New York, but not as you know it – why you should visit futuristic Brooklyn
This thriving borough of New York is a haven for hipsters and techies.
Go now
Brooklyn – across the river from Manhattan – has seen some staggering changes in the past 20 years, and the transformation continues apace. It’s famous for its bridge and suburban brownstone houses, but now new high-rises are sprouting all around the borough. And it’s going green too – the Naval Cemetery (brooklyngreenway.org/naval-cemetery-landscape) has been turned into a wild-looking oasis as part of the 14-mile Brooklyn Greenway project to add parks and cycle routes to this once intensely industrial area of New York.
Along the waterfront, Brooklyn Navy Yard (brooklynnavyyard.org) is one of the biggest redevelopment projects in the United States. Former shipyards have become home to tech start-ups – it’s like a mini Silicon Valley inside the new Building 77, where casually dressed 30-somethings head to Russ & Daughters for what Oprah Winfrey said were her favourite bagels. A new ferry service from Manhattan takes you there, and at the dock you are met by New York’s first self-driving bus. It’s a fun five minutes across the sprawling yards and you can ask the on-board experts from Optimus (optimusride.com) any questions you like. Their job is also to monitor the bus, and to steer it if it goes haywire. It’s New York, but not as you know it – go now for a taste of a futuristic city in the run-up to a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Virgin Atlantic has also launched a new daily service between London Heathrow and New York JFK – the closest airport to Brooklyn – using its new A350 aircraft (virginatlantic.com).
Stay here
Located at Pier 1 on the East River and within sight of Brooklyn Bridge, 1 Hotel (1) has exquisite interiors in muted tones and great dining; doubles from $490/£390 (telegraph.co.uk/tt-one-hotel). Rather cheaper, The Wythe (2) squats in a former factory that is more than 100 years old, with brick walls that have seen a few things in their time. Live music, cinema screenings and a buzzing bar and restaurant add to the mix; doubles from $246 (telegraph.co.uk/tt-the-wythe).
Walk here
Start on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Essex Street Station and cross over Williamsburg Bridge (3). From high above the East River you can see Brooklyn spread out in front of you. Walk under the “L” (elevated subway) tracks along to Marcy Avenue (4). Turn north and stroll through Brooklyn’s Jewish heartland, past synagogues and book stalls set up on overpasses. McCarren Park (5) is a green lung and next to it is the sublime McCarren Pool – a vast lido. Built during the New Deal in 1936, this outdoor public pool has room for 7,000 bathers. Finish at Bedford Avenue Subway Station (6), surrounded by music venues, bars and shops.
See this
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Prospect Park (7) is a part of Brooklyn where trees sway and dogs are walked. Highlights are an ice-skating rink, a 1912 carousel ride, a lake, a zoo, a bandstand with live performances, and many different sports pitches (prospectpark.org).
Try this
Hang with the hipsters at the surreal Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club in Gowanus (8). For shuffle virgins, the game entails shoving a heavy disc along a stretch of floor. It’s simple stuff, evocative of a retro cruise; and fun is only increased by kitsch cocktails such as mai tais (royalpalmsbrooklyn.com).
Shop here
Williamsburg is good for independent stores: esoteric boutique Mociun (9) sells baskets, ceramics and jewellery (mociun.com). Three blocks north you can find Spoonbill & Sugartown, a pleasingly eccentric book store (spoonbillbooks.com) which also sells signed first editions and puts on literary readings and events.
Drink here
Brooklyn Bavarian Biergarten (10) isn’t your run-of-the mill cheesy Oktoberfest appropriation, rather a slick, dark, stripped bar and garden in South Slope that just happens to offer a huge range of pilsners, craft brews and, of course, Munich mainstays such as Hofbräu (brooklyn bavarianbiergarten.com), along with giant pretzels and sausages. Clover Club (11) in Cobble Hill is a retro restaurant and cocktail bar open until 4am and serves up the likes of baked brie for two, plus hot cocktails and shared punchbowls (cloverclubny.com).
Eat here
Klein’s (12), at the new outpost of London’s Hoxton Hotel in Brooklyn, serves American treats such as tater tots and lobster, and literary-themed cocktails such as Fahrenheit 451 and the Catcher in the Rye; there are also two outdoor terraces if the winter weather is sunny (main courses from $25; thehoxton.com).
Off the map
Coney Island resort is right at the end of the subway. The tracks were extended out to the beach to ferry in the fun-seeking working classes of Brooklyn in the early 20th century, and the funfairs, Cyclone rollercoaster and hot dog stands are still there, including Nathan’s legendary hot dog parlour, where speed eating contests are held (the current world record is a gut-busting 74 hot dogs in 10 minutes).
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