It wasn’t Manhattan that drew me to New York; rather, it was the borough of Brooklyn. I had visited New York numerous times before moving to Brooklyn in 2013, but it was during those two months that I fell in love with the city and knew I would have to make it my permanent home at some point. Before spending the summer in Brooklyn, New York City was a great tourist destination but never a place I could see myself living. Most people know that Brooklyn is a must-visit destination for anybody touring New York City because of its reputation as a hip, stylish, and lively neighborhood, but few have any idea how to get there. Go to Brooklyn if you want to see a side of New York City that isn’t often seen by tourists. If you’re still not convinced that you should go to Brooklyn, or if you have no idea where to begin when trying to plan your trip, here are some suggestions. Then you should read this article:
Since I’ve made Brooklyn my home, I’ve spent many months discovering its numerous neighborhoods, unique sites, and hidden treasures. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll never be done exploring this enormous borough. Is there a recommended itinerary for exploring Brooklyn? It might be difficult to choose where to go in Brooklyn, since there are not many landmarks to see.
Before you check out my Brooklyn Walking Tours (which you should definitely do! ), let me give you a visual tour of the borough and explain why you shouldn’t miss spending at least one day there if you’re in New York City:
The neighborhoods of Brooklyn are rich in history and diversity
The irony here is that Manhattan, the smallest and third-least populous of the five boroughs, is the only one that most tourists ever set foot in when they come to New York. Staten Island’s population is less than a million, despite its size being more than double that of Manhattan and the Bronx combined (Manhattan is 22.83 sq miles, Staten Island 58.5 sq miles).
When you consider that Brooklyn’s 71 square miles is more than three times that of Manhattan, you can see that it’s hard to ignore this massive borough. That’s why deciding what to do in Brooklyn is so challenging; if you don’t have a game plan, you may as well not even bother coming. Over 2.65 million people call Brooklyn their home, making it the most populated of New York City’s five boroughs. Not only is Brooklyn a huge city, but it also has numerous interesting districts to explore. Just a handful of my favorite off-the-beaten-path spots in New York City are here.
- Go to Bushwick if you’re interested in urban art or warehouse parties with a lot of people.
- Williamsburg, with its trendy atmosphere and great restaurants and nightlife.
- The mostly Polish neighborhood of Greenpoint
- Historic Due to its luxurious mansions, Brooklyn Heights is a popular tourist destination.
- The Fort Greene Park Historic District, with its beautiful buildings
- Visit Prospect Lefferts Gardens to see even more magnificent mansions and old buildings.
- For its picturesque shoreline and panoramic vistas of Manhattan, nothing beats Dumbo.
- Red Hook is well-known for its extensive waterfront and rich industrial past.
- Brighton Beach, England, is mostly populated by Russians.
- Coney Island, renowned for its historic amusement park and renowned boardwalk
- See Park Slope for New York’s most stunning brownstones.
- Cobble Hill, with its charming plazas and quaint cafes.
- Park that Brooklyn’s Chinatown gets its name from, Sunset Park
- Bay Ridge is loved by the rich and famous for its small-town charm and its abundance of magnificent gated residences. View of the Harbor Residential Area
Of course there are many more amazing destinations in Brooklyn that I could name, but you get the idea. Brooklyn is so huge and varied that it would take days to see all there is to see. There are more than sixty different areas to explore! Before it was incorporated to New York City in 1898, Brooklyn was its own city.
2. There is some of the greatest cuisine in New York to be found in Brooklyn.
While Manhattan’s restaurant culture and rooftop bars are undoubtedly superior, Brooklyn’s culinary offerings remain among the borough’s strongest selling points. Brooklyn is known for having some of New York’s most famous restaurants. The borough’s restaurant culture has exploded in recent years, to the point that even residents of neighbouring Manhattan are making the trek out to try some of the best food in the city. The following are some suggestions for enjoyable tourist destinations in Brooklyn:
Fabulous Brooklyn eateries
- Lilia’s (Italian restaurant in Williamsburg)
- There Are Five Leaves (American fare in Greenpoint)
- Roberta’s (best Neapolitan-style pizza in the city, in Bushwick)
- Spumoni Gardens by L&B (old-school Italian restaurant, Bay Ridge)
- Diner (a Brooklyn institution in a retro railcar in Williamsburg)
In Brooklyn, two bars stand out as particularly notable: Sunshine Laundry and Pinball
(speakeasy bar with a pinball arcade hidden in a laundromat in Greenpoint)
- Breast Cage (quirky breast-themed dive bar in Bushwick)
- House Number One (Chic French-style oyster & cocktail bar in Williamsburg)
- Place Name: Radegast Hall & Beergarden (a German-style drinking hall in a converted warehouse in Williamsburg)
- In the Brooklyn Barge (floating bar with great skyline views on a ship in Greenpoint)
the current weather situation (speakeasy-style bar that serves topnotch cocktails in Prospect Heights)
Red Hook Lobster, Red Hook Fat Doughnut, Bed-Stuy Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, Coney Island Grimaldi’s Pizza, Dumbo Donuts, and Dumbo Hot Dogs are all iconic Brooklyn dishes.
In the months of April through October, East River State Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, plays host to Smorgasburg Williamsburg, a massive outdoor food market with spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline.
There is a Katz’s, an Arepa Lady, a Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies, and a Pierogi Boys inside the DeKalb Market Hall, an indoor food market.
Located in Prospect Park is the outdoor food market known as “Smorgasburg” (every Sunday) It’s only open from April to October
Industry City is a food court located inside the well-known shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex in Sunset Park, and it is home to several popular restaurants such as the Avocaderia, Ejen Korean, Blue Marble Ice Cream, Burger Joint, and many more.
3. There is a lot of great art and culture to be found in Brooklyn.
The Met, the MoMA, and the Guggenheim are all located in Manhattan, and although they are certainly among the best museums in the world, art enthusiasts will find that Brooklyn has just as much to offer. The Jewish Children’s Museum is the biggest museum dedicated to Jewish culture in the United States, while the Brooklyn Museum is the third largest museum in New York City with a collection of over 1.5 million objects. The Transit Museum is another excellent museum in Brooklyn; it may be found in a former subway station at the intersection of Schermerhorn Street and Boerum Place.
The Williamsburg Art & Historical Center is a must-see for art lovers, and ArtNet News highlights 15 must-see Brooklyn art galleries. These are 10 Brooklyn art galleries that have been recommended by the New York Times.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (also known as BAM) is a world-famous performing arts centre, beloved by culture vultures for its avant-garde performances and independent films shown at the BAM Rose Cinemas. You should check the BAM schedule to see what’s going on before you go.
For those interested in architecture, Brooklyn is the place to go.
To view the iconic Brooklyn Brownstones and other historic structures, architectural enthusiasts can visit a variety of Brooklyn districts. Historic Prospect Lefferts Gardens is one of the greatest sites to visit in Brooklyn to witness architectural jewels, with outstanding examples of neo-Renaissance, Tudor, Romanesque Revival, and neo-Federal styles all in one area. Self-guided walking tours of this historic area should focus on the newly land-marked Tudor houses in Chester Court, the oldest home in the district at Midwood Street and Bedford Avenue, the wood-framed houses on Lincoln Road, and the Alex Hedman houses on Rutland Road, as well as the historic limestones on Maple Street (between Bedford Avenue and Rogers).
Park Slope is another neighbourhood not to be missed in Brooklyn. Its brownstones date back to the 1860s and 1920s and include Romanesque Revival, Italianate, and Greek Revival design elements. This is a great self-guided walk in Park Slope, and it may be paired with a visit to Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s version of Manhattan’s Central Park.
Brooklyn Heights is the greatest spot to go in Brooklyn to view the most impressive historic mansions, as well as stunning specimens of Queen Anne, Beau Art, and Victorian Gothic residences, as well as cobble stone avenues and quaint carriage houses nestled away in quiet alleys.
4 When it comes to New York City street art, nobody does it better than Brooklyn
Do you appreciate urban and street art? In that case, New York City’s Brooklyn borough is a must-see. Aside from Spanish Harlem, which is home to several fantastic murals, the East Village and Lower East Side also include notable street art. However, Manhattan as a whole is surprisingly devoid of street art.
On the other side, you may see incredible murals in several areas in Brooklyn. Bushwick, Brooklyn, is a great spot to go if you want to view some amazing street art. It was the mission of the street artists’ collective known as the Bushwick Collective to turn the area’s dreary and unsightly warehouses into a vibrant outdoor art gallery. They often host new shows that include the work of international street painters. The streets around Troutman Street also have excellent street art (Jefferson Str, Knickerbocker Ave, St Nicholas Ave, Wyckoff Ave; and nearby Grattan St, Thames St and Harrison Pl, plus the cross streets between them)
Williamsburg, another excellent Brooklyn neighbourhood, is particularly rich in street art. The locations of some of the greatest works in the area are detailed in this page. Artists like Kobra, Roa, Faith 47, Mr. Brainwash, and Icy & Sot are just a few of the names mentioned. Head north on Wythe Avenue towards 15th Street or south on Kent Avenue to view other murals if you’re simply strolling around the area (south of Metropolitan Ave).
5. Amazing vistas of Manhattan may be seen in Brooklyn
If there’s anything that New York City is lacking, what is it? Incredible vistas of the Manhattan skyline! Those are the kinds of vistas that are perfect for photography. The best views in all of Manhattan may be found at… Yes, in the borough of Brooklyn. Crossing any of Brooklyn’s bridges is a must if you want to take advantage of the city’s breathtaking scenery, but that’s not the only reason to visit Brooklyn (and honestly, crossing the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most scenic walks in NYC). Enjoy the sights and get to know the area at the same time. It’s ironic that
some of Brooklyn’s top attractions are located in areas with excellent views of Manhattan, but there’s no denying that Brooklyn has the greatest skyline views of any of the five boroughs.
Here are the top three spots in Brooklyn for taking in the cityscape of New York City and doing one of the following things at each stop:
Pebble Beach, a little stretch of sand wedged between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. Relax with a cup of coffee from the Brooklyn Roasting Company on Washington Street and a pastry from the Almondine Bakery on Water Street in Dumbo.
The East River State Park in Williamsburg is the place to be on a Saturday between March and October, when the famed Smorgasburg food market is held in the park close to a little strip of sand beach on the East River. Go on a pizza-themed walking tour of the area, stopping at Joe’s Pizza (216 Bedford Ave), Best Pizza (33 Havemeyer St), and Vinnie’s Pizza (29 Wythe Ave) for slices and some of the best views in the city (148 Bedford Ave).
The Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which is right on the ocean and next to the gorgeous Brooklyn Heights neighbourhood, is one of my favourite places to view the sunset. You may combine your trip to the Brooklyn Cat Café on Montague Street with a walk about the neighbourhood (I highly recommend Joralemon Street, the finest street in the area).
Come with me to Brooklyn’s top attractions, number six!
Here’s one more: why don’t you let me show you Brooklyn if you’re still not persuaded to come here? To conclude, I feel obligated to promote the Brooklyn Walking Tours I created. I provide my clients a comprehensive insight of the borough by taking them to five distinct
neighbourhoods during the span of a half-day. The thought of staring at a map and trying to figure out where in Brooklyn to go might be daunting, so I made sure my tour included all the highlights the borough has to offer. In my opinion, visitors who never go outside the narrow island of Manhattan lose out on a huge chunk of the city and its many attractions. Here you may find out more information on my walking tour of Brooklyn.
Conclusion
At Tripreviewhub, we strive to entertain and motivate travel newcomers and enthusiasts to get out of their homes and explore the world.
What is so special about Brooklyn?
That’s impressive in its own right, but Brooklyn is also great because of its diversity. With a cross-cultural mix of just about every race and religion all living within close proximity to one another, it becomes a dense melting pot of the best foods, music, art, and backgrounds.