1. Bay Ridge- The Verrazano Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to Staten Island, is sometimes forgotten when tourists think of New York's bridges. But this bridge is not to be overlooked. This was once the longest bridge in the world and is now…Read More

1. Bay Ridge- The Verrazano Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to Staten Island, is sometimes forgotten when tourists think of New York's bridges. But this bridge is not to be overlooked. This was once the longest bridge in the world and is now the backbone of a thriving community called Bay Ridge. Bay Ridge was settled by the Dutch in the 1600's- today, it is home to many Greek, Arab, Italian and Irish people. With sprawling houses and tree-lined streets, Bay Ridge has a very suburban feel to it. Along Third Avenue, there are wonderful restaurants, lounges and boutiques. You can also take a stroll along Shore Road, which offers a view of Staten Island, New Jersey, the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan.

2. Coney Island- Ever had a Nathan's hot dog? Rode the Cyclone? If not, come down to Coney Island- a beach, boardwalk and amusement park all in one. Have your palm read, see a freak show, play some games or just enjoy the surf and sand. Brooklyn's very own baseball stadium is in the works here so this area is sure to be hot soon!

3. Chinatown- Yes, in Brooklyn. On Eighth Avenue between 50th and 65th streets to be exact. Immerse yourself in this culture's food, people, sounds and smells. Dim Sum and chinese take-out are the best around (expect to wait an hour on Sundays). Fresh fish and vegetable markets are abundant as are Chinese video-stores and tea houses.

4. Bensonhurst- Saturday Night Fever. The 18th Avenue Feast in late August. Italy is alive in this vibrant and authentic neighborhood. Mouth-watering pasta and cannoli, Italian music stores, churches and Italian fashion are just some of the surprises this area has to offer. How YOU doin?!

5. Brooklyn Heights- Brooklyn Heights is one of the richest, oldest, most beautiful neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Located right across the river from Manhattan,it offers excellant views along the Promenade, historic brownstones to make your mouth drop and a host of trendy restaurants and shops. Close

This small and beautiful park in the heart of Fort Greene is never as packed as Prospect Park nearby - you'll mostly brush shoulders with the diverse local community playing sports, lounging on the grass and strolling around. There's a lovely little area with several…Read More

This small and beautiful park in the heart of Fort Greene is never as packed as Prospect Park nearby - you'll mostly brush shoulders with the diverse local community playing sports, lounging on the grass and strolling around. There's a lovely little area with several benches that are perfect for quiet meditation or a good conversation with a friend. In the streets around the park, you can often find impromptu jam sessions by just about anyone who wants to show off their musical skills, or lack of. If you want to spend a nice Sunday afternoon off-the-beaten track, come to Fort Greene Park.Close

Cobble Hill was just that: a hill where the Dutch found cobble stones for paving at what is now the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Court Street. The hill was leveled by the British after Washington used it to survey troop movements during…Read More

Cobble Hill was just that: a hill where the Dutch found cobble stones for paving at what is now the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Court Street. The hill was leveled by the British after Washington used it to survey troop movements during the Battle of Brooklyn. The name fell out of use and was rediscovered by real estate promoters in the 1950's to give some panache to what was a part of South Brooklyn. Now an historic district, Cobble Hill was "developed" as a suburban residential neighborhood in the 1830's-1840's. It is a compact area that has an almost village-like feel, with mainly brownstone and brick houses on tree-lined streets and two "high streets" (Court Street and Smith Street) for shopping, dining and entertainment. Families and singles, old and young, live here and the area has a great mixture of straight and gay folks and is somewhat ethnically diverse.

The Bergen Street stop on the "F" Train is the best entrance to Cobble Hill. Head west towards Clinton Street (you will have to dog-leg a bit in this neighborhood of unmatched grids of streets)and then turn left (south). Along Clinton you will find an award-winning park (Cobble Hill Park), a great deli and a wonderful local bar and restaurant just past the park and Verandah Place.

Go one more street to Warren and turn right and go a block and a half and take a look at Warren Place and the apartment block on Hicks Street between Warren and Baltic Streets. These were built in the mid-19th Century to provide decent housing for working-class people and are fantastic, both architecturally and as a bit of social history.

As you walk along Hicks Street you will hear and see the cut for (and smell the exhaust from) the scar Robert Moses left in the neighborhood (effectively cutting it off from its traditional Red Hook part) when he forced the Brooklyn Queens Expressway through the area in the 1950's.

Continue south along Hicks one more block and turn left into Kane Street. Returning the two blocks to Clinton Street, you will see Cheever Place and Strong place, half blocks lined with small homes and carriage houses.

As you approach Clinton Street you will see the tower of Christ Church ahead of you. Turn right into Clinton Street and you will be in front of Christ Church. This brownstone gothic revival Episcopal church is the oldest church in the neighborhood (1841) and was designed as his parish church by the reknowned architect Richard Upjohn. The interior is by Louis Comfort Tiffany and is a complete surprise of cream-colored marble, irridescent glass and fantastic mother of pearl inlay (plus several Tiffany windows) after the somewhat austere exterior. The church has an exceptional accoustic environment and is used for numerous concerts throughout the year. If the building is closed, the church office is next door at 326, downstairs, if you want to see inside.

Return to the corner and continue east along Kane Street one half block to Tompkins Place. At that corner you will see the Kane Street Synagogue. Originally a church, the building has been home to the oldest Jewish congregation in Brooklyn for over 100 years.

Turn right into Tompkins Place, a street lined with outstanding houses, and walk to DeGraw Street. Turn left and go to Court Street turn left again. (South of DeGraw street is Caroll Gardens, another neighborhood).

Court Street is lined with shops, big and small, with many speciality stores, bakeries, green grocers, butchers, restaurants and book shops. You can continue down Court to Bergen and turn right to return to the subway.

Or continue one more block to Smith Street and turn left. Although technically outside Cobble Hill, Smith Street, which seems lined with one great restaurant after another, as well as small shops and boutiques, is very much a part of the area culturally. Find a place for a drink, brunch or lunch, or dinner and then head back towards Bergen Street and the subway. A great place to spend a sunny afternoon or balmy evening!

Brooklyn Heights was the first architectually landmarked area in the United States. In the 1950's ten blocks of beautiful hundred-year-old brownstones were destroyed to make way for Cadman Plaza, a complex of four 35 story-high concrete apartment towers and many cement-faced townhouses surrounded by barren…Read More

Brooklyn Heights was the first architectually landmarked area in the United States. In the 1950's ten blocks of beautiful hundred-year-old brownstones were destroyed to make way for Cadman Plaza, a complex of four 35 story-high concrete apartment towers and many cement-faced townhouses surrounded by barren private plazas. In response the residents of Brooklyn Heights formed a neighborhood association that fought for and achived legal protection covering all of the remaining brownstones.

Prior to the Civil War, Brooklyn Heigths had the same wrought iron railings and balconies that make New Orleans so charming. And they were created by the same New York State foundries. However during the War Between The States, patriotic Brooklyn homeoweners donated their metal decorations to be melted down and used for weaponry. The iron railings that exist today are modern replacements most installed during the neighborhood's affluent upturn of the last twenty years.

In addition to the Victorian townhouses, The Heights has two eccentric Queen Anne style homes on Willow Street. Also there are more than twenty wooden, Federal Era buildings, many of which are scattered along Hicks Street. The oldest home in The Heights is on the corner of Willow and Cranberry Streets. It is notable because it is the only wooden house that still maintains the separate back building that once housed servants.

Drive or walk down 58th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues and you'll be immediately assaulted by blow-up Easter bunnies, Santa's reindeer or a Halloween ghost. The owner has been recognized by New York State Senator Vincent Gentile as an avid contributor to the…Read More

Drive or walk down 58th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues and you'll be immediately assaulted by blow-up Easter bunnies, Santa's reindeer or a Halloween ghost.

The owner has been recognized by New York State Senator Vincent Gentile as an avid contributor to the community. His shrine was built in hopes of surviving cancer. Positive mesages like, "Don't do drugs, someone loves you" are writen on styrofoam boards and placed among the saints, prayer cards, angels and decorations fop whatever holiday might be coming up. Whether it be St. Patty's Day or Mother's Day, there's always somehing to see.

John's cancer is in remission.

Remsen Street was established in 1825 and runs west from the Promenade for about four blocks to Clinton Street. Beautiful brownstones and old brick houses from the mid to late nineteenth century feature Greek revival style iron gates, long double doors decorated with carved…Read More

Remsen Street was established in 1825 and runs west from the Promenade for about four blocks to Clinton Street. Beautiful brownstones and old brick houses from the mid to late nineteenth century feature Greek revival style iron gates, long double doors decorated with carved wooden moldings and wooden shutters.

This street is relatively quiet, save the occasional movie or television show taking advantage of its classic New York style. Another note for fame buffs: travel writer Henry Miller lived on Remsen for about two years after traveling Europe.

Where Remsen Street meets The Promenade, at the western-most end, you can enjoy one of the best views of lower Manhattan with The Statue of Liberty, New Jersey and Staten Island in the distance. This is also one of the entrances to the Promenade.

The Pierreponts were one of the first land-owners to settle in Brooklyn after The Fulton Street ferry was established in 1814. Generations of the Pierrepont family have watched Manhattan's skyline grow from the bedroom and kitchen windows of this mansion on the shore.…Read More

The Pierreponts were one of the first land-owners to settle in Brooklyn after The Fulton Street ferry was established in 1814. Generations of the Pierrepont family have watched Manhattan's skyline grow from the bedroom and kitchen windows of this mansion on the shore.

The Pierrepont House is situated next to the entrance to The Promenade.

Henry Miller was a travel writer before travel writing was a genre. In the 1900's he wrote The Tropic Of Cancer about his travels throughout Paris. Later, when he returned to the States, he wrote The Tropic of Capricorn. Henry Miller was…Read More

Henry Miller was a travel writer before travel writing was a genre. In the 1900's he wrote The Tropic Of Cancer about his travels throughout Paris. Later, when he returned to the States, he wrote The Tropic of Capricorn.
Henry Miller was born in Brooklyn and lived in this house on Remsen Street between 1925-26.Close

One of my favorite movies of all time is 'West Side Story' (my mother first took me to see it at a local screening in my hometown when I was quite small, and I must have seen it 8 or 9 times since then), so…Read More

One of my favorite movies of all time is 'West Side Story' (my mother first took me to see it at a local screening in my hometown when I was quite small, and I must have seen it 8 or 9 times since then), so when I read in the paper that there would be a rare outdoor summer screening in Prospect Park which is right across the street from my apartment, I knew I couldn't miss it. My boyfriend also loves the film, and we had just been talking about how we wanted to be sure to do a lot of 'summer-type-things' before the summer was over. This was special.

The outing ended up feeling that much more unique when, on a humid night in New York that had been threatening thundershowers all day, Brooklynites still came out to see and hear Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn and George Chakiris projected bigger than life in our own backyards. Even when the rain began to fall halfway through the film, the crowd kept on singing along, reciting memorable lines, and applauding after each unforgettable number.

During an 'intermission' when the projectionists were changing reels, I looked behind our seats to survey the devoted crowd comfortably settled under their hoods and blankets, cheering on the projectionist and anxiously awaiting the next scene. I loved that no one cared about the rain. I loved that I was across the street from my house. I loved that, as my boyfriend proudly stated, Brooklyn was 'in the house'. And as I responded to him, 'West Side Story' in Prospect Park is one of the few things I would sit out in the pouring rain for.Close

This is an unoffical waterfront "park" on Kent Avenue from North 7th to North 10th, that people in the neighborhood retreat to for great views of Manhattan, big skies, fishing (if you can believe it) and an alternative place to walk their dogs. I…Read More

This is an unoffical waterfront "park" on Kent Avenue from North 7th to North 10th, that people in the neighborhood retreat to for great views of Manhattan, big skies, fishing (if you can believe it) and an alternative place to walk their dogs. I wouldn't come here at night, a lot of homeless people converge here in the evenings. During the day there are actually a good number of people here, just enjoying the space, which is obviously appreciated in this densely populated city. Be aware that there are a lot of debris and glass and the ground is rumored to be very polluted. Still, I enjoy just hanging out and watching the water from the East River lap the shore.Close