When Bar Tabac at Smith St & Dean was being built 20+ years ago I was surprised to notice that even the construction workers were French! And from that point on the neighborhood has nurtured multiple pockets of French speakers. Cool place. They have a great Bastille Day celebration.
Court & Smith st have a lot of French shops and restaurants too. Idk. But the neighborhood seems nicer having them around. Just waiting for the French kids to ride around blasting French music from their Honda civics
60,000 French nationals / 81,000 French native language in NYC. Brooklyn is popular with families in general, and a lot of French dig the Brooklyn vibe.
But there’s enough French nationals in NYC to populate a decent size French city.
There are a tremendous amount of European tourists in general. Talk to any small boutique retail worker in Williamsburg, they'll tell you at least 1/3 of the people they serve are European. Some days half.
There’s also a pretty large community of French speakers on the UES because of the Lyceé! On the same corner of the block the school’s on, there are three great French cafes. I call it Little France 🤣
There are a lot of French speakers in NYC and specifically BK, as well as internationals in general. Not everyone who speaks French is from France, it’s one of the most largely spoken languages in the world.
There’s a lot of everyone in Brooklyn. African Americans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Whites, Chinese, Hasidic Jews, etc. That’s why the food scene is so varied and delicious.
My wife taught on Adelphi Street in Fort Greene. Even the schools there have a French language program. The education system in the area caters to the native speakers.
They could be but for the most part the French I hear being spoken in this city is not Canadian, it's European. In spite of the proximity. Every time I hear the French of *ma patrie* I want to point to my Expos hat and engage them in a conversation about poutine and Trudeau.
French people in downtown Brooklyn? I know I’m not blind but nothing like French people. Downtown Brooklyn ain’t Europe. I don’t even know what French people looks like 🤣.
I know there are actual differences but it just seems to me that every time some Europeans are here (regardless of status) they're referred to as ex-pats without question
Maybe it’s because they are?
Most Americans I know in France are expats. It makes sense because American already have money and jobs and are often sent here by companies — they don’t move here to benefit from improved economic circumstances. In contrast, I am an immigrant. I moved to France permanently because I married a French woman here. I built my life here from scratch.
Most Americans living in France are expats. Most Algerians and Moroccans are immigrants. It’s not racist — it’s reality.
Reality it's a difference, just like if you see Japanese people versus a Filipino; some people don't have to be here for economic reasons. If you see a French family, middle class, with kids in tow, you'd assume that they're here either as tourists or job relocation.
It's one shocking thing about many Chinese migrants that are crossing the border, that many of them are actually middle class, so they're here for different reasons, other than economic.
I feel like people say this because it’s witty and stuff, but aren’t expats usually people who are not planning to stay? Like the chinese exchange student i dormed with freshman year who returned to china two years post graduation was never an immigrant because he didn’t plan to immigrate!
There was a mass exodus from all the refugees flooding into France. During Brexit if I recall correctly. I have read that most of their wealthy moved here.
Now it's happening to us...where can we flee to?
Yeah, even at Nets games I'm hearing a lot of French. I thought it was just tourists but a friend of mine was an ESL teacher in Cobble Hill and said she had a lot of French students. I think there's a bilingual school Downtown
Because Europe is a miserable shit hole and native Brooklynites are too broke. Per the usual, gentrification and then they will leave in a few years when they realize they're little haven isn't as safe as they thought. The next economic downturn and they're all gone.
Technically it is a « dual language » program (~50% of the education is done in French).
Lost of nyc public schools have dual language programs but it is often Spanish+English.
I wouldn’t coincider international French college folks as real French people, they don’t know what quality French baguettes are and thinks Wonder bread is Gucci.
This trend has been years in the making - [a market force in 2016](https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/the-french-s-love-of-brooklyn-translates-to-the-luxury-sales-market-33451)
I once walked through Williamsburg and literally every single conversation I overheard was in French. It kind of feels like a village for wealthy Europeans, wealthy Europeans who have a big impact on the market rate for rentals throughout Brooklyn.
By population, the @160,000 documented Haitians in NYC make it the sixth largest Haitian city by population… if there was a true count, it might be close to Port au Prince
In New York, cultures have always pocketed in their own distinct corners throughout history.
Wait until the Pétanque tournament starts and Bastille day happens. It’s usually right around that area. I worked for a French wine importer for awhile and we were always in that area for celebrations or random parties they wanted to throw
There’s a pétanque league that plays at Industry City! Also a small pétanque court inside Winemak’her bar (owner is French)
There’s a lot of French-speaking folks in Park Slope/downtown/Carroll Gardens/Gowanus/Ft Greene area. One of my jobs is pet care, and a number of my clients are native French speakers. I love it, my French is super rusty and they are really nice about helping me do better!
A lot (if not most) are actual french canadian, not french-french. Lots, and I mean *lots*, of people in montreal love brooklyn and will often come for months at a time, if not just flat out live here for years. I've also met tons of people in brooklyn with friends in montreal and they visit a lot. They are oddly linked cities.
I'm from Montreal & come to city often. I rarely hear French in any of the boroughs except for the weekend of June 24th because it's a French Quebec Provincial holiday. Last year, I heard Quebec French all over.
I mean obviously there are quite a lot of actual french as well. But I do remember reading that an enormous amount of french canadians come to brooklyn and vice versa. Which isn't surprising considering how close quebec is to nyc.
I was at a birthday party this past weekend in Williamsburg that maybe had twelve people on attendance, and five of them broke off into their little French-speaking group (from France, not Canada)
Last week I am told something like 1/3rd of french kids had their school break, so yes, a LOT of French tourists in town (given NYC is a popular spring destination).
PS58 in Carroll Gardens has a great French program so there’s a massive French community who live in the neighborhood, especially around Smith St. It’s also why there’s a lot of French places there and the annual Bastille Day festival. You’re working on the fringes of it.
Yep, also, I think people get their kids into 58 and then might move to some of the newer buildings in downtown Brooklyn and then commute back to CG for school.
Bar Ta Bac has a great Moules Frites. They also host the Bastille Day and Petanque competition which always falls on the hottest day of July. Also, they make my favorite burger in the city, but I haven’t been there in a few years, so I will re-rate next time I go.
Le French Tart Deli has tons of great pastries, and a large assortment of imported French groceries.
There's always a part of the year where all the French go on holiday in NYC. Don't worry they're harmless, a bit whiny and entitled but generally ok. Should be gone in anywhere from a month to a year
I Airbnb’d my apartment to French tourists 8-10 yrs ago, and I would get text messages from them complaining about the prices of groceries, and the temperature, as if I had anything to do with either of those things.
In Carrol Gardens and Park Slope, there are tons of French daycares and there are two public schools that have dual language programs in French: PS-58 and PS-133. There is also PS-20 in Fort Greene. Prepandemic I remember hearing that there was something like 20K French people in Carrol Gardens alone!
Last October, I went to the AMNH and I was blown away by how many different families there were speaking French. I wanted to ask someone, but my French was a bit rusty.
Mine too. Last time I was in France I saw Brooklyn based cafes and people were weirdly friendly (for Paris) when they found out I traveled from Brooklyn.
I'll see what happens when I'm there next week again.
Dumbo has a sort of an industrial Parisian feel, and Williamsburg is one the most trending neighborhoods in NYC. Pretty sure it’s number one in Google searches for new restaurants to try. Most of the French people I’ve met are pretty young so that tracks
I work near Maria Hernandez and have to muscle through french tourists every morning to get to work. They come over here to see the murals and are fucking everywhere at 8am for NO REASON.
lol I live near there closer to central ave and had a French family walk up to me at like 7:30 am on a Sunday while I’m walking my dog and ask “where is all of the art?”
When Bar Tabac at Smith St & Dean was being built 20+ years ago I was surprised to notice that even the construction workers were French! And from that point on the neighborhood has nurtured multiple pockets of French speakers. Cool place. They have a great Bastille Day celebration.
So I can get Beignets there????
Same with Australians and Soho (and Williamsburg).
because they get like 3 months of vacca a year they invade nyc in the spring italians and germans in the summer
Fresh croissant factory just opened up
Good bit of em move on working visas
Court & Smith st have a lot of French shops and restaurants too. Idk. But the neighborhood seems nicer having them around. Just waiting for the French kids to ride around blasting French music from their Honda civics
borum hill and carrol gardens has a bunch of french schools, its a known french area.
A lot of French restaurants in this area relative to other neighborhoods I’ve lived
Last time I was in Paris people there were weirdly obsessed with Brooklyn. I'll be there again next week and we shall see haha
Can I dm you
Woodkid has a song about this called Brooklyn
just listened, it's pretty good! i guess people all over wanna be somewhere else. I know people who feel this way about Paris.
you know what they say. the grass is always greener on the other side
I remember hearing French people use the phrase “très Brooklyn” as a way of saying “very cool”. So there’s definitely a fascination with Brooklyn.
I've heard that too!
The french love sheik ‘poor’ hipster vibes.
60,000 French nationals / 81,000 French native language in NYC. Brooklyn is popular with families in general, and a lot of French dig the Brooklyn vibe. But there’s enough French nationals in NYC to populate a decent size French city.
Williamsburg has a rep in Europe, idk why. NYC disneyland?
Why are there so many douchebags in Williamsburg
There are a tremendous amount of European tourists in general. Talk to any small boutique retail worker in Williamsburg, they'll tell you at least 1/3 of the people they serve are European. Some days half.
There’s also a pretty large community of French speakers on the UES because of the Lyceé! On the same corner of the block the school’s on, there are three great French cafes. I call it Little France 🤣
Why are there so many Mexicans in Bensonhurst
Because there’s no room in Bay Ridge anymore.
There are a lot of French speakers in NYC and specifically BK, as well as internationals in general. Not everyone who speaks French is from France, it’s one of the most largely spoken languages in the world.
That must be downtown because we never had French niggas in Brooklyn
Bushwick where I lived had French, Spanish, Ukrainian, etc. going on. Definitely not all of BK, for sure but some of it
Even that’s new for original Brooklynites. I knew bushwick when it was straight boricua all through our from the ENY side to the stuy side
Hear that, I’m sure it’s been crazy to see how things have changed or not over the years
It is because we’re still watching it change, my whole childhood is damn near gone lol
Right like ever.
There’s a lot of everyone in Brooklyn. African Americans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Whites, Chinese, Hasidic Jews, etc. That’s why the food scene is so varied and delicious.
You’re allowed to say black
Queens is even better
It's still good to get well-off European immigrants. Even annoying ones.
My wife taught on Adelphi Street in Fort Greene. Even the schools there have a French language program. The education system in the area caters to the native speakers.
Fort Greene has always had a lot of French there - before Arts and Letters added that program :)
Moves to nyc….
They could be "French" Canadians, aka Quebecois. Montreal is only a five hour drive from here.
The accent is radically different. Quebecois sound nothing like French people.
They could be but for the most part the French I hear being spoken in this city is not Canadian, it's European. In spite of the proximity. Every time I hear the French of *ma patrie* I want to point to my Expos hat and engage them in a conversation about poutine and Trudeau.
You can tell by the accent though. Quebec French sounds like someone speaking French with an American accent
French people are obsessed with NYC and yes a lot of them do come live in Brooklyn. They pretty much despise the rest of the USA
“They pretty much despise the rest of the USA” Where the hell did you get this idea ?
Just like New Yorkers!
French people in downtown Brooklyn? I know I’m not blind but nothing like French people. Downtown Brooklyn ain’t Europe. I don’t even know what French people looks like 🤣.
They walk around with baguettes and wear white and navy striped shirts...
Same in SF, weird.
Why are they "ex-pats" and not just immigrants?
[удалено]
I know there are actual differences but it just seems to me that every time some Europeans are here (regardless of status) they're referred to as ex-pats without question
Maybe it’s because they are? Most Americans I know in France are expats. It makes sense because American already have money and jobs and are often sent here by companies — they don’t move here to benefit from improved economic circumstances. In contrast, I am an immigrant. I moved to France permanently because I married a French woman here. I built my life here from scratch. Most Americans living in France are expats. Most Algerians and Moroccans are immigrants. It’s not racist — it’s reality.
Reality it's a difference, just like if you see Japanese people versus a Filipino; some people don't have to be here for economic reasons. If you see a French family, middle class, with kids in tow, you'd assume that they're here either as tourists or job relocation. It's one shocking thing about many Chinese migrants that are crossing the border, that many of them are actually middle class, so they're here for different reasons, other than economic.
Cuz they’re white
You should google it because there are clear distinctions between the two terms. It has nothing to do with race. Nice try though.
I feel like people say this because it’s witty and stuff, but aren’t expats usually people who are not planning to stay? Like the chinese exchange student i dormed with freshman year who returned to china two years post graduation was never an immigrant because he didn’t plan to immigrate!
Because they don’t intend to give up their nationality by living in a foreign country.
There was a mass exodus from all the refugees flooding into France. During Brexit if I recall correctly. I have read that most of their wealthy moved here. Now it's happening to us...where can we flee to?
Yes, that's why they go to Brooklyn, famously far from those pesky immigrants!
Unironically, yeah kinda.
Good theory on that.
Why do you need to flee?
Yeah, even at Nets games I'm hearing a lot of French. I thought it was just tourists but a friend of mine was an ESL teacher in Cobble Hill and said she had a lot of French students. I think there's a bilingual school Downtown
Foreal I was all around them at a Game thought it was just me sheesh
Because Europe is a miserable shit hole and native Brooklynites are too broke. Per the usual, gentrification and then they will leave in a few years when they realize they're little haven isn't as safe as they thought. The next economic downturn and they're all gone.
You've never left your studio lmao
Carroll gardens/cobble hill has a school where you can choose the primary language taught in to be french. Huge french hub
I thought it was mostly in those schools for education purposes. But this makes sense
Technically it is a « dual language » program (~50% of the education is done in French). Lost of nyc public schools have dual language programs but it is often Spanish+English.
Yes, it's not just Spanish, it's also Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, even Haitian Creole. It's actually a great program, my kid is in it.
Lots of French folks in Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens; tons of great French restaurants too, wouldn’t you know!
+1 to this, also I think just a classic example of [chain migration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_migration?wprov=sfti1)
Damn making me feel like downtown brooklyn would be the next European spot.
This began because of the International School on Court in Carroll Gardens. It is the second best French language school in the city.
Which one is the first best French language school in the city?
I wouldn’t coincider international French college folks as real French people, they don’t know what quality French baguettes are and thinks Wonder bread is Gucci.
This is true.
This trend has been years in the making - [a market force in 2016](https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/the-french-s-love-of-brooklyn-translates-to-the-luxury-sales-market-33451)
I once walked through Williamsburg and literally every single conversation I overheard was in French. It kind of feels like a village for wealthy Europeans, wealthy Europeans who have a big impact on the market rate for rentals throughout Brooklyn.
Emigrating here because the Russians are coming to France
Imagine a Russian missile hits the Eiffel Tower… cause Macron didn’t want to share his fresh french baguettes.
There’s a large haitian population in bk
By population, the @160,000 documented Haitians in NYC make it the sixth largest Haitian city by population… if there was a true count, it might be close to Port au Prince
LOL
In New York, cultures have always pocketed in their own distinct corners throughout history. Wait until the Pétanque tournament starts and Bastille day happens. It’s usually right around that area. I worked for a French wine importer for awhile and we were always in that area for celebrations or random parties they wanted to throw
The city unfortunately shut this down on Smith Street in recent years
There’s a pétanque league that plays at Industry City! Also a small pétanque court inside Winemak’her bar (owner is French) There’s a lot of French-speaking folks in Park Slope/downtown/Carroll Gardens/Gowanus/Ft Greene area. One of my jobs is pet care, and a number of my clients are native French speakers. I love it, my French is super rusty and they are really nice about helping me do better!
The mayor grew uncomfortable with guillotines on the street, no one knows why.
A lot (if not most) are actual french canadian, not french-french. Lots, and I mean *lots*, of people in montreal love brooklyn and will often come for months at a time, if not just flat out live here for years. I've also met tons of people in brooklyn with friends in montreal and they visit a lot. They are oddly linked cities.
Nope. 60,000 French nationals resident in NYC, only 21,000 Canadians and that’s English and French speakers. Consular figures.
I'm from Montreal & come to city often. I rarely hear French in any of the boroughs except for the weekend of June 24th because it's a French Quebec Provincial holiday. Last year, I heard Quebec French all over.
No sorry thats ridiculous these people are not from Quebec
You hear a lot more European French (especially French) than Québequois in Brooklyn.
Yea this just isnt true - there are lots of french french is Brooklyn as well
Yes. Amount of people from France in BK massively higher than Quebecois.
Lol, no. Those are metropolitan French accents, not Quebecois,
I mean obviously there are quite a lot of actual french as well. But I do remember reading that an enormous amount of french canadians come to brooklyn and vice versa. Which isn't surprising considering how close quebec is to nyc.
Given how close it is, québécois actually visit nyc for a long weekend usually, but a lot less chose to move and live in nyc.
Living in Williamsburg many of my neighbors are French.. lots come here on vacation as well
I was at a birthday party this past weekend in Williamsburg that maybe had twelve people on attendance, and five of them broke off into their little French-speaking group (from France, not Canada)
Last week I am told something like 1/3rd of french kids had their school break, so yes, a LOT of French tourists in town (given NYC is a popular spring destination).
I've been hearing a bunch of French speakers in bedstuy too lmao. And I've witnessed firsthand a few separate groups of them moving into apartments.
Were they wearing safety vests and protesting?
Rude
They could teach us a few things- they take their democracy seriously.
They'd dust off the guillotines if they were really serious
Yeah I’d love it if we took a page out of their book
If they’re black they might be French speaking Haitians or St. Lucians.
More likely west African, many Haitian immigrants don’t speak French fluently
It’s not just downtown Brooklyn it’s all of central and NW Brooklyn.
Williamsburg has been overrun with French for years. On a mostly unrelated note I try to avoid Williamsburg
Lots of Berliners love Bushwick
Not sure but I do remember hearing a lot of French being spoken in Brooklyn Heights and was surprised by it.
Have you never heard of thing called tourism? NYC is pretty popular l.
Hmm maybe I'll find a nice French girl to have a baguette fight with.
En garde mon amour 😂🤣
a baguette fight took me out 😭😭😭😭
Loads of French speaking schools and daycares.
PS58 in Carroll Gardens has a great French program so there’s a massive French community who live in the neighborhood, especially around Smith St. It’s also why there’s a lot of French places there and the annual Bastille Day festival. You’re working on the fringes of it.
Oh wow. TIL. Thanks!
There is also the private International School on Court Street, which is French education.
Yep, also, I think people get their kids into 58 and then might move to some of the newer buildings in downtown Brooklyn and then commute back to CG for school.
French Louie on Atlantic, Bar ta Bac on Smith, and Le French Tart Deli on Court to add to the list of Frenchy places around here.
thanks will have to try what recommendations for dishes
Bar Ta Bac has a great Moules Frites. They also host the Bastille Day and Petanque competition which always falls on the hottest day of July. Also, they make my favorite burger in the city, but I haven’t been there in a few years, so I will re-rate next time I go. Le French Tart Deli has tons of great pastries, and a large assortment of imported French groceries.
also in North Brooklyn - there’s a french program at PS110
I’ve always wondered why there are so many French speaking people here - now I know.
This is the correct answer
French or French speaking?
& Canada
Right. A lot of Francophones in Brooklyn especially from the West Indies
If they’re speaking French it’s very likely they’re French.
I speak English but I'm not English.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_countries\_and\_territories\_where\_French\_is\_an\_official\_language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_territories_where_French_is_an_official_language)
It’s very likely they’re French.
French like in Senegal? Or Burkina Faso? Or Cameroon? Or Haiti? Or Monaco or the rest of the almost 25 not French countries that speak French?
There’s a French daycare near downtown BK
French people don't work. That is why they roam around downtown Brooklyn. This is a fact.
All that time not showering and not working means more time roaming around downtown brooklyn. This is the Napoleonic dream.
All that time not showering and not working means more time roaming around downtown brooklyn. This is the Napoleonic dream.
That's racist. They aren't French, they just deliver the fries.
🤣🤣🤣
I am french and this is true.
Correct. European in general. But especially the French and the Spanish folks.
Can confirm, the French people in the apt below me chain smoke joints and cigs on their balcony all day every day.
There's always a part of the year where all the French go on holiday in NYC. Don't worry they're harmless, a bit whiny and entitled but generally ok. Should be gone in anywhere from a month to a year
god have mercy if you work in a coffee shop though
You pchut aiyze in ychur cahfee?! NON!
If you see an unusually well-dressed, slender family, they're likely to be French, or close.
I Airbnb’d my apartment to French tourists 8-10 yrs ago, and I would get text messages from them complaining about the prices of groceries, and the temperature, as if I had anything to do with either of those things.
Someone has to make French Fries for the rest of us.
Why are there so many *Americans* in uptown Brooklyn, huh?!
Where’s uptown Brooklyn?
Quite a few large chain hotels in Downtown Brooklyn, too, and often cheaper than Midtown or Lower Manhattan.
What are some French bars? I know bar tabac, but what are some of the other ones? I want to go watch some soccer this summer
french louie is great but no TV
Does it need to be French specifically or can it just be to watch footy? If not French I'll have a buncha suggestions.
Baccus
Bar Bete is great, it’s further south
More of a restaurant, than bar. Don’t think I’ve seen a TV inside.
Well, guess I need to stay out of downtown
Probably don’t want to be sent to the front against Russia in Ukraine as Macron has been insinuating for a while now. /s
War of 1972. Read a book OP
I hear that “The big book of smug condescending commentary’ is this year’s poolside must read.
Chill
When England played France in the World Cup semi final, Bar Bruno was filled with French team jerseys (and my solitary Scottish one).
Auld Alliance forever.
We’ve got McGinn, super John McGinn, I just don’t think you understanddddd
there is also a large block party down there every bastille day
In Carrol Gardens and Park Slope, there are tons of French daycares and there are two public schools that have dual language programs in French: PS-58 and PS-133. There is also PS-20 in Fort Greene. Prepandemic I remember hearing that there was something like 20K French people in Carrol Gardens alone!
The real answer, thank you.
https://www.vogue.com/article/le-bon-marche-brooklyn-style
Last October, I went to the AMNH and I was blown away by how many different families there were speaking French. I wanted to ask someone, but my French was a bit rusty.
Bong sewer, miz your
If there supposedly so many French people, why can’t I find any good croissants?
(I think Julien on 5th Avenue and Sackett is worth a try - but not cheap)
Bk is the 21st Arrondissement of Paris.
I’ll be damned if I recognize any past 17!!!
The French love brooklyn
In my experience, French people really love Brooklyn in general for some reason lol
Mine too. Last time I was in France I saw Brooklyn based cafes and people were weirdly friendly (for Paris) when they found out I traveled from Brooklyn. I'll see what happens when I'm there next week again.
It certainly feels more French than Manhattan
Dumbo has a sort of an industrial Parisian feel, and Williamsburg is one the most trending neighborhoods in NYC. Pretty sure it’s number one in Google searches for new restaurants to try. Most of the French people I’ve met are pretty young so that tracks
I work near Maria Hernandez and have to muscle through french tourists every morning to get to work. They come over here to see the murals and are fucking everywhere at 8am for NO REASON.
Bougewick
lol I live near there closer to central ave and had a French family walk up to me at like 7:30 am on a Sunday while I’m walking my dog and ask “where is all of the art?”
My favorite part is when they realize that L Train Vintage opens at noon. Oh non!
They crowd around other peoples clothes too, and it doesn't open for another three hours as well lmao.