On the cusp of Park Slope and Bay Ridge, there is a neighborhood where you can bask in the exalted views of Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the Statue of Liberty. Known as Brooklyn’s Chinatown, Sunset Park has the third largest Chinese community in New York City. Shops, residential buildings, and aging churches line the streets in a town with a menu of global cuisine to sate any tourist’s palate, be it Greek, Indian, or Ecuadorian food. But the food and the view are not why you come here.
In a turn of the century carriage house in industrial Sunset Park, Tabla Rasa Gallery is worth your visit. After years of experience working for nonprofit art organizations, Tabla Rasa’s directors Audrey Frank Anastasi and Joseph Anastasi now foster the growth of emerging talent in the art world. The Anastasis present professional art exhibitions while also promoting “educational & non-profit types of programs,” says Audrey, “such as free lectures, art talks, and screenings.” Previous group exhibits include the “Big Print Show,” “Past & Present,” and “Women’s Work: Homage to Feminist Art.” The voice of both new and established work resonates in a warm, non-intimidating space atypical of some of the stuffier, overcrowded, and overhyped art venues in Manhattan.
Stay for the evening of November 28, when the opening exhibition “Points of View” will showcase the creativity of ten eclectic individuals including Joergen Geerds, Cecile Chong, Griselda Healy, Anders Knutsson, and Sylvia Sleigh – whose work is shown in this story. The artists display their distinct interpretations of the landscape genre, so expect to lean into the artwork with intrigue. Personally, I’m looking forward to viewing the images of thousand year-old trees, idyllic pebbled beaches, and panoramic portraits of gritty and grand New York City. Don’t let the chilly signs of winter keep you from crossing the river and tasting something this aesthetically good.
How to Get There: Take the yellow line’s southbound R Train to 45th St., walk to 48th St., turn right and walk down to #224. (Exhibition reception November 28th from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m., 224 48 St., Brooklyn, 917.880.8337, visit www.TablaRasaGallery.com for gallery hours and upcoming events.)
featured image: Joergen Geerds Photography
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram