Brooklyn

Brooklyn boasts a cutting-edge art scene, with plenty of modern galleries and independent shops. Pizza and pretzel vendors will keep you fed while you enjoy the hustle and bustle of this neighbourhood, as well as its panorama of the famous buildings of New York.Brooklyn was incorporated into the wider City of New York as late as 1898, and throughout the 20th century the area struggled with high levels of poverty and social problems. Nowadays, it's full of young people, from students and young workers to families, and it has an effervescent culture to match. Make sure to listen closely to the locals: that “typical” New York accent you’ve heard on television is the local accent in Brooklyn.Enjoy a bracing walk across the 1.8-kilometre Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Relax and take in the views in the adjoining Brooklyn Bridge Park, or cool down with an ice-cream from the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. The adjoining Dumbo area is home to some of the finest residences in the city, renovated warehouses beautifully situated near the waterfront. Just a short subway trip away is Greenpoint, where you can visit “Five Leaves Café Bar and Oysters”, a restaurant designed by the late Hollywood star, Heath Ledger.Escape the noise of the city and take your pick of one of Brooklyn’s excellent parks. Prospect Park is the area’s equivalent to Central Park – in fact, it was designed by the same team. Sunny summer days are perfect for a visit to the public pool in McCarron Park, and you can come back in the cool of the evening to enjoy a film projected onto a huge outdoor screen here. Sunset Park is situated in Chinatown and is a good spot for a rest after exploring that area. Lots of the neighbourhoods in this part of the city are heavily populated by particular ethnic groups, making for a vibrant and diverse mix.The relaxed and hip atmosphere throughout Brooklyn is well represented in its many bars and cafés. There are also a number of cool rooftop spots from where you can enjoy the view across the iconic cityscape with a drink in the evening.Located south of Manhattan, Brooklyn is on the western end of Long Island, and is well-serviced by a wide range of buses and subway stations.