Touristy advice in Brooklyn, NY - on a budget

[Sibley]

I'll be going to a friend's wedding at the end of April. I'll have about a day and a half in Brooklyn available. I will be dependent on public transit and probably by myself. I like history, museums, music. Not into modern art. Outdoors stuff is tricky because it's Spring, and I'd prefer not to have a massive asthma attack while on vacation :)

I also would like to keep costs low of course. So, suggestions?

[edmundblackadder]

The Brooklyn Museum has a suggested admission, I believe, and their collection is great. Coney Island is a ton of fun if the weather's nice -- great people watching, street food, etc, and there's a museum as well. Get a copy of Time Out New York when you're in town and see what free event they have listed. smorgasburg.com is a great afternoon if the timing works. Park Slope has some remarkable brownstones to gawk at if you're into architecture. I hear good things about the Brooklyn Historical Society, but haven't seen any of their exhibits. I'm a systems dork, so I find the Transit Museum to be a ton of fun, but if you're not into that...Ellis Island is always worth a trip, although the ferry is $12.

What subway lines will you be on?

[Sibley]

I will be staying at the Holiday Inn Brooklyn Downtown at 300 Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, New York, NY 11217. This hotel is just opening as I understand.

[norabird]

You will be close to the beautiful Brooklyn promenade and brooklyn bridge park. Walking over the brooklyn bridge is also great. You can easily go to prospect park if you like, or go up to williamsburg by the g train and stroll around. No money required.

[Gimesalot]

I will be in NYC soon too!  I found:

free kayaking at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings
Roosevelt Island tramway for views - included in metro pass
Staten Island ferry for great views free
lots of free or low cost museums at [http://www.nyc-arts.org/collections/35/free-museum-days-or-pay-what-you-wish

[Cindy]

You will be so close to Manhattan that you can easily walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (as was suggested) or take a 10 minute subway ride if you want to spend the day in Manhattan.  I second the idea of the transit museum, which you will be able to walk to.  Check out The Bowery Presents web site for concerts since you said you like music.

[otter]

I love Brooklyn!

Do you like theater?

If you are interested in arts stuff generally, check out the Brooklyn Academy of Music (aka BAM).

There is a neat new theater space in Dumbo, a short walk from downtown.

You may enjoy Prospect Park, which is sort of like Brooklyn's Central Park.

There is some good thrifting in Brooklyn, too.

[naners]

Hello from a Brookylner! I love my borough but if you like museums, walk across the bridge to Manhattan in the morning, get yourself some Dim Sum in Chinatown (Jing Fong or Golden Unicorn will be around $15pp), and go to the Met or MOMA. The museums in BK are all well and good but Met and MOMA are world class. I think Met has pay what you want too. Then you could hit Murray Hill for Indian food on your way home, or have noodles or dumplings in Chinatown for dinner (Vanessa's Dunplings or Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles)

[MandalayVA]

Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is always fun, plus, of course, it has spectacular views. 

And as long as you're in the Village, hit up John's of Bleecker Street for the best pizza ever.

[Sibley]

Thanks everyone! I'm thinking of the Bridge and the MET, both sound interesting. Though I reserve the right to change my mind at the last minute.

[new mustache city]

If you walk the Brooklyn Bridge, please do not stand in the bicycle lane. Spit on anyone you see doing so.

Have a nice trip. :)

[norabird]

I am going to hijack the thread here but personally I don't think bikers should expect to be able to make it over the Brooklyn Bridge, except for early hours. We've all seen what it is like with pedestrian traffic on the span and bikers should accept that it is what it is and won't change.

Sibley, I think you will have great fun with those two options or whatever you choose!

[new mustache city]

Agreed, I have accepted it and I avoid that bridge at all costs now when I'm on my bike. My comment was just intended to help OP be a little safer and maybe help out the cyclists who are either too new or too stubborn to have learned to avoid that dangerous bridge yet.

As for the topic at hand...if you happen to be here on a weekend, I recommend checking out Smorgasburg for tons of great local food vendors (some of it can be expensive, but there are some good deals and pretty much everything is delicious): https://www.prospectpark.org/news-events/news/smorgasburg-vendors-announced/

[Sibley]

Ok everyone, I'm doing my specific planning. Can you check this for reasonableness?

For Friday, I fly into LaGuardia and land at 9am, and am going to take whatever transit it is that google maps is saying to take to the MET Cloisters. From there, I plan to go to the MET 5th avenue location. Cloisters is open from 10-5:15, the 5th avenue location is open 10am -9pm. I'll then take transit from the museum to the hotel (300 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11217).

I'll have a water bottle (reusable), and will buy lunch/dinner.

Next up, working on figuring out Saturday...

[lemanfan]

From my overseas point of view:  Those are some pretty long transit trips you plan, but it would work I think.  Research your resturant options before you go near to where you plan to be. Many great options and quite a few to avoid too. :)

A few additional hints:

I second the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, especially if you wake up early on the Saturday.  A coffee to go at the hotel, then walk across the bridge, and then have breakfast in Manhattan. :)

The Whitney museum is one of my favourites. http://whitney.org/

For music, there are so many options.  If you like classical or some form of jazz, check out Barge Music: http://www.bargemusic.org/  ...  great music, great views of sunset over downtown Manhattan as a backdrop.

[Sibley]

Thanks. Yeah, I know it's a lot of transittime, but I want to go to those 2 museums, or really the museum with 2 locations, and it's my only free day. Saturday, my time is limited by wedding activities, and Sunday will be all day wedding stuff.

I'm thinking Saturday I'll putter around Brooklyn and just do whatever looks interesting.

[lemanfan]

I'm thinking Saturday I'll putter around Brooklyn and just do whatever looks interesting.

Best kind of vacation, to just putter around Brooklyn.

Last time I did that, I found excellent lunch at the Smoke Joint on Fulton Street. And an equally excellent coffe at the Hungry Ghost a couple of blocks further southeast.  :)

[norabird]

Just beware it is a long trip to the Cloisters and then from the Cloisters to the Met proper (assuming you would take the A down to 125, transfer to the c to 82nd, and take the M79 crosstown bus). The Met Breur is open now in the old Whitney building if you'd rather keep things simple, depends on how much you care about medieval art but would be much less transit and still lots to see. Plus you can spend some leisurely time walking in central park if you like.

Brooklyn puttering is great, hope you have lovely weather for it!

[Sibley]

Yeah, I really want to do Cloisers and the 5th ave. Not going to the Breur location - not interested in what's there. I have no idea what the transit actually was, but if nothing else I'll use it to rest my feet :)