A One Day Itinerary for Brooklyn
Until what Brooklyn residents call “the great mistake of 1898,” this borough was its own city. If it were to break off from NYC, it would be the fourth largest city in the United States, with some 2.6 million residents. This is a long way of saying: You’re not going to be able to see it all in 1 day. But the following itinerary will give you a taste of a few of its top sights and experiences.
Note: This itinerary is best done Wednesday through Sunday, when both the Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden are open. Start: Subway 2 or 3 to Grand Army Plaza.
1 Tom’s Restaurant
If anyone tries to tell you that New Yorkers aren’t patriotic, take them to Tom’s, which sports more American flags per square inch than most places in the country. It also serves up a now-rare New York treat: egg creams (like a milkshake, but less sweet, and fizzy). Pair one of those, or a coffee, with their famous lemon poppy pancakes and you’ll be well-fueled for a busy day.
Head toward St. John’s Place on Washington Avenue, and then continue another 2 blocks, crossing Eastern Parkway to:
2 Brooklyn Botanic Garden
A scenic way to start your explorations, the BBG is among the most important public gardens in the United States. Home to one of the first Japanese gardens in this hemisphere, it also features a Shakespeare garden (plants commemorated in the Bard’s works), a section devoted to native flora, and an eco-conscious visitor’s center with a “living roof” that’s seeded with dozens of species. Depending on the season, the gardens open at either 8am or 10am (p. ###), so plan accordingly.
Exit where you entered and follow the signs to:
3 Brooklyn Museum
If NYC didn’t have the Metropolitan, this would be considered the city’s most important museum. It has masterworks from almost every era of human history, and an Egyptian department that’s considered finer than the Met’s. Spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon taking in the wonders here; grab lunch at one of the museum’s darn good eateries.
Jump the 2 or 3 train in the direction of Manhattan, but get off at Atlantic Ave./Barclays Center, and change in that station to the G train going toward Queens, getting off at Metropolitan Avenue. Walk toward the elevated highway, go under it, and follow Metropolitan Avenue until you hit Bedford Avenue. Turn left and stroll 2 blocks to:
4 Grand Street & Domino Park
Turn right on Grand. You’ll find a delightful mix of shops, bars, and restaurants on most every street in Williamsburg, but on Grand Street they’re entirely local, one-of-a-kind enterprises of the type that reward lingering and/or browsing. As you slowly walk toward the Hudson River and Domino Park (turn right when you get to Grand), be sure to pop into some of the fantastic stores that line Grand and nearby side streets. These include a good dozen vintage clothing stores, two tea shops, homewares stores, and handmade jewelry ateliers. Then take some time to explore the fabulous Domino Park (see above)..
5 A Brooklyn Dinner
You have a wealth of choices for where to have a spectacular dinner, though you’ll stand a better chance of getting a table if you make advance reservations. Easiest would be to stay in Williamsburg and head to either Aska , Lilia Restaurant , Eyval, Win Son or Roberta’s, which has a branch right at the park. Or you might make your way to downtown Brooklyn for a meal in the fabulous time machine known as Gage & Tollner .