Weekend Getaway - Brooklyn, New York

Of the five boroughs of New York - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island - Brooklyn is the city's most populous. Located on the western tip of Long Island, Brooklyn is known for its cultural, ethnic and social diversity. My daughter moved there a couple years ago (she also works there) and we made a weekend getaway for my first visit to this borough. Come along and see what we got up to on our Brooklyn getaway!

 Underground Donut Tour

I'm not quite sure where I found Underground Donut Tours. But I'm glad I did! While hard to explain, I guess that they can be described as a food walking/history tour that focuses on donuts. Right up my alley! Celebrating all things donut, the tours learn about each shops donuts and favorite flavors and then a enjoy a walk through the city. So I signed us up for a Friday afternoon Brooklyn Underground Donut Tour.

We had a bit of a problem when a broken down subway train blocking the tracks and we had to urgently uber to our meeting spot. Quite late but not a problem as we were the only tour members that afternoon. We met our guide at the first shop and our tour officially began. Here are the four donut shops we went to:

-the Doughnut Plant, where our guide, relying on the clerks opinion, purchased 3 different cake donuts for us to try - wild blueberry, hazelnut and tres leches. 

-We moved around the corner to Black Star Bakery & Cafe. More of a bakery than just a doughnut shop, we still had to try their doughnuts - apple, chocolate nut and a light as air jelly filled. All delicious but take that with a grain of salt as I may not have met a doughnut that I didn't like!

-A walk through McCarren Park with some history of Brooklyn by our guide (the total walk is about a mile) including it's industrial and immigrant past led us to Moe's Doughs. Moe's couldn't look anymore like a classic doughtnut shop than it did and we had one each of their most famous doughnut, the french cruller. Very light yet very filling.

-Ending up at our final stop of the tour at the famous Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop. Open for 60 years, this family owned little donut shop is a neighborhood staple. There was no question in our guide's mind - we had to get the ginormous apple fritter. So one for each of us, which two of us didn't even finish, and suffice to say we were doughnut-ed out. I have to say I didn't even think that was possible. 

I really enjoyed this tour! Casual walking pace, not too far, some history and donuts - who could ask for more?

Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum is a 500,000 square foot art museum located in Brooklyn. It's the second largest museum in New York and houses some 500,000 objects. It was founded in 1823 as the Brooklyn Apprentices Library and merged with the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences in 1843. So it's been around for a long, long time.

Our daughter was able to get a free pass as a perk of her job and then she got us Culture Passes via the Brooklyn Library. So we had a fun- and free - afternoon perusing this large museum. 

Some of the collections include: Art of Asia, Arts of the Islamic World, Ancient Egyptian Art and Period Rooms. There are also rotating exhibits - right now they are exhibiting art from Alicia Keyes and Swizz Beatz along with photography from Paul McCartney. 

There is an area where you can walk through the museum storage area

It's also a very popular gathering spot - there are food trucks and a market - when we were there on a beautiful afternoon. We got lunch and sat outside the museum people watching and enjoying a sandwich.

If you get the chance to visit Brooklyn Museum, I think you will enjoy this large museum with it's varied collections.

 

Brooklyn Brewery

Several years ago on a trip to Seoul we went to a cafe that was an outpost, of sorts, of Brooklyn Brewery. So we really had to go and visit the real thing! We visited their tasting room in Williamsburg on a Saturday afternoon and there was a line to get in. It wasn't a long line but I'm sure it gets that way on Friday or Saturday nights.

In 1884 Brooklyn produced 10% of the beer in the US. Started 100 years later, in 1984, Brooklyn Brewery beer is available in 30 countries on five continents. And they're trying to make Brooklyn a powerhouse of beer production again. Some facts:

-Their most popular beer is Black Ops, a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. Good luck on finding it though  - it's just that popular.

- In 2014, their brewmaster was the first brewer to win a James Beard award.

We headed across the street from the brewery to Arlo Williamsburg (formerly the Williamsburg Hotel) to have a drink at their rooftop. With it's fabulous views, it's very popular. ( there was a line to go up in the elevator) Despite the crowds, we enjoyed the breezy rooftop, the views and an adult beverage. (If you decide you'd like to visit this rooftop, possibly go at an off peak time)

Prospect Park

Adjacent to the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park is a 526 acre park that includes a zoo, an ice rink, a carousel, a band shell and the first urban area Audubon Center. You can bicycle, bird watch, skate, run, walk, do yoga and even visit the Green Market, which operates year round.

 We headed here for a walk along the lake and watched the kite flyers after our Mother's Day Brunch. It's a beautiful - and incredibly large - city park that our daughter is able to visit all the time, weather permitting, of course.

And with that it was time to grab our suitcases and jump on the subway, to another subway, to a train, to the airport. Easy breezy, right? But whatever the public transport issues, I'm always happy to visit one of my kids. I guess it's just how moms are! I look forward to returning and discovering more of what Brooklyn has to offer.

How about you? Have you been to Brooklyn?

Linking up with: My Corner of the World at Photographing New Zealand!