Brooklyn/Downtown

• Downtown Brooklyn, which is the central shopping and business area, anchored by Fulton St. west of Flatbush Avenue, looks similar to the downtown of almost any other major American city, with department stores, clothing and electronic shops, a Borough Hall, two universities, a major railroad station, the Brooklyn Academy of Music concert hall, the Barclays Center sports arena, many office buildings, and municipal, state and federal buildings and courthouses. Many subway and bus lines go to or through Downtown Brooklyn.
• Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood with elegant buildings and historic churches. It is an expensive neighborhood to live in, partly because of its great views of the Lower Manhattan skyline. The area's brownstone buildings and shopping district give it a quaint yet thriving feel. This is the richest neighborhood in Brooklyn, and more expensive than parts of Manhattan.
• Cobble Hill is a quiet neighborhood of bookstores, shops, and restaurants. Old time Italian neighborhood with great pizza and Italian ices. Great restaurants and quite a number of bars along Court St. and Smith St.
• DUMBO is an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. Once popular with artists for loft space, it has now become popular with a richer, trendier crowd. Walk along the riverfront park for a unique and unforgettable view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and the Manhattan skyline.
• Fort Greene has some great restaurants and the Brooklyn Academy of Music which features an art-house cinema, theater, and concerts.

By subway

Almost every line that runs in Brooklyn runs through here. The major station here is Atlantic Avenue (over by Barclays Center), the biggest station outside Manhattan and a major transfer point. The B (weekdays only), D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (weekdays only) all stop here. There's little to see around it, but if you need to change trains this is the place to do it.
Another major station is Borough Hall, served by the 2, 3, 4, 5 (weekdays only), and R. This station will put you near most of the attractions.
Clark Street, served by the 2 and 3 is the station closest to the Brooklyn Bridge.
The A, C, F, and G also ply parts of this neighborhood, but transferring to or from them can be a pain (although transferring between them can be done more easily). The closest points to transfer between these and the lines stopping at Atlantic Avenue are at Fulton Street in Manhattan (which is a very difficult station to navigate), Jay Street/Metrotech (a new transfer has been built between the R and the A, C, and F), 4th Ave/9th St, and the Franklin Avenue Shuttle in Bed-Stuy.

By bus

Many buses connect Downtown Brooklyn with other neighborhoods of Brooklyn (see a PDF map here , and note the separate inset for Downtown Brooklyn at the upper right corner), but the B51 bus that used to traverse the Manhattan Bridge and connect Downtown Brooklyn with Manhattan was discontinued in the recent round of transit cuts.

By bicycle or on foot

Both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges can be crossed by bicycle and on foot. Wire mesh limits the view from the Manhattan Bridge, and you will be repeatedly rattled by crossing subways, so the Brooklyn Bridge is much more recommended for pedestrians.

• Brooklyn BridgeWork started in 1870 on the first bridge crossing of the East River between Manhattan and Brooklyn, finally completing in 1883 - a 1,595 ft suspension bridge and, as a plaque on it says, a "structure of beauty."

• Brooklyn Historical Society

  phone: +1 718 222-4111
  address: 128 Pierrepont St
  A museum and library dedicated to the history of Brooklyn.

• Micro Museum

  phone: +1 718 797-3116
  address: 123 Smith St
  A fascinating and always entertaining museum that extends far back into its tiny Brooklyn storefront. Over the years, Micro Museum has become a favorite with artists, adventurous locals and kids alike with its hilariously fun, and often interactive art.

• Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts

  phone: +1 718 230-0492
  address: 80 Hanson Pl

• New York Transit Museum

  phone: +1 718 694-1600
  address: corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street
  A self supporting arm of the MTA, it is housed in the Subway's former Court Street Station, on a spur line from the current A and C lines. Closed to passengers in 1946, it was reopened in 1976 as the New York Transit Exhibit and was popular enough to be made permanent. The museum is made up of two underground levels: the Mezzanine, which hosts exhibits on the construction of the subway, surface transportation in New York, fare collection and rotating exhibits on various transit-related subjects; and the station platform, which houses about 20 retired subway cars dating as far back as 1903 and a working signal tower. The museum sponsors events throughout the year, including simple art projects, walking tours on the subway, and rides on the museums' fleet of retired trains. There is also an annex of the museum in Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan.

• BAM Rose Cinemas

  address: 30 Lafayette Ave
  A good cinema in an old opera hall. Films shown are in between arthouse and mainstream.

• Bargemusic

  address: at the Fulton Ferry Landing
  A truly hidden gem. This barge, moored permanently just under the Brooklyn Bridge, has chamber music fare every week with cheese, wine, plush seating, a fireplace, and gentle rocking to assist in your peaceful slumber. It also has a dynamite view of the lower Manhattan skyline.

• Brooklyn Academy of Music

  address: 30 Lafayette Ave
  Home to the impressive Brooklyn Philharmonic, BAM is one of the best places in the country to attend cutting-edge new musical and dance performances. The Next Wave Festival every autumn is a much-anticipated event of the New York performance scene.

• Brooklyn Nets

  address: Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Ave
  An NBA team that plays in the Barclays Center, an arena at 620 Atlantic Ave. Formerly the New Jersey Nets before 2012, the team was purchased and brought to Brooklyn by Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov, and it's the first major league team to call Brooklyn its home since 1958, after the Dodgers left to Los Angeles.

• New York Islanders

  address: Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Ave
  An NHL team that began sharing Barclays Center with the Nets in the 2015–16 season, but now play only about half of their home games in Brooklyn. The "Isles" have moved the remainder of their home schedule to their former home of Nassau Coliseum (now extensively renovated) in the Nassau County suburb of Uniondale. In 2021, the Isles plan to move full-time into a new arena next to the Belmont Park horse racing track in another Nassau County community, Elmont.

• Kane Street Synagogue

  phone: +1 718 875-1550
  address: 236 Kane St
  Built in 1856, on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and home to weekly religious services and cultural happenings.

• St. Ann's Warehouse

  phone: +1 718 254-8779
  address: 38 Water St
  A nondescript building on the corner of Water and Dock Streets, St. Ann's Warehouse delivers consistently impressive avant garde theater.

• Halcyon

  phone: +1 718 260-9299
  address: 57 Pearl St
  Record store.

• Sahadi's

  phone: +1 718 624-4550
  address: 187 Atlantic Ave
  The most famous purveyor of Middle Eastern foodstuffs in New York City. Across the street, there is another store which is open later. If you like Arab food, don't miss a trip to Atlantic Avenue.

• Blanc & Rouge

  address: 81 Washington St
  A great small wine shop in the DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) neighborhood of Brooklyn. They have a great selection of Burgundies as well as other wines from all over the world and a very friendly and knowledgeable staff. A short walk from the park with stunning view of the Manhattan skyline.

• Bien Cuit

  phone: +1 718 852-0200
  address: 120 Smith Street (b/t Pacific and Dean)
  Bien Cuit offers a variety of house-baked breads and pastries served in a central Smith Street location with wifi and Crop to Cup coffee and espresso drinks.

• Grimaldi's

  phone: +1 718 858-4300
  address: 1 Front St
  Located near Fulton Ferry Landing and DUMBO, only serves its coal-fired pizza by the pie, not the slice, and does not accept credit cards. Some people still consider it worth it, while others think it's a tourist trap. That said, for best results, line up before opening time, when their oven is at its hottest.

• Juliana’s Pizza

  phone: +1 718-596-6700
  address: 19 Old Fulton St.
  From the website: "Juliana’s heralds the return of Patsy & Carol Grimaldi—not only to the NYC restaurant scene, but to the original location under the Brooklyn Bridge where they founded Grimaldi’s Pizzeria. Unbeknownst to many, Pat & Carol ended their association with Grimaldi’s more than a decade ago when they sold the business (along with the name) to a customer." So you could say that this is the real Grimaldi's. New Yorkers skip the lines at Grimaldi's and get their coal-fired pizza here.

• Junior's Restaurant and Bakery

  phone: +1 718 852-5257
  address: 386 Flatbush Avenue Extension
  Sure, you can eat their famous cheesecake in Grand Central, but why not try the original? With an ad announcing loud and clear that this is it, it's one of the first places you'll see coming off the Manhattan bridge. Home to what is known as "the most fabulous cheesecake," and also featuring New York deli items like tongue sandwiches, this restaurant has been a Brooklyn favorite for decades. The gracious waiters, dressed immaculately in suits and ties, are part of the atmosphere.

• Mile End Deli

  phone: +1 718 852-7510
  address: 97A Hoyt St
  A Montreal-inspired deli serving up poutine and smoked meat that has gained a huge following since it opened a few years ago.

• Yemen Cafe

  phone: +1 718 834-9533
  address: 176 Atlantic Ave
  Serves as an informal community center for the local Yemeni community, but don't be put off by the social club atmosphere; the staff are very friendly and welcoming, and the food (especially the lamb) is very tasty and inexpensive (two people can pig out for about $40). Note: This is a halal establishment that serves no alcohol and would not be an appropriate place to bring your own. Have the spiced tea, instead.

• Jacques Torres

  address: 66 Water St
  A small chocolatier located on a sparse street in DUMBO near some of Brooklyn's best views of the Manhattan skyline. Go for the goodies, but stay for the "Wicked Hot Chocolate."

• New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge

  phone: +1 718 246-7000
  address: 333 Adams St
  The hotel’s luxurious accommodations boast a relaxed but modern atmosphere with state-of-the-art amenities.

• NU Hotel

  phone: +1 718 852-8585
  address: 85 Smith St

• 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge

  phone: +1 347 696-2500
  address: 60 Furman Street
  1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge has expansive views of the East River and Manhattan skyline. Designed by local artists using native greenery and reclaimed materials.

• Brooklyn Public Library

  phone: +1 718 623-7000
  address: 280 Cadman Plaza West

• Brooklyn Public Library

  phone: +1 718 398-8713
  address: 380 Washington Ave

• Brooklyn Public Library

  phone: +1 718 638-1531
  address: 25 4th Ave

• Brooklyn Public Library

  phone: +1 718 935-0244
  address: 93 Saint Edwards St