NYC||Brooklyn

You may remember my first post all about my trip to New York City last year, where I explained that I would be writing the trip up in a few different sections because we covered so much of the city it would have been impossible to write about it all in one post right? Well here is the second instalment for you, this time I am sharing all that went down in the Brooklyn area of the city. Hope you enjoy reading all about this wonderful neighbourhood. 

Sights 

So we picked an afternoon in the middle of our 4 day trip to try and pack in as much of Brooklyn as we possibly could (later realising this is very hard to do!). To be honest most of our day was spent just aimlessly roaming around looking at all the pretty houses, apartments and parks, and of course more eating and drinking! We wanted to visit a few different neighbourhoods in Brooklyn at first. I had my sights set on Brooklyn Heights & Williamsburg because I have heard such good things about both neighbourhoods, on the way there we got speaking to a local on the subway (I know!! who knew strangers on subway's actually spoke to each other? only in America I guess!) they suggested picking Brooklyn Heights for a daytime trip and visiting Williamsburg during the evening as it was a bit more alive at this time. Well we didn't have the evening there sadly, so stuck with the locals advice and picked Brooklyn Heights as our destination this time. Williamsburg we will be back for you next trip I promise! 

We were quite surprised to hear that around 2.6 million people live in Brooklyn, especially when it is so much more relaxed than its neighbouring area Manhattan, but virtually just down the road. It was so nice to feel a bit more like a local there though, and not be surrounded by so much hustle and bustle. I could definitely get used to the more laid back life style of Brooklyn. So here is what we got up to in Brooklyn & Brooklyn Heights. 

Brooklyn Bridge 

What's the point in visiting Brooklyn if you cant visit the bridge from the other side of Manhattan? I was so eager to see what the other side of the bridge had to offer because you never hear about it as much, we definitely were not disappointed though! The view was fantastic that side as well, and still pretty popular with the tourists at this point. I don't actually think I can pick a favourite side now, below is the bridge in all its glory & best of all its completely free!! 

Brooklyn Bridge Park 

We briefly visited the Brooklyn Bride Park (it was cold on the visit so we didn't stay too long), we had a little wander round the gardens, took a few photos of the different piers and the waterfront, and generally tried to take in as much of the area as we could. I think this is definitely a great spot to visit during the summer, would also be an amazing place to come if you have a dog, there is so much grass area and space for them to roam. 

Neighbourhood-Brooklyn Heights

So this is where we spent most of our day in the Brooklyn Heights neighbourhood. I just love the pretty red brickwork! It really makes the place stand out and gives the city a fantastic contrast from all the sky scrappers in Manhattan. Like with any city there are places in the neighbourhood to watch out for! Crime rates especially, are high in some parts of Brooklyn including Vinegar Hill (voted the worst place to live in 2015), Downtown Brooklyn (again on the worst place to live 2015 list), Greenwood Heights, East New York area, and Brownsville are all places to avoid if you are a tourist! Stick the tourist routes and you will be fine usually. As we were in Brooklyn Heights. 

 

 Getting Around Brooklyn 

Subway: There's loads of ways to get around Brooklyn, and to actually get to Brooklyn from other parts of New York. We only used the Subway on our visit because the fair was cheap, we knew it so well, and its easy to navigate around if you are a tourist.  Trains are also a good option if you are coming from further a field, as again they are cheap and easy to use. Brooklyn actually has 16 subway lines which travel from Manhattan, there is also an additional line (G) which connects the Park Slope area of Brooklyn to Williamsburg & Queens. 

Bus: As we didn't get any busses or trams during our visit I cannot give a personal view on the subject, but I do no that that B62 bus runs between Brooklyn's downtown (Smith and Fulton) and Williamsburg (Drigg St),  you can also take the B61 (Atlantic Ave) or the B57 (Court St) to reach Red Hook.

Ferry: You may also wish to get a ferry to connect you from Manhattan to Brooklyn and vice versa, The East River Ferry runs both north and south, and is available every day of the week. Click here for more info.... 

Timetable

 North starting at Wall St (Pier 11) in Manhattan to Brooklyn Bridge Park/ Dumbo (Pier 1). 

South Williamsburg (S 8th St) to North Williamsburg (N 6th St).

Greenpoint (India St) and Long Island City in Queens, then across to Manhattan (E 34th St). 

Taxi's: These are not my preferred mode of transport in New York City, mainly because they are expensive & there is so much traffic it takes you double time to get anywhere, BUT i know sometimes trains cannot be an option, so if you need a Taxi, Green Boro Taxi's are the one. They operate around Brooklyn and all outer boroughs, and you can hail them down on the street- remember to always ask your price up front! Uber is also another great cheaper alternative, and you can track your driver at any time! 

So as you can see, you can pretty much get around New York City via any mode of transport, just make sure you plan your routes in advance! For those health conscious amongst you, walking is also another great option (if you are not like me, and can read map's that is) this is of course also free, and you end up seeing so much more you wouldn't have, had you of got public transport!! So why not consider this too?