BROOKLYN

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:13:58 +0000

Even Americans who have never traveled to Brooklyn have a picture of it in their minds–edgy Williamsburg with its urban boutiques, Grimaldi’s Pizza, hip hop hoodlums, guidos, and street loiterers. But, what else? There’s another world entirely outside of the notorious Williamsburg and Bensonhurst. Brooklyn is fun, young, and beautiful with a European Charm implicative of this Borough’s first settlers. It notably has a fair more amount of trees, flora, and fauna than its posh industrial neighbor Manhattan. The buildings are lower and made up of red brick. Brooklyn is the friendly home of artists, writers, photographers, actors (once including Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams), designers, architects, and a ton of small business owners. Brooklyn still contains a plethora of “mom and pop” stores and refuses to yield to the monopoly of franchising. There is so much to explore. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes and a metro card. Beyond Williamsburg, enjoy relaxed days, good food, local talent, and leisurely evening strolls. If you have seven days to spare, here’s how to spend them in Brooklyn:
DAY 1
Saturday is a great day to begin your trip! Take the number 2 or 3 train to the Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum station. Welcome to Prospect Heights! Leave the station and walk west to Grand Army Plaza. The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket is held every Saturday. Get there early for the best produce, plants, and flowers. Enjoy fresh apple cider (hot or cold), goat cheese, artisanal breads, pies, and pastries. Continue west and travel down Union Street, until you reach 7th avenue. Welcome to Park Slope. Park Slope is a Mecca of organic food, yoga enthusiasts, kitschy boutiques, restaurants, food trucks, and family. Assuming you had an early start at the market, stop for breakfast at one of the many food trucks that have cropped up all over the neighborhood within the past two years. A neighborhood favorite is the Wafles and Dinges truck parked in front of the supermarket on Carroll Street. (www.wafelsanddinges.com). Be brave and order the WMD (Wafel of Massive Deliciousness) doused in chocolate fudge sauce, sprinkled with strawberries, and topped with whipped cream and powdered sugar. Once nourished, keep moving up 7th avenue. Take a peek into the weekend Flea Market at Public School 321 on 2nd Street. Shop the little stores up and down the avenue. If you’re looking for stationary to write home, stop by Lion in the Sun and rifle through their extensive collection. To dress like the locals, step into Brooklyn Industries’ 9th street branch. Little Things is the perfect gift shop for purchasing souvenirs for your young friends back home. On Degraw Street, Mandala Tibetan Store has a branch selling necklaces, ear rings, scarves, clothing, handbags and other unique finds connected to Tibet.
For lunch, Park Slope offers many options. The best Mexican fare lies on 3rd Street at Barrio. To start, the guacamole which is eaten with soft and warm tortillas (not chips) is highly recommended. The sweet plantain and black bean empanadas are also worth a taste. Barrio’s Saturday special is the Hanger Steak with jalapeno garlic marinade and epazote chimichurri. A favorite is the oven roasted Barrio Pollo with adobo marinade papas monterrey, ancho chile salsa. Wash it all down with their selection of Spanish wines or beers. If you prefer Italian, then try Sette across the street. Here, you can start with their Parmesan Fritters, Nonna’s Meatballs, or the plum tomato salad. Finish with one of their excellent pasta dishes and Prosecco. The Grilled Center Cut Pork Chop or the Grilled Salmon with arugula and fresh orange salad are other enticing entrees. If you are looking for lunch that is a little more “low-key”, then try Sweet Melissa. Sweet Melissa is a charming café/bakery on 2nd Street reminiscent of Paris. Have a slice of the Quiche Lorraine with a salad on the side or a hot pressed Panini with coffee. Sweet Melissa offers an array of treats for dessert. From the strawberry topped fallen chocolate soufflé, butterscotch puddings, banana caramel pie and cupcakes to the ice cream from their creamery. Choose a seat in their mahogany café or in their outside garden. After lunch, walk up and down the quiet side streets and marvel at the beautiful brownstones. Before going home in the evening, refresh yourself at the Tea Lounge on Union Street. Step in for a Sparkling Tea or a cocktail at the bar. Sit and listen to the Indie singers and musicians who come to play with hope of being discovered by a wandering music mogul.
DAY 2
Sleep in on a Sunday. Wake up in time to have brunch in the docile Eastern European inspired neighborhood beside the Brooklyn Bridge. Welcome to Brooklyn Heights! Take a gander at the ivy-clad brick apartment buildings with wild over grown flower gardens, and cobble stoned streets on your way to the Heights Café on the corner of Montague Street. Sit outdoors and watch the world go by. Here you can get the standard burger and fries, but it’s the pasta that makes this restaurant worth the trip. Try the lasagna or the penne with shrimp. The tomato basil pizza with grilled vegetables is worth-while. Once sustained, travel down Montague Street and take in the shops and scenery. At Pierrepont Place and Montague Street, you will reach the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. Here, roller-bladers blade, skate-boarders skate, children scoot, and cyclers ride. All while taking in the inescapable view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan across the East River. The Statue of Liberty is also visible from here. This site is a photographer’s dream. Stroll down the Promenade to the Fulton Ferry Pier at Old Fulton Street. There are water taxis around here to take you across the East River to the South Street Seaport. More importantly, this is the residence of the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory (www.brooklynicecreamfactory.com). The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is a Fireboat house turned Ice Cream shop. All of the ice cream here is made in-house with all natural ingredients. After you’ve had your snack, expand your horizons and enjoy some chamber music at Barge Music (www.bargemusic.org). Barge Music is New York’s floating concert Hall. There is an actual Barge where you may come to sit and listen to world renowned classical musicians serenading you. Once the show is over, the sun will probably have set and the whole pier is lit up with the lights of Manhattan as well as with the lights from The River Café. Enjoy a delectable seafood dinner at this enchanting establishment. There is excellent trout ,oysters, and caviar. The crab and coconut bisque is wonderful! For those with an aversion to seafood, try the Niman Ranch Sirloin Steak. The caramelized apple-almond tart is recommendable for dessert.

DAY 3
Journey once again by Subway to Prospect Heights to see its main attraction. Prospect Park of- course! This is 3.5 miles of lush greenery, ponds, and trail-ways. Pack a picnic lunch or set up a barbeque. It’s very much possible to spend the whole day here. You can bike, hike, run, sunbathe, go fishing, paddleboat, fly a kite, skate, walk…or just sit and read. There is horse-back riding, trolley rides, and a zoo. For more information go to www.prospectpark.org. When you’ve had your fill of the park, walk over to 7th avenue in Park Slope (it’s only two blocks away). Stop at Uncle Louie G’s on 8th street for an Italian ices to cool down. For a fun evening, drop by Ocean’s 8(http://oceans8atbrownstone.com) for dinner, shooting pool, and air hockey.
DAY 4
Spend the day becoming one with Nature at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden (www.bbg.org).This expansive garden is a horticulturalists dream! The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is located right in the heart of Prospect Heights. Explore attractions such as the Rose Garden, the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, Celebrity Path, and the Fragrance Garden. The entire garden is alive with color and the sweet perfumes of flowers and herbs. You will be transcended into a state of admiration and inspiration.
DAY 5
Right next door to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Embrace a state of wonderment while contemplating the “reOrder” installation by Situ Studio (a local talent). Visit (www.brooklynmuseum.org) for a listing of exhibitions, lectures, and occasional performances. With four stories of contemporary and classical artwork, visitors should be prepared to devote a full day to the museum. The gift shop is worth a peek as well. Since the renovation of the museum’s exterior, the cement steps have served as a communal gathering ground on sunny days. Rambunctious children play in and around the fountains. Vendors hang around selling hotdogs, pretzels, ice cream and Italian ices.
DAY 6
Do you like rock climbing? Be adventurous and head to Brooklyn Boulders, the largest climbing gym in New York City. This is a great and exciting way to get in or stay in shape. Brooklyn Boulders contains 18,000 square feet of rock climbing wall. (www.brooklynboulders.com). For the not so adventurous, get crafty at The Painted Pot. The Painted Pot is a paint-your-own pottery studio. Select a piece of pottery (like a bowl, plate, or figurine) and glaze a kitschy souvenir for someone back home. See www.paintedpot.com for more details.
DAY 7
Enjoy your final day in Brooklyn at Coney Island! Who could resist this beach and old fashion carnival town? Coney Island is filled with side shows and carnivals, circuses and go-karts. Across the boardwalk is the reigning amusement park Luna Park (formally known as Astro Land). Luna Park is home to the infamous Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone. The Cyclone Rollercoaster is an 85 foot tall wooden coaster, has a 60 degree drop and then shakes, rattles and rolls through 6 turn-arounds and 8 more drops. This New York Landmark has been around since 1927. (www.lunaparknyc.com). Coney Island also has an aquarium. The boardwalk is lined with stalls of food and novelties on one side; the beach sits on the other side. Spend the day enjoying fun in the sun, funnel cake, and cotton candy. Relax on the beach and collect sea shells. Go burn calories by running around Luna Park and riding rides.
Come and enjoy the best that Brooklyn has to offer!
Where to Stay
Sheraton Brooklyn New York Hotel-228 Duffield Street Brooklyn, NY 1120 (718) 855-1900
New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge- 333 Adams St Brooklyn, NY 11201(718) 246-7000

WELCOME!

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:53:06 +0000

Hi Everyone!
I hope that you’ll enjoy my new and improved website.

Happy Holidays!
Lindsay

Lin-Z

BROOKLYN

WELCOME!