I don’t remember how many times I’ve been to New York City. Seven? Maybe eight times? But I do remember how many times I’ve ventured over to Brooklyn! Three times! The first is brief, a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and then a subway ride back. The second? A visit to Coney Island and the iconic Peter Luger’s. The third also includes a meal at Peter Luger’s, but this time, we also explore the Brooklyn Flea Market.
The problem is, I keep traveling with people who are newbies to NYC. All they want to do is do the “touristy” thing — Statue of Liberty, 911 Memorial, Central Park, 5th Avenue … you get the picture. For me, I’ve done all that, and after the third time, it gets old.
My intentions, whenever I visit NYC, is to eat! The myriad of ethnic cuisines in the city is unrivaled and I will travel to get to it. Brooklyn is one of those places! After reading through The Brooklyn Experience, the hankering for a Brooklyn-specific visit is big.
Getting some of my travel mates to Brooklyn is another story. After all, Brooklyn is where all the cool kids have moved to, and this is where a lot of the up and coming best eats in NYC are cropping up.
The Brooklyn Experience is the perfect guide to anyone wanting to visit NYC, but especially, the borough of Brooklyn. Included in the book are essays and the pithy, sometimes funny comments of sixty cultural, literary, and culinary movers and shakers, culled from exclusive interviews with experts from the James Beard Foundation to the co-founder of the famous Brooklyn Book Festival, as well as MacArthur “genius” award winners, young entrepreneurs, hipsters, and activists, all of whom have something to say about Brooklyn’s stunning renaissance.
Neighborhood profiles are rich in user-friendly information and details, including movies, celebrities, and novels associated with each neighborhood. There are also 800 listings of great restaurants, bars, shops, parks, cultural institutions, and historical sites, complete with contact information. My favorite chapter is “Eating and Drinking in Brooklyn,” with listings under the different areas for easy access.
I’ll be in NYC again soon — so watch out Brooklyn!
The Brooklyn Experience is available on Amazon.
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