Prospect Park & Brooklyn Waterfront [nyc]

We just got back from New York and are excited to begin sharing some of our adventures! New York is one of the most unique cities in the world and should be on everyone’s list of places to visit before you die. Our journey to New York began in Brooklyn; we are lucky to have really good friends who live in the city, which makes visiting the city much easier (and a lot cheaper!). We had 4 days to explore, and we definitely made the best of our time. So, let’s say hello to Brooklyn!

Our friends live near Prospect Park in Brooklyn which meant that we stayed off the beaten track for most of our New York adventure. We wanted to take advantage and spend as much time as possible in Brooklyn. It was a great place to start our day at a slow pace and just enjoy the green space. The trees were still barren and the first hints of spring were just starting to show signs of life. Prospect Park is essentially Brooklyn’s answer to Central Park, and even though we walked around for close to 2 hours, we didn’t see a fraction of the park.

As we wandered along the trails, we found some beautiful spots, including a many green spaces, a classic Merry-Go-Round and a picturesque boathouse, all surrounded by the silence of nature. We eventually exited the park at Grand Army Plaza. This open space and archway monument is dedicated to the Soldiers and Sailors who defended the Union from 1861-1865. The Brooklyn Library is located here, and on Saturday’s they host a really cool farmer’s market. We found the nearest subway station and transported ourselves to the waterfront.

What Makes Brooklyn so amazing?

The subway in New York is amazing, as it can transport you from one random point of the city to another with very little effort. We took the train for five or six stops, and wandered towards the waterfront of Brooklyn for views of Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. The old piers have been transformed into public spaces; parks, basketball courts and public gardens. It has obviously been revitalized in the last few years, and it we could have spent another hour or more here walking along the seawall, but we wanted to get to Lower Manhattan with lots of daylight.

Since this was Norma’s first time to New York, we wanted to make sure she had an amazing first impression, and if there was something she wanted to do, we did it. The Brooklyn Bridge was on Norma’s bucket list, and since it also doubles as a way to get between the two Burroughs, it was an easy choice. We were on our way to Lower Manhattan anyways.

Where is Brooklyn and How do you get there?

The Brooklyn Bridge was built in 1869, and is still a major transportation route today, and the walking path through the middle is a convenient way to cross the East River. It takes about 30 minutes or less to walk along depending on how many people you have to dodge along the way – while watching out for bikes that will hit you – while you try to capture the perfect picture of the city. I think most people who come to New York have the Brooklyn Bridge on their bucket list, especially based on the number of other people we saw on the bridge on a slightly rainy Friday afternoon.

This is one of the most visited attractions in the city – and it’s definitely an “instagram photo spot” – but its hard to argue with the great views of the city you get from here. We were lucky to visit when there was no visible scaffolding on the bridge, which is a Bonus. If you want a less busy way to cross from Brooklyn to Manhattan, try walking over the Manhattan Bridge, which gives you the same great views, but with the bridge in the foreground and less people.We arrived in Lower Manhattan ready to explore, but we are going to cut ourselves off here before we get too far ahead of ourselves.

This post is about Brooklyn and we want to show off some of our favourite shots from this side of the river. Brooklyn is seriously amazing. There are thousands of incredible places to eat, and plenty of different things to see and do. If you’re planning a trip to New York, please don’t neglect the other Burroughs. Manhattan is 1/5 of the city, so if you don’t leave the island, you’re not seeing all of New York.

We hope you enjoy the following shots from Brooklyn and stay tuned for more pictures and stories from our trip to New York! Cheers!

Prospect Park & Grand Army Plaza:

Brooklyn Waterfront: