Goorin Bros. Bold Hatmakers
195B 5th Avenue
(between Berkeley Pl & Sackett St)
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Getting There: Take The D,N,R To Union Street.

The Brooklyn of yesteryear has been legendarily represented in both books and the silver screen. There is something quite beautiful about a once gritty borough, where its residents had to pull themselves up by their bootstraps just to make ends meet. At the same time these residents created a world outside of Manhattan, filled with endless cultural significance. Park Slope recently welcomed a west coast classic over the bridge and into its neighborhood. It’s Goorin Bros. Bold Hatmakers.

This Hatter’s story began in 1895, when master craftsman Cassel Goorin sold his first hat from a horse cart in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cassel’s sons – the Goorin Brothers – continued the tradition of hat making when they moved the family business to San Francisco in 1949. Today, Goorin Brothers is lead by Cassel’s great grandson who remains dedicated to the art of bold hat making by crafting hats inspired by San Francisco’s rich artistic community.

The Brooklyn shop, located on Park Slope’s bustling fifth avenue appears to have been aging gracefully on the block for a number of years. But in reality the store is only a few weeks old. Construction began in June to transform a once nondescript space into a vintage hat emporium.

Once inside, patrons with find a cornucopia of hat styles from the vintage- fedoras and flatcaps- to the contemporary- ballcaps. Goorin’s staff is both helpful and knowledgeable, but most importantly, they are patient, taking the time to find the hat you want, and a size that works.

Don’t get me wrong, progress is necessary, but sometimes a short trip to the past just feels right. And at Goorin Bros. you can purchase a high quality product that is both fashionable and smart.

- Jay Rubin