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By Root 1852 0

reach Prospect Park or walk north on 7th Avenue to sample the shops. The hipper boutiques and eateries are two long blocks west, on 5th Avenue, best accessed on the R train to Union Street. To reach the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and Prospect Park take the 2 or 3 train to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum. Coney Island is the last stop on the D, F, N, and Q trains, and the Q or B will take you to Brighton Beach. Allow a good part of the day for these trips, since it takes about an hour to reach the ocean from Manhattan.

FODOR’S CHOICE

The Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Coney Island

Prospect Park

TOP EXPERIENCES

Hitting the restaurants and bars in Williamsburg or along Smith Street in Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens

Screaming at the top of the Cyclone roller coaster on Coney Island

Spending an afternoon at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or Prospect Park

Taking in the Manhattan skyline at night from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Catching a show at The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

BEST FOR KIDS

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory

Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.

MCU Park

Lefferts Historic House

New York Aquarium

Transit Museum

NEARBY MUSEUMS

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Brooklyn Historical Society

Brooklyn Museum

Coney Island Museum

C. V. Starr Bonsai Museum at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Transit Museum

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Local Landmarks and Perfect Parks | Boutique Bonanza | Epicure’s Paradise

LOCAL LANDMARKS AND PERFECT PARKS

In the midst of urban bustle, Brooklyn is full of green getaways and natural attractions. Relax like a real Brooklynite by packing a picnic lunch and heading to Prospect Park’s lush Long Meadow. Or find its hidden nooks and surprises, like the Zoo, the Ravine, and great summer concerts in the Bandshell.

Next door is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the borough’s beloved 52-acre retreat with more than 10,000 plant species from around the world. Take an unexpected detour to Green-Wood Cemetery, which dates back to 1838, where you can walk along its hills and lakes or hunt for the headstones of V.I.P.s among the R.I.P.s.

No tour of Brooklyn would be complete without a pilgrimage to Coney Island, where the boardwalk, Nathan’s hot dogs, and the Cyclone have thrilled generations of New Yorkers.

BOUTIQUE BONANZA

Manhattan is slowly being taken over by chain stores, but Brooklyn’s boutique scene is thriving. It’s easy to spend an afternoon looking at ladylike knits or punchy, bright-color sundresses, chuckling at hipsteresque home items (resin deer antlers, anyone?), or simply discovering new designers.

Start off in Williamsburg at Future Perfect, a modern-home-decor lover’s dream, then hop over to other Brooklyn spots like Catbird or Love Brigade Co-op (230 Grand St. | 718/715–0430 | www.lovebrigade.com). In Park Slope, stroll down 5th and 7th avenues for a more sophisticated range at Bird or Serene Rose (329 5th Ave. | 718/832–0717 | www.serenerose.com), among others.

Over in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill, hit the antiques and home-design stores as well as the handful of galleries on Atlantic Avenue, then head over to Court Street and Smith Street to combine boutique hopping with a meal at one of the area’s many celebrated restaurants.

EPICURE’S PARADISE

Eating your way through Brooklyn is one of the best ways to experience the mix of old, new, and immigrant cultures that make the borough so vibrant. Carroll Gardens perhaps best epitomizes this mix; here 50 years of Italian heritage meet a more recent and highly acclaimed restaurant scene on and near Smith Street.

Take the F train to the Bergen or Carroll Street stop to try standout eateries like Char No. 4 or Saul, then walk off your meal along leafy Court Street, stopping at one of its bakeries for dessert. (Try Sweet Melissa [276 Court St. | 718/855–3410] for sour-cherry clafoutis; or anything from The Chocolate Room [269 Court St. | 718/246–2600] just across