A Day Exploring Brooklyn, NYC

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Brooklyn is one of New York’s five Boroughs; a vibrant and diverse area known for its history, attractions and museums, located on the westernmost part of Long Island. It’s absolutely perfect for a day of exploring, with so much to see and do (and eat and drink)!

So without further ado – let’s go and spend the day in Brooklyn.

Spending longer in New York? Check out my itinerary HERE.


  • Brooklyn is New York’s most populous Borough, home to 2.7 million people. That’s more than the entire populations of countries like Slovenia, Latvia, Botswana and many more.
  • Brooklyn is named after the Dutch town of Breukelen.
  • Unsurprisingly, it was founded by the Dutch in the 1600s, and wasn’t initially incorporated as part of New York, and so had its own unique identity as an independent city until 1898.
  • Its motto is “Eendraght Maeckt Maght” which translates as “unity makes strength”.
  • It is the home to the world’s first roller coaster, and is the birthplace of Tootsie Rolls and credit cards.
  • Brooklyn’s most famous resident is probably its bridge. To prove the strength of the Brooklyn Bridge, 21 elephants were led across it in 1884!
  • Brooklyn is the birthplace of many famous people, including Jay-Z, Spike Lee, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
In Brooklyn


There’s only one way to get to Brooklyn in style, and that’s by walking across the famous bridge – which starts at the southern tip of Manhattan. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River and today it’s one of the city’s most famous tourist attractions.

View from the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan on a cold winter’s day

The bridge does get busy, but we arrived for 9am, and as you can see, we had it largely to ourselves. This is particularly true once past the bridge’s mid-point; lots of people walk just a few metres on, take photos, and leave again back to Manhattan! Be sure to turn around and admire the view back to the skyline – beautiful!

After crossing the bridge, descend the stairs to the left down in to Brooklyn, and follow the streets to the DUMBO neighbourhood. DUMBO stands for “Down under Manhattan Bridge Overpass”, and it’s the place to get the famous view of the Manattan Bridge framing the Empire State Building, which is on Washington Street between Front and Water Streets.

After all that walking to start the day, it’s time to grab breakfast/brunch. A short 2 minute walk away from DUMBO is the incredible Timeout Market. I have been to Timeout Markets around the world and they’re always a winner, with lots of food options available.

Given it’s breakfast in NYC, there was only one option for us – American Pancakes from the famous Clinton Street Baking Company. They have an original bakery up in Manhattan, but table waits are normally about an hour. At Timeout Market, we walked in and had a table within 5 minutes.

Clinton Street Baking Company Pancakes

The great thing about the market is that you can sit at any table and scan to order from any stand in the market, and the food will be brought to your table. There’s everything from drinks, to pizza, to bagels, to Asian fusion food and coffee to pick from.

Also make sure not to miss the market’s rooftop. To access it take the elevators up to level 5; there are a couple more stands and a lovely outdoor seating area with views back to both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges! Perfect!

Views from the rooftop

Just outside of Timeout Market you can walk out to Pebble Beach and continue along the shore under the Brooklyn Bridge through Brooklyn Bridge Park. Meander all the way through the park until you come to Old Pier One, which has a beautiful seating area looking back at the Manhattan skyline; one of my favourite places to sit in all of New York.

My favourite spot in the park; Old Pier One with view back to Manhattan

From Brooklyn Bridge Park, take the Squibb Park Bridge up in to Brooklyn Heights, one of the prettiest areas of the neighbourhood. Stroll along the streets taking in the beautiful historic houses.

The beautiful rows of houses

As you stroll, it’s the perfect area to stop for a coffee or a cocktail depending on your mood – you could try Vineapple for coffee, or The Long Island Bar or Congress Bar for drinks. At this point you may also be in need of lunch; check out Lemongrass (Thai), Al Badawi (Middle Eastern), Din Soup Dumplings (Chinese) or Yemen Cafe (Yemeni) for something a bit different.

After a long morning outside, it’s time to head indoors and check out one of Brooklyn’s best museums – The Transit Museum. The Museum is located in a decommissioned subway, and displays historical artifacts of the New York City Subway, bus, and commuter rail systems. It’s actually super fun and interactive, and well worth a visit. We spent 1.5hrs enjoying the Museum.

Brooklyn is a big area, so it’s time to hop on the metro south to explore the famous Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It’s especially beautiful in spring with the cherry blossom trees in bloom, normally starting in March and running through to April. There is a cherry blossom bloom map on the website updated daily to show what’s flowering. We visited in March and only 6 of about 50 trees were blooming but it was still beautiful!

Cherry Blossom tree in full bloom

If you still have the energy after the Botanic Gardens, the Brooklyn Museum is right next door. It’s an art museum home to both permanent and temporary exhibitions displaying everything from Ancient Egyptian, Assyrian and Islamic art. I’m not really an art lover, so we only really popped in here to get warm after a lot of time outside in deceptively cold weather (given the building is so beautiful), before getting the metro back at the end of a long day.

Outside the Museum

There is so much to do in Brooklyn that the above day only really scratches the surface. If some of the ideas above don’t appeal, or if you have longer in the area, you could also check out:

  • More Parks: Brooklyn has so much green space and you could also choose to enjoy Cadman Plaza Park or Prospect Park on a beautiful day.
  • Brooklyn Children’s Museum: One for those travelling with children, it’s a museum just for them – with loads of amazing things to do for tinies all the way up to teenagers.
  • Brooklyn Flea: If you’re in to thrifting, the Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO is incredible. It’s only open on weekends, but well worth a visit if you can to find some awesome bargains.
  • Coney Island: If you like fun fairs, head to the Coney Island neighbourhood on the peninsula of Brooklyn, known for its amusement park, beaches, and boardwalk, with attractions like the Cyclone roller coaster and Nathan’s hot dogs.
  • Williamsburg: A really lovely residential area of Brooklyn, which is home to some of the area’s best restaurants and shopping. A perfect spot for dinner if you fancy it at the end of your day!


So there you have it – a day in Brooklyn, plus some other ideas if something doesn’t appeal. Have you ever been to Brooklyn and is there anything else you’d add to the list that I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments below.

Stay safe and happy travelling!

40 responses to “A Day Exploring Brooklyn, NYC”

  1. When I visited NYC, I don’t recall going to Brooklyn…nevertheless, it sounds like a wonderfully-diverse borough with a melting pot of cultures. The eponymous bridge and DUMBO are truly iconic, and it must’ve been great revisiting throughout the years. Thanks for sharing, Han!

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    1. It’s such a cool Borough to explore, definitely worth a day of your time if you’re ever back in the city 🙂

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  2. This is a great post, really useful tips as well. I loved exploring a bit of Brooklyn – fab photos too!

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    1. Thanks so much Sarah, so kind of you to take the time to read and comment 🙂

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  3. Looks like you had a fabulous time exploring Brooklyn and the iconic bridge! Thanks for sharing your travel adventures with us, Hannah, and I wish you a wonderful Wednesday! 🙂

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    1. Thanks Phil, it was such a fun day exploring! Hope you’re having a nice restful Sunday 🙂

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  4. Great ideas to explore Brooklyn Hannah. People are crazy that they only walk a few steps on to the bridge to say they’ve done it! Maggie

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    1. I couldn’t believe that so many people just got the first arch, took photos and turned back – it’s all about that Instagram shot nowadays I guess!!

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  5. So glad you made it to the Transit Museum.Hannah. I thought it was wonderful being located in a disused subway station so much so we went back the second time we stayed in NYC!

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    1. It’s such a great museum, and wasn’t too busy on our visit either – we definitely thought it to be a hidden gem!! So thank you for the inspiration to visit as again it was your post that made us aware of it 🙂

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      1. Oh Hannah you’ve made my day! So pleased you enjoyed the Transit Museum. It’s great that we can all help each other.

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  6. I was struck by that first fact about Brooklyn being more populous than all those countries. Holy population density!
    We were going to have our Lisbon blog buddy meet up at the TimeOut market there, but it was so crowded and deafeningly loud, we opted for a different place. Are the ones you’ve been to like that, or are some of them more sedate?
    Have you been to the London Transit Museum? If so, how did it compare?

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    1. Holy population density indeed!! Oh I remember TOM in Lisbon was horrendous, absolutely deafening. I have to say in Brooklyn it was virtually empty (but we did go at 9.30am on a Sunday), and I had a good experience at the ones in Barcelona and Dubai too in the middle of the day.

      In terms of the transit Museum, I think I preferred New York’s offering – the fact it was in a disused subway was a plus, and it was relatively quiet.

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  7. Wonderful post, Hannah, with so many great suggestions for enjoying New York. Great photos too. Even though it was freezing, the clear, blue skies look lovely.

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    1. Thanks so much Tricia; the day was bitterly cold, but the photos look like it could have been summer if I wasn’t wrapped in a coat!!! 🙂

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  8. I’ve never been to NYC and I have to admit it is not so high on my list currently, but this seems like the perfect day to spend in Brooklyn! Everything in the US seems on a whole other scale!

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    1. The US is definitely a place to experience things on super charge – like you, I don’t plan to visit any time soon given the situation there – and next time I do go, I am going to try to venture away from the cities and out in to the National Parks a bit more 🙂

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  9. It’s no wonder Brooklyn is such a favorite part of New York. It really has its own feel and beauty separate from the busier part of the city. The Old Pier picture is really lovely! 🙂

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    1. I agree completely Meg, it’s really got its own culture and is such a nice place to explore. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment 🙂

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  10. I like how you have chunked New York down into manageable bites! Thanks for the chilly stroll under gorgeous blue skies. Mel

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    1. Aw thank you, I think it’s the only way to manage a mega city like New York! Hope you’ve had a nice weekend, Mel 🙂

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      1. Thanks, Han. Freezing my buns off here at home. Take me back to France! 🙂

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  11. This is an amazing guide, and I am impressed that there is even a botanical garden there!

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    1. Thanks so much Allie, really appreciate you taking the time to comment 🙂

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  12. A classic travel destination with some iconic snaps!

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  13. I will surely follow your recommendation to walk past the mid-point of the Brooklyn Bridge. That shot of the bridge’s cables with the skyline of Manhattan in the background is really beautiful! It’s also interesting that Brooklyn uses those Dutch words as its motto — learning about little things like this is something I enjoy so much.

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    1. Thank you so much Bama, and I agree – there’s always something new to learn wherever you go, and I always enjoy learning more about the history of places.

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  14. So many interesting sights besides the famous bridge. Thanks for the guide

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  15. Looks like you had lovely weather to explore Brooklyn. I had no idea there was a botanic garden there. How lucky to have seen some early cherry blossoms. So pretty. Love the views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline as well.

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    1. It was perfect clear skies but bitterly cold! I couldn’t believe the cherry blossoms in the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, they were a treat to see 🙂

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  16. All I knew about Brooklyn was that they have a beautiful bridge. And now I see there’s actually so much more! The Transit Museum looks like a fun place to visit and although there were only 6 Cherry Blossom trees in bloom, it looks beautiful … I can only imagine how spectacular it must be when all 50 are in bloom! Those pancakes – yummy!!

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    1. There’s so much to see and do in Brooklyn, and it’s easy to spend at least a day there!! The Botanic Gardens were a treat; it would have been so lovely to see more cherry blossoms on show but we were grateful for the ones we did get. The pancakes were amazinggg! Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, Corna! 🙂

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  17. Wow, what a fantastic part of the city to explore – Brooklyn’s rich history is evident in its architecture, museums, and landmarks! I just love how, with its diverse neighbourhoods and a wide range of attractions and restaurants, it offers a unique and vibrant experience, distinct from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Thanks for sharing, and have a wonderful day 🙂 Aiva

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    1. It really does have so much to offer, we absolutely loved it. It felt like a world away from Central Manhattan, that’s for sure! Thanks for stopping by Aiva and hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend 🙂 xx

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  18. Brooklyn has come a long way since I was a kid in the NY area. It was so run down, now so trendy. I spent a day there last time I went to New York, and a lot of that time was in the art museum. There was a fabulous exhibit of women’s art, including The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago, so wonderful.

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    1. Oh wow, it’s been well and truly gentrified now!! It has so much to offer; we loved our day exploring 🙂

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  19. Brooklyn’s such a photogenic part of New York – your photos are incredible 🙂 The cherry blossoms in the botanic garden are so pretty. I didn’t know they once took 21 elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge – you learn something new every day!

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    1. Thanks so much, that’s so kind of you to say 🙂 I’m glad you found the post interesting, and thank you for taking the time to read and comment. Have a wonderful Sunday!

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  20. All the years I lived out on the east coast, and I never made it to Brooklyn. Clearly I need to plan to spend some time there… probably even 2-3 days based on all you did plus all the optional add-ons you listed. Thanks for the tour, and I love all the photos of the bridge!

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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