The Best of Brooklyn
- Adayliah Ley
- Aug 4, 2017
- 3 min read
Brooklyn, one of the five boroughs in New York City, is known for Coney Island, amazing pizza, and it’s unique vibe. This urban sprawl that is Brooklyn is often overshadowed by Manhattan; it is said to be the second best borough. Despite its “second”-rate ranking, Brooklyn delivers a wide variety of restaurants, activities, and communities. There is plenty to do in Brooklyn, and the best place to start off is the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo:
The Brooklyn Bridge is the connection between the bright lights of Manhattan and the historic and artistic streets of Brooklyn. Spanning over the East River, the bridge allows for amazing views of the Statue of Liberty and the majestic Manhattan Bridge. During my visit to Brooklyn, we walked the length of the bridge and back. I was in awe. The panoramic views actually took my breath away. Our stroll was intended to be a beautiful and relaxing way to start our busy day in Brooklyn, but much like our itinerary, the bridge was jam packed.
After we snapped a few pictures on the bridge, we headed back into Brooklyn, more specifically DUMBO. DUMBO stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. This quaint neighborhood lies between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges and also offers magnificent photo ops. DUMBO is the embodiment of the term hipster. Home to many antique flea markets, shops, and sights, this community attracts a variety of people. We walked around the quaint cobblestone streets for hours dipping in and out of shops and browsing the stalls of flea markets. DUMBO is a very attractive neighborhood due to it’s trendy shops and upscale amenities. I suggest visiting it before it becomes another Times Square.
Williamsburg:
The next place we stopped was Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We had two reasons for our quick visit, -321° Ice Cream and the Museum of Food and Drink. Before my visit, I did extensive amounts of research on both places. -321° Ice Cream serves multiple flavors, including matcha and strawberry, but what sets the shop apart is that the frozen treats sold are made with liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen, according to a video I saw, makes the ice cream creamier. After our visit and taste, I can attest to this fact. Another thing they sell is something they titled Dragon Balls. This unique food is made up of cheese balls and liquid nitrogen, this combination of ingredients provides an interesting experience. While holding a frozen cheese ball in my mouth I was able to blow smoke out of my nose. The whole experience of eating normal foods with liquid nitrogen was really cool. I’m so glad I got the chance to visit this one-of-a-kind shop.
A few blocks over, in the same neighborhood, we found ourselves at the small building that is the Museum of Food and Drink. When we visited, the museum was showing CHOW: Making the Chinese American Restaurant. The small exhibit included pictures and information on Chinese food in America, a machine that supplied visitors with an unlimited supply of fortune cookies, a hanging display of Chinese take-out containers, and, my favorite, a sample of a recipe created by an entrepreneur of Chinese-American food. The diverse neighborhood has a lot to offer, and I can’t wait to explore more of Williamsburg.
Bushwick:
Lastly, we made our way over to Bushwick. You might only know about the neighborhood from the hilarious sketch done by Saturday Night Live, but Bushwick is a must-see. To most, Bushwick appears run-down, but a variety of delicious pizza places and walls of remarkable murals can be found among the industrial streets. Regretfully, we didn’t stop for pizza, but we did have enough time to walk around and take a glimpse at the scattered graffiti. The topics of the murals ranged from abstract space creatures to pieces that reflect on today’s current events. I was blown away by the creativity and talent that I found on the walls of Bushwick. Some might turn away from Bushwick because it’s not what some expect to find in New York City, but I highly recommend going to take some cool pictures, grab a slice of pizza, and be inspired.
I decided to explore Brooklyn a few weeks ago because I wanted to experience someplace new. Venturing into another borough of New York City was something I had been dying to do for a while, and my visit to Brooklyn exceeded my expectations of “the second best borough.”
By Adayliah Ley
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