywhere else in the city. It's a neighborhood spot that locals hold dear, a place that new residents go as a rite of passage, and a tasty destination for those not lucky enough to live close by."
Interestingly enough, though all of the women working at the shop are Polish, most with thick accents, it is not a polish restaurant. The old and new owners are both Italian. However, donuts and pastries are a polish staple.
Donuts at Peter Pan
Jaslowiczanka Polska Cukiernia (Polish Bakery)
Jasklowiczanka is a family owned business that has been open for more than 30 years. The current owner's aunt was previously the owner before it was handed down to her. When I spoke to the woman behind the counter, she wasn't able to answer my question because she did not speak english. Though the neighborhood is changing, this is a testament to the fact that a strong polish community still remains. A Polack can stay in the community, speak only polish, and be just fine.
Live-Work Community
Little Poland is a clear Live-Work community. The small neighborhood is stocked with everything one may need.
Polska Apteka (right) is a traditional polish pharmacy with polish medicines. Inside is a large supply of Polish magazines and newspapers, a Western Union to send and Transfer money internationally, and a counter for international mailing. It is clear that it serves the community with ties back to Poland.
Polish Printed Media
Polish Medicinal Teas
There are multiple grocers, some advertised as Polish, others such as associated that clearly advertise polish goods.
Shelves at European Grocer
There is a photo store with polish speaking staff.
In addition to the pharmacies and grocers, there are also many medical services and law services. There truly seems to be access to anything one may need within a few blocks. All of which, is accessible to a non-english speaking, Polish-speaking person. Like the woman at Jasklowiczanka, it is very possible to stay within the community and never learn English.
Workers Compensation Office
Subway sign with descriptions written in polish
While the Polish community has diminished, Greenpoint, Brooklyn is still surely "Little Poland."
Works Cited
Cobb, Geoff. “Vanishing Polish Greenpoint.” Greenpointers, 23 Oct. 2018, greenpointers.com/2018/10/23/vanishing-polish-greenpoint/.
DeSena, Judith N. “The Polish Community of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Then and Now: A View from the Street.” Polish American Studies, vol. 76, no. 1, 2019, pp. 29–38. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/poliamerstud.76.1.0029.
“Home.” Home, Peter Pan Donuts, peterpandonuts.com/.
Howe, Marvine. “POLISH NEWCOMERS REVIVE DYING GREENPOINT CUSTOMS.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 June 1984, www.nytimes.com/1984/06/22/nyregion/polish-newcomers-revive-dying-greenpoint-customs.html.
Kirts, Leah. “Greenpoint's Polka Dot Café Turned a Butcher Shop Into a Vegetable-Happy Neighborhood Hang.” Edible Brooklyn, Edible Brooklyn, 18 July 2017, www.ediblebrooklyn.com/2017/greenpoints-polka-dot-cafe-vegetarian-polish/.
Kortava, David. “Medieval Polish Gourmet at Greenpoint's Krolewskie Jadlo.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 9 July 2019, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/09/medieval-polish-gourmet-at-greenpoints-krolewskie-jadlo.
Lam, Francis. “Greenpoint's Culinary Ghosts.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Mar. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/magazine/greenpoints-culinary-ghosts.html.
“The Newest New Yorkers-2013: Characteristics of the City's Foreign-Born Population.” The Newest New Yorkers-2013, NYC Gov, Dec. 2013, www1.nyc.gov/assets/planning/download/pdf/data-maps/nyc-population/nny2013/nny_2013.pdf.
Patronite, Rob, and Robin Raisfeld. “PSC (Polish Slavic Center) Cafeteria: New York Magazine: The Thousand Best.” New York Magazine, New York Magazine, 20 Feb. 2019, nymag.com/listings/restaurant/psc-polish-slavic-center-cafeteria/.
“Poland.” Food in Every Country, www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Poland.html.
Semple, Kirk. “A Land of Opportunity Lures Poles Back Home.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Sept. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/nyregion/21poles.html.
