NYC - Brooklyn & Lower Manhattan

View of Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn

Overview:

Brooklyn and Manhattan - even smaller sections of Manhattan - are so busy, active and filled with stuff that summarizing them in a single post is an impossible task. So I will stick to simply outlining the places we went and saw on a recent trip, with the full knowledge that lots and lots and lots of things are missing. 

What I Did:

We went to NYC for 4.5 days with the intention of spending most of our time in Brooklyn, with just one or two excursions into Manhattan. However, 2 of the days we went were pretty gross and rainy, so we wound up going to some museums like The Met and MoMa that I had already visited and intended to avoid this trip. We still were able to see most of what we wanted though. Additionally, our trip was focused less on seeing traditional attractions like the Empire State Building, and more about wandering through the neighborhoods and parks to see what we could discover.

Neighborhoods/Areas

• Brooklyn

• Brooklyn Heights

• High end residential area with a few main shopping thoroughfares and streets of elegant brownstones. It borders the East River and provides views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty, as well as park space in the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

• DUMBO

• A small neighborhood consisting largely of old warehouse buildings that have been converted to restaurants,galleries, apartments and offices. 

• Cobble Hill

• A slightly more laid-back, relaxed and - in places - busier version of Brooklyn Heights. Court Street and Smith Street have lots of shops and restaurants, and the rest of the neighborhood is the home to many young families and professionals. 

• Williamsburg

• Hip neighborhood in Brooklyn known for its trendy boutiques, restaurants and cafes, as well as its views of Manhattan from the waterfront.

• Park Slope

• Residential area know for its indie boutiques, casual restaurants and open-minded community, as well as its easy access to Prospect Park.. 

• Bushwick

• An edgy and hip neighborhood, Bushwick is known for its street art, converted warehouses and diverse population and dining options. 

• Manhattan

• Chelsea

• Formerly a largely LGBT neighborhood, Chelsea now has lots of galleries, as well as upscale restaurants and shops

• SoHo

• Shopping destination known for its cobblestone streets

• Greenwich Village

• Epicenter of NYCs 1960s counterculture movement, Greenwich is still a LGBT-friendly neighborhood filled with cafes and bars. 

Parks

New York doesn’t have a ton of green space, but it has done a great job with many of the parks that it does have, and has created some really interesting and iconic spaces out of the remnants of the city’s industrial past. 

• Brooklyn

• Prospect Park

• Brooklyn’s answer to Central Park. 

• Brooklyn Bridge Park

• Green space and park along the East River with walking and biking trails, art installations, open lawns and athletic facilities

• Brooklyn Bridge

• Manhattan

• The Vessel

• High Line

• Manhattan walking park built on an old rail line.

• Little Island

• Island park in the Hudson River just off of the Meatpacking District

Hidden pool in Prospect Park

Food & Drink

• Bagels, Pizza and Bodegas

• It is cliche, but New York really does have tons of options for great pizza and bagels, as well as sandwiches from bodegas - especially breakfast sandwiches. You can find options for these three in most neighborhoods and they can be a good, cheaper food option.

• Chelsea Market

• Food hall in Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan

• Porto Rico Importing Co.

• Coffee shop that has been in business since 1907

• Court Street Grocers

• Sandwich shop with locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn

• Vinegar Hill House

• Season American dishes

• Shelsky’s of Brooklyn

• Jewish deli in Cobble Hill

• Dekalb Market Hall

• Food hall in Downtown Brooklyn

• Khaosan Thai

• Thai restaurant in Brooklyn Heights

• Livingston Manor

• Rustic bar in Downtown Brooklyn

• % Arabica

• Coffee shop near Brooklyn Bridge Park

• Circa Brewing

• Brewery with a wide selection of beer styles.

Places to Stay

Downtown Brooklyn

• If you are particularly interested in a neighborhood and want to spend a lot of time there, you will have lots of options throughout the city. However, I really loved our base camp in Downtown Brooklyn. Downtown Brooklyn is just east of Brooklyn Heights and south of DUMBO. It does not have a ton of “local flavor”, but it is certainly there if you look in the right areas. Additionally, it provides great public transit access, even by NY standards. I counted access to 14 subway routes within 3-4 blocks of our hotel, and the East River Ferry is close by in DUMBO. All in all, everything that we needed was at our fingertips, and we could get to the places we wanted to get to generally in 15-25 minutes. 

Getting Around

Getting around New York is generally very easy. The subway system is very extensive and runs on a regular schedule for just $2.75 per ride. The NYC Ferry is a nice supplement to the subway, but runs on a much less frequent schedule - so you need to plan your ferry trip more intentionally. Outside of that, the city’s neighborhoods are generally very walkable, there is an extensive bike share network, or you can use taxis to get around the city - although they can get very pricey.