Top stories
Brooklyn Travel Guide
USINFO | 2013-08-12 11:41
Understand
Brooklyn was once a separate city independent of the City of New York. The cities merged at the end of the nineteenth century, forever after lamented by Brooklynites as "The Great Mistake of 1898." Although Brooklyn is very diverse, what makes Brooklyn so different from the other boroughs are its distinct cultural neighborhoods. Manhattan is frequently referred to as "the city" by residents of the other boroughs — for example, in the phrase "I'm going to the city." Many Brooklynites have a great deal of pride in their borough, and most New Yorkers consider Brooklynites to have an identity distinct from that of other New Yorkers. In any case, remember while speaking to Brooklynites that referring to Manhattan as "the city" is acceptable but calling Manhattan "New York City" is not. Be careful not to confuse Brooklyn and the Bronx - they are very different parts of New York City.
Visitor Information
Brooklyn Tourism & Visitors Center, Historic Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St, Ground Floor (at Court St; Subway: 2/3/4/5 trains to Borough Hall, M/R trains to Court St-Borough Hall, or A/C/F trains to Jay St-Borough Hall), ☎ +1 718 802-3846, . M-F 10AM-6PM. Official tourist and visitor information center and gift shop with unique Brooklyn souvenirs. Edit
Landmarks
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch in Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn Bridge, . Work started in 1870 on the first bridge crossing of the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, finally completing in 1883 - a 1,595 ft suspension bridge and, as a plaque on it says, a "structure of beauty." edit
Grand Army Plaza, (2 or 3 trains to Grand Army Plaza), . The gateway to Prospect Park, laid out in 1870. The Soldiers and Sailors Arch was added in 1892 as a memorial to the victorious Union Army. The Plaza itself is a large traffic circle surrounded by trees; apartment buildings; the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, itself a large distinctive landmark building; and a memorial bust of President John F. Kennedy. Each June, Grand Army Plaza is the focus for the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival for people who lived in the borough. edit
The Coney Island Cyclone, (D, F, N, or Q trains to Coney Island-Stillwell Ave or F or Q trains to W 8th St-NY Aquarium). Opened in 1927, the Coney Island Cyclone or (the Cyclone) is one of the world's oldest and still operating wooden roller coasters and was declared a New York City Landmark on July 2, 1988. It was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1991. Although in 1927 the roller coaster cost only 25 cents to ride, it now costs $10. 8. edit
Museums and galleries
Prospect Park is home to the Brooklyn Museum, NYC's second largest art museum. Downtown is home to the New York Transit Museum. Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush are home to the Brooklyn Children's Museum and the Jewish Children's Museum, which is the largest Jewish-themed children's museum in the United States. Williamsburg is home to the Hogar Collection. The Transit Museum is worth checking out and it only costs $7.
Parks and gardens
Cherry blossoms in bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Prospect Park is home to, of course, Prospect Park, designed by Olmsted and Vaux, who also designed Manhattan's Central Park but preferred their Brooklyn creation. Adjacent to the park is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a 52-acre garden that is home to more than 10,000 taxa of plants.
Marine Park is a public park that is located in the Marine Park neighborhood and surrounds the westernmost inlet of Jamaica Bay. It has about 800 acres and has a bike path, handball court, shuffleboard court and playground. The park is mainly a fertile salt marsh that is supplied with freshwater from Gerritsen Creek.
Brooklyn was once a separate city independent of the City of New York. The cities merged at the end of the nineteenth century, forever after lamented by Brooklynites as "The Great Mistake of 1898." Although Brooklyn is very diverse, what makes Brooklyn so different from the other boroughs are its distinct cultural neighborhoods. Manhattan is frequently referred to as "the city" by residents of the other boroughs — for example, in the phrase "I'm going to the city." Many Brooklynites have a great deal of pride in their borough, and most New Yorkers consider Brooklynites to have an identity distinct from that of other New Yorkers. In any case, remember while speaking to Brooklynites that referring to Manhattan as "the city" is acceptable but calling Manhattan "New York City" is not. Be careful not to confuse Brooklyn and the Bronx - they are very different parts of New York City.
Visitor Information
Brooklyn Tourism & Visitors Center, Historic Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St, Ground Floor (at Court St; Subway: 2/3/4/5 trains to Borough Hall, M/R trains to Court St-Borough Hall, or A/C/F trains to Jay St-Borough Hall), ☎ +1 718 802-3846, . M-F 10AM-6PM. Official tourist and visitor information center and gift shop with unique Brooklyn souvenirs. Edit
Landmarks
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch in Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn Bridge, . Work started in 1870 on the first bridge crossing of the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, finally completing in 1883 - a 1,595 ft suspension bridge and, as a plaque on it says, a "structure of beauty." edit
Grand Army Plaza, (2 or 3 trains to Grand Army Plaza), . The gateway to Prospect Park, laid out in 1870. The Soldiers and Sailors Arch was added in 1892 as a memorial to the victorious Union Army. The Plaza itself is a large traffic circle surrounded by trees; apartment buildings; the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, itself a large distinctive landmark building; and a memorial bust of President John F. Kennedy. Each June, Grand Army Plaza is the focus for the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival for people who lived in the borough. edit
The Coney Island Cyclone, (D, F, N, or Q trains to Coney Island-Stillwell Ave or F or Q trains to W 8th St-NY Aquarium). Opened in 1927, the Coney Island Cyclone or (the Cyclone) is one of the world's oldest and still operating wooden roller coasters and was declared a New York City Landmark on July 2, 1988. It was also placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1991. Although in 1927 the roller coaster cost only 25 cents to ride, it now costs $10. 8. edit
Museums and galleries
Prospect Park is home to the Brooklyn Museum, NYC's second largest art museum. Downtown is home to the New York Transit Museum. Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush are home to the Brooklyn Children's Museum and the Jewish Children's Museum, which is the largest Jewish-themed children's museum in the United States. Williamsburg is home to the Hogar Collection. The Transit Museum is worth checking out and it only costs $7.
Parks and gardens
Cherry blossoms in bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Prospect Park is home to, of course, Prospect Park, designed by Olmsted and Vaux, who also designed Manhattan's Central Park but preferred their Brooklyn creation. Adjacent to the park is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a 52-acre garden that is home to more than 10,000 taxa of plants.
Marine Park is a public park that is located in the Marine Park neighborhood and surrounds the westernmost inlet of Jamaica Bay. It has about 800 acres and has a bike path, handball court, shuffleboard court and playground. The park is mainly a fertile salt marsh that is supplied with freshwater from Gerritsen Creek.
