You Weighed in On Brooklyn. Now Let’s Make Some Plans.
Our Seek, Tell, Discover summer series continues, and we’re Brooklyn bound. It is New York City’s most populous (and some say most happening) borough. We’ve curated a list of where to hang and what to discover from Facebook friends across the country, and here’s just a few of the best places to check out.
ART MEETS TECHNOLOGY IN DUMBO
We’re told you gotta do the Brooklyn Bridge (“everybody needs to visit the Brooklyn Bridge at least once”). Before or after, hit “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass,” or DUMBO as it’s known locally (that bridge is parallel to Brooklyn’s).
DUMBO is rich in art galleries and technology startups, plus the Etsy HQ is there if you need to return those crochet doll patterns you never got around to doing anything with (j/k about returning anything, but now you know where the company is located). Another great thing about this area: the intriguing conversation and great aromas emanating from the diverse cafés.
Oh, and here’s something to raise your glass to: Bargemusic, a classical music floating concert hall near the Brooklyn Bridge, Thursdays-Sundays through Labor Day weekend. Hmm, what cheese goes with Chopin?
A CAFÉ DISTRICT WITH A POET’S HEART
Clinton Hill is a stylish Airbnb destination, and its 19th century feel is inspiring to the poet in you – after all, Walt Whitman lived here when Leaves of Grass was published in 1855. The neighborhood is rich in bars, boldly lacking anything in common with each other. Same with the cafés, as one wrote: “I loved Urban Vintage, a café with crazy cool décor and specializing in brie with their sandwiches!” With the Pratt Institute’s campus right there, it’s also a popular student hang out. Definitely spend some time exploring all the architecture and public art the neighborhood has to offer.
FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR AN EASY-GOING VIBE
“Park Slope is where I always have wine and cheese with friends,” wrote one follower on our FB page. Indeed, this neighborhood shares its serene, easygoing vibe with all who inhabit it. If the pulsating dance club is your thing, you’ll have to go elsewhere; but there are plenty of beer gardens and wine bars to enjoy with the natives, who tend to be especially artistic and socially conscious.
Best of all is Prospect Park; so, rent a bike and explore the 526 acres of lush green space. Too much work? Rent a boat and float around the waterways. Still too much work? Have a picnic in the evening and catch one of the many free concerts put on by BRIC in the park’s bandshell. We’re doing all three.
BUSHWICK BOASTS ART AND INDIE MUSIC
In the northern part of the borough you’ll find Bushwick, a working-class quarter that is a little edgier than the others mentioned here. It’s colorful, eclectic, and real. You’ll find great cheap restaurants and dive bars. There’s a lot of live music found here, including a multi-functional all-ages art incubation space that hosts conversation-worthy performances of all kinds. One quote – “I love the Bedford Cheese Shop”– so be sure to hit this on the way there.
In addition to the Brooklyn Bridge, other noteworthy experiences include: the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Coney Island (“even if you don’t like the beach the freak show is always great.”). There are also used bookstores you need to discover, and apparently a chocolate shop that is “Nirvana” (we’re assuming the transcendent state, not the band).
There’s a lot to love about Brooklyn, so go and tell them we sent you.