Written By: Janelle Harris
When visitors recall their trips to New York City in wide-eyed amazement, nine times out of ten they’re talking about Manhattan, the glitzy, sparkly hub of theater, art, music, fashion and culture—the mega wattage of Times Square, the tidal waves of people bustling through Midtown, the bohemian creativity oozing from Soho and Greenwich Village. Nobody can argue: Manhattan is electrifying. But cross that famous bridge or navigate a few city streets to pass the threshold of its neighboring borough, not nearly as venerated but no less alluring. Manhattan may be a headliner but Brooklyn? Brooklyn is star.
A city in a city, Brooklyn is hands-down the olla podrida of cultures, faiths and races—everybody is represented there among its 2.5 million residents. Ghanians. Armenians. Italians. West Indians. Ukrainians. Native-born Americans. Its ethnic diversity shows in the food, music and art venues that stretch across the borough’s 96 square miles. Every enclave has its own personality as a result of the people who call it home. The Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood is a hotbed of African and African-American culture, while Crown Heights is home to one of the largest Jewish communities this side of Israel. Flatbush boasts a vibrant Caribbean population and Williamsburg has plenty Latino flavor. Where there are people, there’s a celebration to honor heritage. The Fort Greene Festival in June—where Common will take the stage as the main attraction this year—is a cultural collision of art, music and food. Most notable, perhaps, is the West Indian American Day Parade that draws millions of flag-waving partygoers to Eastern Parkway on Labor Day weekend every year.
There are givens that savvy folks stopping through the city should probably should have on their to-do lists: stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge, take in the scenery of the Botanic Gardens, do some shopping on Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Street, relish in the amazing spread of Cuban cuisine at Habana Outpost, have dessert at Cake Man Raven for a slice of red velvet deliciousness or the renowned Junior’s for world-famous cheesecake—sans P. Diddy or any members of Da Band.
There are plenty of twists on the atypical activities, too, like a twilight tour and boat ride that, for an unassuming $30, will guide visitors through the Prospect Park neighborhood and provide them with a little wine and cheese to add ambiance. For history connoisseurs, the MoCada—Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts—hosts an artistic trifecta with tours, art and film and Brooklyn Museum’s longstanding exhibit of body parts taken from ancient Egyptian sculptures is a must-visit until it packs up and hits the road in October 2011. Culture buffs will enjoy taking in the sites around Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket and walking tours to points of interest from the Civil and Revolutionary Wars.
Experiencing the real Brooklyn, the one not listed on those accordion-style travel maps, requires three things: an adventurous spirit, a lot of energy and, if one is handy, a borough native. Because it’s not nearly as in-your-face touristy as its neighbor across the way, Brooklyn makes you look for its gems instead of smacking you in the face with them. There’s a vintage, classic side of the borough that fuses with its contemporary, fun-loving side. That harmonious blending is what makes the whole of New York City so endearing in the first place.
