The other side of Brooklyn Bridge

Brooklyn is a trendy borough of New York City and within very easy reach of Manhattan, where most people tend to stay. It seems like the creative hub of the City with lots of young artists (and professionals) now living here – it has some serious hipster vibes.

Brooklyn is massive, about 5 times as large as Manhattan, so it’s not easy to explore every single area in one day and places are not exactly walking distance either. There is however the metro (and Uber!) so fear not! Here are 3 Brooklyn neighbourhoods that you should definitely visit!

DUMBODumbo, which stands for ‘Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass’, is worth a visit when you’re in Brooklyn. You can get amazing views of the Manhattan skyline from here as well as great views of the Brooklyn Bridge itself. Head to the intersection of Washington Street and Water. This is where you can get those insta-popular photos of the Brooklyn Bridge! For more insta-worthy photos, check out my Instagram Guide to New York.

For aerial views of the skyline, head to the Empire Store Warehouse’s rooftop which is free to visit! The Brooklyn Bridge Park also offers excellent views of Manhattan and is popular at sunset.Williamsburg

Williamsburg is a really trendy part of Brooklyn. It has seen a lot of gentrification over the past few years but still seems to maintain a certain character and charm about it. This area is full of rooftop bars, coffee shops (check out Devocion which had a really cool vibe!), vintage shops and flea markets so you could easily spend a few hours wandering around and eating your way through town. Although I didn’t get to try the food scene in Williamsburg, I heard a lot about Five Leaves and Sunday in Brooklyn which looked like great options for brunch. There is also the famous food market called Smorgasburg, held in the East River Park from 11am–6pm on Saturday and Sunday (April to November). For ice-cream, check out Van Leeuwen’s – they do vegan ice-cream as well and in lots of interesting and fun flavours.For a bit of relaxation and views, head to Domino Park on the waterfront. The area which is home to the Domino Sugar Refinery is going under a massive makeover and you can get some pretty epic Manhattan skyline views from this angle.Bushwick

Bushwick is an exciting part of Brooklyn. It is full of interesting and colourful street art that you could spend a while exploring, especially the Bushwick Collective, just off Flushing Avenue.

Have you been to any of these places? What are your top tips for Brooklyn? X