The City's most populous borough honors its industrial past with pride while welcoming the new and avant-garde with open arms. At Domino Park in Williamsburg, an old sugar refinery now holds beach volleyball nets and bocce courts; at the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights, bold contemporary art sits among antiquities; and Coney Island's wooden Cyclone rivals sleek new rides for thrills.Brooklyn Bridge Area There's a reason the is arguably the most famous suspension bridge in the world—and an NYC icon. The Gothic Revival marvel, opened in 1883, offers visitors the chance to stroll across the East River on its elevated walkway. Once back on land, you'll find unlimited recreation options at , with 85 acres of grassy expanses, superb vistas and rocky coastline. Here among the piers you can roller-skate, kayak, scope public art installations, play soccer and run along the waterfront.Need something for the 'gram? Visit the intersection of Washington and Water streets in —a neighborhood whose name is an acronym for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass"—to get the quintessential shot of The neighborhood also offers panoramic waterfront views, carousel rides and oyster bars on cobblestone streets.Brooklyn Heights and Brooklyn Heights PromenadeNear the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge is historic . The residential neighborhood features a mix of lovingly restored brownstones and quaint eateries and shops. Swing over to tree-lined Montague Street, where you can pop into City Chemist for some luxe skin-care staples and stop by the neighborhood fixture Lassen & Hennigs to see (and perhaps sample) the gourmet cakes and pies lining the window display case.Take in expansive views of Manhattan from the , a pedestrian walkway dotted with benches and plenty of spaces to sit for a spell. Visit at night, when the City's skyline sparkles to life for a visual feast.Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic GardenYou'll find one of the country's oldest and largest cultural institutions in a stately circa-1897 building nestled alongside the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Inside the are five floors of art ranging from Egyptian antiquities and Japanese woodprints to European masterpieces and contemporary works by artists like Cindy Sherman and Kara Walker. Next door is the , home to 12,000 species of plants spread across 52 acres. In June 10,000 roses bloom into life in the Cranford Rose Garden. More summer and fall highlights include the wildflowers in the Native Flora Garden and the changing colors of the oaks near the Cherry Esplanade.Prospect Park The 526-acre has been delighting visitors and residents since 1867. Immerse yourself in Brooklyn's only forest in the Ravine and scout out the area's scenic water features by hiking along the Waterfall Trail. The park is also home to , the borough's only lake, an ice- and roller-skating rink, the seasonal Smorgasburg food market, pop-up nature events (courtesy of the Audubon Center) and bike lanes. The summer months are especially festive, when the draws acts from across the City—and the globe—to the park.Domino Park Once a thriving hub of industry, is now known for its indie vibe, hip nightlife and trendsetting galleries and restaurants. Former industrial sites still abound, and some of them—like the old Domino Sugar Refinery—are being redeveloped into new, imaginative spaces. Five-acre is a testament to this rebirth, with an elevated walkway offering stellar views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline, water features for children (and children at heart), a playground, beach volleyball court, bocce court and a dog run. Hungry? Stop by Tacocina for savory tacos on house-made tortillas, perhaps washed down with a refreshing horchata.Flatbush One of the most diverse neighborhoods in the City, is a mélange of Caribbean, Latino, African American, Jamaican and Pakistani cultures. It also churns out notable Americans at a good clip: the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand and US Senator Bernie Sanders are all natives. Explore the neighborhood with a Little Caribbean , where you'll discover the City's West Indian culture and can sample authentic jerk chicken, Jamaican patties and rum.Green-Wood Cemetery and Sunset Park Founded in 1838, functioned much as a park during its early years, with visitors picnicking and taking carriage rides through the grassy expanses. Its popularity, in fact, helped lead to the creation of Central Park and other public green spaces in the US. Today, there are 570,000 interred in its 478 acres, including Leonard Bernstein, Pete Hamill and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Green-Wood is also an arboretum with 690 different species of trees that make for spectacular bird-watching. Just down the street is , where an elevated perch allows for great views of the City's skyline and the Statue of Liberty. For sustenance, walk a few steps over to Brooklyn's Chinatown on Seventh and Eighth avenues and enjoy bubble tea, barbecue ribs and other culinary delights.Coney Island The neighborhood crackles to life in the summer, when visitors vie to win prizes on the Boardwalk, circle around on the and take in a sideshow performance or two. Of course, you can't skip a ride on the classic roller coaster at Luna Park. Thrill seekers should take a spin on Luna Park's Thunderbolt (can you say 90-degree drop?) and the brand-new Phoenix roller coaster (scheduled to open this summer) at Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park. Forget about healthy—quick, tasty and calorie-laden vittles are the order of the day here, whether you're grabbing a hot dog at Nathan's Famous, sharing a pizza pie at Totonno's (some say it's the City's best; check before going to see if it has reopened) or trying some fudge and a candy apple from Williams Candy. A visit to the 's Ocean Wonders: Sharks! exhibit is sure to please the young ones among you, as will seeing the resident sea lions, penguins, sea otters and other aquatic animals.with AAA discount.Shirley Chisholm State Parkhonoring Brooklyn native Shirley Chisholm—the first Black congresswoman and the first Black person to seek the nomination for president from one of the two major political parties—is a haven of verdant grasses and recreational trails located on 407 acres of reclaimed land that jut into Jamaica Bay. The park sits on the old Pennsylvania Avenue and Fountain Avenue landfills, which the City used from 1956 to 1985.Native trees, shrubs and grasses lure songbirds and other wildlife to the property, which you can traverse through 10 miles of paved and gravel trails. Two self-guided hikes offer options for vigorous or more meditative strolls along the waterfront, and you can also check out a bike—for free—through Bike New York's Bike Library, near the park entrances. The exchange runs from spring through early fall.Brooklyn Navy Yard Founded in 1801, the churned out the World War II–era warships USS Maine, USS Arizona and USS Missouri and employed 70,000 before being decommissioned in 1966. Now it's been redeveloped into an industrial park housing 500 businesses and employing 11,000 people. Buildings 77 and 92 host a bevy of shops and eateries and are open for free tours. Sample craft whiskey at 's outdoor tasting room or stop by Russ & Daughters for authentic bagels and lox. Tip: if you arrive by , an autonomous vehicle will transport you to the Navy Yard.
