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neighborhood tours |
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Breathtaking Brooklyn
Brooklyn. The name used to conjure images of rough-and-tumble
streets, greasy pizza made by men with hairy arms, and—oh—those
thick accents. But fugghetaboutit! Brooklyn, dare we say it,
has become the new Manhattan, chock-full of its own hot spots
that easily capture the interest of both the natives and the
new locals: former claustrophobic Manhattanites who came in
search of a little more elbow room and lower rents. As the
most populated of New York City’s five boroughs, it’s easy
to understand why Brooklyn has been dubbed by many as the
“nation’s first suburb,” with its countless rows of tree-lined,
cobble-stone streets, historic brownstones and close-knit
neighborhoods full of treasures just waiting to be re-discovered.
And it’s all just a bridge-length away.
BY NICK DIVITO
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When the Brooklyn Bridge opened in 1883 as the world’s
longest suspension bridge, about 150,000 gawkers paid a penny
to try it out. Today, 2,000 pedestrians, bicyclists and skaters
take the 30-minute, 6,016-foot trek across the bridge daily
for the best views money can’t buy. Traversing the wooden
planks and peering through the lattice work of the high-rising
cables, it’s easy to see why the bridge has inspired countless
artists, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Walt Whitman, Hart
Crane and Georgia O’Keefe.
Brooklyn
Bridge, Park Row, near Municipal Bldg.; Brooklyn: Cadman
Plaza
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DUMBO, short for “Down
Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass,” a hot Brooklyn ‘hood,
full of abandoned warehouses, well-worn cobblestone streets
and emerging artists who hope you never catch on. But tucked
amid the rubble is Jacques Torres Chocolate, chock-full
of hand-made confections like “Love Potion No. 9” and the “Menage-a-Trois.”
But don’t just stand there and scarf your high-end chocolate
while staring at the backside of an abandoned warehouse: take
your treat next door and check out the quirky performance-art
offerings at St. Ann’s Warehouse, a Brooklyn institution
that only recently relocated to the old spice milling factory
in the neighborhood. Or, if the space is closed for the day,
go to the nearby Fulton Ferry State Park, grab a seat
on the grassy knoll and exploit one of Brooklyn’s best assets:
the Manhattan views. If it’s late enough, stop in to the hipster
hangout, Superfine restaurant and bar for a quick beer
and a game of pool on the orange felt pool table.
Jacques Torres Chocolate,
66 Water St., 718-875-9772, mrchocolate.com
St. Ann’s Warehouse 38 Water St., 718-254-8779, artsatstanns.org
Fulton Ferry State Park, 26 New Dock St.
Superfine, 126
Front St. between Jay and Pearl Sts., 718-243-9005
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Located under the Brooklyn Bridge, Grimaldi’s has
been tossing the city’s best pizza for decades. Visitors flock
here for the trademarked crispy, thin crusts that set the
standard for coal-oven pies. The pizza was said to be Frank
Sinatra’s favorite—he even had the pies delivered to him while
on tour. The only warning: this is upscale pizza. Don’t ask
for a slice.
Grimaldi’s,
19 Old Fulton St., 718-858-4300, grimaldis.com
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Rich with history, the
Fulton Ferry Landing is a must for any Brooklynite—adopted
or native. It was here that Robert Fulton invented the steamship,
Brooklyn Bridge designer John Roebling died in a freak accident,
and George Washington saved the day during the Revolutionary
War. Head to the River Café for dinner with a side of
the Manhattan Skyline. But save room for dessert from the nearby
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.
River
Cafe, 1 Water Street, 718-522-5200, rivercafe.com
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory,
Old Fulton Street at the East River, 718-246-396 |
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While much of Brooklyn offers great views of Manhattan, none
compare to that of bucolic Brooklyn Heights, home to such
luminaries as Thomas Wolfe, W.E.B. DuBois, Arthur Miller,
Norman Mailer, Alfred Kazin and Truman Capote. With its classic
architecture and elegant Brooklyn Heights Promenade
offering uninterrupted views of the harbor and the Statue
of Liberty, locals come here to read, sun-bathe or just relax—even
as the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway rumbles under their feet.
Brooklyn Heights Promenade,
Above the Brooklyn Queens Expressway between Remsen and Orange
Sts., Brooklyn
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It used to be that Atlantic Avenue rarely made the
top of anyone’s list of places to hang out. But the thoroughfare
has experienced a rebirth of late, and locals and visitors
flock to the mile-long stretch devoted to mostly Middle Eastern
restaurants, bazaars, rug stores and food markets. The crown
jewel of them all is easily Sahadi’s, a long-established
institution peddling more reasonably priced exotic olives,
nuts and cheeses than you can hope to carry home after a long
day in Brooklyn. Lucky for you, the nearby Borough Hall subway
station will help you head back to wherever you’re going—exhausted,
full, and totally enamored with breathtaking Brooklyn.
Sahadi’s, 187
Atlantic Ave., 718-624-4550, sahadis.com
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Brooklyn
Alternatives |
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Bargemusic
14-33 Cadman Plaza, 718-624-2083, bargemusic.com
Chamber music, on a barge, on the East River? That’s right.
Bargemusic, rumored to be the world’s largest presenter of chamber
music, entertains 125 music lovers nightly. |
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Teresa’s
Restaurant
80 Montague St., 718-797-3996
Got a hankering for pierogies? Try Teresa’s Restaurant for the
best Polish fare in town. |
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The
Heights Casino
75 Montague St., 718-624-0810, heightscasino.com
Grab a squash tournament at The Heights Casino, a private tennis,
squash and social club founded in 1904. |
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Squibb
Park
Middagh St and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Situated on top of three roadways, including the bustling BQE,
Squibb Park offers simultaneous views of the New York Harbor,
the Manhattan Skyline, Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty,
Governors Island, Buttermilk Channel, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan
Bridges. |
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