Car Rental - Brooklyn

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Rent a car in Brooklyn and drive among the iconic yellow taxis of the Big Apple. Want to sample life as a latte-sipping, street art-critiquing, brownstone stoop-dwelling local? We don’t blame you.

New York’s hippest borough spans vast parklands and world-class museums that don’t get talked about as much as its vibrant cultural scene, quality dining options and quirky indie boutiques. It’s easy to forget Brooklyn is a large metropolitan area that more than 2.5 million New Yorkers are proud to call home.

With a rental car in Brooklyn you can easily take in the neighborhood’s beauty through your windscreen. Life on four wheels is much more convenient in this borough, which has relatively few subway stations compared with Manhattan. What’s more, JFK and LaGuardia airports are just a 20-minute drive from the center of town in your Brooklyn rental car.

From family-friendly hatchbacks to compact city runners, the range of Brooklyn car rental deals at Hertz caters for all.

Brooklyn Locations

A Quick Guide to Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bridge

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

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

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.

street art

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

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.

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.

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. Hop in your Brooklyn rental car to explore 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.

Driving In and Around Brooklyn

  • Brooklyn Heights Promenade – take in the awe-inspiring Manhattan cityscape, flanked by the sparkling East River and crossed by Brooklyn Bridge, from this peaceful, surprisingly tourist-free promenade along US-278. Drive your Brooklyn rental car right through the borough – from Manhattan to Staten Island. Don’t be alarmed by the ‘no parking’ signs – there are plenty of places on-street to pull up for a couple hours.
  • Canarsie Pier – is easily accessible in your Brooklyn rental car via the Belt Parkway at the Rockaway Parkway exit, Canarsie Pier is where Brooklynites bring picnics and barbecues, or just watch the water and collect their thoughts. It’s the hidden gem of Jamaica Bay.
  • Sunset Park – from the Manhattan skyline to the Statue of Liberty and distant New Jersey, you can marvel at the most spectacular sights at Sunset Park. Drive here in your rental car from central Brooklyn by taking the westbound Linden Boulevard – or, for a coastal route, the US-278.

There are several toll charges across Brooklyn and wider New York City. Avoid racking up large expenses by carefully planning your journey or buying an E-ZPass when you rent your car in Brooklyn, which can reduce the cost of tolls.

Rush hour starts early in Brooklyn, with a peak period between 7am and 9am. Didn’t you hear, New York is the city that never sleeps? In the afternoon, you’ll want to avoid driving during the rush hours of 4pm to 6pm. However, when you rent a car in Brooklyn you’ll find driving around the borough is easy and laidback compared to other parts of New York.

As one of the busiest cities on Earth, parking your rental car comes unsurprisingly at a premium across Brooklyn.

  • Metered parking – this is the most common type of parking available across the borough. Parking restrictions are usually enforced until at least 8pm in these areas.
  • Parking garages – three major parking garages in Brooklyn are Brooklyn Parking Garage at 238 Atlantic Avenue, SP+ Parking at 200 Cadman Plaza W and at 906 Union Street.
  • Parking near Brooklyn Bridge – if you’re hoping to walk across Brooklyn Bridge and back, try Park Kwik parking garages at 37 Front Street or LAZ Parking at 80 Furman Street.