Brooklyn (its name as borough of the city of New York; it is also Kings County, a county of the state of New York), the "Borough of Homes and Churches", is one of the five Boroughs of New York and used to be and still feels much like a city in its own right, with 2.5 million inhabitants. If separate from the rest of New York City, Brooklyn would be the 4th largest American city.

Brooklyn is situated on the westernmost point of Long Island and shares a land boundary with Queens which partially encircles Brooklyn to the north, east and south; Manhattan lies across the East River to the west and north of Brooklyn and Staten Island is across the Verrazano Narrows to the southwest.

Brooklyn is currently enjoying a period of growth and affluence not seen since before World War II. There's world-class theater at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the center of a proposed new arts district that will include a new art museum and a highly controversial Frank Gehry-designed sports area home for the NBA's (Brooklyn) Nets. Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Brooklyn's Prospect Park as well as Manhattan's Central Park, thought his Brooklyn creation the finer of the two. Elsewhere in the borough, Williamsburg is a hipster neighborhood and burgeoning art colony, and Brighton Beach is home to New York's largest concentration of Russian immigrants.

Burgeoning new restaurants have lead to a new burgeoning political climate. Due to the near universal localized hatred of the proposed Ratner project for the Atlantic Yards, the local communities are organizing in surprising new ways.

Overview

Brooklyn and The Bronx were once separate from Manhattan, which was New York City. The cities merged in 1898. However, Manhattan is frequently referred to as "the city" by residents of the other boroughs, for example in the phrase "I'm going to the city", even though Brooklyn and the Bronx are basically cities on their own. Many Brooklynites have a great deal of pride in their borough and most New Yorkers consider Brooklynites to have an identity distinct from that of other New Yorkers.

There are a variety of neighborhoods in Brooklyn Small Town Brooklyn has a scrollable map of many of them:
 • Brooklyn Heights is a residential neighborhood with elegant buildings and historic churches. It is an expensive neighborhood to live in, partly because of its great views of the Lower Manhattan skyline.
 • Cobble Hill
 • DUMBO, an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge. Popular with artists for loft space. Walk along the riverfront park for a unique and unforgettable view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and the Manhattan skyline.
 • Park Slope Long a haven for interracial families, lesbians and gays, and everyone else with a certain kind of groovy in NYC, this upscale but downhome neighborhood can be joked about as the Berkeley of New York City. Boutiques, cafe, bars, health food stores like the 30 year old Park Slope Food Coop . . . and attractive young people pushing strollers. Also home to a sizeable lesbian community since the 1970's. Take the Q to 7th Ave or the F to 8th Ave and walk the neighborhood. Prospect Park is large, beautiful and green. Ice-skate here in the winter. Fly kites and enjoy free weekend concerts in the summer. Near the park is the Gaslight District, where old gas lights shine by night (and sometimes by day) outside elegant luxury brownstones. Check out 5th Ave for the restaurants and bars.
 • Carroll Gardens Historians date the name to the 1960's and the real estate people like to enlarge it's borders. Includes part of Smith St and the nearby areas. In the 1950's and further back in time, this area was known as (to the dismay of many!) Red Hook and (as it still is) South Brooklyn. Smith St has a newly charged restaurant row, but there's still plenty of oldschool Italian-American gems to be found.
 • Williamsburg Take L train from Manhattan to Bedford or Lorimer. Many restaurants, several popular music clubs and burgeoning art gallery district. This is where all the artsy people went after they couldn't afford Manhattan anymore.
 • East Williamsburg Centered around the Morgan Ave stop on the L train. Seemingly a desolate industrial area, this neighborhood has a strong developing music scene. It is also home to the swinger's club Grego's. Brooklyn's natural food store can be found here.
 • Prospect Heights just north of Prospect Park, features the Brooklyn Museum, which is first-rate but often overlooked due to the museums in nearby Manhattan; a block away from the museum is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden . Take the 2 or 3 train to Eastern Parkway.
 • Red Hook is a formerly-bustling industrial area which may be on the upswing. Settled in 1636 by the Dutch, has seen many a boom and bust is today caught between those who like it as the sleepy part of town that time forgot vs. those who seek to restore its crown as the Queen of Kings Country Commerce.
 • Cypress Hills
 • Fort Greene has some great restaurants and the Brooklyn Academy of Music which features an art-house cinema, theater, and concerts such as the Next Wave Festival .
 • Coney Island Ah the famous Coney Island. Take the D, F, N, or Q trains to the end to enjoy the beach or amusements or just get your official Nathan's hot dog. The Cyclone, a 1927 roller coaster, is the most famous of the amusement park rides at Coney Island, for good reason; it packs a lot of thrill into a small lot. Otherwise the amusement park is somewhat seedy, which is part of its appeal.
 • Brighton Beach The (most famous) Russian enclave of Brooklyn. Not necessarily a tourist destination, there is not much set up for tourists. The people speak mostly Russian to each other, the store signs are practically all in cyrillic. An interesting experience. Good food that is not over-priced can be found here.
 • Bay Ridge Traditionally an Irish neighborhood, Bay Ridge has recently seen an influx of Greek and Russian families as well. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connects to here from Staten Island, and Fort Hamilton, a United States Army Base, is here as well.
 • Sunset Park
 • Greenpoint At the north-western tip of Brooklyn, a large Polish population calls this neighborhood home.
 • Flatbush, a largely Jamaican neighborhood, is the home of Brooklyn College, one of the most beautiful campuses in the area.
 • Midwood
 • Sheepshead Bay
 • Bensonhurst Italian, as far as the eye can see, but with an increasing influx of Chinese people.
 • Crown Heights is a mixture of Caribbeans and Chassidic Jews. Both communities share the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.
 • Borough Park contains the biggest Chassidic community in the city. You will see men in black hats and women in wigs, lots of kosher food on sale, and shops that are closed every Friday night and Saturday but open on Sunday. If these things are unfamiliar to you, a trip to Borough Park may be worthwhile.
 • East New York
 • Bedford-Stuyvesant is a major African-American neighborhood with some African presence.

Activities

 • Brooklyn Academy of Music Concerts
 • Brooklyn Cyclones, New York Mets single-A minor league team, which plays in Coney Island right next to the Boardwalk.

Sightseeing
 • Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge -- or if you prefer, the Manhattan or Williamsburg Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge itself is beautiful, and the view is splendid.
 • Walk along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade for great views of Manhattan.

Dining

 • 8th Avenue (or Third Chinatown) Stretching from 50th Street to 62nd Street, the avenue holds its own against Canal Street and Flushing. Five-star gourmet restaurants to alleyway noodle shops, Malaysian to Vietnamese and fare from every Chinese province, the neighborhood has it all. Closest subway is the N-line's '8th Avenue' stop on 62nd and 8th.
 • Hunan Delight Neighborhood Chinese restaurant; excellent Vegetarian options (fake meat, etc) and sweet and sour soup. 748 Union St (between 5th and 6th Ave) in Park Slope. Subway F to 7th Ave. Delivers, 718-789-1400.
 • Schnack  122 Union St "Gateway to Red Hook". Very yummy, very affordable burgers, dogs, sausages, and of course beer. Check out the menu online. Everything is fresh and well-chosen, the owner a big friendly guy (who likes to edit wikis), even if the waiters/waitresses are a bit abrupt (hopefully nicer now!). DIRECTIONS: From Smith St walk along UNION St. Against the traffic about 5 Blocks. From Atlantic walk down towards the water, left on Columbia, (go about 10 blocks) and then Left on Union. Or call 718 855 2879. Schnack has Free WIFI.
 • Geido Restaurant 331 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Excellent sushi bar in Prospect Heights. (718) 638-8866
 • Scopello  63 Lafayette Ave at Fulton St, near BAM in Fort Greene. Delicious Sicilian / Italian food, also influenced by Greek, Spanish, and Arabic cuisines. Warm atmosphere. Dinner is usually under $20. The sardine appetizer is incredible. (718) 852-1100

Drink

 • Tea Lounge, 837 Union St. (Park Slope). +1 718 789 2762. By now it's a tried and true formula: a big room with lots of thrift-shop couches, an Italian coffee machine and the expertise to use it to make a well crafted mocha, pastries, bagels etc. and a nice selection of wine. It works great here as it should everywhere. Throw in cool ceiling fans and free wireless Internet access and you're set for a great morning windup to NYC sightseeing. $2 regular coffee
 • South Paw, 125 5th Ave, Park Slope
 • Loki Lounge, 304 5th Ave, Park Slope. A sports bar with a pool table in the front, and a pleasant lounge in the back with many sunken but elegant couches. This lounge has a good atmosphere for a date or a group of friends almost any size.
 • Patio Lounge, 179 5th Ave, Park Slope. A wine bar that makes a great sangria. It has a very relaxed atmosphere and the music is soft enough to allow talking. On the weekends there is a DJ providing an eclectic mix of music. Out back there is a very nice garden area that is especially nice during the warmer months. The best part is that they will even let you order take out to the bar and eat it out back! Patio only serves wine, beer and sake, but if you are looking for something with more of a kick ask for the Japanese "rice vodka".
 • Total Wine Bar, 74 5th Ave, Park Slope. A very upscale but reasonably priced wine bar that also serves fine cheeses among other small plates. The atmosphere is excellent for a date or just a great place to hang out with a few friends. It is not particularly conducive to larger groups however.
 • Barbes, 376 9th St. (Right at the corner of 6th avenue), Park Slope - A truly wonderful neighborhood bar and live music venue. Barbes tends to bring in bands that play early swing, balkan brass bands (which are fabulous), and singer/songwriter types. The shows tend to be very high quality, and the drinks are reasonable, and well made. The help is extremely friendly, and will make you feel at home in no time.
 • The Hook, 18 Commerce St, Red Hook
 • Northsix, Williamsburg