Brooklyn Guide: Where to Go and What to Eat

If Brooklyn were its own city it would be one of the largest in the United States. Most visitors see a thin strip along the waterfront and leave, which is a shame. These are the questions we hear most, answered.

Where should I start?

With the Brooklyn Bridge, walked from Manhattan. Start near City Hall (4, 5 or 6 train to Brooklyn Bridge City Hall), and give yourself 30 to 40 minutes to cross on the raised wooden walkway, which bikes no longer share. Stop at the stone towers and look back at Lower Manhattan. At the far end, follow the signs down into DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), an old warehouse district of cobbled streets. The view everyone photographs is on Washington Street, looking towards the Manhattan Bridge with the Empire State Building framed under its arch.

From there, walk down to the water. Brooklyn Bridge Park stretches along the old piers, with lawns, sports courts and Jane's Carousel, a restored 1920s merry-go-round in a glass box on the river. At sunset the whole Manhattan skyline lights up across the water.

Is Brooklyn Heights just houses?

Yes, and that's the point. It's the city's first designated historic district, with tree-lined streets of 19th-century brownstones and carriage houses. Walk Pierrepont Street, Willow Street and Columbia Heights to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, a raised walkway with a view of the harbour and the Statue of Liberty. It's twenty minutes on foot from DUMBO and a lovely way to end the afternoon.

Is Williamsburg overrated?

Partly. Bedford Avenue near the L train is now mostly chain shops and expensive coffee, and the old warehouse scene has moved further east to Bushwick. But the waterfront at Domino Park, the bars and music venues, and the food are still a draw. On weekends in the warmer months the Smorgasburg food market brings dozens of stalls together outdoors. Its location changes by day and season, so check its site.

For something quieter, Prospect Park was designed by the same pair as Central Park, and many New Yorkers think it's the better park. The Long Meadow is a mile of open grass. The Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (famous for its cherry blossoms in April) sit beside it. Coney Island, at the end of several subway lines, still has its boardwalk, the Wonder Wheel and Nathan's hot dogs.

To eat, try a coal-oven pizza in DUMBO, a square Sicilian slice at L&B Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst, or anything on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens. Brooklyn is also a good base to sleep: see our where to stay guide.