Sometimes, you’re just craving a taste of home. And I’m about to tell you a secret. A place in New York that can scratch your Aussie itch in surprising ways. If you haven’t yet been to Industry City, a visit feels like an escape to a magical urban wonderland: great food, distilleries and breweries, murals, live music, and a tonne of creativity. Hidden amongst its six million-square-foot, 35-acre campus along Brooklyn’s waterfront, you will be pleased to find a few antipodean gems, too. I’ll show you where to look 🙂
A couple of express stops from both Atlantic Avenue and Union Square, Industry City is closer than you think. I’ve been consistently visiting Industry City for the past 2 years, and in this guide, I highlight where I go to find the things I have loved from my life in Australia. I hope they spark some interest for you too.
Start With an Injection of Caffeine with Gumption
When you want a “good” coffee from home but you can only afford a subway ride, head on down to Gumption Coffee, where two Aussie women are roasting coffee beans and making flat whites in Industry City.
Clare and Hazel, the women behind Coffee Alchemy and Gumption in Sydney’s Marrickville and Strand Arcade, have opened Gumption Coffee in New York with locations in Times Square, Flatiron, and of course, Industry City. We were impressed to learn that this location is the only coffee roastery founded, owned, and led by women globally, with stores on three continents—Australia, Asia, and the Americas. Dang!
We spoke with cofounder Clare about why they were drawn to Industry City. She said:
“New Yorkers appreciate coffee, just like Australians do. Before deciding to open the roastery here, I read the history of Industry City and was really drawn into the spirit of industry and its mission that still exists today from its beginnings as Bush Terminal. We’re so glad this is our New York home and the beans we roast here are sent to our three stores in Manhattan and around the world.”
Visit for specialty coffee and the spirit of Sydney’s coffee ethos using their Australian-style blend Goodness Galileo. Make sure to say hi to Hazel and Clare when you visit!
Visit Gumption Coffee at Industry City in Building 19
168 39th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232 (Google Maps)
A Cocktail With The Flavors of Lemon Myrtle at Standard Wormwood Distillery
Australian native Lemon Myrtle is known worldwide as the “Queen of the Lemon Herbs.” With about 6,000 varieties of native produce growing in Australian soil and seas, there is a movement to increase the availability and demand for native ingredients back home.
Here in Brooklyn, the founders of Standard Wormwood Distillery have fallen in love with Lemon Myrtle, and for the last eight years, it’s been an ingredient in their very special house gin and tonic.
Cofounder Taras says of the use of Lemon Myrtle in their cocktail recipes:
“Lemon myrtle plays a starring role in this drink because of its unique flavor profile. It’s surprisingly more lemon flavored than getting flavor directly from the lemon fruit. We source our lemon myrtle as shredded and dried leaves. It looks a lot like tea leaves, and we sweeten it just a little to unlock the flavor and bring out the high concentration of oils so it really pops when we use it to build cocktails.”
Head on over to Standard Wormwood Distillery for this unique lemon myrtle-infused cocktail, or perhaps to taste the assortment of rye, gin, agave, rum, amaro, vermouth, aperitivo, and bitters that the team distills on-premises.
Visit Standard Wormwood Distillery at Industry City in building 6
68 34th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232 (Google Maps)
Stop by Sahadi’s For an Assortment of Snacks and Treats
Sahadi’s is a New York institution known for being a purveyor of Mediterranean food and goods since 1895. But you may never have guessed that they also stock a range of familiar snacks and treats available in Australia that are reminiscent of your childhood. Plan a visit to their largest store in Industry City for:
- Vegemite (and Marmite!)
- Tim Tams in three flavors
- licorice, chocolate, and bullets by Darrell Lea
- Ribena
- butter from Lewis Road Creamery, hailing direct from New Zealand
- Bundaberg Ginger Beer
- Malteasers
- Smarties
- packaged halva from Seed + Mill, a New York-based and Aussie-founded business
We spoke to Sahadi’s CEO, Christine Whelan, about why so many Aussie products feature on their shelves:
“We find delicious treats to be timeless. Most of our treats come from the Mediterranean but these are beloved worldwide. Those treats have worked their way into every culture, and we are thrilled to be carrying them. For the most part we have tried them all and loved them. To make it to our shelves it has to be delicious. Personally, I am in love with the Bundaberg Diet Ginger beer. Nice and spicy!”
Visit Sahadi’s at Industry City in Building 4
52 35th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232 (Google Maps)
A Ginger Experience at Barrow’s Intense Ginger That Rivals Bundaberg
If Moscow mules and dark and stormy’s are your drink of choice, head on over to Barrow’s Intense Ginger to delight in all the ginger cocktails.
Barrow’s Intense is proud to have the highest-rated ginger liquor with a rating of 93 by Wine Enthusiast and uses a cold-press process with fresh ginger. You can even participate in a tour of their production space to see what goes into manufacturing every bottle in Industry City. You can even take one of their ginger cordials home with you.
Barrow’s is a great place to stop for a cool drink and stay for a tour to see how they make their ginger cordials or for one of their terrific events—everything from trivia to tarot readings.
Visit Barrow’s Intense Ginger at Industry City in Building 6
86 34th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232 (Google Maps)
Embrace KitKat Flavor Innovation at the Sunrise Mart in Japan Village
We grew up in Australia knowing that to take a break was to have a Kit Kat. Originally from York, England, the way this iconic chocolate has been reimagined time and time again in different flavors in Japan deserves appreciation.
Stop by Sunrise Mart, New York’s go-to market for fresh Japanese ingredients, imported snacks, and meals. As far as Kit Kat’s go, they have the widest possible selection of interpretations: cookies and cream, matcha, milk tea, white chocolate with milk chocolate (otherwise known to us as Top Deck), chocolate orange, whole wheat biscuit, and more! Of course, they also have the classic flavor too!
The Sunrise Mart is just one bustling part of Japan Village, which also includes a sake store, six food stalls, and an izakaya.
Visit Sunrise Mart at Industry City in Building 3
934 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232 (Google Maps)
How to Get to Industry City
Industry City in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, is easily accessible by subway on the N, D, and R lines to the 36th St subway station, only a block away. There are plenty of CitiBike docks nearby, and if you prefer to drive, there is free on-street parking and a big parking lot adjacent to the campus. You can also obtain a validation stamp that makes your parking complimentary by making a qualifying purchase at these retailers:
- Any bottle of wine at Moore Brothers Wine Company
- $40 or more at Sunrise Mart
- A single item at Sahadi’s
- $5 purchase at Powerhouse Books
Over To You: Explore Industry City and Report Back
Industry City is one of New York’s best-kept secrets. It’s wonderful to visit in any season, but especially if you are an Aussie in the season of utter homesickness. If you have your favorite spots in Industry City, please share them below in the comments.
AWNY | Australian Women in New York 