Destination: Brooklyn

Tell Me Why…

Quaint Brownstones, Sweeping Views of Manhattan, Vibrant Restaurant Scene

From the snow covered brownstones to the old fashioned soda fountain shoppe to the beautiful views of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Brooklyn showed us its charm this weekend. Even with last minute planning … a day before leaving… we managed to have a fun and interesting weekend trip which included gleaming skylines, great meals, cool shops and neighborhoods that made it fun to wander.

Just the Facts, Ma’am

Take Me Along with You

Planning for a busy holiday weekend can be tricky if you want to be a short drive away from where you live, you live in New England, it is winter, and you wait until the week before to come up with a plan. Especially when looking for something a little different from the norm, fun to visit in winter but not a ski resort. Brooklyn turned out to be all of those things with plenty to do for a weekend, many options if we were feeling adventurous but with a cool, relaxed vibe instead of the busy, crazy scene that can be Manhattan.

Day 1 – Clinton Hill and Carroll Gardens

We pulled into Brooklyn just as the snowstorm we were trying to beat came down in a fury. Luckily we found free street parking pretty easily (note: Alternate Side Regulations). After wandering a bit around the charming Clinton Hill streets, we made it inside a great little Asian Fusion lunch spot called The Market before the snow got too crazy.

The snow cleared for a bit just in time for us to make our way over to our charming Airbnb in Carroll Gardens. The apartment was a perfect blend of old world charm and fresh fun decorating. An ideal spot to hunker down a bit when the snow started coming down heavily. Of course, old world charm can sometimes mean sticky keys and hissing radiators for heat but as long as you are prepared for that, it can be lovely. For more info on how to decode reviews so you are prepared ahead of time, check out The Art of Reading Reviews.

Venturing out later as the snow let up, we found ourselves at The Longshoreman, a nearby restaurant with a fun history recommended by our hostess. In the 1940s and 50s, it was a bar with the same name owned and operated by a fellow, aptly named, Punchie, supplying longshoremen from the nearby docks with after-hours beverages. Today, it is is a modern Italian restaurant with a great vibe and delicious food. We would highly recommend the garlic bread with fresh ricotta appetizer!

Although the food was delicious, we tried to hold back a bit knowing we wanted to end the day at the Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain. Because doesn’t everyone want ice cream sodas and sundaes when it’s snowing? Such a great spot to top off our first day with a sweet treat and a trip back in time.

Day 2

Cobble Hill

Luckily the next day, the sky cleared and it was bright and sunny, perfect winter walking weather for exploring the nearby Cobble Hill and slightly further away Brooklyn Heights. Since it was Sunday, brunch of course was involved, at the lovely Verde on Smith. Then wandering around Cobble Hill occurred, venturing in stores where Books are Magic and all the gifts are beautifully scented (Wanderlustre).

After procuring our theater tickets for later that night at Cobble Hill Cinemas, we went to explore the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, aka the Esplanade. The Manhattan skyline was shimmering in the sun, brilliant against the bright blue sky backdrop with the storied Brooklyn Bridge looming in front. Knowing that my own parents had walked that same promenade many years ago when they were first married made it even more special.

Some time was spent near the river, soaking in the winter sun the way only sun deprived New Englanders can do. Then as the chill started to settle in, it was time for a little indoor adventure. Decision time – an art museum like the Brooklyn Museum or MOMA (in Manhattan) or head to Queens for the Museum of the Moving Image (home of the Jim Henson exhibit)? Since we were in a more whimsical mood, we hopped on the F subway and went all the way to Queens. After all, what really can beat the Muppets? We spent a couple hours exploring fun fan mail, original sketches, actual moppets, Dark Crystal artifacts and learning the interesting history behind Jim Henson Studios. Other interesting exhibits in the museum included Set Design and Makeup.

Back to Cobble Hill to eat a quick dinner before heading to the Cinemas. We found a great Tex-Mex place, Lobo, right across from the theater and settled into delicious nachos, quesadillas and enchiladas. Off to the theater to see an Oscar Best Picture nominee, Parasite, before heading back to our lovely apartment, catching another glimpse of the Manhattan skyline before going to sleep.

Bagel Pub in Crown Heights was the only destination on our last morning as we had to get on the road. But it was a must to have delicious authentic NY Bagels before heading back to New England. Perfect Brooklyn send-off.

Maybe Next Time…

There is so much more to see in Brooklyn – we will be back!

• Brooklyn Botanical Gardens: Definitely on the agenda for a nice spring, summer or fall day!
• Prospect Park: Brooklyn’s flagship park which would also be lovely with flowers and trees in bloom.
• Brooklyn Museum: New York City’s third largest museum that holds an art collection with roughly 1.5 million works.

Wish I Had Known…

• How photogenic Brooklyn was: I had only my phone as a camera this trip. Next time, I will definitely bring my camera.

Armchair Exploration

I was incredibly lucky and had lots of family stories about Brooklyn as well as photos to help enrich the experience of visiting there. Knowing that not only my parents but also generations before them had spent many years there, and that my daughter currently lives there, made exploring so much richer.

To make the most of your trip by exploring ahead of time, I would recommend the resources below for help understanding the history and neighborhoods in Brooklyn. I highly recommend reading the fascination history of the Brooklyn Bridge so included both a full length novel and a couple of articles. Also, looking at old pics of Brooklyn is fun as many of the buildings have survived and or been restored. Have any recommended resources? Please comment and share them!

Books mentioned are linked to IndieBound through affiliate links. Purchases made through these links help independent bookstores and provide us with a little commission to help run our site.

• Another Brooklyn, Jacqueline Woodson, A beautiful, heart-wrenching novel of a young girl’s coming-of-age in Brooklyn. Written in poetic prose by a National Book award winning author.
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith, Beloved American classic about a young girl’s coming-of-age at the turn of the twentieth century.
• The Great Bridge, David McCullough. Dramatic and enthralling story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time, a tale of greed, corruption, and obstruction but also of optimism, heroism, and determination
• Building the Brooklyn Bridge, Robert MacNamara.
  Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, History.com
  Don’t have time for a full length novel? Here are a couple articles with the highlights of the Brooklyn Bridge story.
• Vintage Images of Brooklyn: This website has a number of vintage images of Brooklyn. You can find thousands more at the Brooklyn Visual Heritage project website it references.

Like What You See?

Like, Share, Comment below – we’d love to get a great discussion going! Interested in learning more about our community – check out our About page and our Beyond the Beach post. Like to do know how we find some of our amazing places? Look no further than The Quest for Amazing Destinations. Want to share a blog post of your own? Give us some feedback on what you’d like to see on the site? Contact Us. Join our email list below to get updates when there are new posts!