New York is so much more than Manhattan's 59 square kilometres. From outdoor DJ parties to intriguing flea markets, edgy clubs and awesome dining for less, Brooklyn is the place to be.
Long a haven for Italian immigrant labourers drawn by the borough's proximity to the docks, it's now on the radar of the funky bunch, experiencing a renaissance. The action is concentrated around Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens, leafy neighbourhoods known collectively as Bococa.
Bordered roughly by Atlantic Avenue, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and 3rd Avenue, this area has some unique pockets. Smith and Court streets are dynamic dining and shopping destinations, and Atlantic Avenue is back on the pulse, with its plethora of antique and interior design boutiques and family-owned Middle Eastern food stores.
Brooklyn is New York's most densely populated borough, housing 2.5 million people. It was once its own city, until absorbed into New York City in 1898 in a hotly contested vote.
Founded as Breuklein by the Dutch in 1609, Brooklyn has always been a melting pot, a place of ethnic complexity and vigour. Neighbourhoods within Brooklyn (such as Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Williamsburg and Green Point) have long drawn creative and political types, including Lena Horne and Barbra Streisand, directors Spike Lee and Woody Allen, poet Walt Whitman and civil rights activist WEB Du Bois.
Yet while Brooklyn as a borough seems vast and bigger than life, its neighbourhoods are intimate places defined by storefronts, bodegas, bocce courts and front stoops. In recent years, neighbourhoods such as Cobble Hill, have been discovered by young families in need of more elbow room, as well as the young and impossibly hip, who mostly gather in Williamsburg, just a few short train stops from the East Village.
Somewhere along the way, Brooklyn became a byword for cool. It's a place where old school is still in session, but the new wave is gaining ground. For an authentic New York experience, Brooklyn-style, put these 10 spots at the top of your list. And the next time you visit New York, when you see the island of Manhattan, keep going until you get to Brooklyn.
With a permanent collection of more than 1.5 million objects, highlights include Egyptian artefacts and complete 19th- and 20th-century rooms taken from swank Fifth Avenue apartments.
This year-round 21-hectare oasis of flowers, plants, trees and gardens blooms with themes from rose and rock to Japanese.
Connect by free trolley from the Botanic Garden to Brooklyn's 236-hectare heart of green, with its lake for boating, carousel for riding and farmer's market for shopping.
This is a year-round weekend foray into handmade crafts, vintage clothing, imported rugs, handmade jewellery and more. And come hungry. The
Asia Dog hot dogs rock.
This is a mecca of avant-garde performing arts, the place where the likes of composer Philip Glass, and choreographers Mark Morris and Bill T Jones had their start.
6. Shop Fifth Avenue
Not
that one, the other one, in Prospect Park. Formerly gritty, now super-cool, shops include
Goldy + Mac (219 Fifth Avenue) for chic women's fashion and
Cog & Pearl (190 Fifth Avenue) for jewellery and home decor.
7. Stroll Court Street
Home to shops and eateries old and new. Hit Sam's (238 Court Street) for pizza and baked clams, Court Pastry (298 Court Street) for divine cannoli and
D'Amico Foods (309 Court Street) for fresh ground coffee that won't break your budget.
8. Eat cheesecake at Juniors
You've seen it on QVC — cheesecake so dense, so cheesy, so rich, that it surely must be a sin.
9. Indulge on Smith Street
Ever since
The Grocery (288 Smith Street) was called one of the best restaurants in NY by
The Times, Smith has exploded with terrific dining, from new American cafes such as the recently expanded
Chestnut on Smith (271 Smith Street), to breezy Italian at Savoia (277 Smith Street). Best newcomer:
The Clover Club (210 Smith Street) — a glam hideaway for hand-crafted cocktails made the old-fashioned way, but better.
10. Discover Atlantic Avenue
Start in Cobble Hill, in the 100-200 blocks, where you'll find amazing Middle Eastern markets, cafes and bakeries, including
Sahadi Importing, (187 Atlantic Ave),
Damascus Bakery and Bread, (195 Atlantic Ave) and Yemen Cafe (176 Atlantic Ave).
Continue to the 400 block for chic home furnishings spots, including Camila Boutique (355 Smith Street) for eco-friendly home goods and City Foundry (365-367 Smith Street) for mid-century, industrial furniture.
11. Tour by foot
Brooklyn is famous for its architecture, from the elegant brownstones of Brooklyn Heights to the sprawling Tudors and Queen Annes of Ditmas Park. Brooklyn Historical Society (phone +1 718 222 4111) offers walking tours led by well-versed neighbourhood guides.
12. Take in a movable party
Funky Sunday afternoon parties, low-key affairs held at various venues, are so totally Brooklyn. Admission is usually less than US$10, DJs spin electronic dance music, there's homemade food and beverages for sale and the dance floor is full of tattooed mums, cute toddlers, and locals from the 'hood.
The Yard is one of the best.
Stay at the Brooklyn Marriott, located at the foot of Brooklyn Bridge. With its primo location, oversized pool and health club, this hotel offers easy proximity to all things Brooklyn. The newly renovated 656-room Marriott opened in 1998, the first new hotel to be built in Brooklyn in 64 years. Rates start at US$229 ($245) per night.
Getting there: It's a cinch by subway.
For more information, Visit Brooklyn is a great place to start.
