Top 5 things to do in Brooklyn
Brooklyn Bridge
This world-famous structure is more than just a mesh of steel-wire and suspender cables – it’s a symbol of American prosperity, opportunity and industry. Drive along the 1.5-mile stretch in your Brooklyn rental car – a rite of passage for anyone visiting the Big Apple.
Coney Island
A trip to Coney Island is a trip back in time. At its height, it was the most popular amusement park in the city. Generations of New Yorkers flocked to its roller coasters, electric lights and fancy dress parades. Today you can take a nostalgic stroll down the boardwalk with a stick of candy floss, or head to the beach and dip your toes in the bay.
Prospect Park
Central Park gets all the glory, but Prospect Park is just as impressive. Spend an afternoon lounging on the lawns, walking through the woods or paddling in the lake of this 585-acre oasis.
Art galleries and street art
Brooklyn is a mecca for the world’s artistic talent, with creative energy expressed across the borough. Street art walking tours are a good way to take in the most striking urban murals while getting your bearings too. If you have time, visits to Williamsburg’s American Medium and CLEARING are well worth building into your art-inerary.
Brooklyn Museum
Learn the fascinating story of how this beautiful borough came to be. There’s lots to explore at Brooklyn Museum – from Ancient Egyptian exhibitions to modern feminist art accommodated inside its elegant interior.
The best places to eat in Brooklyn
For street food
You won’t know what to feast your eyes on, or your taste buds, first at Royal Palms. Parked conveniently next to the popular shuffleboard tables are food trucks serving up an eclectic mix of street food fare. If you’re craving burritos and tacos, join the lines for the Mexican street food trucks on Bogart Street in Williamsburg.
For pizza
Get served a warm, thick and tasty slice of Italian-American heritage at Luzzo’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn Heights, Roberta’s in East Williamsburg or Lucali in Carroll Gardens.
For fast food
If you’re doing something wrong, do it right at Pies ‘n’ Thighs. This Williamsburg diner does a mean fried chicken sandwich piled high and wide with juicy cutlets, crispy bacon, cheese, avocado and ranch sauce.
For barbecue food
Don’t let the abundance of vegan eateries here fool you – Brooklynites are just as carnivorous as anywhere else in America. Head to Fette Sau for some delectable smoked meat.
For breakfast
One of the most endearing and enduring diners in Brooklyn is Tom’s Restaurant. Sitting modestly in Prospect Heights, it’s the perfect place to reflect on your trip with a final cup of Joe.
Top 5 Brooklyn neighborhoods
1. Williamsburg
If your happy place is being surrounded by boutique stores and coffee shops, there’s only one place to stay. This hipster enclave is one of Brooklyn’s creative scene’s most prized assets.
2. Sunset Park
This waterfront community is consistently rated one of the best neighborhoods in the city. Its diverse cultural mix manifests itself in street fairs, cultural enterprises and an eclectic selection of restaurants.
3. Brooklyn Heights
Street after street of dreamy brownstone apartments will give you a serious case of estate envy. Expect more of the same in neighboring DUMBO and Cobble Hill.
4. Carroll Gardens
There aren’t many places in New York where you can forget you’re in the Big Apple. Carroll Gardens is a classy neighborhood where the tree-lined thoroughfares and garden-fronted stoops provide a welcome change of pace.
5. Brighton Beach
Known as ‘Little Odessa’ because of its large Russian and Eastern European communities, Brighton Beach offers a glimpse of the cultural patchwork that is Brooklyn. Feast on incredible food, see a concert and relax on golden, open sands.