Brooklyn City Guide
Almost 2 weeks ago my husband and I decided to take a baecation to New York. He had been once before and I had never been but one of the reasons we were going was for Beautycon. We stayed in Brooklyn, the Bay Ridge area to be exact. New York is a lot bigger than you think. We visited the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn Heights, and Williamsburg neighborhoods. We even took a train ride to Manhattan to visit Times Square. So we were quite the busy bodies on our trip.
Brooklyn was such a nice, peaceful area to stay in and we really enjoyed it. I put together a little guide if you ever decide to visit.
Transportation:
We decided to take the Amtrak train just because no one wants to drive and it was a lot less stressful.
Uber is expensive in the city! More than our city! We only took an uber to get to the train station when we arrived and when we left.
Walking is your best bet. A lot of people walk in New York and you'll be surprised on what you may stumble upon.
The main way we traveled besides walking was by the Subway. It was affordable and it created a fun (and semi-stressful) experience. New York's subway is way more complicated than DC's metro system. But don't feel discouraged, if you can read, and if you have a phone, you can figure it out. It took us about a day and a half to get used to it.
Sites & Parks:
I'll admit it, we may have been a little basic when it came to the sites we visited but they were such beautiful (and affordable) sites!
Prospect Park
We went to Prospect Park because it was a well known park and I love the outdoors. There is plenty of open space and trails, as well as a carousel! Down the street was Prospect zoo. Across the street was...
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
This place is so big and so stunning. It's not $30 worth of stunning, so I recommend going on a Tuesday when it is free, but I loved it!
Times Square
I do recommend taking a trip to Manhattan to visit Times Square. It was cool to walk the stores and see the different buildings and of course to people watch. It was about a hour and a half (if that) train ride from where we were staying.
Bryant Park
This vibrant park is also located in Manhattan and it was beautiful! We stopped here to rest and really just chill out and enjoy some coffee. People have classes of all kinds there, game tables, another carousel was there, some stands, and a lot of people. But not so many people to where you felt overwhelmed.
Back to Brooklyn we went....
Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Heights is such a nice area. I absolutely loved it here. We were able to enjoy the waterfront, walk the bridge and just really take in all of the scenery.
Williamsburg Neighborhood
This was my kind of place. There was graffitti, local shops and restaurants everywhere. They say this is where all the hipsters hang and I would have to agree. Absolutely stunning!
Hillsong Church
I encourage you to go to Manhattan and to visit this church. It was one of the greatest experiences and messages I have ever received. Enough said.
Food & Coffee:
We had some really good food and coffee during our stay and some not so good food and coffee, so you've been warned!
Tugboat
We stumbled upon this coffee shop when we were near Prospect Park. The coffee was really good and the art on the wall is so different and abstract. It is very small, and it was very hot when we went as well.
Decora Pizza
This is a pizza shop down the street from our hotel in Bay Ridge. Their fresh garlic and basil pizza was so good! I mean really good.
Cocoa Grinder
This coffee shop we went to daily. Their coffee is so good, it was so close to our hotel and the people were so friendly. I've tried their vanilla iced latte, the matcha green tea latte, and one of their fresh green juices and I was not disappointed whatsoever. I really liked my green juice because it wasn't too sweet.
City Kitchen
This little hole in the wall had to be our favorite place to visit in Times Square. There are different restaurants and coffee inside. There was so much to try, we ended up trying two different places for lunch.
Blue Bottle Coffee
Johnathan had been dying to visit this coffee shop. There are only a few locations around the world and we just so happened to stumble by it when we were at Bryant Park. I really enjoyed their cold brew and the signature blue straws.
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
The ice cream from this place and the waffle cones are so freakin good! They only take cash but you have a great view of the water and the Brooklyn Bridge. If you look close enough, you can see the Statue of Liberty facing opposite of the bridge.
The Burger Bistro
The burger, the fries, the desserts, oh my! We ate way too much and spent way too much but hey we were on our baecation! This restaurant was located near our hotel and the burger was so good. I never finish all of my food, but I did this time. Oh! I also had dessert which was a cookie ice cream sandwich! If you don't mind splurging, check this place out for sure in Bay Ridge!
12 Chairs
According to some friends in New York, New Yorkers like to brunch and so do we. This little spot was located in Williamsburg and it was so cute and airy. The food was bomb! I could not stop eating my husband's sweet potato fries.
Alright! So if you made it this far, congratulations and I hope you enjoyed the tour around Brooklyn. When we decide to go back, we will for sure stay back in Brooklyn. The food was so delicious, the sites were stunning, and the experiences were priceless. We enjoyed every moment, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading about it. If anyone has gone to any of these places let me know! If you plan to visit these places, please let me know!
Enjoy!
Jalesa