Things to do in  Brooklyn

Few New York City landmarks turn heads like the Brooklyn Bridge, an 1883 beauty spanning the East River between Lower Manhattan and DUMBO. While architecture buffs can marvel at the neo-Gothic stone arches and 19th-century engineering, most travelers will simply see an essential piece of the New York City skyline—and head straight for the walking promenade to take a whole lot of photos.

Its name may suggest cartoon elephants, but Dumbo—short for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass"—is actually one of northern Brooklyn’s most stylish and photogenic neighborhoods. Formerly an industrial area, the now-regenerated Dumbo boasts cobblestone streets and converted warehouses that contain trendy galleries, boutiques, and coffee shops. Its views of the Manhattan skyline (and both the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge) are hard to beat.

When sweltering summer temperatures hit the city, New Yorkers flock to this kitschy seaside resort and amusement area. As well as a boardwalk and almost 3 miles (5 kilometers) of sandy beach, Coney Island is home to roller coasters and amusements, the New York Aquarium, a minor league baseball team, and Nathan’s Famous, a landmark hot dog joint that began as a stand in 1916.

If Brooklyn is New York City’s coolest borough, then Williamsburg is its ultimate hipster mecca. Packed with galleries, music venues, and art spaces, the neighborhood has long been a prime destination to soak up the borough’s eclectic culture. Today, locals and visitors come to admire the street art, head to destination restaurants, hit trendy dive bars, and shop indie boutiques and thrift stores.

At the New York Transit Museum, you get a firsthand look at the city’s history with a collection of vintage subway cars, trams, and buses. You’ll find digital and hard-copy archival photos and signs, plus rotating exhibits that illustrate how public transportation has shaped NYC. The museum is popular with families for its hands-on experiences: Sit behind the wheel of a city bus, hop through classic subway turnstiles, or board an old train.

A South Brooklyn gem, Carroll Gardens’ brownstone-lined blocks are ideal for an afternoon stroll. Small cafés, antique shops, and boutiques abound on Smith and Court streets, while you can visit tree-lined Carroll Park and the Carroll Gardens Historic District for a taste of old New York architecture. Thanks to its Italian community, the area is also known for its abundance of Italian bakeries and restaurants.

Founded in 1988, Brooklyn Brewery if a staple of Brooklyn's craft beer scene. Located on Brooklyn's bustling Northside, the brewery houses a production facility, tasting room, and store with beer-related merchandise. Tours run daily, and the tasting room is open on weekends; it's a perfect spot to hang out and drink up.

For some of New York City’s most famous chocolate treats, head to Jacques Torres Chocolate. Stop by the company’s flagship store in DUMBO, Brooklyn, or its Grand Central Terminal outpost to enjoy a variety of sweets—from handmade truffles to mugs of luxurious hot chocolate and handmade ice cream sandwiches. And don’t forget to try the chocolate chip cookies; they’re legendary for a reason.

For more than 160 years, workers at this former industrial site on the East River cranked out America’s most famed warships. Through minor miracles of urban planning, “The Yard” has been transformed into an industrial and innovation hub, with hundreds of locally minded businesses operating side by side with art and exhibition halls, a food hall modeled after a bygone pre-World War II market, and other public spaces.

A neighborhood named for its large park, Sunset Park is known for its cultural diversity. It’s well-known in Brooklyn for its Chinatown and myriad flavors from restaurants from across the globe, including some of the city’s best Mexican, Central American, South American, and South Asian dishes. First-time visitors won’t want to miss the park, which offers views of the waterfront and the Manhattan skyline.

One of Brooklyn’s most atmospheric and well-heeled neighborhoods, Brooklyn Heights is also conveniently located just one subway stop from Lower Manhattan, making it easy to fit into a day of sightseeing. Featuring streets of centuries-old brownstone buildings, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade (which offers panoramic Manhattan skyline views), cultural stops like the New York Transit Museum, and an enviable dining scene, it provides visitors with a taste of the borough’s best.

Few people think of farming when they think of the Big Apple, but Brooklyn Grange, a rooftop farming and green roofing business, is trying to change that. Started in 2010, it now produces upwards of 80,000 pounds (36,300 kilograms) of organic produce yearly—grown in sustainable rooftop gardens atop two Brooklyn buildings. While the spaces primarily operate as working farms, they’re also open for tours and private events.

Get undisrupted views of the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn Bridge Park, which stretches across six piers on the borough’s northern waterfront. In addition to being a popular reprieve from the city with its nature trails and gardens, the park also features family-friendly attractions such as a roller rink, recreational courts, and Jane’s Carousel.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a tranquil 52-acre (21-hectare) green space in the middle of a busy borough. Located adjacent to Prospect Park, the garden boasts an impressive selection of plants, flowers, and trees. It also hosts a range of themed gardens, including the Children’s Garden (which addresses sustainability) and the Fragrance Garden (which encourages everyone to stop and smell the flowers).

This Brooklyn cemetery is so beautiful that it used to be one of the most popular tourist attractions in the US. With its tree-filled hills and ponds, Green-Wood could easily pass for an elegant urban park, except it houses hundreds of thousands of graves. Despite its peaceful atmosphere, the cemetery was actually founded on a former Revolutionary War battlefield and has a fascinating history.