First came the cruise ships, then came Fairway. Just as the mother of all ships, The Queen Mary 2 landed, so too did 52,000 square feet of Fairway. Best feature? It's so far from the Upper West Side that the old ladies are unlikely to shove you with their shopping carts. Besides, it's Brooklyn; you can shove back. Our other suggestions: 1) Stock up en route to your next cruise, 2) Do a big shop after your excursion to Coney Island, or 3) Take New York Waterway here on weekends—it's more exciting than the subway and less prove to service disruptions.

From Fairway's website: Howard Glickberg, co-owner and grandson of Fairway Market’s founder, welcomed the opportunity to bring vast culinary choices, wholesale to the public concept and unparalleled amenities to the residents of Brooklyn.

“Everything about this project is exciting,” said Glickberg, whose grandfather, Nathan Glickberg, opened the original Fairway Market, a fruit and vegetable store, in 1940 where the W. 74th Street stands. “It’s great to be an integral part of the renaissance of Red Hook. The architectural beauty of the more than 150 year-old building that houses our store and the waterfront setting, with its magnificent views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline, will only enhance the shopping experience for our customers.”

A dramatic brick façade highlighted by row upon row of arched windows adjoined by iron shutters, original beams and massive squares of yellow pine supporting columns – have all been retained to preserve the rich historical elements of this landmark warehouse. While the building harkens back to the mid-1800’s, everything about Fairway features the best of the 21st century!

Fittingly, the former five-story Civil War era coffee warehouse now has a green coffee bean roaster blending small batches of 100 percent Arabica beans and dozens of other flavors for true java aficionados. Better than fresh ground coffee, the roaster is a real Fairway Market perk!