Brooklyn: Parks, Culture and the Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn surprises visitors with landscaped parks, historic sites, distinctive museums and the famous Brooklyn Bridge. Anyone planning a trip with varied experiences will find both paths through green landscapes and insights into the history and culture of the borough. When searching for a holiday apartment in Brooklyn, it helps to define your personal focus early on: Should parks and gardens, historic sites, outdoor activities or cultural discoveries shape your stay?

Parks, Gardens and Nature Experiences

Prospect Park is a landscape designed by Olmsted. Its designers used natural elements such as old-growth forests. For walking, jogging and cycling, the park has a paved 3½-mile loop. This allows you to choose the length and type of your activity according to how you feel that day and your travel interests.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden was founded in 1910. It covers 52 acres and includes more than 10,000 plant species and cultivars. The Herb Garden showcases useful and food plants from around the world. This gives the garden its own way of experiencing the plant world, while Fort Greene Park offers a different landscape impression with winding paths, sloping lawns and mature trees.

Brooklyn Bridge Park also offers noteworthy opportunities for observing nature: Nearly 500 different species have been recorded on Pier 6, including more than 50 bird species, 200 insect species and more than 200 plant species. In the wider regional area around Brooklyn, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge covers more than 12,600 acres of waterways, salt marshes, freshwater and brackish ponds, higher-elevation fields and forests, as well as open bays and islands. More than 300 bird species have been observed there.

Experience History and Culture Consciously

The Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883 and was the first bridge to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River. It can be crossed on foot free of charge. This makes it a clear part of travel planning if you want not only to view a landmark structure but also to experience it on foot.

The Weeksville Heritage Center is a historic site and cultural center in Central Brooklyn. It offers tours of the historic Hunterfly Road Houses. The New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn is located in a decommissioned subway station at 99 Schermerhorn St. The two places focus on different subjects: one on historic buildings and community history, the other on the development of public transportation.

A monument in Fort Greene Park commemorates more than 11,500 American prisoners of war who died aboard British ships during the American Revolutionary War. Green-Wood Cemetery dates from 1838 and contains hundreds of monuments and works of art. Its grounds also feature four ponds, 8,000 trees and 185 bird species; overall, it covers 478 acres. History, art and landscape stand side by side here, without requiring you to limit your visit to a single theme.

Active Days and Shared Discoveries

Brooklyn Bridge Park offers free, seasonal, guided walking tours led by trained guides. During opening hours, the Environmental Education Center at Brooklyn Bridge Park offers free drop-in activities, including encounters with live animals native to New York, craft activities and science-based games. Those traveling with children can plan these activities as a possible complement to historic sightseeing and walks, without dedicating the entire day to just one type of experience.

The Canarsie Pier in Brooklyn has been used for fishing for more than 300 years. Together with the paved loop in Prospect Park and the seasonal tours, this creates a choice of different ideas for the day: exercise, observing nature, history or a more relaxed stay at a place with a long tradition of use.

Choose the Right Focus for Your Accommodation

When searching for a holiday apartment in Brooklyn, it is therefore worthwhile to plan your trip around your interests. First decide whether parks and plants, the bridge and city history, museums and historic houses, or observing nature in the wider regional area should take priority. You can then compare the available accommodation locations according to which focus best suits the days you have planned. The facts about Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, Weeksville Heritage Center, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the other places provide a concrete basis for this, without requiring you to commit to just one way of traveling.

Keep Other Destinations in Mind

If you would like to include destinations besides Brooklyn in your travel plans, you can also keep Staten Island, Queens, the Bronx, Manhattan, Brighton Beach and New York City in mind.

For the higher-level travel overview: New York City.