by Randy Colt
No one can really talk about New York City without mentioning Brooklyn. It has been, for at least a century now, one of the most populated boroughs in the Big Apple. The most prominent people live here including publishers, politicians, executive bankers and advertisers. It’s funny, though, that despite its popularity, very little of it is known to outsiders.
Aside from the great place to live and raise your kids in, Brooklyn also makes for a great weekend destination. Below are five of the best neighborhoods to visit if you’d like a quick pan of New York’s finest.
Coney Island
Your Brooklyn trip won’t be complete without Coney Island. This is a short one hour train ride from Manhattan, and it used to be popular for its resorts and amusement parks. Visiting this area of New York is like riding the time machine. You will literally be taken to a wholly different era. Say goodbye to concrete and hello to a small beach (if you’re visiting in the summer) and a neighborhood right with history.
The Coney Island Museum and the New York Aquarium are prime spots to visit. Along the boardwalk, you’re sure to chance upon events all-year-round. Mark the calendar for Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest and the Mermaid Parade.
Park Slope
Not all of New York is tough and wry. When you reach Park Slope, you’d be welcomed with tree-lined streets which mark the strips of melow townhouses. This residential area is very popular among families which are just starting out, and you’ll see a lot of young parents rolling strollers along as they window shop at boutiques lining Fifth and Seventh Avenues.
If you want to relax, the Prospect Park is a good place for a picnic or a quiet afternoon with a good book. Like the Central Park, this was also designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The park has a zoo, a boathouse, a skating rink, and a band shell, so it’s not just your boring patch of grass in the middle of the city.
To immerse yourself more in culture and nature, you may want to visit the Botanical Park and the Art Museum. These are also very near the park, and you can’t miss them when you stroll up north.
DUMBO
This doesn’t stand for the baby elephant with giant ears. DUMBO is actually an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. During the 1970s, this portion of the Big Apple was mostly industrial, and primarily a space for big factories. Artists must have seen a lot of character in it, though, because when the factories were abandoned a few years after that, they turned the structures into their homes.
What used to be a bleak and gray area soon turned into a bustling community with the priciest real estate, thanks to the lofts and studio apartments that just popped out of the wood—no, concrete-work. However, the “home for the artists” phase also weaned. As starving writers and painters transferred to cheaper homes, DUMBO transformed again, this time into an area brimming with art galleries and theaters.
Among the must-see spots is the Jacques Torres Chocolate Factory. This structure sits right at the edge of the body of water fronting the Empire Fulton Ferry State Park. This is also the place to be in if you want to get the best view of Manhattan.
Brooklyn Heights
If you’re trying to tour all six of these neighborhoods in a day, you might want to see Brooklyn Heights next. When you reach the southern edge of DUMBO, you’ll see Brooklyn Heights, and you’ll know you’re there because it has an undeniable small town feel, which seems quaint compared to the rest of New York.
Among the famous landmarks are its 19th century churches and brownstones. For sightseeing, the best place to be in is the Promanade. True to its name, the strip gives the best views of the city. If you’re trying to get ideas for your home, and your taste leans on the regal, a walk along the Columbia Heights is a good idea. Here, prominent figures like Norman Mailer also lived at one point in their lives.
Should you want to know more about this particular borough, a visit to the Brooklyn Historical Society is a must. They’d be more than happy to give you the details about Brooklyn Heights. All that traipsing is also bound to make you hungry. For lunch or dinner just go to Montague Street. Here, you’ll find the finest eats New York has to offer.
New York would also not be New York without its trains. This neighborhood is also hope to the one place that can tell you the subway’s history. Visit the New York Transit Museum and get that rare education you won’t be able to find anywhere else.
Williamsburgh
The demographics of this neighborhood show that it’s the most preferred habitat for hipsters and artists. This is the place to be in if you’re craving for some cold and foamy beer at a bar which has a live show. You might want to check out Pete’s Candy store, Warsaw, and the Music Hall of Williamsburg.
Along Bedford Avenue, you’ll absorb the neighborhood’s local flavor. The Brooklyn Brewery is a good spot to visit if you’re there on a Saturday afternoon or a Friday night. Stroll along South Williamsburg, on the other hand, to look at the Williamsburg Bridge.
This is also the part of the neighborhood which has the largest population of Hasidic Jews. The community migrated here from Lower East Side as soon as the bridge was built.
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