Brooklyn for beginners
More and more visitors to New York are making a trek across the Hudson river to check out Brooklyn’s happening scene. Hipsters head to Williamsburg for craft cocktails and vintage shopping, while families enjoy Brooklyn’s spacious parks, beaches and outdoor food markets.
Where to stay
Tourism in Brooklyn isn't as big an industry as it is over the river in Manhattan, so great hotel deals are easier to snag.
Williamsburg’s William Vale has NYC’s longest outdoor pool. The hotel offers impeccable service, spectacular views, and stunning rooms with private balconies and custom artwork. Another designer option in Williamsburg is Wythe. Formerly a barrel-and-cask factory, the hotel features impeccably styled rooms with floor-to-ceiling industrial windows and walls decked in local artworks.
What to do
Take a stroll in the park. Head off to Brooklyn Bridge Park for amazing views and running. There are walking paths around the piers, and you can do various sports from kayaking to football (a.k.a soccer) and bouldering.
Prospect Park is another great park in Brooklyn. Whether you're interested in baseball, birdwatching, skating or nature programs, there are thousands of ways to enjoy the park. They also have outdoor concerts in the summer.
Go shopping. Grand Street is one of Williamsburg’s two major commercial strips, full of cool restaurants, galleries and vintage stores. Bedford Avenue is the bustling heart of Williamsburg, lined with small local boutiques and trendy eateries. Brooklyn Flea is the borough’s largest flea market for vintage, design, antiques, collectables, and food, open every Saturday and Sunday
See a show. Compagnie XIV, Brooklyn features a mix of circus, opera, burlesque and lavish design has been wowing NYC audiences for over 14 years. According to visitors, its shows are simply incredible.
Where to eat
The food scene in Brooklyn is amazing. The outdoor food market Smorgasburg in Prospect Park attracts thousands of people to Brooklyn each weekend to eat from dozens of local vendors. The New York Times dubbed Smorgasburg “The Woodstock of Eating.”
If you enjoy cocktails and oysters, there’s no better place than Maison Premiere. They offer a list of over thirty oyster varieties and the decor is inspired by the hotel lobbies and grand restaurants of New York, Paris, and New Orleans.
For delicious Mexican food, check out Gran Eléctrica in Dumbo under the Brooklyn Bridge. For BBQ, head Hometown BBQ in Red Hook. Win Son East Williamsburg offers Taiwanese food with an American twist.
Also, Colonie on Atlantic Ave, Olmsted in Prospect Heights or June Wine Bar on Court St in Cobble Hill are great options.
