Things to Do in Brooklyn

EXPLORE THE VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS

Brooklyn covers 71 square miles, making it three times larger than Manhattan, so it’s really impossible to overlook this massive borough.

Here’s a list of the best neighborhoods to explore in Brooklyn

Bushwick for street art and epic dance parties in massive warehouses.
Williamsburg for its nonconformist vibe and fantastic restaurants and bars.
Greenpoint
Historic Brooklyn Heights for its grand mansions.
Fort Greene for its historic architecture
Dumbo for its beautiful waterfront and views of Manhattan
Red Hook with its large harbor
Coney Island for its famous boardwalk and old amusement park
Park Slope for some of New York City’s most charming neighborhoods
Cobble Hill for its cozy atmosphere, small squares, and cute cafes
Sunset Park
Bay Ridge for its small-town atmosphere and impressive mansions.

BROOKLYN HAS SOME OF THE BEST FOOD IN NEW YORK

Food lovers must include Brooklyn in their itinerary, as it is home to some of New York City’s most iconic restaurants. The city’s dining scene has improved exponentially in recent years, and now almost every neighborhood has exceptional restaurants that even attract Manhattanites and visitors from all over.

Here are some recommendations for places worth visiting

Lilia's (Italian restaurant in Williamsburg)
Five Leaves (American cuisine in Greenpoint)
Roberta's (the best pizza in the city, in Bushwick)
L&B Spumoni Gardens (old-school Italian restaurant, Bay Ridge)
Diner (a Brooklyn institution in a retro train car in Williamsburg)

BROOKLYN HAS ART AND CULTURE

Brooklyn also has plenty to offer art lovers! The Brooklyn Museum is the third-largest museum in New York City.

Another interesting museum in Brooklyn is the Transit Museum, located in a decommissioned subway station at the corner of Schermerhorn Street and Boerum Place in downtown Brooklyn.

Art enthusiasts should visit the Williamsburg History and Art Center.

Culture vultures will love BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a performing arts venue famous for its cutting-edge performances and independent films at the BAM Rose Theaters. Check BAM’s schedule before your visit.

For architecture lovers, there are neighborhoods like the historic Prospect Lefferts Gardens, featuring incredible examples of Neo-Renaissance, Tudor, Romanesque Revival, and Neo-Federal architecture—all in a single neighborhood. If you’d like to explore this unique historic neighborhood on a self-guided walking tour, be sure to check out the historic limestone buildings on Maple St (between Bedford Ave and Rogers), the newly marked Tudor houses on Chester Court, the oldest in the Midwood district on Midwood Street and Bedford Avenue, the timber-framed houses on Lincoln Road, and the Alex Hedman houses on Rutland Road.

BROOKLYN HAS THE BEST STREET ART IN NEW YORK

Brooklyn has an entire neighborhood filled with incredible murals: Bushwick.

The Bushwick Collective, a group of street artists, set out to transform the neighborhood—with its old, gray, and ugly warehouses—into a colorful open-air art gallery. They’ve attracted street artists from all over the world, and the exhibits are changing all the time. Troutman Street is one of the most colorful streets in Bushwick, but you can also find great street art on the streets there (Jefferson St, Knickerbocker Ave, St. Nicholas Ave, Wyckoff Ave; and near Grattan St, Thames St, and Harrison Pl, plus the intersections between them)

Another great Brooklyn neighborhood for street art is Williamsburg.