Lex And Raun’s guidebook

Lex And Raun
Lex And Raun
Lex And Raun’s guidebook

Sightseeing

There is so much to see and do in our neighborhood! Bring comfortable shoes, a park blanket, and a Metro Card and Brooklyn will be your oyster. Everything from historic churches to beaches to parks to fantastic shopping and food. The possibilities are endless.
Book your ticket in advance
73 locals recommend
Weeksville Heritage Center
158 Buffalo Ave
73 locals recommend
Book your ticket in advance
This is a beautiful historic place that's within walking distance of our home. You can go there for high tea!
Akwaaba Mansion
347 MacDonough St
This is a beautiful historic place that's within walking distance of our home. You can go there for high tea!
This is a fun park that you can visit that's up the street from our home. Great for little ones that need to run around!
40 locals recommend
Saratoga Park
112 Howard Ave
40 locals recommend
This is a fun park that you can visit that's up the street from our home. Great for little ones that need to run around!
This is an amazing place to see a show, it also has a movie theater!
859 locals recommend
Brooklyn Academy of Music
30 Lafayette Ave
859 locals recommend
This is an amazing place to see a show, it also has a movie theater!
A wonderful place to see a music festival and it also has a weekend farmer's market. It's surrounded by amazing restaurants!
791 locals recommend
Fort Greene Park
South Portland Avenue
791 locals recommend
A wonderful place to see a music festival and it also has a weekend farmer's market. It's surrounded by amazing restaurants!
This is such a fun and inexpensive gem for families traveling with children! The views are spectacular!
118 locals recommend
Jane's Carousel
Dock Street
118 locals recommend
This is such a fun and inexpensive gem for families traveling with children! The views are spectacular!
This is our family favorite location. You'll have views of Manhattan. All the Piers (which have basketball, a water park, ice cream, playgrounds, grilling stations, and more!). You can catch the ferry to Manhattan, walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, get world-famous pizza (Grimaldis pizza) and so much more!
407 locals recommend
Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Pierrepont Place
407 locals recommend
This is our family favorite location. You'll have views of Manhattan. All the Piers (which have basketball, a water park, ice cream, playgrounds, grilling stations, and more!). You can catch the ferry to Manhattan, walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, get world-famous pizza (Grimaldis pizza) and so much more!
Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge!
1505 locals recommend
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge Promenade
1505 locals recommend
Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge!
Such a fun place to relax! Great for everyone!
432 locals recommend
Domino Park
15 Kent Ave
432 locals recommend
Such a fun place to relax! Great for everyone!
663 locals recommend
Coney Island
663 locals recommend
224 locals recommend
Rockaway Beach
224 locals recommend
110 locals recommend
Brooklyn Flea
51 N 6th St
110 locals recommend

Parks

Prospect Park is the Central Park of Brooklyn. It's HUGE, safe, has an amazing farmer's market on Saturdays (with food trucks), has a zoo, and more. You can rent a boat or bicycle in the summer and ice skate in the winter. There are free concerts and tons to do at this local gem!
3418 locals recommend
Prospect Park
3418 locals recommend
Prospect Park is the Central Park of Brooklyn. It's HUGE, safe, has an amazing farmer's market on Saturdays (with food trucks), has a zoo, and more. You can rent a boat or bicycle in the summer and ice skate in the winter. There are free concerts and tons to do at this local gem!

Food scene

This is our neighborhood's best-kept secret. Homemade ice cream in wild flavors, and it's just up the street. I dare you not to go every day in the summer heat!
57 locals recommend
Lady Moo Moo
365 Chauncey St
57 locals recommend
This is our neighborhood's best-kept secret. Homemade ice cream in wild flavors, and it's just up the street. I dare you not to go every day in the summer heat!
Great vegan cafe.
192 locals recommend
Clementine Bakery
395 Classon Ave
192 locals recommend
Great vegan cafe.
Late-night desserts (and everything can be turned into a cocktail)
95 locals recommend
Butter & Scotch
53 Rockaway Avenue
95 locals recommend
Late-night desserts (and everything can be turned into a cocktail)
50 locals recommend
All Night Skate
54 Rockaway Ave
50 locals recommend

Walkable Favorites

Delicious Brunch! But, the best menu is on the weekend. Be prepared for a wait, but it's worth it.
19 locals recommend
Cafe On Ralph
86 Ralph Ave
19 locals recommend
Delicious Brunch! But, the best menu is on the weekend. Be prepared for a wait, but it's worth it.
Great vegan comfort food.
165 locals recommend
Toad Style
93 Ralph Ave
165 locals recommend
Great vegan comfort food.
Fantastic family-friendly restaurant that is also surprisingly sexy and great for a date!
329 locals recommend
Chez Oskar
310 Malcolm X Blvd
329 locals recommend
Fantastic family-friendly restaurant that is also surprisingly sexy and great for a date!
Great music and local bar!
307 locals recommend
Casablanca Cocktail Lounge
300 Malcolm X Blvd
307 locals recommend
Great music and local bar!
Delicious brunch, prepare for a wait on the weekends!
756 locals recommend
Peaches
393 Lewis Ave
756 locals recommend
Delicious brunch, prepare for a wait on the weekends!
Fantastic place to listen to live music!
394 locals recommend
LunÀtico
486 Halsey St
394 locals recommend
Fantastic place to listen to live music!
Mexican food
74 locals recommend
Sonora
174 Howard Ave
74 locals recommend
Mexican food
Coffee and such
50 locals recommend
Butch & Coco
153 Howard Ave
50 locals recommend
Coffee and such
Great Cafe and Vegan Breakfast
117 locals recommend
Chez Alex
72 Ralph Ave
117 locals recommend
Great Cafe and Vegan Breakfast
Best sweet potato pie in New York City
The Sweet Tooth & Catering
376 Marcus Garvey Blvd
Best sweet potato pie in New York City
Great soul food
27 locals recommend
Magic Soul Food
320 Malcolm X Blvd
27 locals recommend
Great soul food

Traveler advice

Getting around

Extremely Close to the Train

We're right between two major train lines. We're at the Ralph Station on the C Train and the Chauncey Station on the J. I recommend downloading the Google Maps app (don't worry all locals use it too) it provides updated train schedules/delays and directions to your destination (including the walking directions to get to your train or bus)!
Traveling with kids

What is Family-Friendly?

Our house is extremely family-friendly, but not everything in New York is as friendly for families. Most train stations DO NOT have elevators, so think twice before bringing a big heavy stroller. Baby carriers are best for little ones. It's also very hard to find public bathrooms when you're out and about. If you find one (and it's clean) use it! I also like to pack snacks when I'm out and about, because the food at sightseeing locations is expensive and not that healthy.
Customs and culture

I hate to say this, but...

Our neighborhood is wonderful! It's extremely safe and filled with hardworking, homeowning families. Nonetheless, some come from other places and immediately ask if they are safe. I can only deduce that some guests are not used to seeing a large number of African-Americans together in one place. I've even had guests, who had not yet met me, see me (at 9 months pregnant) unloading my toddler from our Lexus and become scared! I know that fear is subjective, but please always be respectful to our neighbors and remember that you are a visitor here; dive right in, I promise you'll be glad you did!