10 Best Things To Do In Brooklyn, New York

things to do in brooklyn new york
Louise
Louise 
Published
| 3 min read

Brooklyn is the most populous borough of New York City sitting on the western end of Long Island, it has over 2.6 million residence. Its neighboring boroughs include Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan. Brooklyn’s history spans more than 350 years, which makes it a culturally rich destination. The iconic places like Brooklyn Bridge, Prospect Park, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and Brooklyn Aquarium are not to be missed! Read on to learn about the best things to do in Brooklyn:

1. Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Bridge Postdlf
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Postdlf used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Brooklyn Bridge Park is an 85‐acre (0.34 square kilometer) waterfront park featuring rolling hills, riverfront promenades and lush gardens. The park is designed for recreational needs with environmental and cultural considerations. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge and the East River; the park stretches 1.3 miles (2.09 kilometers) along the shoreline. The best way to reach the park is by public transportation, by bike or by foot!

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Address: 334 Furman Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Website: Brooklyn Bridge Park

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2. Prospect Park

ProspectParkReflections7957
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user GK tramrunner229 used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Visitors can easily spend a day in Prospect Park! You can explore Ravine forest, Prospect Park Zoo and the Grand Army Plaza all in one day. Take your time to check out what is in the zoo; you can expect red pandas, dingo, sea lion pinnipeds, Pallas’s Cate Hamadryas baboons and more. There are many concerts and activities during the summer seasons at the Central Park’s Summer Stage. Stay tuned!

Prospect Park

Address: Parkside Ave. bet. Flatbush Ave., Ocean Ave. and Prospect Park SW, Brooklyn

Website: Prospect Park

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3. Music Hall of Williamsburg

The Weeknd at Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 25, 2012
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Reuben Strayer used under CC BY-SA 2.0

The Music Hall of Williamsburg is a music venue that can host 550. Shows are ongoing on almost every night and it offers rock concerts and many notable music and comedy performances. This multiple award-winning music hall was once filmed for the opening scene of the 20003 Richard Linklater film.

Music Hall of Williamsburg

Address: 66 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA

Website: Music Hall of Williamsburg

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4. Baby's All Right

Care to have dinner with live music? Baby’s All Right is a venue for you and opens daily from 6pm to 11 pm. This venue is a funky spot for cocktails, deep-fried grilled cheese, Italo-disco fries, bolognese, crispy brussel sprouts, live music and more. Live shows include experimental, guitar-guided and sample-spliced sounds.

Baby's All Right

Website: Baby’s All Right

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5. Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Museum showcases a huge collection, exhibitions and educational programs that seek to connect visitors with Brooklyn’s past. Visit the museum and see how Brooklyners interpret and narrate their past and expand their story into the future. There is no better place to understand Brooklyn than to visit its museum.

Brooklyn Museum

Address: 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052

Website: Brooklyn Museum

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6. Brooklyn Flea

Visiting a flea market is definitely a great urban experience in New York City that you should not miss. Fleas feature top vendors of furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques. Jewelry, art, and crafts by local artisans and designers’ work are on display for sale accompanied by great local food. There are two locations for Brooklyn Flea: the Soho location houses 60 vendors every Saturday and Sunday with design, vintage, gifts and more; the DUMBO location features 80 vendors that operates April through October.

Brooklyn Flea

Address: Manhattan Bridge Archway – 80 Pearl St.

Website: Brooklyn Flea

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7. Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Brooklyn Botanic Garden houses over 28 gardens and conservatories, featuring thousands of species and plant collections. Your time at the garden can be well-planned by using the itinerary guide. Other than plants, remember to visit and admire the architecture of the Palm House, a glass-walled pavilion originally designed by McKim, Mead & White in 1917. You can also visit the full-service restaurant or casual eatery in the garden.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Address: 150 Eastern Parkway; 455 Flatbush Avenue; 990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225

Website: Brooklyn Botanic Garden

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8. Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Brooklyn heights promenade
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Kmf164 used under CC BY-SA 2.5

Brooklyn Heights Promenade is considered the most romantic spot in New York City. This promenade commands a vista of the Manhattan Skyline, Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. Look out towards the East River; you will find townhouses, mansions of Brooklyn’s first Historic Preservation District and the adjacent brownstone homes. Tourists, joggers, strollers, families and lovers frequent this place for their time out.

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

Address: BQE between Joralemon St. and Grace Ct., Brooklyn

Website: Brooklyn Heights Promenade

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9. Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

Brooklyn NY assorted photos 10 Brooklyn Academy of Music
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Tomwsulcer used under CC0

You’ve got to get a ticket from Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) when you visit Brooklyn. It is a multi-art centre showcasing the works of emerging artists and innovative modern masters. Since its establishment 150 years ago, BAM has been engaging both global and local communities with their world-renowned programs of all kinds in the theater.

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

Address: 651 Fulton S, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Website: Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

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10. New York Aquarium

Being the oldest continually operating aquarium in the US, New York Aquarium has over 266 species of aquatic wildlife. There are ongoing exhibitions, public events and research done on the environmental issues of the ocean and its inhabitants. This 14 acre (56 thousand square meter) aquarium was designed to restore the population of marine species and protect New York waters and bring public awareness to the risks aquatic wildlife is facing.

New York Aquarium

Address: Surf Avenue & West 8th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11224

Website: New York Aquarium

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Beautiful Brooklyn to behold

To discover Brooklyn’s beauty takes time; you’ve got to walk along its shore, get into its museum, get intimate with its plants, flora and aqua wildlife and rub shoulders with the locals at the flea. The simplest way to admire its beauty is to follow our carefully curated guide!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Louise is a creative writer and a children’s book author. She loves travelling with purpose, be it for work, missions, teaching, for a humanitarian cause, or for pure fun. She has been traveling to...Read more

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