New York · United States
Brooklyn travel guide
Brooklyn is a city in New York, United States, home to about 2,736,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- JFK14 km · John F. Kennedy International Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/New York
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Brooklyn
Brooklyn, coextensive with Kings County, is the most populous of the five boroughs and counties of New York City, New York. Located at the westernmost end of Long Island and formerly an independent city, Brooklyn shares a land border with the borough and county of Queens.
The borough of Brooklyn is coterminous with Kings County—the counterpart of Queens County to the north—but hardly anyone calls it that except in occasional official correspondence. Brooklyn was once a separate city independent from the City of New York. The cities merged at the end of the nineteenth century, forever after lamented by some Brooklynites as "The Great Mistake of 1898." Although Brooklyn is very diverse, what makes Brooklyn so different from the other boroughs are its distinct cultural neighborhoods.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Brooklyn
See
See the Districts articles for more listings. Downtown is where you'll find the one of the most famous of all New York landmarks: the Brooklyn Bridge, which connects the borough to Lower Manhattan. Grand Army Plaza marks the gateway to Prospect Park, and is home to the distinctive Soldiers and Sailors Arch. Coney Island is a hotspot during the summer season. One could go for a day and enjoy the beach and beach vendors, then at night visit Luna Park and ride rides for a cheap price or watch a game at the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball field. Among the attractions is the Coney Island Cyclone, one of the world's oldest and still operating wooden roller coasters.
Do
See the Districts articles for more listings. The Brooklyn Academy of Music and Bargemusic in Downtown are both excellent options for concerts. During the summer season, Prospect Park hosts the Celebrate Brooklyn concert campaign every weekend in the Bandshell area of the park. There are also many concerts at churches and synagogues (for example in Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope), as well as at colleges (such as Brooklyn College and New York Technical College). Check the listings in newspapers like the New York Press and Village Voice, which also have websites. Coney Island is home to the Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York Mets' single-A minor league baseball team.
- Adventurer's Family Entertainment Center
- Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park
- Luna Park at Coney Island
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Brooklyn
2 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Elephantine Colossus | 1885 | 8.6 km |
| Wyndham Garden Brooklyn Sunset Park | 4.6 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Brooklyn
Brooklyn has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 29 °C; March is the wettest, with about 111 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Brooklyn: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), about 14 km from the city centre in a straight line; LaGuardia Airport (LGA, 16 km) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR, 19 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
The subway is overall the best way to get around Brooklyn, although there are some spots, notably Red Hook and parts of East Brooklyn (including most of the tourist attractions), where subway coverage is poor and bus transportation is encouraged. Using Google Maps transit directions is an easy way to get accurate directions throughout Brooklyn (as well as the rest of NYC). However, do check the MTA website for service changes, as Google Maps tends to miss out on those. You can also use the subway map on MTA website or pick one up for free at a station agent's booth.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
JFK · John F. Kennedy International Airport
LGA · LaGuardia Airport
EWR · Newark Liberty International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Brooklyn
Eat
See the Districts articles for more listings. 8th Avenue (or Third Chinatown), stretching from 40th Street to 62nd Street, holds its own against Canal Street and Flushing. Fancy 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. Along 7th/5th Avenue in Park Slope, one can find any type of cuisine from Italian, to Mexican, to Japanese and even Fish and Chips. This part of Brooklyn has plenty of Zagat-reviewed restaurants that are sure to please any type of craving and tastebuds.
Stay safe
Brooklyn may have a tough reputation, but it is largely safe as of 2026. Just exercise normal precautions such as being aware of your surroundings and putting your wallet and phone in your front pocket, and you're very likely to be fine.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Brooklyn: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Brooklyn?
Brooklyn has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 29 °C; March is the wettest, with about 111 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Brooklyn?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), about 14 km from the city centre in a straight line; LaGuardia Airport (LGA, 16 km) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR, 19 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Brooklyn?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Brooklyn
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.