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Brooklyn Bridge
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Tillary St. (at Adams St.)
Stretching across the East River, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge opened up back in 1883 to carry traffic (nonautomotive at the time) between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. One of the most recognizable parts of the New York City skyline, the bridge has been featured in movies and on television shows, and is a real piece of New York City history. A stroll across the elevated pedestrian walkway provides a true New York City experience. The Manhattan-side entrance is at Park Row and Centre Street, across from City Hall Park, east of City Hall; over on the Brooklyn side, enter at Cadman Plaza East or where Boerum Place meets Tillary Street.
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Colonie
2
127 Atlantic Ave.
This local-food-focused spot has elevated the Brooklyn Heights dining scene; it was born of a community pulling together and donating construction money through Kickstarter. High ceilings, exposed brick and leafy ferns growing horizontally from a wall installation give it character. The commodious bar is especially nice for an intimate date or solo dining, serving oysters, cheese, charcuterie, and beer and a few wines on tap. The menu is seasonal, but small plates might include rabbit mousse with pickles, black risotto with crispy enoki mushrooms, and confited and fried pork belly with pine nuts. Large plates run the gamut from pasta to trout to skirt steak, with quality and sustainability of paramount importance.
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70 Willow Street: Truman Capote's Onetime Home
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70 Willow St.
The Broadway set designer Oliver Smith owned the elegant yellow mansion at 70 Willow Street just one block east of Columbia Heights near Orange Street. Among Smith’s friends was Truman Capote, who rented the basement apartment for 10 years, finishing Breakfast at Tiffany’s here as well as In Cold Blood and writing the essay “A House in the Heights,” which includes the quote found on a neighborhood guidepost, “I live in Brooklyn. By choice.”
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La Vara
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268 Clinton St.
Wife-and-husband restaurateurs Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero take us to the south of Spain at La Vara, having explored innovative Spanish and Basque tapas at their Chelsea spots, Txikito and El Quinto Pino. Their Brooklyn concept is academically sound, harking back to a time when Moors, Christians and Sephardic Jews lived more or less at peace together (A.D. 711–1492). One of the best bites is the Sevillan pita filled with bacon paprika stew. The bullet-shaped croqueta of the day is always a treat, or consider the delectable Andaluz fish fry. To drink are a wide range of sherries, wine and gin-based cocktails. Some of the dishes are for the gutsy (stuffed rabbit loin, braised beef tongue, grilled chicken hearts), but there's plenty here for tamer tastes.
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Cobble Hill Park
5
Clinton St.
Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood dates back to the mid-17th century, when Dutch farmers first settled the land. Fast forward a few centuries to the 1960s, when a neighborhood movement saved the trapezoidal area now known as Cobble Hill Park from becoming a six-story apartment building. The park was dedicated in the 1965 and reconstructed in 1989 in a formal, geometric pattern that synched with the area’s 19th-century architecture. Today it’s a crown jewel of the cozy enclave, drawing locals of all ages, including children, who take full advantage of the park’s small playground.
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Diane T.
6
174 Court St.
Color-coded racks brim with European labels and American designers at this upscale boutique adorned with Art Deco chairs and vertigo-inducing high ceilings. Scoop up tops and sweaters from Inhabit and Vanessa Bruno, high-end shoes from Golden Goose and Pedro Garcia, and bags from Marc by Marc Jacobs and Maria Cornejo.
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The Osprey
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1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
The Opsrey offers good, clean and fairly sourced farm-to-table cuisine along with sweeping views of Brooklyn Bridge Park and the East River. The New American kitchen is influenced by the global diversity of New York’s neighborhoods. Inspired by the nature around us, chef Denevin Miranda follows the seasons while responsibly sourcing ingredients from local farms, artisans and craftsman in an attempt to protect natural resources for future generations.
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Salter House
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119 Atlantic Avenue
From husband-wife duo and founders of Picture Room comes this home goods store that doubles as a tea and coffee spot. Specializing in natural and sustainable housewares, Salter House stocks well-curated pieces that are often made by local artists (no Cuisinart here). You’ll find a walnut serving spoon handmade in Brooklyn, German Rosenthal porcelain egg cups and items for children such as jump ropes, wood spinning tops and handmade toy canoes.