new

Rome to Brooklyn Pizza opens at 755 Grand Street

The pizza spot was opened by Brooklyn native + acclaimed chef Aurel Xhepexhiu

Image of a panzerotti from @rometobrooklyn

Image of a panzerotti from @rometobrooklyn

The drought of a pizza spot on Grand Street is over. Rome to Brooklyn Pizza & Panzerotti opened at the end of January with a full menu of Italian style eats—and most importantly an array of absolutely delicious pizza flavors.

Owner and chef Aurel Xhepexhiu has been in the pizza business since he was a teenager and has over 20 years of experience at some of NYC’s most famous spots. Aurel’s experience ranges from Manhattan institutions like Artichoke Pizza and Brooklyn Pizza Masters to the more local Williamsburg Pizza, but Rome to Brooklyn Pizza is a homecoming for the chef. Originally from Bushwick, Aurel is proud to bring his acclaimed food—which has received a 8.5 rating from Barstool—closer to his home neighborhood.

At Rome to Brooklyn you can find just about any type of slice you’re looking for such as vodka sauce, prosciutto arugula, and blueberry + pancetta. But the menu is also diverse in its offerings beyond the traditional specialty pizza slices. Rome to Brooklyn is flexible for diets as you can pre-order cauliflower pizza with cauliflower cheese in plain, margherita, grandma, and specialty styles as well as vegan pies either small or large. Dessert is on the menu too, RTB has nutella and rasperry pizza, like this heart shaped Valentine’s Day pizza, and zeppoles with nutella and strawberry. The panzerottis, however, are what truly set Rome to Brooklyn apart. Traditionally served in the Puglia region of Italty as a popular street food, a panzerotti is a fried calzone stuffed with different meats and cheeses.

Look out for Rome to Brooklyn in our next edition of Summer Restaurant Week on Grand Street, but try it for yourself in the meantime at 755 Grand Street open until 11pm. The follow @rometobrooklynpizza for regularly hunger-inducing shots of pizza on your feed.

Masa Empanadas opens at 804 Grand Street

Savory + sweet empanadas with a special deal attached

Interior look at the new establishment

Interior look at the new establishment

Masa Empanadas is open for business. From the same owners of Piccoli To Go, 804 Grand Street now has a new look, menu, and name. From savory flavors like ham + cheese, creamy corn, and Argentinian beef to dessert flavors including apple cinnamon or Nutella banana, Masa serves a bit of everything all in the form of an empanada.

Prices are low ranging from $2.50 to $4 for each delicious empanada, and not to mention Masa offers discounted combos with salads as well. And if you’re worried about missing Piccoli, Masa also serves three varieties of pizzas for any sudden Italian food cravings.

If you stop by tonight + follow @masaempanadas on Instagram then you can try your first empanada for free. Look out for wine and beer to be served in the near future as well. With indoor seating and warm (+ free!) empanadas, Masa is an all around lunch, dinner, or snack option that will have something for everyone.

Nutella + banana empanadas

Nutella + banana empanadas

What's going up on Grand Street?

Detailing the new buildings and developments shaping our neighborhood’s streetscape

Construction at 505 Grand Street

Construction at 505 Grand Street

Grand Street is dynamic in shape, with developments usually underway, and always with at least a handful of buildings at some stage of being a work in progress. Here’s information on what’s going up and what you can expect for the ongoing developments on Grand Street.

505 Grand Street
(Union & Grand)

Construction is well underway on this site in progress to a six-story, 14-unit mixed commercial-residential use building. In what will eventually measure a total of 11,720 square feet, the ground floor commercial space will take up 2,630 square feet. BMG Design Build is designing the building.

522 Grand Street
(btw Union & Lorimer)

Structural work is nearly complete for this 6 story mixed commercial-residential development. Standing at 77 feet in height, the structure will provide 10,650 square feet of space, with 1,450 square feet dedicated to commercial-retail use on the ground floor. There will be room for 10 apartments, averaging 920 square feet. There will be some room for bicycle storage in the basement.

L & C associates is managing the design. Completion is likely in 2020 or 2021.

537 Grand Street
(btw Union & Lorimer)

Developers filed plans in October of 2016 to build a 7,579-square-foot building. The plans call for 5 total units and an occupancy classification of strictly residential. The building will be 4 floors.

738 Grand St between Chase Bank and Absolute Power Fitness

738 Grand St between Chase Bank and Absolute Power Fitness

738 Grand Street
(btw Graham & Humboldt)

738 Grand Street is a new condo development currently under construction at 738 Grand Street, Brooklyn. 738 Grand Street has a total of 10 units.

For information on current retail availability, check out our business opportunities page which lists Grand Street retail spaces on the market for leasing.

We've launched our new website!

Explore our public art collection, find savings card deals on our live map, + read through our latest news blog.

photo credit: Owley

photo credit: Owley

Can you tell that we look a little different? This Saturday we unveiled our completely revamped website, replacing the previous look which had been in place since 2012.

The changes aren’t all just aesthetic either. Our website has a brand new public art gallery, new blog format, interactive district maps from live xyz, and a video catalog with documentaries presented by the BID.

We also are now more accessible figuratively and literally. Our support us page allows you to directly reach out to us for volunteering and sponsorship, and our userway accessibility options on the bottom right of your screen allow for our website to be read or listened to by anyone, not just the abled.

Lastly we’ve broken down our work and what we do in each of our 5 neighborhood initiatives: cleaning, greening, events, arts, and stories; so we can connect more clearly with our residents on the work we do to take care of Grand Street.

Take a tour through our website and explore our new features. You may learn a little bit more about us and learn more about what’s going on in the neighborhood.