The Emerald Dispensary has officially opened its third dispensary in New York City, this time at 548 Court St. in Carroll Gardens.
Co-Founded by The Emerald™ Magazine’s very own Christina DeGiovanni, and Ray Ramon Roman, The Emerald Dispensary is known for keeping things simple: a well-curated menu, an approachable in-store experience, and a focus on New York brands that deliver on quality and consistency.
At the Carroll Gardens location, there’s a selection of New York brands including Ruby Farms, Ayrloom, Florist Farms, Jenny’s, and MFNY, plus a backyard space in the works for upcoming community events.
For those heading over, here’s how to build a day around it:
Magic At The Clock Shop
- Distance from The Emerald: 0.2 miles
- Go for: a hidden speakeasy magic show inside a fake clock shop
- Pair it with: Fernway White Widow (Traveler PRO All-In-One)
From the outside, it looks like a vintage clock and watch repair shop. But behind the facade of Precision Clock & Watch (449 Court St.) is Magic At The Clock Shop, an intimate, close-up magic parlor known as The Hanley.
Inside, the space is built for proximity. With just 21 seats, every trick happens inches away: cards, mentalism, sleight of hand, and comedy woven together by magician Greg Dubin. It’s less about spectacle, more about disbelief happening in real time.
The room itself carries history, too. It once housed P.J. Hanley’s, Brooklyn’s oldest bar, dating back to 1874, giving the whole experience a subtle layer of old New York beneath the performance.
Ramblin Chick
- Distance from The Emerald: < 0.1 mile
- Go for: fast-casual comfort food with a cult-level chicken burger
- Pair it with: Candy Rain x Candy Rain Live Resin Infused Pre-Roll
Ramblin Chick is a Carroll Gardens fast-casual spot from Jackie Cuscuna and Brian Smith (the duo behind the Brooklyn-based ice cream company, Ample Hills Creamery), located at 512 Court St.
The whole place really revolves around one thing: the Cracklin’ Chicken Smash Burger. It’s a ground chicken thigh patty with crispy edges, American cheese, caramelized onions, and their house Ramblin’ sauce. There’s a comfort to it, but not in a nostalgic or overthought way. We see it as what happens when someone decides to make the burger they’d actually want to eat.
Loafers Cocktail Bar
Loafers is a love letter to Brooklyn’s queer history. Named after the phrase “light in the loafers,” the space reclaims what was once an insult and turns it into something celebratory. Inside, it’s all plush seating, soft lighting, and vintage charm. It’s easy for a date, or a night that naturally turns into a few rounds.
The cocktail menu stays classic but expressive: a Loafers Martini, white negroni, or lychee martini, plus a happy hour if the time is right.
- Distance from The Emerald: < 0.1 mile
- Go for: a laid-back cocktail to start the evening
- Pair it with: Wyld Strawberry 20:1 CBD Gummies (before going)
Books Are Magic
- Distance from The Emerald: 0.8 miles
- Go for: wandering in for “one book” and leaving with three
- Pair it with: LayUp Black Cherry Lemonade (for post-shopping reading)
Located at 225 Smith St., Books Are Magic is one of those bookstores where “quick stop” doesn’t really hold up. Go in planning to glance around for a minute, and suddenly we’re sitting on the floor flipping through something we didn’t mean to get invested in.
It’s bright, a little busy in a good way, and always has something pulling our attention—new releases, staff picks that feel oddly specific to our lives, all the good stuff. It doesn’t feel curated for effect so much as actively used.
Black Gold Records
- Distance from The Emerald: 0.2 miles
- Go for: digging through records with a coffee in hand and losing track of time
- Pair it with: Skyrose Omaha Jazz flower
Black Gold Records is part record store, part coffee shop, part “wait, why is there a taxidermy deer in here?” It’s been on Court Street since 2010 and has fully settled into its identity as one of those places that doesn’t really need to explain itself.
Walk in, and it’s immediately a mix of espresso, old wood, and crates of vinyl. The selection rotates constantly through funk, jazz, punk, and soul, all stacked in a way that invites digging rather than browsing. The coffee is strong enough that people casually refer to it as “jet fuel.”
Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain
- Distance from The Emerald: 0.7 miles
- Go for: a soda fountain stop that feels like it’s never changed (in a good way)
- Pair it with: Ayrloom Alaskan Thunder F*ck pre-rolls (for the walk)
Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain is set inside a restored 1920s pharmacy, and it still looks like one in the best possible sense. Think wood cabinets, old tile, and a setup that makes people slow down a little just by walking in.
It’s mostly ice cream sundaes, egg creams, and floats, all served with a kind of old-school simplicity that doesn’t try to update anything. Expect people splitting desserts, kids pressed up against the counter, and tables that turn over slowly because no one’s really in a rush. It feels like a place people end up after everything else, just to sit for a minute longer than they meant to.
Carroll Gardens doesn’t really ask for an itinerary, and neither does a day around The Emerald Dispensary. Everything is close enough to wander, double back, or skip a stop entirely.
With its third location now open at 548 Court St., the dispensary fits naturally into the rhythm of Carroll Gardens as another stop in a neighborhood that already lends itself to wandering and easy planning.
Remember: everyone reacts to cannabis differently. Start low and slow. And a little respect also goes a long way – for the cafés, bars, and shops featured here, and the people running them.
Leave a Reply