Guidebook for Brooklyn
Food Scene
Great food from across Latin America, along with a good bar. A favorite with locals, almost always packed. I'm a particular fan of the arepas. The menu is marked with gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options, so everyone can find something good.
Tip: there is often a wait to get in. Make a reservation on Open Table 30 minutes or an hour before you go and skip the line.
81 locals recommend
Bogota Latin Bistro
141 5th AveGreat food from across Latin America, along with a good bar. A favorite with locals, almost always packed. I'm a particular fan of the arepas. The menu is marked with gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options, so everyone can find something good.
Tip: there is often a wait to get in. Make a reservation on Open Table 30 minutes or an hour before you go and skip the line.
Great vegan comfort food. The buffalo wings are awesome, get them for sure. I'm also fond of the empanadas, the Jamaican Jerk sandwich, and the Philly Cheesesteak. They've got salads if you want to go healthy, but the reason to go here is not health food!
28 locals recommend
The VSPOT
156 5th AveGreat vegan comfort food. The buffalo wings are awesome, get them for sure. I'm also fond of the empanadas, the Jamaican Jerk sandwich, and the Philly Cheesesteak. They've got salads if you want to go healthy, but the reason to go here is not health food!
Excellent, casual place for coffee. Good pastries and muffins, with a variety of gluten free and vegan options.
87 locals recommend
Konditori
114 Smith StExcellent, casual place for coffee. Good pastries and muffins, with a variety of gluten free and vegan options.
Good place for a quiet breakfast. Great pastries, baked on the premises. They don't open super-early.
37 locals recommend
Blue Sky Bakery
53 5th AveGood place for a quiet breakfast. Great pastries, baked on the premises. They don't open super-early.
Good place for a quick bagel, muffin, or sandwich before you hop on the subway. Or after you get back to the neighborhood. Open long hours. They bake the bagels right on the spot, so they're always fresh. There can be a line in the morning, but it moves pretty quickly.
14 locals recommend
Brownstone Bagels
671 Union StGood place for a quick bagel, muffin, or sandwich before you hop on the subway. Or after you get back to the neighborhood. Open long hours. They bake the bagels right on the spot, so they're always fresh. There can be a line in the morning, but it moves pretty quickly.
Gluten free restaurant with a focus on Italian food. Excellent pasta and pizza. Nice salads. Full bar. Sit-down service. Sidewalk seating in warm weather.
6 locals recommend
Wild Park Slope
148 5th AveGluten free restaurant with a focus on Italian food. Excellent pasta and pizza. Nice salads. Full bar. Sit-down service. Sidewalk seating in warm weather.
Vietnamese sandwiches and bubble tea. Vegan and vegetarian options. Salads. Great for an inexpensive lunch or dinner.
Lotus Vietnamese Sandwiches
229 5th AveVietnamese sandwiches and bubble tea. Vegan and vegetarian options. Salads. Great for an inexpensive lunch or dinner.
The. Best. Ice Cream. They make it right here, with milk from the Hudson River Valley. There's almost always a line, but it moves pretty quickly and its worth the wait. Ever-changing flavors. Outdoor seating on the roof with a view of Manhattan skyline and the Gowanus Canal. Open to 11 pm, so you can get your ice cream whenever you need it.
370 locals recommend
Ample Hills Creamery
623 Vanderbilt AveThe. Best. Ice Cream. They make it right here, with milk from the Hudson River Valley. There's almost always a line, but it moves pretty quickly and its worth the wait. Ever-changing flavors. Outdoor seating on the roof with a view of Manhattan skyline and the Gowanus Canal. Open to 11 pm, so you can get your ice cream whenever you need it.
Drinks & Nightlife
Small, laid back local bar with top-notch drinks. Very chill, not a scene.
10 locals recommend
The Sackett
661 Sackett StSmall, laid back local bar with top-notch drinks. Very chill, not a scene.
A large, comfortable neighborhood bar that also has great live performances. Live comedy shows with famous and not-so-famous. Live music shows. Karaoke, Bocce lanes, food and drink. See the always-changing calendar here https://unionhallny.com/events
186 locals recommend
Union Hall
702 Union StA large, comfortable neighborhood bar that also has great live performances. Live comedy shows with famous and not-so-famous. Live music shows. Karaoke, Bocce lanes, food and drink. See the always-changing calendar here https://unionhallny.com/events
Performance venue with live comedy shows, music, themed events... They record the radio show "Ask Me Another" here, and the podcast "Two Dope Queens." Full bar. See the calendar of events here https://thebellhouseny.com/events
132 locals recommend
The Bell House
149 7th StPerformance venue with live comedy shows, music, themed events... They record the radio show "Ask Me Another" here, and the podcast "Two Dope Queens." Full bar. See the calendar of events here https://thebellhouseny.com/events
Local brewery with large outdoor seating area, lunch on weekends, dinner every night, and lots of fantastic live performance. Something for everyone. See https://threesbrewing.com/events for performance schedule.
85 locals recommend
Threes Brewing
333 Douglass StLocal brewery with large outdoor seating area, lunch on weekends, dinner every night, and lots of fantastic live performance. Something for everyone. See https://threesbrewing.com/events for performance schedule.
A bar with shuffleboard. Super-fun. You can play or just watch. They have leagues some nights and open play on others. Great bar, and a different food truck every night for eating (the food truck pulls inside the building, so you don't have to go outside to get your meal.
176 locals recommend
The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club
514 Union StA bar with shuffleboard. Super-fun. You can play or just watch. They have leagues some nights and open play on others. Great bar, and a different food truck every night for eating (the food truck pulls inside the building, so you don't have to go outside to get your meal.
Parks & Nature
One of my favorite spots. Gorgeous flowers, lovely green houses, fantastic bonsai collection, seasonal events. Free entry on Saturdays before noon (though it's always thronged). If you don't mind paying the entrance fee I recommend going on a weekday morning when you'll have peace and quiet.
2030 locals recommend
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
990 Washington AveOne of my favorite spots. Gorgeous flowers, lovely green houses, fantastic bonsai collection, seasonal events. Free entry on Saturdays before noon (though it's always thronged). If you don't mind paying the entrance fee I recommend going on a weekday morning when you'll have peace and quiet.
The best park in NYC. Olmstead & Vaux, the designers of Central Park, used what they learned there to design an even more beautiful park here in Brooklyn; they considered Prospect Park to be their masterpiece.
Main attractions of the park include the 90-acre Long Meadow; the Picnic House; Litchfield Villa, Prospect Park Zoo; a large nature conservancy managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society; The Boathouse, housing a visitors center and the first urban Audubon Center; Brooklyn's only lake, covering 60 acres; the Prospect Park Bandshell that hosts free outdoor concerts in the summertime.
3418 locals recommend
Prospect Park
The best park in NYC. Olmstead & Vaux, the designers of Central Park, used what they learned there to design an even more beautiful park here in Brooklyn; they considered Prospect Park to be their masterpiece.
Main attractions of the park include the 90-acre Long Meadow; the Picnic House; Litchfield Villa, Prospect Park Zoo; a large nature conservancy managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society; The Boathouse, housing a visitors center and the first urban Audubon Center; Brooklyn's only lake, covering 60 acres; the Prospect Park Bandshell that hosts free outdoor concerts in the summertime.
Arts & Culture
Great, eclectic performances from all over the world. Dance, theater, contemporary music, opera, circus, unclassifiable performances... BAM is a world-class performance venue with a Brooklyn twist.
115 locals recommend
Bam Howard Gilman Opera House
30 Lafayette AveGreat, eclectic performances from all over the world. Dance, theater, contemporary music, opera, circus, unclassifiable performances... BAM is a world-class performance venue with a Brooklyn twist.
The largest and best museum you've never heard of. Or maybe you have? Home to over 1.5 million art works from all around the world and all periods in history. Significant areas of the collection include antiquities, with Egyptian antiquities spanning over 3,000 years. European, African, Oceanic, and Japanese art make for notable antiquities collections as well. American art heavily represented, starting at the Colonial period. Artists in the collection include Rothko, Hopper, Rockwell, Homer, Degas, O'Keeffe, and Max Weber. The Sackler Center for Feminist Art is the home of Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party" on permanent display.
3011 locals recommend
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern PkwyThe largest and best museum you've never heard of. Or maybe you have? Home to over 1.5 million art works from all around the world and all periods in history. Significant areas of the collection include antiquities, with Egyptian antiquities spanning over 3,000 years. European, African, Oceanic, and Japanese art make for notable antiquities collections as well. American art heavily represented, starting at the Colonial period. Artists in the collection include Rothko, Hopper, Rockwell, Homer, Degas, O'Keeffe, and Max Weber. The Sackler Center for Feminist Art is the home of Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party" on permanent display.
Built in a no-longer-used subway station, this museum is a huge hit with kids and adults alike. Climb into old subway cars, learn how the subway system was built, get cool NYC souvenirs. Highly recommended!
222 locals recommend
New York Transit Museum
89 E 42nd StBuilt in a no-longer-used subway station, this museum is a huge hit with kids and adults alike. Climb into old subway cars, learn how the subway system was built, get cool NYC souvenirs. Highly recommended!
Entertainment & Activities
Home of the Brooklyn Nets NBA basketball team and the NY Islanders NHL hockey team. Also a great arena performance venue. There's always something great going on at Barclay's Center.
1418 locals recommend
Barclays Center
620 Atlantic AveHome of the Brooklyn Nets NBA basketball team and the NY Islanders NHL hockey team. Also a great arena performance venue. There's always something great going on at Barclay's Center.
Sightseeing
More than just an enormous traffic circle where Flatbush Avenue intersects with Vanderbilt Avenue, Prospect Park West, Eastern Parkway, and Union Street.
Aside from the monuments inside the Plaza, two great works of architecture are situated around the ring--Richard Meier's "1 Grand Army Plaza" and the Beaux Arts style Brooklyn Central Library.
The plaza includes the Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch, the Bailey Fountain, the John F. Kennedy Monument, statues of Civil War generals Warren and Slocum, busts of notable Brooklyn citizens Alexander J.C. Skene and Henry W. Maxwell, and two 12-sided gazebos.
On Saturdays there is a large greenmarket with local produce, baked goods, meats and cheeses.
378 locals recommend
Grand Army Plaza
Flatbush AvenueMore than just an enormous traffic circle where Flatbush Avenue intersects with Vanderbilt Avenue, Prospect Park West, Eastern Parkway, and Union Street.
Aside from the monuments inside the Plaza, two great works of architecture are situated around the ring--Richard Meier's "1 Grand Army Plaza" and the Beaux Arts style Brooklyn Central Library.
The plaza includes the Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch, the Bailey Fountain, the John F. Kennedy Monument, statues of Civil War generals Warren and Slocum, busts of notable Brooklyn citizens Alexander J.C. Skene and Henry W. Maxwell, and two 12-sided gazebos.
On Saturdays there is a large greenmarket with local produce, baked goods, meats and cheeses.
Getting Around
Almost every train line in the NYC subway stops here. You can get to almost everywhere in the city from here. The Long Island Raiload's Atlantic Terminal gives easy access to Kennedy Airport and all of Long Island (including many wonderful beaches, vineyards, farms, historic homes, and parks.
155 locals recommend
Atlantic Av-Barclays Center station
Almost every train line in the NYC subway stops here. You can get to almost everywhere in the city from here. The Long Island Raiload's Atlantic Terminal gives easy access to Kennedy Airport and all of Long Island (including many wonderful beaches, vineyards, farms, historic homes, and parks.