Everything you need to know about Brooklyn: history, neighborhoods, points of interest

New York's most populated borough boasts both an interesting history and a host of great vacation spots these days. It hosts an annual hot dog eating championship, and the Brooklyn Brewery delights guests with excellent beer. For shoppers, this borough is home to a host of designer clothing boutiques, while nightlife lovers will love the clubs, bars and music halls. Writes about the most interesting places in Brooklyn "Turistern.ru".

Brooklyn history

Brooklyn's history began with the founding of a Dutch settlement in New York in 1636. The largest administrative district of the metropolis was named after the Dutch city of Breuckelen, which means “uneven land”. The Dutch colonists found the hilly surroundings of the new settlement to be very similar to the landscapes around their hometown.

1. In 1898, Brooklyn became part of New York City, along with Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. The reason for this was the appearance of the majestic Brooklyn Bridge, connecting Long Island with Manhattan. “The Brooklyn map is divided into segments: the areas that emerged on the site of English settlements differ in the direction of the streets from south to north, and those that appeared on the site of the Dutch - from west to east,” the author writes.

Brooklyn is located on a very long island, which is called Long Island (Long Island - from the English. "Long Island"). “Its length is about 200 km. This is why Brooklyn County had more building space than Manhattan. It is much freer here, because Brooklyn did not grow in height, but in width - today it resembles an average American town in which it is comfortable to live, ”the author noted.

Modern Brooklyn boasts a kind of architecture, the presence of museums, interesting areas, each of which has its own life. Below you will find out about the most popular spots in this New York borough.

Brooklyn landmarks

The most convenient way to get to Brooklyn is on foot via The Brooklyn Bridge, stretching over the East River.

During the construction of the bridge, many sacrifices were made. The first to die was the architect John Roebling. His work was continued by his son, Washington Roebling, who was also injured during construction. Washington's wife, Emily, was able to finish the work. “No matter how sad the history of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, the construction turned out to be majestic. Do not forget that the bridge dates back to the days when New Yorkers still rode horses and carts. It is not surprising that the Brooklyn Bridge evoked admiration, and not only for its length, but also for its amazing architectural design - neo-Gothic towers 83 meters high. It was these towers that for several more years were the tallest structures in America. Today's Brooklyn Bridge has six traffic lanes, and one more in the center for bicycles and pedestrians, ”the author said.

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When you first reach the Brooklyn Bridge, walk along the footpath above the transport level, the author suggests. It leads from Manhattan to Brooklyn. “This is exactly what Mayakovsky did once, walking along the path from Manhattan City Hall to Brooklyn's Adams Street, and exclaiming in the end:“ The Brooklyn Bridge is yes ... it's a thing! ”He writes.

Brooklyn Heights Avenue (Brooklyn Heights Promenade) - One of the main attractions of this borough of New York. It is also called the Promenade or Esplanade. Both townspeople and tourists love to walk here. “From here, there are stunning views of Governor's Island, the Statue of Liberty and the Financial District. “The Promenade is especially good at dusk, when the skyscrapers are just beginning to glow with lights,” the author writes.

“One of the most famous neighborhoods in Brooklyn has the same name as the area's main avenue - Brooklyn heights, - noted the author. "This is the most European, chic part of Brooklyn, filled with respectable mansions, cozy cafes and exclusive shops."

In the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights is another area - Cobble Hill (Cobble Hill). It is subordinate to the municipal authorities; it is forbidden to build multi-storey residential buildings here.

Nearby there is a square with a town hall, court and post office. Several rare trees surrounding the buildings are proudly named Columbus park (Columbus Park), writes the author.

To the east of Columbus Park is located Brooklyn's main shopping street - Fulton Street. “The pedestrian part of it - Fulton Mall - is a shopping paradise, consisting of an incredible number of department stores, shops and small shops,” suggested the author.

Atlantic Avenue (Atlantic Avenue) is considered one of the main streets in Brooklyn. It is home to a diaspora of people from the Middle East. There are also a lot of Arab restaurants here. If you walk along Atlantic Avenue until the intersection with Flatbush Avenue, on the left you can see a skyscraper taken out of Manhattan - Williamsburg Savings Bank Building, built at the beginning of the last century. The main tower of the building is known under the name "Willie", all of its facades are decorated with clocks, once the largest in the world, "the author shares.

Near the skyscraper is baptist church 1894, there is also a shelter for the poor and homeless. The intersection of three streets, on which there is a majestic building of a red brick temple, is called - Temple square (Temple Square) - "Temple Square".

Prospect Heights (Prospect Heights) - Another very remarkable area of ​​Brooklyn. Here you will find cozy three- and four-story brick apartment buildings, as well as many bars and shops.

Another popular spot in the area is Brooklyn public library (Brooklyn Public Library). It ranks as the fifth largest library network in the United States and is not far behind Central Manhattan.

Behind her is located Brooklyn Botanical Garden (Brooklyn Botanic Garden) is one of the best walking spots in the whole city. “The garden has a rose garden, a greenhouse of unique tropical plants, a Japanese garden with a real Shinto shrine, bridges, islets and pavilions. The highlight of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is a plantation of aromatic plants, created for the visually impaired, ”said the author.

Prospect Park (Prospect Park) - a large public park in Brooklyn - located just behind the botanical garden. This is a large green area where noisy concerts and festivals are often held. There is a historical attraction on the outskirts of the park - The Leffert Manor, where, in the setting of the XNUMXth century, guests are invited to plunge into the everyday life of an American farmer: tinker in the garden and try their hand at crafts.

Brooklyn Museum of Art (Brooklyn Museum) - Another undoubted landmark of Brooklyn, located on the outskirts of Prospect Park, in a large building with columns. This is one of the largest art museums in the United States. The collection of the museum has more than one and a half million exhibits, from the masterpieces of ancient Egypt to works of modern art. The museum is quite popular with connoisseurs of American and Western European painting. Also, various exhibitions are often held here, including scandalous ones, which, in fact, have made the museum so famous in recent years.

Brooklyn area Williamsburg (Williamsburg), located north of Williamsburg Bridge, is a favorite neighborhood among New York City hipsters. This is how it has become ever since, in 1985, the law allowed the abandoned warehouse to be rented out for housing. By then, apartment prices in Manhattan had skyrocketed. As a result of this relocation, the once industrial area has become the most vibrant and vibrant place in Brooklyn. Lovers of nightlife today will love the clubs, bars and music halls located here. The waterfront is home to seasonal open-air concert venues and food markets. It also offers a beautiful view of Manhattan. A striking feature of this area is graffiti... It is used to decorate many dwelling houses and buildings where factories used to be.

Bohemian Williamsburg's main street White Street (Wythe Street). It houses fashion boutiques, galleries and ateliers for budding designers.

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For beer lovers, Brooklyn has an interesting place to visit too. it Brooklyn brewery (Brooklyn Brewery) located at North 11th Street. “It brews a very good beer that can be bought all over Brooklyn. Every week on Saturdays, the brewery organizes free excursions with beer tasting for everyone, and on Fridays from 18-00 to 23-00 Happy Hour evenings are held, when you can try 8 sorts of beer at $ 3 per glass, ”the author shared.

And lovers of vintage clothing should definitely look into Beacon's Closet - the store is located directly opposite the brewery.

And finally Brighton Beach. This is the most famous place in Brooklyn among Russian-speaking immigrants. “Every Russian who finds himself in New York considers it his duty to visit Brighton Beach -“ Little Russia ”, the place where Russian emigrants have always settled. Here you can hear native speech, and signs on cafes and shops will also be in Russian, although sometimes in a pretty distorted form (“fresh shrimps” - shrimps, “Israeli Turkish” - turkey, etc.). Local residents love to eat cabbage soup, dumplings and dumplings in a Russian cafe, buy fresh herbs and the latest novelties in Russian in their usual places, go to the Millennium, a local theater where artists from Russia regularly perform, ”the author writes.

The most favorite place for walks among the locals in Brighton Beach is a five-kilometer wooden esplanade that runs along the sandy beach all the way to Coney Island.

Once a residential area of ​​Brooklyn Coney Island (Coney Island) was an island called by the local Indians "Narrioh", or "a place without a shadow." “The current name of the island (konijnen - translated from Dutch means“ rabbit island ”) was given by a large number of rabbits that lived here when the Dutch appeared on the island. At first, the townspeople fell in love with the island as a place for Sunday picnics, and soon large parks with attractions made with the latest technology began to be built here, ”the author explained.

Every summer, Coney Island becomes a center for recreation and entertainment. Locals and tourists alike flock to the beach, ride the Wonder Wheel, and congregate at Luna Park with the legendary Cyclone attraction. The latter is Coney Island's most famous and largest attraction, and was built in 1927! At a speed of about 100 km / h and in 110 seconds, the train covers a distance of 800 meters.

The festive atmosphere is complemented by performances by street performers and the Circus Sideshow.

By the way, at the main Coney Island fast food restaurant, for the first time in American history, a culinary masterpiece called "hot dog" appeared to the world. “Nathan's (a famous diner - Ed.) Is still located next to the subway station on Surf Avenue. Every year on July 4, an All-American competition for eating hot dogs at speed takes place here, ”said the author.

I don’t know everything, but the locals of Brooklyn call themselves not “Brooklyn”, but “Brooklynite”. If Brooklyn was not the first most populous county in New York, then it could well become the fourth most populous city in the United States with its 2,5 million Brooklynites.