Brooklyn is much more than its famous bridge and this walk through the New York district proves it

New York is not just Manhattan.

Districts and neighborhoods like the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island or the populous Brooklyn complete this mosaic of diversity and genius.

In particular, Brooklyn is another universe apart, larger than Manhattan, where more than 2.6 million people live and well worth another trip.

And there is a lot to see there, from cinematographic neighborhoods of those with brownstones that appear in Woody Allen films to factories converted into huge art centers, magnificent parks almost as big as Central Park itself and craft breweries or amusement parks by the sea.

And to get there you only have to cross a bridge: choose between the famous Brooklyn Bridge, icon of New York, the Manhattan Bridge or the Williamsburg Bridge.

We will cross them on foot or by metro, whichever is more comfortable for us.

Or if we prefer, we can also arrive by ferry: comfortable and fast, from Wall Street, in Manhattan, to the Brooklyn docks.

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For some, Brooklyn may be synonymous with a modern district with many bicycles and many beards (also that of the Orthodox Jewish minorities, who have their own neighborhood in this area).

But there is more: this is the territory of Barbra Streisand, of the

industrial aesthetic , of the old warehouses converted into concert halls or streets where they anticipate the trends that will conquer the world.

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South of Brooklyn, especially in Brooklyn Heights and the neighboring Dumbo neighborhood, also expect a lot of history and fabulous views of Manhattan.

And in the Prospect Park area there are green areas surrounded by residential neighborhoods that are great for architecture walks, window shopping or visiting coffee shops.

Manhattan Bridge from a street in the Dumbo neighborhood, one of the most photographed spots in Brooklyn.Alexandr Spatari (Getty Images)

We can also take a trip to the past just by going to Coney Island, to the south, where lovers of old amusement parks enjoy themselves like children and you can walk by the sea.

And for those who prefer nightlife, in northern Brooklyn there are plenty of restaurants and bars in Williamsburg, just one subway stop from Manhattan, or bars with live music and an indie scene in Greenpoint and Bushwick.

the most famous bridge

With its powerful metal braces and its different levels, the Brooklyn Bridge is the great emblem of the neighborhood, a neo-Gothic masterpiece that connects Manhattan with the other side of the river.

It was the world's first steel suspension bridge, and when it opened in May 1883 it broke the record for the longest distance between the two support towers (486 meters).

Although its construction was marked by disasters (including several deaths), it became an excellent example of urban design and has inspired poets (Jack Kerouac wrote

), musicians (Frank Sinatra sang

) and other artists. (see photographs by Walker Evans).

The bridge is the most attractive way to cross from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

If the traveler goes first thing in the morning, at sunrise, he will have the bridge to himself.

And at sunset there are some very romantic views of Manhattan.

It is 1.5 kilometers long and can be covered on foot in about 20-40 minutes (it can also be done by bicycle), it depends on the breaks we take to admire the views.

And they are worth it.

Williamsburg: between modern and orthodox

Brookyn is huge and has many different faces.

One of the most attractive is that offered by Williamsburg, an old industrial neighborhood converted into a lively enclave where the young people of New York aspire to live.

Here residents in their thirties are already considered “older”.

It is on the other side of the East River, but it is easily reached from Manhattan by subway and is one of the favorite places to walk, go from bar to bar all night, have a coffee or go shopping in vintage

.

A street in Williamsburg, the neighborhood where the largest community of Orthodox Jews in New York lives.

Spencer Platt (Getty Images)

Here the mix includes pre-Depression cocktail bars, artsy restaurants serving everything from short ribs to Michelin-starred dining, and enough

and breweries to keep you partying for several weeks.

For those who prefer daytime life, Williamsburg is full of clothing and home goods stores, from thrift emporiums to select

designer

This Brooklyn neighborhood has become a fashionable haven for New Yorkers for a reason.

The Brooklyn Brewery offers weekend tours, special events and

The main thoroughfare, Bedford Avenue, between North 10th Street and Metropolitan Avenue, is lined with cheap clothing stores, cafes, bars, and restaurants;

Cool locales have also popped up on North 6th Street and Berry Street.

Of course, there are already those who consider that the modern part of Williamsburg is finished and have begun to colonize the adjacent Greenpoint, a traditionally Polish neighborhood, as well as the old warehouses that are beyond, in Bushwick.

Without leaving Williamsburg, to the south, around Lee Avenue, the black hats and frock coats of Orthodox Jews take to the streets.

Who has seen

the Netflix series set in this Jewish community, you will perfectly recognize its streets and shops.

These streets can be reached in a few minutes by metro, but it is like a trip to another world.

There is no street art, flirty venues, craft breweries or designer apartments here.

The streets of South Williamsburg are simple and austere, with buildings with rather dilapidated facades.

Here everything is orthodox, from the bakeries or the butcher shops with kosher products to the shops.

And on the streets we will only see men with long beards and sideburns or women with their wigs and simple suits.

It is the largest community of Orthodox Jews in the United States, a hermetic group that lives attached to its customs and practically does not mix with the rest of the city: it has its own shops, banks, temples, schools and doctors.

Street art in Bushwick

Due to an expansion effect of the alternative neighborhood of Williamsburg (increasingly expensive and sophisticated), the transformation has reached the neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Bushwick, which previously hosted a Polish and Latino community, respectively, and which in recent years have received many creative young people in search of a cheaper rent.

Before the hipsters invaded, Bushwick was also a major brewing center in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

On Bushwick Avenue you can still see the mansions of the beer magnates, some of them in a dilapidated state.

Curious places also appear, such as the Brooklyn Art Library, an interesting space with walls covered by more than 30,000 sketchbooks that mix graphic design,

, poetry, comics, and essays.

They are collaborations of people from more than 130 countries who have donated their notebooks to the library.

Travelers can check them out or, if inspired, buy an unpainted one and fill it with whatever you like.

When the library receives it, it will add it to the collection.

One of the murals in the Bushwick area, known for its graffiti-covered walls.

TIMOTHY A. CLARY (AFP via Getty Images)

But Bushwick is known above all for its graffiti-covered walls.

Bushwick Collective is a gallery of outdoor murals by some of the biggest street art talents in New York and around the world.

The changing works can be seen on Jefferson and Troutman streets, between Cypress and Knickerbocker avenues, as well as Gardner Avenue.

Other works of urban art are found around the Morgan Avenue subway stop and, above all, on Siegel and Grattan streets.

But one can find murals all over Williamsburg and in the surrounding areas, already part of the urban landscape with their original interpretations of everyday events, history and iconic figures from culture and art.

A walk through the Brownstones

Opposite the alternative Williamsburg is classic Brooklyn centered around Brooklyn Heights, a few blocks of historic buildings and magnificent views of Manhattan.

They are what are known as the Brownstones or "brown houses", which are the typical buildings that appear in the movies, two or three floors with an entrance staircase and basements also accessible from the street.

The houses are quiet and shady, a kind of haven of peace from the bustling Big Apple.

When the Brooklyn Ferry opened in the early 19th century, Manhattan's wealthy began building beautiful homes in Brooklyn Heights, a neighborhood that is still highly desirable for its tree-lined streets and spectacular river views.

Below, Brooklyn Bridge Park, on the banks of the river, has fully revitalized a once abandoned waterfront.

And the center of the neighborhood is also booming: apartment blocks and commercial chains have gradually transformed the urban landscape.

Walking through the Brownstones we will find many movie sets, such as the St. George Hotel, which in its time was the largest in the city;

Plymouth Church, where in the mid-19th century abolitionist sermons were organized and funds were raised to rescue slaves from the South, or the house where Truman Capote lived while he wrote

(1958), at 70 Willow Street.

North of the Manhattan Bridge, the area along the river is what is known as Dumbo (an acronym for its location: Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), cobblestone streets that until relatively recently they were an exclusively industrial zone, but in which today we can see luxury apartments, fashion stores, galleries and fine restaurants.

As representative elements of the neighborhood: an old carousel, and an old tobacco store.

The Jane's Carousel is an old merry-go-round from the early 20th century placed at the north end of Brooklyn Bridge Park, and restored by an artist from Dumbo who has respected all the elements of the original design.

Today it is in operation, protected by a transparent acrylic pavilion designed by the architect Jean Nouvel.

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The Empire Stores & Tobacco Warehouse is a series of Civil War-era brick buildings that have been converted into high-end retail space, restaurants, offices and a grocery store.

A good example of the transformation of the neighborhood.

Local Markets: Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg

As the weekend approaches, the people of Brooklyn take to the streets to rummage through sales and flea markets.

Brooklyn's spectacular malls, Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg have only gotten bigger and better.

Brooklyn Flea gathers a hundred stalls under the great arch of the Manhattan Bridge, with antiques, records,

crafts and also some food stalls.

The Brooklyn Fea Market, a flea market where you can find all kinds of antiques and curios.

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Smorgasburg is Brooklyn's biggest foodie: an esplanade of over 100 street food vendors offering everything from Italian sandwiches, duck confit, Indian bread tacos, veggie burgers, vegan Ethiopian comfort food, ice cream caramel with sea salt, passion fruit donuts, craft beer… Set up in the park by the river on Saturdays and in Prospect Park, near Lakeside, on Sundays from April to October.

Parks and views of Manhattan

One of the best things about Brooklyn is... Manhattan.

Or rather, its views.

From this side of the East River there are spectacular panoramic views of New York's skyscrapers and the most emblematic bridges.

For that, nothing like crossing the river and strolling through Brooklyn Bridge Park, installed on a two-kilometre walk along the East River, from Jay Street, in the Dumbo area, to the north end of Atlantic Avenue, in Cobble Hill.

The promenade has revitalized a stretch of riverfront by transforming abandoned docks into a public park.

There's a little bit of everything, from a grassy area at Empire Fulton Ferry State Park in the Dumbo area to the converted piers, including playgrounds and areas where free outdoor entertainment takes place in the summer.

But the busiest park in Brooklyn for picnicking, kite-flying, jogging, or biking is Prospect Park, a

bucolic setting that was once considered bigger even than Central Park.

Created in 1866, it has a few features in common apart from its size: a magnificent meadow, a lake and hills covered by paths between trees.

Every year it receives about 10 million visitors.

Its landmarks are the Audubon Boathouse, very photogenic and with many activities;

the Prospect Park Zoo, the Long Meadow meadow, perfect for a walk or to lie down and hang out;

or the Lakeside Complex, the park's latest attraction, which even has an ice skating rink in winter, a cafe, hiking trails and a small space for concerts.

Audubon Center pier in Prospect Park.

Alamy Stock Photo

Another local wonder that makes a trip to Brooklyn worthwhile is its Botanical Gardens, a beauty in three seasons, with cherry blossoms in spring, brilliant blossoms in summer, and hues of red, gold, and yellow in fall.

Its Japanese garden is very picturesque, where river turtles swim next to a Shinto shrine and in April-May it celebrates the cherry blossom festival (the Sakura Matsuri of the Japanese).

A spectacular museum

The Brooklyn Museum is not the only museum in this district, but it is the most interesting.

This five-story, 52,000-square-meter neoclassical building was designed by architects McKim, Mead & White in the 1890s with the intention of making it the largest single-site museum in the world.

The plan lost steam in 1898, when Brooklyn was incorporated into New York City.

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It currently houses more than 1.5 million pieces, including antique objects, 19th-century period rooms, and paintings and sculptures spanning several centuries.

Most striking are its pieces from ancient Egypt and an outstanding collection of American paintings that include pieces of pioneering feminist art from the 1970s.

In fact, the museum is one of the few art institutions in use that dedicates a permanent space to women artists: the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, on the fourth floor.

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As a complement, you can also visit the Center for Brooklyn History, a majestic building from 1881 with amazing terracotta details.

There are maps, a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, and temporary exhibits on aspects of history and daily life in Brooklyn.

For lovers of ships and shipbuilding, there is the free museum at the Brooklyn Navy Yard (BLDG92), which takes a look at the historical events of the last 200 years and focuses on the construction of US Navy ships. There are also other museums dedicated to children, local life or public transport, among other topics.

Music for everyone

In Williamsburg, it's almost a must to go to House of Yes, in a warehouse with two stages, three bars and a covered outdoor area, which offers one of the most creative shows and dance nights in Brooklyn.

Just like the Brooklyn Bowl: a huge space with bowling, craft beers, food and good music, including live bands and the occasional DJ.

There is even karaoke and they broadcast NFL games.

Interior of the Brooklyn Bowl, where in addition to bowling, parties and concerts are held.

Taylor Hill (Getty Images for New York Public)

The Music Hall of Williamsburg is the quintessential place to hear indie bands,

and many New York touring musicians perform only at this venue.

Here they have played from They Might Be Giants to Kendrick Lamar.

In the Bushwick area, The Rookery Bar prevails, with an industrial aesthetic on an avenue full of street art.

But the artistic center par excellence is the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the oldest in the country, founded in 1861. It is a complex that includes several nearby rooms in the Fort Greene area that offer innovative and avant-garde works of opera, dance contemporary, concerts, cinema, theater and even multimedia shows or avant-garde versions of the classics.

Its BAMcafe bar and restaurant hosts free jazz, R&B and pop performances on weekends.

A beach day at Coney Island and Brighton Beach

You don't think of beaches when you travel to New York, but there are some, and very good ones, just a stone's throw away.

Coney Island, south of Brooklyn, became famous as a working-class playground in the early 20th century.

Although it's now somewhat decadent, it still attracts a lot of people who flock to Luna Park for hot dogs and a beer on the boardwalk.

The amusement park has icons such as the Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster that reaches almost 100 kilometers per hour and with almost vertical descents, or Deno's Wonder Wheel, pink and green, from 1920. It is the best place to see Coney Island from above.

Entrance to Luna Park amusement park at Coney Island.

Edward Freeman (Getty Images)

And a typical day at the beach can't be complete without ice cream and hot dogs.

Hot

were invented on Coney Island in 1867, and there's no better place to eat one than Nathan's Famous.

And for a drink, the legendary Ruby's bar, on the seafront.

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To get a taste of the New York of yesteryear, visit Brighton Beach, an hour by subway from Manhattan.

Brighton Beach Avenue, a busy street under the elevated subway tracks, is known as Little Odessa, New York's largest Russian-speaking neighborhood, with shops selling smoked fish, pierogi (dumplings) and other typical products from Ukraine, Russia

elsewhere from the former USSR.

The first emigrant families arrived here in the early 1800s and their descendants have tried to keep their traditions intact.

Then a second wave would come, with Russian Jews fleeing the atrocities of World War II.

A wooden plank boardwalk leads to a dark sand beach lapped by the Atlantic.

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