Brooklyn Tourism & Media
Carnival & Annual Events
 
Atlantic Yards
 PEOPLE
Attractions
Performing Arts
Places to Stay
Brooklyn Image Server for current events & more
 
 
 
Links & Tours

 

www.nytab.com

The best quick reference to what’s best in NYC.

 

cityguide
magazine.com

NYC's official city guide.

 Village Voice Free weekly culture & arts.

 am NY Free daily

 Gay City News The weekly newspaper serving gay, lesbian & transgendered New York City.

 

New York Convention & Visitors Bureau
Find out what's happening throughout New York City.

NYC LINK—The Official New York City Web Site links to external sites, information about cultural, educational, and recreational activities in New York City
BROOKLYN:  is the most populous of the 5 boroughs, home to over 2.4 million residents. Brooklyn as an independent city Brooklyn would rank as the fourth most populous in the United States.

 Famous for its 19th century brownstones, thriving arts communities, diverse ethnic populations, and spectacular views of Manhattan. Brooklyn is about 73 square miles, with 50 miles of shoreline and approximate dimensions of 11.5 x 9.5 miles.

There is an accelerating rate of growth in Brooklyn as the yellow headed 10 story crane has become the most visible bird. Generally, the result has been luxury condominiums but these all pale next to a mega complex best known as Atlantic Yards with will add numerous 60 story buildings above an entertainment and transportation nexus on Atlantic Avenue. The build out will take another decade and the only question remaining is the scale and aesthetics of the projects.  more

Brooklyn is special in many ways as history reminds us:  the Brooklyn bridge is New York's most famous bridge, Coney Island was America's first Disneyland, Battle Hill in the Green-wood cemetery was the site of the first skirmish of the American revolution. But it is the people of the strong communities and neighborhoods who have most enriched global society. No one know why, perhaps  the ready view of the Statue of Liberty or the shadow of New York City or simply that great attracts great but the number of noteworthy native sons and daughter is truly impressive. 

This is the place where the rhythms of alchemical magic are most palpable on the East Coast and where the Carnaval spirit is most alive and beckoning. The best known Carnival is that produced by the Caribbean community on Labor Day weekend [1st weekend in September] centered around the remarkable public spaces surrounding the Grand Army Plaza. However there is also the Coney Island Mermaid parade in June which strikes the right chords in your soul.

 
Click for Brooklyn, New York Forecast

Atlantic Yards
 A 21st Century Downtown Brooklyn
is Rising!
Developer Bruce Ratner announced in 2004 that he had purchased the New Jersey Nets basketball team. He hopes to move the Nets to a proposed 20,000-seat Brooklyn Nets Arena as part of a controversial housing development.

The Brooklyn Nets Arena is a proposed US$3.5 billion sports arena, business and residential complex to be built partly on a platform over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority-owned Atlantic Yards at Atlantic Avenue in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The site is intended to serve as a new home for the New Jersey Nets, and at one time was to be the site of the new Brooklyn Dodger Stadium before they left for the West Coast nearly 50 years ago.   The MTA site is 8.3 acres (34,000 m²); the enire Atlantic Yards project site would be 22 acres (89,000 m²) as envisioned.

The development supporters boast an 800,000 square foot sports and convention center, urban complex of housing, commercial and retail space, as well as six acres (24,000 m²) of landscaped privately-owned public open space– including a park on the arena’s roof, ringed by an open-air running track that doubles as a skating rink in winter with panoramic vistas facing Manhattan year-round.

This site which is the most centrally located for the New York City subway in Brooklyn, and one of the most accessible in the city has been undergoing intense neighborhood review. This would be the first major league sports team in Brooklyn, since the departure of the Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1957.

The developer, Forest City Ratner Companies (FCR), released a 2,000 page Environmental Impact Project (EIR) for public review in August of 2006 and it argues that it has engaged the community during the process through a variety of meetings. FCR has also signed a Community Benefits Agreement with eight community groups, promising to provide jobs to minorities and to allocate a portion of new housing units to those with low incomes. The EIR examines potential impacts of the project on the area’s sewer system, traffic, noise, air quality and more, as well as the shadows that will be created by buildings of up to 60 stories
As Paul Goldberger summarizes the project in the Aug-06 issue of Metropolis, “In downtown Brooklyn a single developer is now proposing an enormous complex of multiple towers, shops, and public space around the centerpiece of a sports arena, and he is trying to present it—like so many megaprojects today—as not just an effort at economic development but an enabler of a fine-grained urban life.” In less fine-grained terms, the delirious Frank Gehry said the project will create a “neighborhood from scratch,” in an area where there are “lots of ugly buildings”
Get updated at:
wiki/Brooklyn_Nets_Arena

Brooklyn Tourism & Media ||


Brooklyn Tourism & Visitors Center  brooklyntourism.org , visitbrooklyn.org
Tourism center located at Brooklyn Borough Hall

Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce  brooklynchamber.com ibrooklyn.com/ Business is booming in Brooklyn. Explore Brooklyn's great neighborhoods via its burgeoning arts and cultural scene at our Community Events Calendar 

Hello Brooklyn  hellobrooklyn.com
The first stop (ok, second) in Brooklyn for movies, theater, arts, music, events, nightlife, bars, sports, education, restaurants, family, hotels, communities, museums, real estate, shopping and more!

brooklynx.org/ www.brooklynx.org
An independent not-for-profit corporation founded in 1979, presents cultural, educational and media programs reflective of the borough's diverse communities.

Brooklyn On Line

Government & Official Sites

 Office of the Borough of Brooklyn President

MEDIA

Brooklyn has two local daily newspapers, the Brooklyneagle-archives.jpg Daily  Eagle and the Brooklyn Paper. Bay Currents is a bi-weekly newspaper published in south Brooklyn.
Brooklyn is also served by the major New York dailies, including The New York Times, The New York Daily News, and The New York Post.
Brooklyn has a thriving ethnic press.
The City of New York also has an official television station, run by the NYC Media Group, which features programming based in Brooklyn. There is also Brooklyn Cable Access Television, the borough's public access channel.Download

GO-Brooklyn.com  Official site of The Brooklyn Papers' weekly entertainment guide. Reviews local dance, music, art, film, books, dining, and more.

Brooklyn Information & Culture
Founded in 1979 to give voice to artists and the issues of our time. Flagship programs include Celebrate Brooklyn Rotunda Gallery, which exhibits the work of Brooklyn’s expanding visual arts community, and an arts education program. There is also BCAT (local community access television), and the expanding cultural center which includes the 4,000 square foot theatre on the 2nd floor of the former Strand Theatre.
 Park Slope Reader
Quarterly magazine: "Park Slope and the adjoining communities around Prospect Park are unique in the New York City landscape — one that has its own identity and that deserves it’s own voice. That’s why we began the Reader a few years ago. Our intention is to foster greater awareness about these dynamic neighborhoods through editorial and advertising."

 BrooklynPapers.com
Including Brooklyn Paper, Brooklyn Heights Paper,
Downtown News, Park Slope Paper, Bay Ridge Paper. Not much of a web presence, but papers are available for download in pdf format.

Courier-Life Publications
Employs enough reporters to fill lots of pages with local color while avoiding any big or complex  issues. Rare to find a article longer than 2,000 words, even on the front page. Lots of police blotter and press releases filling space between the ads. Free weeklies for many neighborhoods.

1733 Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn NY 11235
 718-615-2500

BrooklynDowntownStar.com
A 35 cent weekly by Queens Ledger/Greenpoint Star Inc.  Includes Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbop, Prospect Heights & Boerum Hill. Light reading with lots of  letters to the editor and meandering sense of the news which can veer well into Queens. 718-426-7200

BayCurrents.net
Bay Currents is a local Brooklyn newspaper which specifically focuses on Southern Brooklyn and the Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island area. It has a readership of 35,000.

ETHNIC 

Major ethnic publications include the Brooklyn-Queens Catholic paper The Tablet, as well as several Haitian newspapers including The Haitian Times, Haiti Observateur, and Haiti Progress. Many nationally-distributed ethnic newspapers are based out of offices in Brooklyn. Over 60 ethnic groups, writing in 42 languages, publish some 300 non-English language magazines and newspapers in New York City.

NY Carib News Weekly, 50 cents. Carnival coverge by Tony Best & Michael D. Roberts.

haitiantimes.com 
News for the New York Haitian community

SPECIAL INTEREST

thebrooklynrail.org
Online edition of a print magazine emphasizing local arts, politics and events.Index, articles, contact information. winner of the Utne Independent Press Award in 2002 and 2003 for Best Local/Regional Coverage.
alicubi.com
General interest magazine for those whose interests are out of the common.
citylegacy.com
A new publication about old New York.
relix.com 
Magazine and record label. Features comprehensive information on the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, and national touring bands.

BCAT/Brooklyn Community Access Television
Provides Brooklynites with a broad range of services to create, produce and cablecast video programs -- and the opportunity to influence, share, enhance and preserve the borough's diversity of thought and culture. BCAT's Community Calendar lists nonprofit & free services and events.

 
Brooklyn Working Artists Coalition - Non-profit organization that provides a conduit between working Brooklyn artists and the community at large
Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) - A non-profit industry and arts center, is home to 65 manufacturers, designers, crafts people and artisans.
Imagine Project - A not-for-profit organization dedicated to nurturing a child's creativity through the performing arts and provides children with a unique creative outlet
Smack Mellon Studio - Non-profit contemporary arts organization located in the D.U.M.B.O. section of Brooklyn, mission is to nurture and support emerging and mid-career artists.
The Brooklyn Arts Council - A coordinating, educational and cultural service organization promoting and stimulating understanding, appreciation, and practice of the Arts in all disciplines.
The East End Ensemble - The new, cool performing arts and entertainment gallery within the hot heart of Brooklyn.

The Screeners Club - Offers moviemakers an immediate venue at which to screen their work with twice-monthly independent movie series in the heart of Williamsburg.
Performing Arts || top
PEOPLE
Brooklyn is closely associated with many American writers. Walt Whitman wrote of the Brooklyn waterfront in his classic poem Crossing Brooklyn Ferry. Betty Smith's 1943 book A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, and the 1945 film based on it, are among the best-known early works about life in Brooklyn. William Styron's novel Sophie's Choice is set in Flatbush, just off Prospect Park, during the summer of 1947. More recently, Brooklyn-born author Jonathan Lethem has written several books about growing up in the borough, including Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude. The neighborhood of Park Slope is home to many contemporary writers, including Jonathan Safran Foer, Jhumpa Lahiri, Jonathan Franzen, and Suketu Mehta.
  There is a celebrity path in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
 
People_from_Brooklyn Find a growing list of over 600 listings at wikipedia

From Aaliyah to Howard Zinn

651 ARTS
651 Fulton St (in Fort Greene Neighborhood)
718-636-4181
Subway: 2,3,4,5 to Nevins St. M,N,R,Q to DeKalb Ave.

Programming grounded in the African Diaspora. At the award winning Harvey Theatre.

BRIC Studio brooklynX.org program
647 Fulton 2nd Floor (next to 651 Arts)718-855-7882 EXT 58

Brooklyn Academy of Music  bam.org
30 Lafayette Ave. 718-636-4100

Subway 2,3,4,5,Q to Atlantic Ave. M,N,R,W to Pacific St. G to Fulton St.
America’s oldest continually operating performing arts center. Located at Fort Greene with a theater, 4-screen cinema, opera house and restaurant. Home of Mark Morris Dance company and Brooklyn philharmonic. Also find the MoCADA Museum Museum of Contemporary African Diasporian Arts (MoCADA) is committed to increasing public awareness of the art and culture of the African Diaspora as it relates to contemporary urban issues

Barge Music
Fulton Ferry Landing 718-624-2083
Subway A,C, to High St. or 2,3 to Clark St. Walk to waterfront or take B-25 to last stop.
Chamber music four days per week on the water.

 Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Campus Road & Hillel Place - Brooklyn College Campus Box Office 718-951-4500 Subway: 2 to Flatbush Ave. Premier performing arts center brings the finest from around the world to Brooklyn.

 Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra
Concerts at Walt Whitman Hall on Brooklyn College Campus and many smaller venues around town.

Williamsburg Art & Historical Center
Through the universal language of art, Yuko Nii hopes to bring peace and harmony among all nations. As the word WAH means in Japanese, peace or :harmony or unity, it is appropriate for the WAH Center to fulfill this mission

 

Higher Education

 
 
An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, It was named in honor of King Charles II of England, which is the source of Brooklyn's nickname as the "City of Kings."
 
Places to Stay || top
  

There are several large airport hotels at Kennedy airport (JFK) but just the Marriot, which just opened in 2001 is the only maojor hotel in Brooklyn. For most of the 20th century Brooklyn got by with a few hundred rooms along the Atlantic Coast and few B&B's in the nice neighborhoods. This is changing with many new beds in the works. A Holiday Inn Express, which opened in 2005,  is just a vanguard of many more to come.

Marriott Brooklyn 333 Adams Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201 USA BrooklynMarriott.com
Phone: 1-718-246-7000 Fax: 1-718-246-0563
Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall.
376 Rooms Opened in 2001 with plans for 250 more
$225 to $350, Downtown Brooklyn  Major subway lines only a block away make for a mere 10-minute commute into Manhattan. Five-minute walks bring you to the Brooklyn Bridge's pedestrian path and the charming neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights.

Holiday Inn at  JFK Airport 
144-02 135th Ave QN
360 rooms

Four Points Sheraton at JFK 4-star w/ 185 rooms
151-20 Baisley Road
4-star w/ 185 rooms

Comfort Inn at Bay Point
8315 4th Ave

Golden Gate Motor Inn
3867 Shore Parkway at Knapp Street (Sheepshead Bay). Exit 9 off the Belt Parkway. 718-743-4000
150 room hotel in Sheepshead Bay

Best Western International Hotel Gregory
8315 4th Ave (Bay Ridge) Brooklyn, New York  11209  
1-800-359-7234

Comfort Inn
3218 Emmons Avenue (Sheepshead Bay) Brooklyn, NY  11235 718-368-3334  

 

Reservation Services

At Home in NY 800-692-4262
City Lights B&B 212-737-7049
NY by Phone 888-NYC-Apple
New World 800-443-3800
Urban Ventures 212-594-5660

Homestay New York

718-434-2071
Affordable lodging in fine Brooklyn homes for international tourists

 

 

 
Restaurants
 
  Links || top
 
 

Tours

 

New York Like a Native
Tours geared to visitors those who can handle public transportation and are curious about the richness beyond the tourist basics.

 

www.jewishtours.com

Hassidic walking tours

dorothyb.com
Party boat at Pier 6 at Emmons Ave. Sheepshead Bay

 

Civic Organizations
Attractions || top
 s

This Page
Downtown
Prospect Park
Brooklyn Bridge
Coney Island
Waterfront
Views
Family
Elsewhere
Beach
Getaway
PROSPECT PARK

ProspectPark.org
526 acres of woodlands, waterways and meadows. Long considered one of the world’s finest urban parks. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux. Fresh from Central Park, they took on the task in the 1860s. Because of the topography, they set out to create a natural environment with hills, lakes, streams and meadows, as opposed to more formal park gardens. The original task involved some 1800 men whose labor was not complete till 1873. Today the park is home to over 150 species of trees and 240 birds, including migrating herons and swans. It is NYC’s last surviving forest! After several decades of neglect, the Prospect Park Alliance was formed in 1987 to rescue the “Brooklyn Jewel.” You will find tennis courts, a historic carousel, a skating pond, ball fields, playgrounds, fishing, biking, pedal boating and more.
Getting There: Subway: Q to Prospect Park or Parkside; F to 7th Ave/9th St. or 15th St/Propect Park; 2,3 to Grand Army Plaza. Bus: B41, B48, B69, B71, B75.
Kate Wollman Rink: Outdoor ice skating; ice skate rentals available

Prospect Park Audubon Center at the historic boathouse

Imagination Playground (off Ocean south of Lincoln Road): 1 of 6  perimeter playgrounds, but the only one with a water-spouting dragon and storytelling area
Mount Prospect Playground is most accessible, being located on the same block as the big three public institutions of Brooklyn: the library, museum and gardens. Discover a secluded wooded hilltop oasis above much hustle and bustle.
Bandshell: Home of the Celebrate Brooklyn Summer Concert Series

 

Lefferts Homestead Historic House is one of Brooklyn’s few surviving Dutch farmhouses & NY’s only historic children’s museum. Located on the Flatbush side of the park just past Empire Boulevard. 718-719-2822
Prospect Park Tennis Center
The Tennis Center is located at the Parade Ground on the corner of Coney Island and Parkside Avenues (Park Circle).
(718) 436-7500

PROSPECT PARK ZOO
Where Brooklyn goes wild.

Prospect Park Zoo (450 Flatbush Ave): Wildlife Center that features prairie dog tunnel town, seals, red pandas and 80 other types of animals

Information about animals and activities.
www.wynn.com/bol/zoo/ 

ww.wcs.org/
prospectpark

 
Brooklyn Bridge
Subway: 4,5,6,J,M,Z. Buses M19, M15, M22, M103
 Bikes and pedestrians have their own elevated path offering remarkable views of the Manhattan skyline. Connects Brooklyn Heights with Lower Manhattan
 
WEBcam updated every 15 seconds
WEBCAM-Brooklyn Bridge-click pic
 

Designed by John Roebling, and still an engineering marvel many years after its 1893 completion. Considered a brilliant feat of 19th-century engineering, the Brooklyn Bridge was a bridge of many firsts. It was the first suspension bridge to use steel for its cable wire. It was the first bridge to use explosives in a dangerous underwater device called a caisson. At the time it was built, the 3,460-foot Brooklyn Bridge was also crowned the longest suspension bridge in the world.

LINK LIST

wiki/Brooklyn_Bridge

 

  

BROOKLYN NEIGHBORHOODS BY

Northwestern Brooklyn

 
Brooklyn is renowned for its Brownstone buildings. Find them best in the big tree neighborhoods of  Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Clinton Hill, or Cobble Hill.
Downtown Brooklyn is New York City’s third largest commercial district.
Fort Greene is where filmmaker Spike Lee grew up in a predominately white neighborhood

Park Slope Neighborhood
One of NYC’s most spectacular neighborhoods. With just a handful of newer luxury mid-rise condo projects, it retains its old world charm. There has been a dramatic revitalization of excellent boutiques, restaurants, clubs and cafes along 5th Ave & 7th Ave and blocks in between, particularly the main thoroughfare on Flatbush.

Northern Brooklyn

 

Northeastern Brooklyn

 

Central Brooklyn

 

Prospect Heights Neighborhood
Located between Park Slope and Crown Heights, and bordering Prospect Park, is an eclectic mix of turn-of-the-century brownstones and elegant 1920s apartment buildings. The Caribbeans arrived in the 70s and 80s to what had become a working class district. Today the attractive multi-cultural district is a well-known and desired zip code for all of NYC.

 

Southwestern Brooklyn

 

Harbor Defense Museum
The Harbor Defense Museum occupies Fort Hamilton's caponier, a small freestanding bastion located within the fort's dry moat. The museum is dedicated to the history and evolution of New York City's harbor defenses, beginning with the construction of the earliest earthen forts and concluding with the Nike missile era

Southern Brooklyn

 

Southeastern Brooklyn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 DOWNTOWN

Brooklyn Historic Society  
128 Pierrepoint St.
718-222-4111
Subway: M,N,R, to Court St. 2,3,4,5 to Borough Hall

Many active programs, an ongoing interactive exhibit and historic displays. Remodeled in 2003. Large research library with lots of labor movement source material. Dedicated to illuminating the history and culture of Brooklyn’s citizens. 

Brooklyn Borough Hall

New York Transit Museum
Corner of Boerum and Schermerhorn in Brooklyn Heights tel. 718-694-1600
Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall. M, R to Court.
Explore a 1930s subway stop in downtown Brooklyn devoted to the history of urban mass transit showcasing vintage streetcars. Most of the exhibits are interactive and there is a gift shop with subway-inspired paraphernalia.

Grand Prospect Hall
263 Prospect Ave.
718-788-0777
A National Landmark and entertainment center.

 

GRAND ARMY PLAZA/Download
Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, New York forms the main entrance to Prospect Park. It is perhaps best known for the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch, Brooklyn’s version of the Arc de Triomphe. It is also the site of the Bailey Fountain, and a monument to John F. Kennedy, as well as statues of Civil War generals

IMG_6294.jpg
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway

718-638-5000
Subway: 2, 3 to Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum
The 2nd largest museum in NYC, with 1.5 million objects. Housed in a beautiful 560,000 sq. ft Beaux Arts structure with a dramatic modern glass and steel entrance with terraced courts completed in 2002. Renowned for its Rodin, African and ancient Egyptian collections. First Saturday of the month is free and open till 11pm.

 

Brooklyn Botanical Garden
1000 Washington Ave
Subway: 2,3, to Eastern Parkway; Q to Prospect Park
Bus B41,B48, B69, B71
718-623-7200
You’ll find 12,000 varieties of plants on this 52 acre retreat next to the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park. Highlights include Rose, Japanese and Pond gardens. There is a celebrity path with markers for Mary Tyler Moore, Jimmy Smits, Eddie Murphy & Spike Lee.

 Brooklyn Public Library
 Subway 2,3 to either Grand Army Plaza or Eastern Parkway
Over 2 million visitors per year visit its collection of 3 million books in 64 languages. At the hub of Brooklyn’s 60 libraries, it offers exhibits and an exceptional children’s area. The Art Deco building, and particularly the inspired entry, are worth special attention. Features free events and exhibits.

 

DOLL & TOY MUSEUM OF NYC
718-243-0820
Displays at the Brooklyn Heights and Bay Ridge Public Libraries
MICRO MUSEUM
718-797-3116
123 Smith Street (between Dean and Pacific)
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN DIASPORIAN ARTS (MoCADA)
718-230-0492
80 Hanson Place (at S. Portland St.)


The Old Stone House Interpretive Center
J.J. Byrne Park, Third Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues
Subway M,N,R to Union St or Prospect Ave
718-768-3195
Replica of a sturdy Dutch stone farmhouse, linking Brooklyn to its historic role in the American Revolution at the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn. It was the largest battle of the War for Independence. The exhibit at the Old Stone House tells the story of that crucial battle and of the heroic acts by the Americans involved.

WYCKOFF FARMHOUSE MUSEUM
718-629-5400
5816 Clarendon Road (between 59th St. and Ralph Ave.)
WEEKSVILLE HERITAGE CENTER
718-756-5250
1698 Bergen St. (between Buffalo and Rochester)

 


The Waterfront Museum
290 Conover St at Pier 45; 718-624-4719
Subway: 2,3,4,5 to Borough Hall/A,C, F to Jay St./Borough Hall M,N,R to Cort St. Then take the B-61 bus from corner of Jay and Willoughby to the last stop, Van Brunt St.
Educational tours and programs aboard an historic barge.


 651 ARTS
651 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
718-636-4181 (v) / 718-636-4166 (f)
Brooklyn's premier performing arts presenter of contemporary African Diaspora dance, theater, music, and humanities programming.

Bargemusic
Brooklyn's floating concert site, offering chamber music and a remarkable view of the Manhattan skyline

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Download
America's oldest performing arts center, known for innovative music, dance, drama, and film.


Waterfront
 

Bringing exposure to the surrounding arts community with a 3,000 square foot exhibition space. Also organizes the October Dumbo arts festival.

  •  Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park
    26 New Dock St. (under Brooklyn Bridge)
    718-768-7300

Historic former departure point for boats. Now at the center of an excellent restaurant hub and Bargemusic, a floating concert hall for chamber music.

Formerly located at St. Ann’s church and in its present location in the Dumbo district since 2001. Presents and produces theatre as well as art shows and concerts.

 

NYC’s first airport and later a naval base, now with history tours and recreation facilities. Today the US Park Service maintains the interiors of many structures in the same state as they were in the 1930s & 40s when the airport was the busiest in the country. Hanger B features vintage aircraft, and the Ryan Visitor Center has a restored control tower. Hanger B is about 1.5 miles from the entry at the southern end of Flatbush Ave. Historic Floyd Bennett Field

At over 30 acres, the site is Brooklyn's first park. Under the name ofPrison Ships Martyrs' Monument Washington Park, in the 1860s, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, best known for their design of Central Park, prepared a design for the park. Its name was changed to Fort Greene Park in 1896.

Prison Ships Martyrs' Monument One of the park's distinctive features is the Prison Ship Martyrs' Monument a memorial to the Revolutionary War

VIEWS
 

Brooklyn Heights Historic District
Subway 2,3,4,5,A,C,M,R
50 blocks showing 19 century urban America. The

Download
Williamsburgh Savings Bank Since 1927 Brooklyn's tallest landmark has a now closed observation deck. It will reopen as luxury condos

 Tallest structure in Brooklyn is the 597-foot tall radio/TV tower at Brooklyn Tech High School on Fort Greene Place

 Promenade overlooks the East River between Orange & Remsen Streets, with spectacular view of Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge.

 

Green-Wood Cemetery
500 25th St.
718-788-7850 Download
Subway: R to 25th St, walk 1 block to 5th Ave. Bus B63, B67 
Highest spot in Brooklyn is open to the public. The 468 acre green is home to the remains of over 600,000 souls. Self-guided tour maps available at visitor center

 Sunset Park
44 St @ 6TH St.
Claims to be the Highest Point in Brooklyn, with views of Stature of Liberty and Manhattan.

Elsewhere

Brooklyn Brewery
79 North 11th St.
718-486-7422
NYC’s leading brewery, with free tours. Closed Sundays.

FAMILY

Brooklyn Children’s Museum or .bchildmus.org
145 Brooklyn Ave.
718-735-4400
Subway: 3, A to Kingston Ave.
The world’s first museum devoted to kids. Dedicated to fun and inspiration, the museum offer countess interactive opportunities in 10 galleries, plus special exhibits. Four story structure houses over 27,000 pieces and features a rooftop theatre with a view of Brower Park. Reopens in 2007 at twice the size

 Discovery Zone Fun Center
5100 Kings Plaza
718-252-1717
Lazer tag, ball room, mazes and exciting activities for kids of all ages.

Funtime USA
2461 Knapp Street
718-368-0500
Subway Q to Sheepshead Bay. Transfer to B36 to Nostrand Ave and Avenue Y.
NYC’s largest indoor family entertainment center, with 55,000 sq. ft of space including video arcade, 3 story soft play area and food court.

 Wykoff House & Museum 
5815 Clarendon Road
Subway: 2, 5, D, Q & A Trains. Buses B47, B7, B8.
718-629-5400
Oldest house in New York State.

BEACH

Sheepshead Bay
Subway Q. Buses B4, B36, B44, B49
Brooklyn’s increasingly colorful fishing village and marina contains just a handful of hotels and waterside restaurants, but there’s a growing reclamation of the waterfront for public use by entrepreneurs. Boats are available from 10 piers for deep sea fishing for whole or half-day excursions for blues, bonita, stripers, albacore, fluke or cod. Lots of shoreline fishing too. One of America’s largest Russian immigrant communities is based in this neighborhood. Emmons Ave. is the main waterfront boulevard with the growing restaurant row and plenty of easy parking. The most famous restaurant is Lundy Bros. (718-743-0022 At 1901 Emmons) while Il Fornetto (718-332-8494 2902 Emmons) points out it is the only Sheepshead Bay restaurant with “waterfront dining.” Locals make Maria’s (3073 Emmons, 718-646-6665) a popular corner for satisfying meals or intimate encounters.

 

Jamaica Bay/Rockaway Beach

Download
New York City waterways: 1. Hudson River, 2. East River, 3. Long Island Sound, 4. Newark Bay, 5. Upper New York Bay, 6. Lower New York Bay, 7. Jamaica Bay, 8. Atlantic Ocean

Main entrance at Beach & 116th St.
Subway A & Bus Q21, Q22, Q35,Q53
More than 7 miles of remarkably wide Atlantic Beach. Dining and boardwalk.

Aqueduct Race Track
 Rockaway Blvd & 108TH St.
718-641-4100
Subway A, Bus Q11 & B15
Thoroughbred Racing. Call for times.

 

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
11368 Crossbay Blvd.
718-318-4340
Subway A, S. Bus Q21, Q53
More than 9,000 acres of diverse land and water habitats. Free nature walks and bird-watching 7 days per week.
Part of the Gateway National Recreation Area in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island (718-354-4606).

 

ELLIS ISLAND

www.saveellisisland.orgNPS official partner dedicated to restoring and saving 30 buildings on the island

www.AmericanParkNetwork.com The most comprehensive source of information on American's favorite national parks.

www.ellisisland.com ARAMARK operakes Ellis Island under a contract administered by NPS

www.nps.gov/stli The custodian of the two parks and an agency of the US Department of the Interior

www.ellisisland.org The successor organization to the effort which restored the Statue of Liberty in 1986 and went on to build Ellis Island Immigration Museum in 1990. They operate the American Family Immigration History center & The American Immigrant Wall of Honor. 

 

Fire Island

45 minutes on Long Island Railroad from the Atlantic Station. 
CONEY
Island
& the MERMAID
PARADE		 Neptune.jpg IMG_6338.jpg
 
This Page
Getting There
Season & Hours
Mermaid Parade
Film Fest
Burlesque

DAYS & HOURS
of Operation
Coney Island is a seasonal center operating roughly between Easter and Labor Day. Rides and attraction are generally open on weekends from Easter until Memorial Day, all week long from Memorial Day until Labor Day, and then weekends from Labor Day until the end of September. The beach and boardwalk are open all year round (although lifeguards are only on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day) and Nathan's Hot Dogs and the New York Aquarium are open almost every day of the year. The Coney Island Museum is also open on Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 5 PM all year round.
HISTORY
The birthplace of the hot dog in a bun and America’s first roller coaster
Coney Island History Project and tell them your memories of Coney Island!

Coney Island History Articles The best collection of historical Coney Island material on the web.

Adam Sandy's Coney Island Pages are also a fine source of historical material.

Amusement Park History has a great collection of Coney Island essays and articles.

The Friends of Terra Cotta have been successful in the landmarking of the Child's Restaurant Building on the Boardwalk.

Coney Island Velodome
Torn down in 1950 the  New York City 2012 Olympic bid included plans to rebuild a velodrome  on Coney Island Plans were scrapped when New York lost the bid to London in 2005.
FOOD CONTEST
I.F.O.C.E. The International Federation of Competitive Eating! Hot dogs anyone?
 

The Coney Island Polar Bears official site

 

CONEY ISLAND
 The legendary amusement park is quieter than 100 years ago but its lure continues to grow. There’s still over 100 amusement rides and the neighborhood's restaurants and nightspots continue to improve.
The resurgence of "America’s First Playground" has been led by the very popular minor league Brooklyn Cyclone baseball team which plays at the new Keystone park.
Geographically, Coney Island is the westernmost of the barrier islands of Long Island, about four miles long and one-half mile wide. It was formerly an actual island, separated from the main part of Brooklyn by Coney Island Creek, part of which was little more than tidal flats.  Today the Coney Island Development Corporation has many strategic plans in the works which will undoubtedly change the strange charm in a cleaner and brighter way.
HOW TO GET TO CONEY ISLAND
Coney Island is located in the southernmost part of Brooklyn. If you are mapquesting, you can use the address 1000 Surf Avenue.

By Train:
Take the D, Q N or F train to Stillwell Avenue (last stop). This takes about 45 minutes from midtown Manhattan

By Car:
Take the Belt Parkway to exit 6. Head south on Cropsey Avenue to West 17th Street. Keyspan Park and the Parachute Jump will be in front of you on Surf Avenue. Parking is available along most streets. There are commercial parking lots on West 17th Street and West 12th Street between Mermaid and Surf, West 15th Street between the Boardwalk and Surf and on Neptune Avenue between West 12th and Stillwell Avenue.
Subway: W to Coney Island
Its the last stop

ConeyIsland.com

"dedicated to preserving the dignity of American Popular Culture."

post : 1208 Surf Ave. Brooklyn NY 11224-2816 phone: 718 372 5159 fax 718 372 5101
Coney Island's resident not-for-profit arts organization the that runs the Mermaid Parade. Also produces  produces the popular Coney Island Circus Sideshow, complete with sword swallowers, glass walkers and many of the most accomplished and exciting burlesque dancers in the world.

 

Astroland Amusement Park
1000 Surf Ave. 
recorded Info: 718-372-0275
Subway D or Bus B36
Home of world famous cyclone. NYC’s largest amusement park with 35 rides. Park is free w/ admission to rides

Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park
Boardwalk @ W. 12th St.
Subway: F or Q to Stillwell Ave.
Info: 718-372-2592
18 kiddie rides and 5 major thrill rides including the Wonder Wheel, which was named an Official NYC Landmark in 1989. Climb aboard for breathtaking views.
Go Kart City After you see a Cyclones game, come hit your own balls and ride the best go karts in town to your heart's content!

Nellie Bly Amusement Park
1824 Shore Parkway Info: 718-996-4002
Ride, games and attractions. Free admission, pay as you go.

New York Aquarium
Subway D or Buses B36, B64, B68

With penguins and whales among its 350 species. Sea lion and Dolphin show in outdoor aquatic areas from April to October. Interactive touch pool with crabs and starfish.


Brooklyn Cyclones at KeySpan Park
Subway: D, F or Q. Buses B36, B64, B74
The 7,500 seat ballpark is home to the NY Mets A-ball team. Games frequently sell out. The Brooklyn Cyclones Baseball in Brooklyn is back!!

FILM SERIES
IndieFilmPage.com Co-presenters of the Coney Island Film Festival and Coney Island Saturday Night Film Series.

Something Weird Video sponsors of the Coney Island Saturday Night Film Series.

Troma Films sponsors of the Coney Island Saturday Night Film Series.

Volcanic Video Dave Channon is an eccentric videographer and Manhattan Public Access Cable activist who has done a lot of work with Coney Island over the years.

 
BURLESQUE: CONEY ISLAND is the CAPITAL CIRCUS CARNIVAL ARTS

 
MERMAID PARADE

Get ready for the wild creativity of slinky sea-inspired couture and a celebration of the female breast.

The annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade takes place on the first Saturday after the summer solstice.  The event celebrates the beginning of Summer

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade began in 1983.  The Mermaid Parade celebrates the start of the Summer season, and plays homage to original Coney Island Mardi Gras parades in the early 20th century.
WHEN: It has taken place annually on a Saturday in June.
WHERE: Surf Ave
Founded by Dick Zigun who also is founder of the Coney Island USA [coneyisland.com]. it is known for the Carnival spirit found New York's premier Village Halloween parade as well as Labor Day's  Brooklyn Carnival.
The parade has a section for vehicles of all kinds, floats, groups and individuals. Mermaids and sea creatures of all shapes and sizes enjoy a welcoming, festive crowd. Presiding over the parade are a mermaid King and Queen. In 2005 the King was David Johansen (Buster Poindexter) and the Queen was Karmen Guy (Mad Juana). Other years David Byrne, Queen Latifah, and Moby have filled the royal seats.

MermaidParadeBall.com
 The Parade is followed by the Mermaid Parade Ball, a post-parade gathering where costumed parade participants can get together with each other and parade spectators to listen to live music, purchase raffle tickets, and watch burlesque and sideshow acts performed by some of New York City's hottest burlesque stars.
CLICK TO SEARCH "MERMAID PARADE"
SambaGirl was the Top flickr click from the 2005 parade

"Hello! My name is Mandy and I'm the girl in that picture. My husband, who made the costume, actually got a summons for "Walking with a nude woman and causing an alarm" I have to go to court on June 25. The cop was obviously trying to impress his CO and get another ticket to complete his quota, I'm checking out my options and see where I can go with this. I have been doing this in almost every major parade since 1998 and have never had any problems, the cops were more than happy to take pictures with me, I don't know what was this guy's problem -sambagirl
The case was eventually dismissed.
 

Bambi the Mermaid  the parade icon. During the Summer season, The Great Fredini and Bambi present  -Burlesque on the Beach- A revival of the most glorious and notorious of the "girlie revues" in Coney Island history. Check out her other site CornStar.com too!

northstargallery.com
 Dennis Felty has been photographing the parade for years.

Marty Cooper the Citylore photographer has a great gallery of parade photos.

Forgotten-NY.com has some great mermaid parade photos

 
 
IMG_6496.jpg
Caribbean

Carnival

brass-glow.jpgLingo

Wine on ah Bumsee: dance behind a woman with hips gyrating.

Carnival Posse: gang of people who get together to enjoy carnival.

Road March: most popular tune played on the streets for dancing

Beat Pan: play steelpan instruments.

Ole Mas: traditional folkloric characters often seen on Jouvert morn.

Jump Up: dance in a carnival band.

Las Lap: the last party of the Carnival season.
Carnival and Annual Events || top
 
 
Celebrate Brooklyn! Presented by www.briconline.org
Founded in 1979, Celebrate Brooklyn is one of NYC's longest-running, free, summer outdoor performing arts festivals. Chosen as NYC’s Best Summer Festival, Celebrate Brooklyn is continually praised for its wide array of live performances and film screenings, spectacular venue and highly diverse audience that that cannot be found anywhere else.
WHERE: Prospect Park Bandshell
WHEN:

 

Blessing of the Fleet
WHERE: Sheepshead Bay
WHEN: 3rd week of May

DanceAfrica Festival
WHERE: BAM parking lot
WHEN: Late May or June

Mermaid Parade arielanm.gif (3940 bytes)
WHERE: Coney Island
WHEN: Saturday in Late June www.coneyisland.com
 Everyone dresses as mermaids and King Neptunes and parades the boardwalk. Afterwards, fruit is thrown into the Atlantic to appease the sea gods.

Welcome Back to Brooklyn
WHERE: Grand Army Plaza
WHEN: 2nd Sunday in June

Movies with a View Presented by bbpc.net
Held under the Brooklyn Bridge
Thursday evenings, July and August

Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel & St. Paulinus WHERE:Greenpoint
WHEN: Early July

Brooklyn Family Theatre Neighborhood Fair Saturday, early July at Church of Gethsemane - 1012 8th Ave (at 10th St) 718-670-7205

Irish American & Annual Battle of Brooklyn Parade
WHERE: Green-Wood Cemetery
WHEN: On the same day, end of August.718-738-7300
The latter commemorates the patriots who fought the nation’s first battle.

Guyana Folk Festival
WHEN: Labor Day Weekend
INFO: 718-209-5207 Showcase and celebrates the multiple roots of Guyana's cultural heritage.

Brighton Jubilee
WHERE: Brighton Beach Av
WHEN:Sunday before Labor Day

The Original Brooklyn Carnival
“the nation’s largest cultural event…The food’s spicy, the performers are fantastically costumed and the calypso music and steelpan are joyous. Recognizes over 200 years of Haitian independence.

 

Art off the Main
WHEN: October
WHERE: Puck Building 212-473-8649
INFO: Contemporary African, Caribbean & Latin Art

Last Update: Aug 2006

 

 

Golf
Marine Park Golf Course
2880 Flatbush Ave.
(718) 338-7113

Dyker Beach Golf Course
7th Ave. and 36th Street
(718) 836-9722

Beaches open Memorial Day and have lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

 

 

Samba Spectacular

● Brazil Day in NYC takes place Labor Day Sunday

 Started in 1985; 1million showed up in 2003

● Main Stage at  6th Ave. & 43rd Street. Covers 14 blocks from 42nd to 56th Ave and on on 46th St. from Madison Ave. to 7th Ave.
● The best part is all the Brazilians dressing the part in gold and green, with occasional drag queens. You’ll find several opportunities to play your percussion instrument if you remember to bring it!

● Since 2001 all NYC events are dry, but 42nd Street at 5th is the Brazil zone, where the food is authentic and the restaurants offer the full range of Brazilian drinking pleasures.