Leigh 
Moving to Brooklyn? Here’s a list of
Our Favorite Brooklyn Attractions,
Hot Spots, and Restaurants
- Barboncino Pizza(781 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn) – Lively Crown Heights eatery serving Neapolitan brick-oven pizzas plus salads, creative cocktails & more.
- The Rockwell Place (31 Rockwell Pl, Brooklyn): Tucked away from the main drag, this spot has an unpretentious feel but delivers on creative cocktails crafted by bartenders who are truly passionate about what they do.
- Prospect Park Zoo: This zoo helps city residents get their wildlife fix right alongside Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The zoo is home to a range of animals from dingos and red pandas to the California Sea Lion.
- Strange Delight (63 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn): This recently opened New Orleans-inspired spot is a contemporary twist on the classic oyster bar. It’s the go-to for crunchy fried shrimp, crawfish, and red cocktails.
- Pratt Sculpture Garden (Pratt Institute): Spread across 25 acres of landscaped grounds, this garden is surrounded by historic buildings and features over 70 sculptures from renowned and emerging artists.
- Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies – Steve’s continual endeavor to improve his key lime pie in its quality stands out as one of the most authentic and uncompromising key lime pies North of the Sunshine State.
- Weeksville Heritage Center – This historic site / cultural center uses education, arts and a social justice lens to preserve, document and inspire engagement with the history of Weeksville, one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America.
- Oxalis – Oxalis is a neighborhood bistro that offers two dining options: a seasonal carte blanche menu in the dining room and an a la carte menu at the bar and garden room.
- Blueprint: This upscale lounge offers some of the most meticulously crafted cocktails in Brooklyn. They offer upscale, sophisticated accoutrements like cheese and charcuterie, as well as full-scale New-American classics like the Blueprint Duck Club and Rabbit Pot Pie.
- The Crown Inn – A friendly neighborhood establishment, The Crown Inn offers craft cocktails and beer in a cavernous bar with exposed brick & Prohibition-style furnishings.
- Falafel Tanami (1305 E 17th St, Brooklyn): This restaurant serving Middle Eastern comfort food, has made Pete Wells’ list of 100 Best Restaurants in NYC two years running.
- Bedford Stuyvesant Museum of African Art – This non-profit arts organization is dedicated to providing an enriching educational experience to the Bed-Stuy community. They house artwork from more than 40 different African countries, showcasing an impressive and diverse array of art and cultures.
- Sycamore Bar (1118 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn): A quirky drinking spot tucked behind a florist shop, bartenders double as florists, serving up bourbon and fresh bouquets.
- L’Antagoniste – High-end, traditional French bistro fare with a variety of complimentary wines and beverages
- Brooklyn Museum – At 560,000 square feet, the museum is New York City’s second largest in physical size and holds an art collection with roughly 1.5 million works.
- Body by Brooklyn (275 Park Ave): There’s no shortage of wellness experiences in NYC – from Japanese Shiatsu massage to Roman bathhouses – but there’s nothing like your local day spa. With saunas, jacuzzis, a cold plunge, massages, and facials, Body by Brooklyn has everything you need.
- Aita (132 Greene Ave): Named one of the “Best Aperitivo Bars in NYC” by New York Magazine, Aita brings a slice of Italy to Clinton Hill. Locals love the grilled octopus and oxtail ravioli, proving you don’t need to trek to Manhattan for a fantastic dining experience.
- Hometown BBQ – Authentic pit smoked barbecue with a full bar that specializes in local craft beers and a large range of American, whiskeys in an urban warehouse setting.
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden: This world-class New York City botanical garden connects people to the world of plants, fostering curiosity and delight for New York’s green spaces while supporting a sense of community and stewardship around the environment. They offer nearly two dozen gardens, collections, conservatories, and features.
- Alpine Cinema (6817 5th Ave, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn): An old-school, no-frills theater that’s cheaper than your average chain movie theater. Perfect for a nostalgic night, and making sure your Letterbox keeps up to date.
- Red Hook Winery – Founded in 2008 by Mark Snyder, The Red Hook Winery aims to uncover and highlight the best vineyard sites in New York state
- Super Power – Casual spot for tiki drinks & frozen cocktails with colorful garnishes, plus a few bar bites.
- MAMA FOX – Modern new American fare complimented by a variety of craft cocktails
- Brooklyn Hero Shop (270 Vanderbilt Ave): One of the best Italian sandwich shops in Brooklyn, with all the usual suspects: roasted turkey heroes, classic tuna melts, and fried chicken sandwiches.
- Cobble Hill Park – The park certainly isn’t the largest or most exciting in New York. However, it’s a nice little spot with a garden, benches, a great kid’s playground, and historical significance.
- Coney Island: This legendary amusement district is home to the world-famous Cyclone, the oldest operating wooden rollercoaster in the country. With many areas left unchanged for decades, it offers a nostalgic experience for visitors of all ages.
- Miss Ada (184 Dekalb Ave): This Goop-approved Mediterranean eatery captures the essence of summer. Perfect for sharing plates, so you can sample a little bit of everything. In true Brooklyn style, natural wines are available, too.
- Colonia Verde (219 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn): Sharing is caring at this Latin American eatery by the Cómodo team. The airy, rustic space, complete with a greenhouse-like back room, makes it the perfect spot for communal dining.
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum – Inspired by the energy and diversity of the borough, Brooklyn Children’s Museum creates experiences that ignite curiosity, celebrate identity and cultivate joyful learning.
- Homage Skateboard Academy & Skate Shop – This welcoming skateboarding school has a team of dedicated instructors who will help anybody who wants to learn, young or old. The shop features skateboarding and snowboarding gear, and hosts regular skiing and snowboarding trips every season.
- Collyer’s Mansion – Boutique home goods stores like this are hard to find. You’ll find a colorful and eclectic assortment of eco-friendly items, handmade jewelry, and original artwork to take your home decor to the next level.
- Prospect Park: Prospect Park is the flagship park of Brooklyn. It offers 586 acres of trails, paths, fields, meadows, and green space, and is a fantastic place to get some exercise or get lost in nature right in the heart of Brooklyn.
- Prospect Park Zoo: This zoo helps city residents get their wildlife fix right alongside Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The zoo is home to a range of animals from dingos and red pandas to the California Sea Lion.
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden: This world-class New York City botanical garden connects people to the world of plants, fostering curiosity and delight for New York’s green spaces while supporting a sense of community and stewardship around the environment. They offer nearly two dozen gardens, collections, conservatories, and features.
- Fabulous Fifth Avenue Street Fair: Held in nearby Park Slope, this bustling street fair is a must-visit. With live music and street vendors, it’s set along what Time Out New York calls one of the “the world’s coolest streets.”
- The Soul Summit Music Festival: A Sunday summer staple, this DJ collective brings soulful house music to Fort Greene Park. This celebration of music and community is free and open to all.
- Cobble Hill Cinema – Who doesn’t love an independent boutique movie theater?! Make wonderful movie memories in this local spot featuring five theaters and a plethora of international and independent showings.
- Hattie Carthan Community Farmers Market – This grassroots, people of color-led agricultural revitalization project has a vision to cultivate a healthy, holistic, and self-sufficient community that increases the neighborhood’s access to locally-grown fresh food, farm culture, and intergenerational agricultural education.
- Brooklyn Botanical Garden – Brooklyn Botanical Garden is an urban botanic garden that connects people to the world of plants, fostering delight and curiosity while inspiring an appreciation and sense of stewardship of the environment.
- Tanoreen (7523 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn): With 25 years in the game, Tanoreen is an authentic taste of Palestinian home cooking, with staples like hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, and lamb shanks on the menu.
- Chilos (323 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn): Chilos has two taco truck locations: the original one in Bed-Stuy and a newer spot in Greenwood Heights. Both open to an outdoor patio space and sell agave spirits and margaritas to wash it all down.
- Mozzarella(265 Troy Ave, Crown Heights, Brooklyn) – A menu with an array of kosher pastas, sandwiches, & shakshuka in a casual space with exposed brick.
