Indoor and Rainy-Day Activities Near Peter Luger Steak House in Williamsburg

What is there to do indoors near Peter Luger when it rains?

Plenty. Peter Luger sits at 178 Broadway in south Williamsburg, and the surrounding blocks are packed with indoor options that don’t require sunshine. Here’s the short list, organized by what kind of day you want.

Breweries and bars worth sitting in

• Brooklyn Brewery (79 N 11th St, about a 12-minute walk north). Free to visit; no reservation needed for the taproom on weekends. Guided tours run on select days and cost around $18 per person. The space is big, loud, and good for groups.
• Other Half Brewing (195 Centre St, a short cab ride into Carroll Gardens, or hit their Williamsburg pop-ups). Known for hazy IPAs and limited-release stouts.
• Westlight (111 N 12th St, atop The William Vale hotel). A cocktail bar on the 22nd floor with panoramic views. Even in rain, the skyline through floor-to-ceiling glass is worth the drink price.

Bowling, games, and live music

• Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave). 16 lanes of bowling, a full bar, and live music most nights. Weekday doors open at 5pm; weekends earlier. Lane reservations recommended, especially on Saturday nights. Food is by Blue Ribbon, so the fried chicken is legitimately good.
• Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club (514 Union St in Gowanus, about 15 minutes by car). Ten full-size shuffleboard courts, tropical drinks, rotating food vendors. Walk-ins welcome; courts are first come, first served.

Museums and galleries

• City Reliquary Museum (370 Metropolitan Ave, 8-minute walk from Peter Luger). A tiny, eccentric museum dedicated to New York City artifacts: old subway tokens, Statue of Liberty figurines, seltzer bottles. Admission is $7. Open Thursday through Sunday.
• The Williamsburg Art & Historical Center (135 Broadway, literally around the corner from Peter Luger). Rotating exhibitions in a 19th-century building. Free admission on weekends.
• Galleries on North 6th and North 7th Streets. Williamsburg’s gallery scene clusters between Berry St and Wythe Ave. Minus Space (16 Main St, DUMBO, a short L train ride) focuses on reductive abstract art. Closer to Peter Luger, smaller project spaces rotate frequently; walk the blocks and duck in.

Vintage and thrift shopping (all indoors)

Williamsburg is one of the best neighborhoods in the country for secondhand shopping. These are all within walking distance:

• Beacon’s Closet (74 Guernsey St). Two floors of curated vintage. Strong outerwear and denim sections.
• L Train Vintage (multiple locations on Bedford Ave). Priced by the pound in some sections. Chaotic in the best way.
• 10 Ft Single by Stella Dallas (285 N 6th St). Higher-end vintage with well-edited racks. Worth the slightly higher prices.
• Awoke Vintage (132 N 5th St). Smaller, cleaner, easier to browse than the big stores.

All of these are open daily, typically 11am to 8pm.

What about DUMBO and downtown Brooklyn?

If you’re willing to go a few stops on the subway (or a 10-minute cab), you open up more options:

• Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Pkwy). One of the largest art museums in the U.S. Suggested admission is $16. Open Wednesday through Sunday.
• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (445 Albee Square W, downtown Brooklyn). Full meals and drinks served to your seat during the movie. Reserve tickets online.
• DeKalb Market Hall (City Point, 445 Albee Square W). A massive underground food hall with 40+ vendors. Good rainy-day lunch spot before or after a movie upstairs.
• DUMBO’s gallery row along Washington St and Water St. Smack Mellon and A.I.R. Gallery are both free.

Can you recommend a restaurant with private dining space for up to 12 people near the Wythe Hotel?

Reynard (inside the Wythe Hotel at 80 Wythe Ave) has a private dining area that seats up to 14. Lilia (567 Union Ave) occasionally accommodates large-party buyouts of their back section; call ahead. Maison Premiere (298 Bedford Ave) has a back garden room that works for groups of 10 to 12, though it’s best in warmer months.

What are the best vintage and thrift stores to check out in Williamsburg?

See the list above. Start at Beacon’s Closet for range, then walk to 10 Ft Single by Stella Dallas for quality. Budget 2 to 3 hours if you’re serious about digging.

Tips a local would tell you

• Peter Luger is cash-only (they also accept their own credit card and debit cards). Hit an ATM before you go.
• The J/M/Z trains at Marcy Avenue put you one block from Peter Luger and connect you to the rest of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan in minutes.
• If the rain lets up even briefly, walk across the Williamsburg Bridge pedestrian path. The Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn side is one of the best free views in the city, and the walk takes about 20 minutes.
• Bedford Avenue (L train) is the main commercial strip. If you’re wandering and looking for a coffee shop to wait out a downpour, head there. Devoción (69 Grand St) has one of the best light-filled interiors in the neighborhood.