Brooklyn

 

Brooklyn may be the most populous of the five boroughs in New York City, but it doesn’t feel like it. It is spread out with green spaces and parks and doesn’t feel as dense and urban as other NYC boroughs. It is a family-friendly community with a zoo and children’s museum. Brooklyn is friendly to entrepreneurs, and there are many start-ups in the area, which attracts tech-savvy individuals.

 

Real estate in Brooklyn is diverse and varies in each of the neighborhoods. The DUMBO area has waterfront views, while Park Slope is close to highly-rated schools. Bay Ridge is a quiet area, and Williamsburg is bustling with entertainment and restaurants. Most residencies have fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline and the East River.

 

• Classic brownstones
• Family-friendly amenities  
• Good for young professionals

 

In recent years, Brooklyn has become a hip and trendy borough. It is filled with families drawn to the wonderful amenities and young professionals attracted to the plentiful career opportunities. Brooklyn has a strong sense of community. The neighborhoods here all have a unique vibe and personality, with restaurants catering to the residents.

 

It’s easy to find stores in Brooklyn that offer anything you need. If you’re looking for new shoes or perhaps a bag, Brothers Vellies has exquisite hand-crafted leather goods imported from Africa. Another shop with some international flare is Mud Australia, which has bold and colorful porcelain home goods. For vintage items, antiques, crafts, and unique stuff you won’t find anywhere else, a visit to the weekly Brooklyn Flea is essential. There you will also find great little food stands.

 

Speaking of food, Brooklyn has some of the best in the city. For small, farm-fresh plates and a nice selection of wine and cocktails, Marlow & Sons is the spot to be. While pizza is ubiquitous in the borough, one of the best places to get it is Lucali. If you’re looking for a more extensive Italian menu, head to Lilia for hand-crafted pasta and wood-fired seafood. For perhaps the best steak you’ll ever eat, make sure Peter Luger is on your must-try list.

 

The Brooklyn Academy of Music puts on plays, operas, concerts, and dance recitals. For a breath of fresh air and an afternoon spent surrounded by plants and nature, head to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. If you’re looking to relax in the largest park in Brooklyn, Prospect Park is delightful, filled with trails, green spaces, and benches to relax. Don’t forget to check out the Central Library branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.

 

You may be surprised at the amount of green space in Brooklyn, as there are several great parks. The most well-known is Prospect Park, which consists of a sprawling and beautiful 526 acres. Designed and constructed by the same folks who devised Central Park, this park has many sports courts and fields, an ice rink, a zoo, and an Audubon center. Brooklyn Bridge Park is another nice outdoor spot, as it offers striking views of Manhattan’s skyline and New York Harbor. It also has playgrounds, a roller-skating rink, handball, volleyball, and bocce courts. Located on the site of the redeveloped Domino Sugar refinery, Domino Park also provides a fun excursion. There’s an elevated walkway, a couple of water features, a playground, and volleyball and bocce courts.

If you’re looking for indoor activities, you don’t have to venture into Manhattan to visit a world-class museum. The Brooklyn Museum has over 550,000 square feet of exhibit space and contains around 500,000 pieces of art and artifacts. Pioneer Works is a unique gallery to see what contemporary artists are doing right now. If you’d like to explore an artistic passion or try out a new hobby, you’ll also find studio space, a darkroom, and classes.