100 Reasons Why Brooklyn Lives Up To The Hype - Photo Gallery

<em>Jake Dobkin</em><br/><br/><b>100.</b> <em>Street Art:</em> You can find art on streets citywide, but it flourishes in Brooklyn more than any other borough, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/12/23/new_yorks_most_interesting_streetar.php?gallery0Pic=17#gallery">as you can see here</a>. <br/><br/><b>99.</b> <em><a href="http://www.bierkraft.com">Bierkraft</a></em>: At this Park Slope gourmet beer store you can choose from 1,000 beers, as well as 14 fresh beers and two casks on tap for growler fills or pints on the premises. There is also a wide array of artisan cheeses, chocolates, and charcuterie. <br/><br/><b>98. </b><em>Book Court: </em>This is the bookstore that<a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/05/09/emma_straub_is_having_a.php"> writers work for even after they have been published</a>. Cobble Hill's literary gem hosts readings from some of <a href="http://www.bookcourt.org/category/events/">New York's most celebrated authors </a>—but they include out-of-towners, too. Book Court's <em>Cousin Corinne</em> is the shop's biennial publication, featuring fiction, photos, and graphic art.<br/><br/><b>97.</b> <em>Brooklyn 'Buch: </em>With store-bought kombucha at $3.50-$4.50/bottle, it makes more sense to brew your own. <a href="http://kombuchabrooklyn.com/">Kombucha Brooklyn</a>, based out of Red Hook, makes a fine, fresh probiotic beverage, and they want everyone to be in on the fermentation fun. Homebrew kits run for about $35, so you can have your very own mother in a jar in your apartment.<br/><br/><b>96.</b> <em>Sahadi's:</em> Since 1948, the Lebanese-owned <a href="http://www.sahadis.com">Sahadi's</a> has been an indispensable source for fine imported foods, nuts, dried fruits, and all sorts of delicacies that can't be found elsewhere on this stretch of Atlantic Avenue. Sahadi's hummus is arguably the best in the neighborhood, and up front there are open barrels of bulk grains and spices, an amazing array of olives, nuts, and dried fruits, coffee beans, and assorted spices. Much of the packaged fare is Middle Eastern, but there are plenty of other exotic foods on hand, plus a solid selection of cheeses. If you're on your way to a picnic in Brooklyn Bridge Park, or just on your way home to eat an entire tub of hummus in your underwear, Sahadi's is unbeatable. <br/><br/><b>95.</b> <em>Peter Pan Donuts:</em> Fact: The old school Peter Pan Donuts at 727 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint still makes the tastiest (and cutest) donuts in all the land. That Peter Pan dominates the donut game is hardly a secret, especially since Tina Fey blabbed to the press about her favorite: the white-cream-filled powdered doughnut. In an interview, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/04/06/tina_fey_agrees_peter_pan_makes_bes.php">Fey revealed</a>, "I really believe, when I first tried it, if I had a penis, I would put it in this doughnut. I finally understand what you guys are thinking about and what motivates you guys."<br/><br/><b>94.</b> <em>Jeff Stark and Nonsense NYC: </em>The borough's most prominent events chronicler, champion, and co-creator of the Brooklyn underground is Jeff Stark, who's been known to stage unauthorized site-specific theater performances in locations ranging from <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/02/02/underground_theater_turns_subway_in.php">moving subway cars</a> to <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/04/23/a_photo_tour_of_jeff_starks_latest.php#photo-1">secret abandoned warehouses</a> out of town. The city's alt performance art party scene wouldn't be the same without him, and his weekly newsletter, <a href="http://www.nonsensenyc.com/">Nonsense NYC</a>, is pretty much all you need to guide you through the city's best under-the-radar events.<br/><br/><b>93.</b> <em>The Mermaid Parade:</em> This <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/mermaidparade">annual celebration</a> of summer, the sea god Neptune, Coney Island, and topless mermaids has become one of the most colorful and creative events in town. All are welcome to drift down to the Boardwalk in whatever aquatic costumes seem appropriate, followed by a party on the ocean's edge that lasts as long as those starfish pasties stay attached. <br/><br/><b>92.</b> <em>Brooklyn Farmacy:</em> Old-timey soda fountains have been all but eradicated from present-day New York, which is why the atavistic <a href="http://brooklynfarmacy.blogspot.com">Brooklyn Farmacy</a> is so darn special. Combining the style of an old soda fountain with the contemporary demand for fresh and wholesome ingredients, this Carroll Gardens destination is a perfect sparkling glass of nostalgia, from its mosaic tile floor to its pressed-tin ceiling. Sit down at the counter and order what is arguably <a href="http://queens.ny1.com/content/lets_eat/edible/139830/edible--egg-creams-made-right-in-brooklyn">the best egg cream in town</a> (and there's nothing more fun to argue about than who does the best egg cream). <br/><br/><strong>91. </strong><em>St. Ann's Warehouse:</em> Possibly the city's greatest presenter of cutting-edge theater from around the world, <a href="http://stannswarehouse.org">St. Ann's Warehouse</a> in DUMBO has been home to a large number of outstanding shows over the years. Most recently, the British import <em><a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/12/13/brief_encounter.php">Brief Encounter</a> </em>transferred to Broadway, and on the other end of the spectrum, the arresting solo show <em><a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/01/23/opinionist_the_interminable_suicide.php">The Interminable Suicide of Gregory Church</a></em> is guaranteed a spot in our top ten list this year. Unfortunately, with an injunction barring St. Ann's from relocating from its current capacious warehouse to a new space across the street in a turn-of-the-century tobacco warehouse, the theater <a href="http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151482-St-Anns-Warehouse-Faces-Homelessness-After-Court-Injunction">faces homelessness</a>.

<em>The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (<a href="http://colormekatie.com">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist)</em><br/><br/><b>90.</b> <em>Brooklyn Beer &amp; Soda: </em> Washington Avenue is a burgeoning hot spot on the Prospect Heights/Crown Heights border. Eateries like RawStar, Gen, Ortine, and Udom Thai have given the neighborhood some culinary flair, while Sit &amp; Wonder Cafe and bars Washington Commons and Minor Arcana provide spaces to socialize over a hot, iced, or alcoholic beverage. Just down the block from these fine establishments is <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/brooklyn-beer-and-soda-brooklyn">Brooklyn Beer &amp; Soda</a>, a gigantic one-stop shop perfect for all your partying needs. Brooklyn Beer &amp; Soda is truly an oasis in a desert of Coors Light and PBR, stocking a “ridiculous," “overwhelming” selection of craft, domestic, and imported beers, as well as hard-to-find fizzy drinks. They also have plenty of beer on tap for that growler you carry around on especially hot, lawless days. <br/><br/><b>89.</b> <em>Confusing the Squares: </em>The bourgeois establishment NY Times still hasn't quite gotten comfortable with the borough yet; the paper <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/travel/13hours-brooklyn.html">still publishes features</a> such as "36 Hours in Brooklyn," like it's some exotic destination. Fasten your money belt tight and make sure you get all your immunizations before crossing the river! <br/><br/><strong>88.</strong> <em>Singing Subaru Guy:</em> Spend enough time in Williamsburg, sooner or later you'll encounter an exuberant man cruising the neighborhood in a red Subaru, blasting oldies and singing along at the top of his voice. That's just how Anthony Delia, aka Subaru Dude, rolls. And he rolls for hours, all weekend, every weekend, making a game out of how many times he'll pass you in one 48 period. <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/10/26/video_riding_with_the_oldies-singin.php">Here's a funny video</a> about the method to his madness. <br/><br/><b>87.</b> <em>Prettiest Little Sewage Treatment Plant in Town:</em> You can spot the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Greenpoint from miles around not just by its smell but also by its dramatic 145 feet high "digester eggs" which process tons of sewage into fertilizer in a complicated scientific process that we'll just call "magic." And if these four magnificent eggs weren't breathtaking enough, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/06/04/greenpoint_slud.php">the DEP illuminates the eggs</a> with a sensational blue sci-fi light. <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/10/11/ohny_spotlight_newtown_creek_water.php?gallery0Pic=5#photo-5">Take a tour of the eggs</a>, which are also visible from the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/09/27/a_nature_trail.php">Newtown Creek Nature Walk</a>, arguably one of the funniest (and surprisingly educational) parks in the five boroughs.<br/><br/><strong>86.</strong> <em>Caribbean Food: </em>Crown Heights is home to some of the most amazing Caribbean food in the five boroughs, offering up generous servings of vegan, vegetarian, and carnivore-friendly specialties. From <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=caribbean+food+crown+heights&amp;fb=1&amp;gl=us&amp;hq=caribbean+food+crown+heights&amp;hnear=0x89c24fa5d33f083b:0xc80b8f06e177fe62,New+York&amp;cid=7290162245136870268">Islands</a> on Washington Avenue to <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=caribbean+food+crown+heights&amp;fb=1&amp;gl=us&amp;hq=caribbean+food+crown+heights&amp;hnear=0x89c24fa5d33f083b:0xc80b8f06e177fe62,New+York&amp;cid=5567513160398070569">Imhotep's Health &amp; Living</a> on Nostrand, folks can get their fill of fresh vegetables, Jamaican beef patties, papaya salad, goat stew, jerk chicken, and various rice dishes. <br/><br/><strong>85.</strong> <em>Paul’s Boutique:</em> One of the most traiblazing hip hop albums of all time is named after a fictional boutique, and the photo on the album is of a streetcorner on the Lower East Side. Nevertheless, when <a href="http://paulsboutique.beastieboys.com/">the Beastie Boys' masterpiece</a> dropped in 1989, countless suburban teens heard the sample, "We're Paul's Boutique, and we're in Brooklyn" and knew this borough was where they wanted to be. <br/><br/><b>84.</b> <em>Brooklyn Cyclones:</em> It still pisses us off that the Giuliani administration tore down the old Thunderbolt roller coaster <a href="http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/Coney/coney.html">to appease owners</a> of the minor league ballpark across the street <a href="http://www.brooklyncyclones.com/">where the Cyclones play</a>, but we've got to admit it's a great place to catch a ballgame. We've attended some stellar concerts there, too—one time we saw Jay-Z play with Phish (<a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jay-z-jams-with-phish-20040621">true story</a>)—and we'd like to know why they don't do more rock shows there. It sure beats schlepping to Jones Beach. <br/><br/><b>83.</b> <em>Saltie:</em> Not for nothin' did <em>New York </em><a href="http://nymag.com/bestofny/food/2010/sandwiches/">declare</a> this dainty Williamsburg sandwich shop's "Scuttlebutt" the greatest vegetarian sandwich in all of NYC. <a href="http://www.saltieny.com/">Saltie</a> still reigns supreme for vegetarian-friendly sandwiches... or at least highly addictive. <br/><br/><b>82.</b> <em>Cheap Meat:</em> Brooklyn has successfully established itself as a major player on the DIY butchery/artisanal meats scene, but that doesn't mean you can't get a cheeseburger, for dirt cheap, at 1 a.m. Try Crown Fried Chicken, Kennedy Fried Chicken, or McKing, all located in Crown Heights or Bed-Stuy, and all home to the $2.50 cheeseburger (add bacon for $.50).<br/><br/><b>81</b> <em>Giglio Lift:</em> For twelve days every July, the Annual Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Paulinus of Nola takes turns a quiet corner of Williamsburg into an old-fashioned Italian street fair, complete with rides, amusements, and all the Zeppole you could ever want. But what really separates this from Little Italy's Feast of <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/01/26/neighbors_try_to_cut_san_gennaro_of.php">San Gennaro</a> is the lifting of the Giglio, during which 130 burly men carry the 80-foot tall, 3 ton Giglio, as well as a lifesize boat of St. Paulinus, through the streets. <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/07/12/video_photos_lifting_the_giglio_201.php#photo-1">You've got to see it to believe it</a>. This year the festival starts on July 6th, <a href="http://www.olmcfeast.com/">details here</a>.

<em><a href="http://colormekatie.com">Katie Sokoler</a>/Gothamist</em><br/><br/> <b>80.</b> <em>Dyker Heights Lights:</em> Every Christmas, the predominantly Italian-American community of Dyker Heights <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/12/21/photos_dyker_heights_christmas_ligh.php">goes all in on Christmas lights displays</a>, attracting gawkers from all over NYC and the globe. A very funny documentary <em>Dyker Lights</em> hilariously chronicled the residents' annual extravaganza, but you've really got to see it for yourself. If you don't want to take the subway, Brooklyn's own Tony Muia runs a bus out there from Manhattan for his <a href="http://www.zerve.com/BKNYpizza/Lights">Christmas Lights &amp; Cannoli Tour</a>.<br/><br/><strong>79. </strong><em>The "Godfather" Sandwich at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=graham+ave+meats+and+deli&amp;fb=1&amp;gl=us&amp;hq=graham+ave+meats+and+deli&amp;hnear=0x89c24fa5d33f083b:0xc80b8f06e177fe62,New+York&amp;cid=6129671154151326968">Graham Ave Meats &amp; Deli</a></em>: Sure, Williamsburg has all sorts of newfangled culinary delights, but this epic sandwich from a longstanding Italian grocery is proof that the neighborhood's still in touch with its roots. The gargantuan sandwich comes piled high with Italian cold cuts sweet <em>and</em> spicy—sopressata, prosciutto and pancetta, to name a few—plus imported provolone, mozzarella, parmesan, roasted peppers, sundried tomatoes and enough oil and vinegar to make a mockery out of the bread. It's <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/graham-avenue-meats-and-deli-brooklyn#hrid:JtgcaRe5839HszSbrab0sw">been described</a> as "transcendent," a "masterpiece," and "for $8 this sandwich will have sex with your stomach."<br/><br/><strong>78.</strong> <em>The Bell House and Union Hall: </em>Owned by the same folks, these two beautiful venues put on some of the most interesting events in town. <a href="http://www.thebellhouseny.com/">The former</a>, located in Gowanus, has the bigger performance space, and is where you'll go for <a href="http://brooklynbeefsteak.com/">Beefsteak food parties</a>, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/06/miss_twin_peaks_1.php"><em>Twin Peaks </em>nights</a>, and indie rock shows. <a href="http://unionhallny.com">Union Hall</a> in Park Slope features indoor bocce, an open-air courtyard, a fireplace, and a small downstairs performance space where funnyman <a href="http://eugenemirman.com/">Eugene Mirman</a> holds court and where we once saw <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/05/16/andrew_bird_musician.php">Andrew Bird</a> perform. <br/><br/><strong>77.</strong> <em>Brooklyn Kitchen &amp; The Meat Hook:</em> Where else in New York can you buy the finest cuts of ethically raised and slaughtered meat, then learn how to whip up a delicious meal with it without cutting off a finger? <a href="http://the-meathook.com/">The Meat Hook</a>, run by "celebrity butcher" T<a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/07/31/video_200-pound_jersey_hog_gets_roa.php">om Mylan</a> &amp; Co., and the <a href="http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/">Brooklyn Kitchen</a> have become a magnet for adventurous eaters and curious home cooks, who can pick up everything from home brewing supplies to pig tails, all in one fell swoop.<br/><br/> <b>76.</b> <em>Shanghai Mermaid: </em>The city's best rotating underground Jazz Age cabaret is <a href="http://www.shanghaimermaid.com">Shanghai Mermaid</a>, which takes place every other month or so at various secret locations, usually in Brooklyn. There are Prohibition-era cocktails, live jazz, absinthe, and everyone dresses up in their finest vintage threads (admission is denied to anyone not looking the part, FYI). The next Shanghai Mermaid goes down July 9th and has a Bastille Day theme. If you go, show up early—we're not the first ones to blow this party up.<br/><br/><b>75.</b> <em>Flatbush Frolic: </em>Nestled among the beautifully preserved historical Victorian neighborhood of Flatbush, <a href="http://flatbushfrolic.org">the Flatbush Frolic</a> boasts being more than just your average "socks and sausages street fair." The outdoor festival on Coretlyou Road emphasizes food, art, music and goods created by—and for—the locals of this diverse area. At one time or another, those locals included Michael Showalter, Talib Kweli, prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, and, according to Mel Blanc, Bugs Bunny! <br/><br/><b>74.</b> <em>Kent Avenue Bike Lane:</em> Hats off to the <a href="http://www.brooklyngreenway.org">Brooklyn Greenway Initiative</a>, which spent years laboring to create a safe and pleasant way to connect north and south Brooklyn by bike. The DOT finally listened, and this dedicated bike lane now takes cyclists all the way from Greenpoint to the Brooklyn Navy Yards, where it continues on other streets to offer a safer route to the Manhattan Bridge, Park Slope and beyond. As an added bonus, it also doubles as <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/12/08/kent_avenue_bike_lane_blocked.php">great free parking</a>!<br/><br/><b>73.</b> <em>Food Co-Op:</em> For many, the <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/parkslopefoodcoop">Park Slope Coop </a>represents all that is obnoxious about Park Slope: self-righteousness, combined with too many strollers, Trustafarians, and sanctimonious health food fanatics. While these might be actual facets of the 40-year old Coop, it is nonetheless a thriving community fixture that boasts more than 14,000 members and provides coop eaters/shoppers/workers with fantastic local, organic food and sustainably imported goods. It's also one of the oldest and largest in the nation. <br/><br/><strong>72.</strong> <em>Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory:</em> The rich, creamy, delicious small batch ice cream from the <a href="http://www.brooklynicecreamfactory.com/home.html">Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory</a> is arguably the best in the city. You can get it at two locations: in Greenpoint and, most scenically, down on the East River in DUMBO at Old Fulton and Water Street, right by the Brooklyn Bridge. That location operates out of a landmark fireboat house on the Fulton Ferry Pier, and was frequented by none other than First Lady Michelle Obama! (FLOTUS <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/03/24/michelle_obama_still_in_nyc_spendin.php">ordered chocolate</a>.)<br/><br/><strong>71.</strong> <em>Uyighur Food on Brighton Beach: </em>We've <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/05/31/ethnic_eating_adventures_cafe_kashk.php">said it before</a>, and we'll say it again: Brooklyn is one of the only places in the entire city to experience the delicious, pungent flavors of Uighur, or Chinese-Muslim, cuisine. Hop the train out to Brighton Beach to taste oversized dumplings, cumin-laced lamb kebabs and stir-fried lagman noodles at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-kashkar-brooklyn">Cafe Kashkar</a>—bonus points for having an impromptu beachside picnic while you're there.

<em>The Shore Parkway bike path (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeguynyc/3199543071/sizes/z/in/photostream/">Bikeguynyc's Flickr</a>)</em><br/><br/><b>70.</b> <em>Shore Parkway Greenway:</em> The spectacular <a href="http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/brooklyn-bike-map/">Shore Parkway bike path</a> offers arguably the greatest vistas of any bike path in New York. Wrapping around the southwest love handle of Brooklyn, the path follows the water for 13 miles, through Bay Ridge and Fort Hamilton. There are hopes that one day this will be connected to the Brooklyn bike paths that have greatly improved cyclist commutes between North Brooklyn and Downtown, but for now this stands on its own as a cycling destination, and a safe, scenic way to get to Coney Island.<br/><br/><b>69.</b> <em>The McKibben Dorms:</em> As gentrified as certain Brooklyn neighborhoods might get, it's nice to know <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/05/07/mckibben_dorms.php">the infamous McKibben "Dorms</a>" in East Williamsburg are keeping the borough bohemian with their filthy firetrap artist warrens. It's almost like a commune out there, but instead of earnest ideals about cooperative living, there are experimental 8-bit music parties until dawn. Everyone should go to a party there at least once! (Gothamist LLC accepts no liability for any damage incurred by <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/05/25/dreams_of_hipster_paradise_at_mckib.php">muggers</a>, <a href="gothamist.com/tags/bedbugs">bedbugs</a>, or <a href="gothamist.com/tags/hipstergrifter">hipster grifters</a>.)<br/><br/><b>68.</b> <em>Dressler:</em> One of just a handful of Brooklyn restaurants to win a coveted Michelin star, this elegant/casual fine dining destination is located just across the street from another star-holder, Peter Luger. But the two establishments are worlds apart; <a href="http://www.dresslernyc.com/">Dressler</a> (from the owner of DuMont) is all gourmet "new" Brooklyn, and it's truly one of the more beautiful places to dine in New York—or to just get drinks at the bar, or brunch outside. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/dining/reviews/07rest.html">Reviewing Dressler in 2007</a>, former Times critic Frank Bruni praised the food and loved "the dark room" and its "romantic, seductively spooky charge. It's like a baby Balthazar made over by Anne Rice."<br/><br/><b>67.</b> <em>Issue Project Room at the The Old American Can Factory: </em>One of the coolest performance spaces in Brooklyn, the big old <a href="http://www.xoprojects.com">Old American Can Factory</a> was transformed over the past decade from a 19th century place of industry to a 21st century performance art and events space. The fascinating structure, with its enchanting inner courtyard, is home to the acclaimed <a href="http://www.issueprojectroom.org/">Issue Project Room</a>, Brooklyn's foremost presenter of experimental music and performance. <br/><br/><strong>66.</strong> <em>RUBULAD: </em>Started by a group of Williamsburg artists in an unforgettably unique multi-level space back around the turn-of-the-century, this wild performance art party has since relocated to Bed-Stuy, where it keeps on making magical memories (or beautiful blackouts). <a href="http://brokeassstuart.com/2010/03/23/rubulad-the-burning-man-of-brooklyn/">As one blogger put it</a>, "Whenever you’re having one of those, I’m sick of New York days, the parties are all the same, just go to Rubulad and you’ll feel like the prude in the crowd."<br/><br/><b></b><strong>65.</strong> <em>DIY Mummification:</em> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=proteus+gowanus&amp;fb=1&amp;gl=us&amp;hq=proteus&amp;hnear=0x89c25a560db693e3:0xb05e8b0bdf854b54,Gowanus,+NY&amp;cid=9306389517295806708">Proteus Gowanus</a> is housed in a converted factory somewhere between Park Slope and Gowanus. Home to <a href="http://morbidanatomy.blogspot.com/">Morbid Anatomy</a>'s private library, the Observatory, a special reading room, the Writhing Society, a small press, galleries dedicated to curiosities and ephemera, workshops, lectures, DIY taxidermy and mummification classes, this is by far one of the most lively, unusual, and exciting spots to check out. <br/><br/><b>64.</b> <em>Tom's Restaurant:</em> Decorated like an old lady's living room, tchochkes and all, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=tom%27s+restaurant+bk&amp;fb=1&amp;gl=us&amp;hq=tom%27s+restaurant+bk&amp;hnear=0x89c24fa5d33f083b:0xc80b8f06e177fe62,New+York&amp;cid=14530456768406630336">Tom's Restaurant</a> in Prospect Heights has stayed in business since the 1940s, and it's no accident. The French toast, huevos rancheros, omelettes, eggs Benedict, crab cakes, and pancakes with assorted butters are all worth trying. Don't forgo a classic Brooklyn egg cream or cherry-lime rickey. The line can stretch around the block, but customers are offered small bites and cups of hot coffee while they wait.<br/><br/><b>63.</b> <em>Bike Kill: </em>This annual outre celebration of cycling is always a rager, and always in Brooklyn. (Look for it near the end of October.) Bicycle clubs (or gangs, if you will) assemble en masse for a ribald afternoon of tall bike jousting, six-pack drinking contests, bicycle flame-thrower firing, and so much more. Perhaps <a href="http://bedstuybanana.blogspot.com/2008/10/bike-kill-2008-dirty-white-people-2.html">Bed-Stuy Banana</a> summed up <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/10/26/a_bike_kill_grows_in_brooklyn.php#photo-1">the Bike Kill festivities</a> best: "Despite the gale force winds and misty rains, there was the usual large turn out of freaks, geeks, kids, punks, drunks, and bicycle fanatics. The wide selection of wheel chairs were mostly unused, which means either people hadn't drank enough beer or they'd been incredibly lucky." <br/><br/><strong>62. </strong><em>Freddy's Bar and Backroom:</em> <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/12/28/freddys_bar_sharpens_guillotine_to.php">They fought the good fight</a> against <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/atlanticyards">the Atlantic Yards bamboozle</a> in Prospect Heights, and lost, but they didn't lose everything. After being cast out through eminent domain, this classic Prohibition-era bar was transported to south Park Slope, where the spirit of artsy community has survived and, dare we say, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/03/31/five_best_barkeeps_in_nyc.php?gallery0Pic=4">flourished</a>. Nobody out-drinks the cat.<br/><br/><b>61.</b> <em>The Brooklyn Flea:</em> If you're looking for relaxed weekend activities, it's hard to beat a leisurely stroll through <a href="www.brooklynflea.com/">the Brooklyn Flea</a>, where a wide array of clothes, jewelry, tchotchkes, furniture, and foodstuffs abound. In addition to its Fort Greene location, this summer the Flea expanded to the almost-idyllic Williamsburg Waterfront at the end of North Sixth Street on the east river, now accessible by ferry!

<em>Di Fara (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/crozette/2532786224/">crozette's Flickr</a>)</em><br/><br/><strong>60.</strong> <em>Bowling:</em> Manhattan can keep their <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/11/23/photos_bowlmor_puts_useless_newspap.php#photo-1">glitzy new bowling alleys</a>; Williamsburg Brooklyn has them all beat with the one-two punch of The Gutter and Brooklyn Bowl. When the atavistic Gutter <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/09/12/the_gutter.php">opened in 2007</a>, it was the first new bowling alley to roll into Brooklyn in half a century. It's still our favorite, and besides the bowling (which is scored on vintage computer modules), they've got a pool table, a wide variety of craft beers, and a small music venue. <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/05/22/brooklyn_bowl_readies_for_opening.php">Brooklyn Bowl is a totally different upscale animal</a>, but a good compliment to the Gutter, with delicious food from Blue Ribbon and a state-of-the-art sound system for concerts. The friendly owner, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/03/16/peter_shapiro_brooklyn_bowl.php">Peter Shapiro</a>, used to run the progressive nightclub Wetlands, and he's proud to report that Brooklyn Bowl is the first LEED-certified bowling alley in the nation.<br/><br/><strong>59.</strong> <em>Free Valet Bike Parking:</em> The cycling boom does create complications: when everyone rides their bike to the same place, sometimes there's literally no suitable spot to lock up. <a href="http://www.transalt.org/resources/bikevalet">Enter Transportation Alternatives</a>, which for several years now has been offering free valet bike parking at some of Brooklyn's hottest events. You'll find them all summer long at <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/05/06/summer_concerts_flee_the_ac.php#photo-8">Celebrate Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell</a>, as well as <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/05/16/your_guide_to_this_summers_outdoor.php">the movie series in Brooklyn Bridge Park</a>, certain Sundays at the Brooklyn Flea, and even a Mets game in August at Citi—oh wait, that's outside our jurisdiction.<br/><br/><strong>58.</strong> <em>Rasputin's:</em> Walking into <a href="http://www.rasputinny.com">this wild restaurant &amp; cabaret</a> in Brighton Beach is like stepping through a magical portal into an illegal club for the Moscow mob and Demi-monde. If the velvet curtains, giant dance floor, two tiers of tables, carafes of vodka and a 10-piece house band aren't enough to transport you, just wait until the surreal floor show starts. The regular Saturday night "World of Cabaret" extravaganza has been aptly described as "Cirque du Soleil meets Victoria's Secret," and features a cast of thousands singing, dancing, and swinging from ropes in increasing elaborate chorus numbers. By the end of your fifth carafe of vodka, you won't be sure if you are awake or dreaming. <br/><br/><b>57.</b><em> Grow-mantic:</em> The Greenmarket that finds its home at the Northwest entrance to Prospect Park every Saturday is ripe with local and organic fare for foodies and stroller-pushers alike. Sure Union Square is the most famous Greenmarket, but this one's positioned next to an abundance of staples like the Brooklyn Library, the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, as well as the achingly romantic landscaping that is the Soldiers and Sailors Arch of Grand Army Plaza. The Union Square version's got <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/06/25/union_square_arrives_with_tgi_frida.php">T.G.I. Friday's</a>, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/21/video_daily_show_looks_at_smoking_b.php">Methadone Alley</a>, and the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/14/union_square_clock_yes_it_is_a_cloc.php">Smoldering Anus</a>.<br/><br/><b>56.</b> <em>Highest Subway Station:</em> Brooklyn has the highest subway station in all the land: Smith and 9th Street in Carroll Gardens. From there you'll enjoy commanding views of the Brooklyn harbor, and the rising wave of Park Slope as it crests up to Prospect Park. There's just one catch: The station is <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/culverviaduct">currently closed for rehabilitation</a> until the Spring 2012. But on the bright side, <a href="http://www.mta.info/mta/news/releases/?agency=nyct&amp;en=110617-NYCT74">the MTA promises</a> that when it reopens, customers will be welcomed with a new and expanded street level control house, new architectural metal panel escalator enclosure, and rehabilitated stairs and platforms. For now we'll just have to content ourselves with the Fourth Avenue and 9th Street elevated station, which does have a sweet view of the Statue of Liberty.<br/><br/><strong>55.</strong><em> The Brick Theater:</em> Keeping a small theater company up and running for more than a season or two is a seemingly impossible task, but <a href="http://www.bricktheater.com/">The Brick Theater</a> in Williamsburg has been at it for almost a decade—in Brooklyn. Long after anybody else would have become paralegals and moved to Scarsdale, the crew behind The Brick have been producing an astonishing variety of new work, much of it remarkably dedicated and adventurous. <br/><br/><b>54.</b> <em>Singles:</em> Much of this list includes thrifty tips and tricks for those who live on a Brooklyn-friendly budget. Here's one you can apply ASAP: take a single sleeve of Kraft cheese out of the container, a single beer out of its pack, or a single stick of butter out of its box, and the bodega cashier won't bat an eye. There's a laid-back vibe in Brooklyn that doesn't exist everywhere in Manhattan, and that extends to brown-bagging it on your stoop as well. (<a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/09/08/stoop_drinking_the_saga_continues.php">Except when it doesn't</a>.)<br/><br/><strong>53.</strong> <em>Smorgasburg: </em>You can't beat this all-food Saturday market at the Williamsburg waterfront. Cheekily named <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/05/20/eric_demby_jon_butler_founders_of_b.php">Smorgasburg</a>, it features over 100 local vendors selling everything from homemade mustard to banana-ricotta spring rolls.<br/><br/><b>52.</b> <em>Superhero Store:</em> <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/04/01/dave_eggers_cur.php">Dave Eggers</a> is a literary powerhouse who also happens to be a literacy activist. His organization 826 National provides free tutoring sessions to children and teens in eight cities, and New York is one of them. The <a href="http://826nyc.org/">Superhero Supply Store</a>, located on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, has been staffed by 800 volunteers since it opened in 2004, and reportedly served 2,094 youths in the 2008-2009 school year. And it actually does sell superhero supplies.<br/><br/><strong>51. </strong><em>Pizza:</em> It's not that New York pizza has the best pizza, it's that Brooklyn has the best pizza. Sure the density of slices of <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/17/pizza_wars_the_case_of_rays_pizza_v.php">the same name establishments</a> may be greater on Manhattan isle, but between <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/06/24/di_fara_and_dom_1.php">Di Fara</a>, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/02/25/camera_in_the_k_97.php">Roberta's</a>, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/10/02/mathieu_palombino_chef.php">Motorino</a>, <a href="http://www.spumonigardens.com/">L&amp;B Spumoni Gardens</a> in Bensonhurst, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2006/12/14/the_hungry_cabb_32.php">Lucali's</a>, <a href="http://www.frannysbrooklyn.com">Franny's </a>and <a href="http://gothamist.com/2004/08/18/grimaldis_pizza_step_by_step.php">Grimaldi's</a>, Brooklyn is pie mecca, and all our called to worship.

<em>BAM (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hailmaryny/3333769550/sizes/z/in/photostream/">Ryan Muir</a>'s Flickr)</em><br/><br/><b>50.</b> <em>McCarren Park: </em>Though <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/mccarrenpark">McCarren Park</a> in Greenpoint/Williamsburg has developed a reputation as hipster central, in reality it's enjoyed by a wide range of New Yorkers. And for whatever reason, the Parks police just don't seem to care about the liberties many parkgoers take with impunity. Stop by on any given weekend, and you'll find families barbecuing right next to "No Grilling" signs, brazen beer and alcohol consumption, and the scent of reefer wafting in the air. Sadly, the pool is no longer for concerts (someday they're supposed to open an actual pool), but McCarren Park remains a great place to picnic, play tennis, softball, and kickball, dazzle the public at <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/15/five_musicians_that_should_play_the.php#photo-1">the piano</a>, or just drink a beer and sunbathe in your bikini, which we can't advocate enough. <br/><br/><b>49.</b> <em>Coffee Dominance: </em>Coffee's everywhere, but our completely unscientific research suggests that Brooklyn has the greatest number of high-quality coffee shops. The finest java you could ever want is percolating all over the borough, from <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/07/01/caroline_bell_owner_of_cafe_grumpy_1.php">Cafe Grumpy</a> to <a href="http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/">Blue Bottle</a> to <a href="http://oslocoffee.com">Oslo</a> to <a href="http://www.gimmecoffee.com">Gimme! Coffee</a> to <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/04/26/gorilla_coffee_back_open_with_refin.php">Gorilla</a> to <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/03/14/expensive_coffe.php">El Beit</a> to <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/01/27/openings_roundup.php">Second Stop</a> to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/stumptown-coffee-roasters-tasting-room-brooklyn">Stumptown</a>—giving you no sleep 'til Brooklyn, or<em> in</em> Brooklyn.<br/><br/><b>48.</b> <em>First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum:</em> Have you always wanted to spend a fun evening at the museum, but keep putting it of because you work late (or get up late)? The Brooklyn Museum has come up with an irresistible way to hook people in on the first Saturday of every month, when the whole place goes nuts. This coming First Saturday, July 2nd, offers a dance party, a variety of exhibitions related to Indian art (some of them hands-on!), and a late-night gallery hour (10-11 p.m.). Did we mention that admission is free?<br/><br/><b>47.</b> <em>Agrarianism:</em> In a development that would have been quite surprising 20 years ago, Brooklyn is fast becoming an urban agrian utopia, where an increasing number of local farms like <a href="http://rooftopfarms.org/">Eagle Street Rooftop Farms</a> and <a href="http://www.added-value.org/">the Added Value farm</a> in Red Hook provide locally sourced produce to restaurants and CSAs to residents. Grow a beard, distress some overalls, and jump on in! <br/><br/><b>46.</b> <em>City Reliquary:</em> Besides sponsoring fun events like <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/05/24/saturday_is_bike_fetish_day_in_will.php">Bicycle Fetish Day</a>, the non-profit <a href="http://cityreliquary.org/">City Reliquary</a> in Williamsburg is a fascinating repository of ephemera from New York City’s rich history, such as a geological display of New York’s underground composition, a 1939 World’s Fair exhibit, and the Zucker Family’s Antique Pens.<br/><br/>t<b>45.</b> <em>Low Riding:</em> Unlike much of Manhattan, Brooklyn has an abundance of low-rise buildings, which means (fact!) Brooklyn gets more sun, which means Brooklyn's fauna is more lush, residents' souls are more buoyant, their sperm is more potent, and their children will one day rise up to rule the world!<br/><br/><strong>44. </strong><em>Ultra Indie Movie Theaters:</em> Tired of paying $13 to see the same old shlock in chain theatres while eating criminally overpriced junk food? You might find Brooklyn's variety of small indie movie houses to be a refreshing experience. No fewer than four have opened in the past two years, including <a href="http://spectacletheater.com/">Spectacle</a>, <a href="http://nitehawkcinema.com/">Nitehawk Cinema </a>(<a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/24/inside_nitehawk_cinema_williamsburg.php#photo-1">now open</a>!) and <a href="http://www.indiescreen.us/">Indie Screen</a> in Williamsburg, and <a href="http://reruntheater.com/index.php">reRun</a> at Dumbo's reBar. Though ticket prices vary greatly, this nascent indie film scene is presenting some of the most off-the-radar screenings in town. (Nitehawk consists largely of first-run features, but the programming is definitely on the art house end of the spectrum.)<br/><br/><strong>43.</strong> <em>Franklin Street:</em> This quiet little corner of Greenpoint by the East River is one of Brooklyn's most charming commercial districts. Toward the north end there's <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/02/25/sneak_peak_gree.php">TBD</a>, <a href="http://haydenharnett.com/">Hayden-Harnett</a>, and <a href="http://permanentrecords.info/">Permanent Records</a>; at the bottom you've got the adorable bakery/coffeshop <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/07/02/new_restaurants_on_the_radar_cookie.php">Cookie Road</a> and Gothamist favorite <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/03/31/five_best_barkeeps_in_nyc.php?gallery0Pic=5">The Diamond</a> bar. In between, there's an ever-increasing number of cute boutiques, antique stores, restaurants, bars, and craft beer purveyors. Because this neighborhood has always been a little isolated from Manhattan (the G is the only subway), an atmosphere of small-town community friendliness prevails. With the new East River ferry service, we sure hope the city slickers don't move in and ruin it! <br/><br/><strong>42. </strong><em>The Open Space Alliance</em>: Formed in 2003, this successful organization partners with the city Parks Department to green up North Brooklyn, and they're damn good at getting it done. Among <a href="http://www.openspacealliancenb.org/about_the_osa">OSA</a>'s achievements: the concerts at the Williamsburg Waterfront, opening Greenpoint's Transmitter park, a kayak launch and mini park at the north end of Manhattan Avenue, a new skateboard park in McCarren, and much more. <br/><br/> <strong>41. </strong><em>Junior's:</em> Despite its reputation, <a href="http://www.juniorscheesecake.com">Junior's</a> cheescake is probably not the best in New York—they've been usurped by Park Slope's <a href="http://twolittleredhens.com">Two Little Red Hens</a>, among others. But still, it's Junior's, an institution rightly <a href="http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/04/juniors_headed_to_japan.html">revered 'round the world</a>, and the cheescake is well above average.<br/><br/> <strong>40.</strong> <em>BAM:</em> The curators at the <a href="http://www.bam.org/">Brooklyn Academy of Music</a> nail it every time with brilliant programming, from their fall opera season to their art exhibitions, theater, dance performances, film screenings, and concert series. This is Brooklyn's highbrow cultural nucleus, and most of it is accessible and affordable.

<em>Sunny Balzano with Lillie Haus, formerly of Lillie's Bar. (John Del Signore/Gothamist)</em><br/><br/><b>40.</b> <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/07/27/four_great_nyc_beaches_you_can_get.php#photo-3"><em>Manhattan Beach</em></a>: The cleaner, emptier alternative to Coney Island and Brighton Beach, which have their virtues as well, but Manhattan Beach is a little less jammed. Please don't tell anyone or blog about it.<br/><br/><strong>39.</strong> <em>DIY Music Venues:</em> When it comes to underground venues where you can catch the next hot bands in funky spaces that may or may not be up to fire code, Brooklyn is the vanguard. Instead of waiting for THE MAN (i.e. the Music Hall of Williamsburg) to get the memo on innovative acts that are already <em>so over</em>, Brooklyn music fans (often rallied by the one and only pied piper of alt rock <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/12/07/todd_patrick_co.php">Todd Patrick</a>) are putting on shows at ultra-independent spaces like <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/bar/cameo/">Cameo Gallery</a>, <a href="http://glasslands.blogspot.com/">Glasslands</a>, <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/locations/monster-island-basement-835029/">Monster Island</a>, <a href="http://nymag.com/listings/bar/market-hotel/">Market Hotel</a>, and <a href="http://www.deathbyaudio.net/">Death by Audio</a>. Say what you want about lazy "hipsters"—the success and popularity of these events shows a tremendous ingenuity, creativity, and community-minded spirit. In recent news, <a href="http://www.markethotel.org/">Market Hotel Projects </a>will host a summer event series beginning on Wednesday, July 13th at the Market Hotel (reopening under more "legal" terms soon!). <br/><br/><strong>38.</strong> <em>Ruby's Bar &amp; Grill: </em>Sadly, this will be the last summer to appreciate inimitable Coney Island dive <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/ruby%27sbarandgrill">Ruby's Old Tyme Bar &amp; Grill</a>, which has been an institution long before the Boardwalk's latest "comeback." Ruby's, along with seven other longtime Boardwalk establishments,<a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/01/07/video_new_years_day_polar_bear_swim.php?gallery0Pic=7"> is being pushed out at the end of the summer</a> to make way for something that's sure to have a hell of a lot less character. At its scruffiest, Ruby's was the kind of place where a man could walk in for a drink and end up <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/05/28/man_falls_throu.php">falling through a hole in the floor</a> and landing in the basement with the rats—once in a while, every New Yorker needs to experience something like that, if only to shake us out of complacency. But to be fair, that only happened in Ruby's once.<br/><br/><b>37.</b> <em>Tons of Adorable Dogs: </em>We're pretty paw-sitive that Brooklyn has the highest number of the cutest, smallest dogs per capita. What with all of the crowding in Manhattan's <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/21/bryant_park_movies_1.php">parks</a> and <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/09/black_eyed_peas_concert_canceled_fa.php">streets</a>, what's a pup looking to walk a little, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/09/27/hat-wearing_dog_the_toast_of_2010_a.php#photo-1">don the most awww-worthy outfit ever</a>, or enter a <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/03/23/barking_beauty_pageant.php#photo-1">beauty pageant </a> supposed to do? Move where there's <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/10/27/pupkin_time_brooklyns_costumed_dogs.php#photo-1">costume</a> <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/10/28/halloween_costume_dog_photos_foreve.php#photo-1">contests</a>, <a href="http://www.meetup.com/empireofthedog/">puppy socials</a>, and <a href="http://abrooklyndogslife.com/">doggy blogs</a>. <br/><br/><strong>36.</strong> <em>Community Gardens:</em> The<a href="http://www.bqlt.org/index.html"> Brooklyn Queens Land Trust</a> (ok, so there’s some borough overlap here) has established 29 gardens in Brooklyn (34 in total), from Cobble Hill to Park Slope to Bushwick. Full members pay a nominal annual fee for an herb, flower, vegetable and/or fruit plot, and hold keys to these small, lush sanctuaries. You can become a compost member for $10, and bring all your kitchen scraps to the compost pile nearest to you (compost membership is low-maintenance yet includes many of the benefits of a full membership. Occasionally you'll be asked to turn the heap). Some community gardens also offer beekeeping workshops and educational classes. The BQLT fosters connections and camaraderie between neighbors, people and land, and goes a long way in making Brooklyn a greener, more sustainable place to live. <br/><br/><b>35.</b> <em>Macaroons: </em>Brooklyn macaroons dominate, thanks to one Arnold Badner, <a href="http://www.macaroonking.com">the Macaroon King</a>. His Williamsburg factory produces 1,000 macaroons a minute, to be sold as delicious Jennies Macaroons, available everywhere from C-Town to Whole Foods to the Park Slope Food Coop. Meet <a href="http://www.ediblebrooklyn.com/uncategorized/indigenous_industry-5/">the macaroon man</a>.<br/><br/><strong>34.</strong> <em>Space:</em> This listicle is not intended as a reaction to Manhattan elitism, but we're just saying that Brooklyn has <em>waaay</em> more elbow room in apartments, bars, restaurants and sidewalks than you'll find in most of stuffy, congested Manhattan. Why, in some places there's so much space and light it can really put the zap on your head! Spend enough time out here in the country, and you might even start to miss crowded old Canal Street. <br/><br/><b>33.</b> <em>3rd Ward:</em> This self-described "incubator for innovation and possibility" is located in a 20,000 square foot warehouse space in Bushwick, where artists without space to work or the necessary tools to create come to get shit done. There are photo studios, a media lab, a jewelry studio, wood &amp; metal shops, and, coming soon, a restaurant. <a href="http://www.3rdward.com">3rd Ward</a> welcomes not just artists but anyone with an iota of DIY inspiration; they offer a wide range of classes on everything from knife skills to woodworking.<br/><br/><b>32.</b> <em>Rooftop Films:</em> For almost 15 years, the non-profit <a href="http://rooftopfilms.com/2011/schedule/">Rooftop Films</a> has been packing rooftops in Brooklyn on summer evenings, where movie lovers come on up to take in a wide range of independent picture shows, including documentaries, fiction, drama, comedy animation and more. And this summer, Rooftop Films expands beyond the roof with screenings on the beach at Coney Island; <a href="http://www.nycgo.com/articles/coney-island-flicks-on-the-beach/">it kicks of Monday July 11th</a> with <em>Saturday Night Fever.</em><br/><br/><strong>31.</strong> <em>Sunny Balzano:</em> <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/03/31/five_best_barkeeps_in_nyc.php">Red Hook native Sunny Balzano</a>, 77 years young, still resides above what is arguably the best neighborhood bar in Brooklyn, and if you're lucky he'll make an appearance at his eponymous establishment while you're there. (These days Sunny's been staying upstairs with his family, but he told us that some nights he likes to just sit on the stairs and listen). And yet if even if the man isn't there in person, his generous spirit permeates the place, which features great live music just about every night it's open.

<em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23912576@N05/3598737917/sizes/z/in/photostream/">laverrue's Flickr</a> </em><br/><br/><strong>30.</strong> <em>Fun for All Ages:</em> In many Brooklyn neighborhoods, it’s easy for adults to feel completely outnumbered by babies. The strollers, playgrounds, toy shops, childrens’ barbershops, and packets of organic pureed vegetables are ubiquitous. Pretty much every eatery has high-chairs and kids’ menus on hand, "grown-up" bookstores host storytimes, there are sing-a-longs at bars and cafes, and many yoga studios offer classes for babies and toddlers. Even decadent party-central Williamsburg has the indoor <a href="http://www.klub4kidz.com/">Klub 4 Kids</a> (which is probably more responsible than just <a href="http://gawker.com/5002435/a-williamsburg-coke-bar-remembered">letting them crawl around the floor at Kokie's</a>). <br/><br/><strong>29.</strong> <em>Old School Italian:</em> Yes, those "transplants" abound, because that's part of what keeps NYC fresh. But there's still plenty of old school flavor in neighborhoods like Carroll Gardens and Red Hook, where what we've come to think of as the quintessential Italian-American style still thrives. Get dinner <a href="http://www.weareneverfull.com/ferdinandos-focacceria-old-school-before-it-was-kool/">at Fernando's</a>, which has been around for over a century, then an Italian ice <a href="http://www.abrooklynlife.com/2006/06/best-italian-ice-on-the-planet.html">on Court Street</a>, then stroll along that block of Smith Street under the <a href="http://www.gothamist.com/tags/culverviaduct">Culver Viaduct</a> where Bobby De Niro told Lorraine Bracco to go pick out a nice dress in <em>Goodfellas </em>and she got really freaked out. <br/><br/><strong>28.</strong> <em>Ferries:</em> East River Ferry service <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/13/east_river_ferry_begins_service_tod.php#photo-1">has been restored</a> to whisk you away to Manhattan, Governors Island, or—even better—points south and north in Brooklyn.<br/><br/><b>27.</b> <em>Grand Army Plaza: </em>The Champs-Elysees as it leads to the Arc de Triomphe is lined with luxury shops, fancy-pants cafes, and impeccably manicured greenery. But toss in some grit and subtract the glitz, and the stroll on Eastern Parkway to Grand Army Plaza starts to resemble that famous Parisian promenade. The passage from Crown Heights to Prospect Heights/Park Slope includes the Brooklyn Public Library, that hideous glass building, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and shady paths to walk, jog or bike on. <br/><br/><b>26.</b> <em>Cheaper!:</em> Rents and living expenses have gone up substantially in Brooklyn, but most parts of this borough are still cheaper in just about every way than most parts of Manhattan. In fact, it's a safe bet that parts of Brooklyn <em>always</em> will be cheaper; they just might not be the parts you want to live in. But part of the bargain is that it's up to you to be the change you wish to see in the borough—that bodega isn't going to start stocking soy milk unless you GET INVOLVED. <br/><br/><b>25.</b> <em>NAG:</em> Speaking of gentrification, there's a cliched stereotype of the Williamsburg resident as self-serving hipster obsessed only with fashion and music. They do exist, but they're not the only ones. Look no further than the dedicated group <a href="http://www.nag-brooklyn.org">Neighbors Allied for Good Growth</a>, which has made it its mission to make sure the waterfront area grows into a stable, healthy, <em>mixed-use</em> community, not just an exclusive condo playground for the arriviste gentry. <a href="www.williamsburgwalks.org/">Williamsburg Walks</a>? We've got NAG to thank for that. <br/><br/><b>24.</b> <em>Brownstones:</em>You can certainly find brownstones in many neighborhoods of New York City, but the quintessential building material has become more associated with Brooklyn than anywhere else. That's partly due to the easy alliteration of "Brownstone Brooklyn," but let's face it, there are a lot of these beauties clustered around this fine borough. So we're claiming them for Brooklyn, even though <em>Do the Right Thing</em>'s Buggin' Out would probably like to know, "Who told you to buy a brownstone on my block on my side of the street?!... Mother<em>fuck</em> gentrification!"<br/><br/><strong>23. </strong><em>Art:</em> Vibrant and diverse, Brooklyn's art scene still plays second fiddle to Chelsea's dominant world-class status, enduring a mixed reputation and not much money. But what the Bushwick and Williamsburg scenes may lack in cachet, they make up in passion, with necessity as the mother of invention. <a href="www.pierogi2000.com/">Perogi</a> in Williamsburg, <a href="http://theinvisibledog.org/">Invisible Dog</a> in Cobble Hill, <a href="http://www.brooklynlaunchpad.org//">LaunchPad</a> in Crown Heights, <a href="http://www.englishkillsartgallery.com/">English Kills</a> and <a href="http://www.factoryfresh.net//">Factory Fresh</a> in Bushwick, and <a href="http://www.thejournalinc.com/">The Journal Gallery</a> in Williamsburg are a few that come to mind, but there's a lot out there to explore! <br/><br/><strong>22.</strong> <em>Spectacular Views:</em> Obviously, one of the great things about being outside of Manhattan is that you can step back and take in the skyline from a removed vantage point. From the Red Hook piers to the Brooklyn Promenade to the end of India Street in Greenpoint, the stunning Manhattan skyline is right there, seemingly within arm's reach, day and night. It's not just the view from the Queensboro Bridge that, as F. Scott Fitzgerald put it, "is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and the beauty in the world."<br/><br/><b>21.</b> <em>The Wonder Wheel &amp; The Cyclone: </em>Coney Island in general is listed elsewhere here, but these two indispensable landmarks merit their own mention, if only because they'll still be standing even if the rest of Coney Island is reduced to a generic simulacrum of a Missouri shopping plaza. A couple of things to note: It's definitely worth waiting to ride in the terrifying first car of the Cyclone, and it's also worth waiting for one of the "sliding" gondolas on Deno's Wonder Wheel. Just stay out of <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/07/21/wonder_wheel_dog_gets_close-up_as_c.php">the one with the dog</a>.

<em>The West Indian West Indian Day Carnival (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_fuetur/3898576447/sizes/z/in/photostream/">b'klynborn's Flickr</a>)</em><br/><br/><b>20.</b> <em>Fewer Exclusive Clubs:</em> Unlike Manhattan, with its abundance of snooty Soho House clubs and elitist velvet rope door scenes, the egalitarian ethos prevails in Brooklyn. Of course, there is Park Slope's <a href="http://montaukclub.com/">gorgeous old Montauk Club</a>, which is pretty welcoming and diverse for a private club. It's worth befriending someone to go check out (or even paying the $350 a year membership fee for the under-35 set!).<br/><br/><strong>19.</strong> <em>They Might Be Giants:</em> For nearly three decades, this trailblazing indie rock institution has been rocking it direct from Brooklyn, where <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/05/15/john_flansburgh.php">John Flansburgh</a> and <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/01/22/john_linnell_th.php">John Linnell</a> crossed paths again when the Johns serendipitously moved into the same building in 1981. These days Flansburgh calls Williamsburg home, while Linnell holds down the low end in Park Slope. On July 29th <a href="http://www.theymightbegiants.com">They Might Be Giants</a> will resurface on the Williamsburg Waterfront for a free outdoor show at the same location where they shot their first music video, (<a href="http://www.theymightbegiants.com/news/tmbg-return-to-williamsburg-waterfront-for-free-concert/">Put Your Hands Inside) The Puppet Head</a>.<br/><br/><strong>18.</strong> <em>Bodega Power: </em>You've almost always got a late night bodega in walking distance from your apartment. And that means you've almost always got an <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fistswithyourtoes/sets/72157624256091797/with/4742258808/">adorable bodega cat</a> within walking distance from your apartment.<br/><br/><b>17.</b> <em>Low-Budget Films, Homegrown Filmmakers, and the Festivals That Love Them:</em> When young, starry-eyed artiste filmmakers want to make movies for cheap, most of them hunker down in Brooklyn, cast all their friends, and make it happen. Then <a href="http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/">The Brooklyn Film Festival</a>, the <a href="http://www.thelmagazine.com/blogs/NorthsideFestivalNews/">Northside Film Festival</a>, the <a href="http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/archives/2011/06/23/short_film_showcase_this_friday_in_brooklyn/">Short Film Showcase,</a> and <a href="http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=1193">BAMcinemaFest</a> screen them! It's a perfect circle, and it doesn't end there: Organizations like the <a href="http://www.brooklynfilmmakerscollective.com/">Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective</a> and the <a href="http://www.wearebyfc.org/">Brooklyn Young Filmmakers Center</a> provide resources, contacts and a support system for up-and-coming directors, actors and screenwriters.<br/><br/><strong>16.</strong> <em>The Battle of Brooklyn: </em>One of the most significant moments in the Revolutionary War happened right here in what is now Brooklyn Heights. While it's true that General Washington only saved his vastly outnumbered army by ditching Brooklyn for Manhattan, history seems to have forgotten that high rents there quickly forced him further to New Jersey and beyond. How would America be different if he'd toughed it out in Brooklyn?<br/><br/><b>15.</b> <em>Ocean Parkway Bike and Pedestrian Path:</em> The oldest bike path in the United States happens to be right here in Brooklyn on <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/B065/highlights/10787">Ocean Parkway</a>, where five and a half miles of dedicated pathway connects Prospect Park to Brooklyn’s beaches at Coney Island. It's one of the greatest bike rides in NYC.<br/><br/><b>14.</b> <em>Brooklyn Bridge Park</em>: Aside from <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/thehighline">The High Line</a>, the most spectacular and stunning addition to the city's Parks system in recent memory is this series of <a href="http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/">green gems on the Brooklyn waterfront</a>. <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/06/04/pier_6_playground_opening_with_free.php">Pier 6</a> and <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/04/22/brooklyn_bridge_park_pier_1_lawns_a.php#photo-1">Pier One</a> have already opened to deserved acclaim, and if the city <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/14/city_cuts_11_million_from_brooklyn.php">can come up with the money</a>, this entire section of formerly disused waterfront will become an urban oasis for generations to come. Also, <a href="http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/go/programs-/-events/syfy-movies-with-a-view">they're screening</a> one of our favorite films, <em>Sweet Smell of Success,</em> in July. <br/><br/><b>13. </b> <a href="http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/features/whitman/"><em>Walt Whitman:</em></a> He belongs to Brooklyn, no matter what <a href="http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?id=106">that shopping mall on Long Island</a> thinks.<br/><br/><b>12.</b> <em>Coney Island:</em> After some dark years of high crime and fewer visitors, Coney Island was gradually revitalized during the '90s thanks to the efforts of local merchants, artists, and community leaders. It's still a required destination for amusement on at least one summer's day, but the district is changing once again, and some worry that it's not for the better. This will be the last summer that <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/03/08/coney_island_eight_take_buyout_for.php">many longtime Boardwalk tenants will be in business</a>; the Bloomberg administration and the international amusement giant Zamperla are driving them out to build a big new sports bar/restaurant complex, to be operated by another big foreign company, Sodexo, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/03/08/coney_island_eight_take_buyout_for.php">which has been fined by New York State</a> for overcharging New York students and denying black employees promotions. What we're saying is, enjoy this iteration of Coney Island while you can. <br/><br/><b>11. </b><em>West Indian Day Carnival:</em> Summer always goes out with an ecstatic bang in Brooklyn when the <a href="http://www.wiadca.com/">West Indian American Day Carnival</a> takes over Eastern Parkway on Labor Day. <a href="http://gothamist.com/tags/westindianamericandaycarnival">The colorful parade</a>, estimated to be the city's largest with 3 million revelers, heads down Eastern Parkway, from Utica Avenue to Flatbush Avenue, and features costume bands, masqueraders, moko jumbies (stilt walkers), floats and many more dazzling sights. But it's not just a feast for the eyes: stands lined up along the service roads sell jerk chicken, chicken stew, fried chicken, beef stew, oxtail, rice and peas, salad, macaroni pie, fried flying fish, curry goat, roti, callaloo, souse, salt fish, fried bake, coconut bread, and much more.

<em>Double rainbows all the way over Celebrate Brooklyn! (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/hailmaryny/3735144955/sizes/z/in/photostream/">Ryan Muir)</a></em><br/><br/><strong>10.</strong> <em>Prospect Park:</em> It's been said that Central Park designers Fredrick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were disappointed with their first park and felt that Prospect Park fully realized their vision. Made up of sprawling green space, lush trees and flowers, winding pathways, playgrounds, a carousel, a zoo, a bandshell, a picnic house, and athletic fields, Prospect Park is a sanctuary for the entire borough, and is located at the intersection of Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Lefferts Garden, and Windsor Terrace.<br/><br/><strong>9.</strong> <em>Brooklyn Beers:</em> Local brewers <a href="http://www.kelsoofbrooklyn.com/">Kelso</a>, <a href="http://www.sixpoint.com/">Sixpoint</a>, and <a href="http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/">Brooklyn Brewery</a> have happily become almost ubiquitous in Brooklyn, and even in parts of Manhattan. At the latter brewery in Williamsburg, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/02/14/photos_brooklyn_brewery.php">they've expanded operations</a> so that now most of their product is actually made in Brooklyn. They offer tours on weekends and weekdays, and a $4 Friday night happy hour that lasts until 11 p.m., with your pick of up to 8 draft beers and our growing number of Big Bottles.<br/><br/><strong>8.</strong> <em>Brooklyn Heights Promenade</em>: It's not just a made-up place where Ed Norton went to brood in Spike Lee's <em>25th Hour</em>; the <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/B223D02/highlights/136">Brooklyn Heights Promenade</a> is<em> real</em> and it is breathtaking. "There may be finer views than this in the world, but I don't believe it," said President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 when he visited Brooklyn Heights. These views of the city skyline are so mesmerizing you'll totally forget you're sitting on a bench above the BQE. <br/><br/><b>7.</b> <em>New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim:</em> If the weather's right, there's probably no better way to start your year than with the annual <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/01/01/photos_coney_island_new_years_day_p.php#photo-1">New Year's Day Coney Island Polar Bear Club swim</a>. The event can bring out thousands of <strike>insane</strike> exuberant people, and it also raises a lot of money for <a href="http://www.campsunshine.org/">Camp Sunshine</a>. Everybody in New York should find themselves out on Coney Island splashing around in the Atlantic Ocean on at least one New Year's day.<br/><br/><strong>6.</strong> <em>Brooklyn Botanic Garden:</em> An invaluable environmental refuge, the overwhelmingly serene <a href="http://www.bbg.org">Brooklyn Botanic Garden</a> was founded in 1910 and currently occupies more than 50 prime acres next to Prospect Park. In addition to all the exotic flora and fauna, they offer all a wide variety of classes and workshops in gardening, composting, Tai Chi, and more. An open secret: <a href="http://www.bbg.org/support/join/">Become a member</a> for $50 and get access to members-only extended summer hours and sunset picnics after they close for the day!<br/><br/><strong>5.</strong> <em>Small Presses, Literary Journals, &amp; Art Mags: </em> Brooklyn residents live and work amongst some of the most well-curated presses, journals and magazines in America. <em><a href="http://www.apublicspace.org/">A Public Space</a></em>, <em><a href="http://nplusonemag.com/">n+1</a></em>, <em><a href="http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/">Cabinet</a></em>, <em><a href="http://canopycanopycanopy.com/">Triple Canopy</a></em>, and <a href="http://www.uglyducklingpresse.org/">Ugly Duckling Presse</a>, and the indispensable <a href="http://www.brooklynrail.org/">Brooklyn Rail</a> all have their headquarters in Brooklyn, coaxing a whole host of cultural events, passionate interns, and fabulous contributors to neighborhoods like Gowanus, Williamsburg, and Boerum Hill. <br/><br/><strong>4.</strong> <em>Green-Wood Cemetery:</em> Yet another urban oasis in Brooklyn, and this one the dead can enjoy, too! The dramatically sprawling Green-Wood Cemetery is a National Historic Landmark cemetery has been around 170 years, and continues to draw those who come to pay their respects and others who just want to savor its serenity... or its spookiness. <a href="http://www.green-wood.com/">The cemetery's website</a> tells you all you need to know about visiting this extraordinary place, which is currently hosting an evening summer time musical theater performance called <a href="http://www.green-wood.com/2011/the-spoon-river-project/">The Spoon River Project</a>. Come to one of the midnight shows and get a private tour inside the cemetery’s Catacombs, built in the 1850s, normally not accessible to the public.<br/><br/><b>3.</b><em> Attitude:</em> Brooklyn's still got plenty! Asked for input on this listicle, Gothamist publisher and Brooklyn-born lifer Jake Dobkin told us, "I refuse to engage in this level of pandering. If I have to explain to someone why Brooklyn is better, they don't deserve to fucking live here."<br/><br/><b>2.</b> <em>The Brooklyn Bridge: </em>Sure, it may connect Manhattan and Brooklyn, but it's named after Brooklyn, so that's the borough to which it belongs. There's nothing like a walk across this massive monument to remind yourself that Manhattan and Brooklyn are indeed connected, and that there are still wide-open spaces in the city (even with the construction on some parts of the bridge at this point in time). Cyclists, watch out for pedestrians; pedestrians, watch out for cyclists. And all of you, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/15/poetry_walk_across_brooklyn_bridge.php">if you see Bill Murray reading poetry</a> on the bridge with two black eyes again, let us know, because he said he wasn't going to do that more than once!<br/><br/><strong>1.</strong> <em>Celebrate Brooklyn:</em> It's silly to rank one aspect of this phenomenal borough over any other, but the <a href="http://www.bricartsmedia.org/performing-arts/celebrate-brooklyn">Celebrate Brooklyn!</a> concert series in Prospect Park might as well go in this slot, because it continually presents some of the most memorable events in NYC. Not only are most of them free, but they take place in what is arguably the city's greatest park, and this year they're offering an array of <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/04/29/celebrate_brooklyn_concerts_get_far.php">delicious food from The Farm on Adderly</a>, as well as merch from local Etsy "street team" <a href="http://thenewnew.blogspot.com/">the {NewNew}</a>. We've had too many great nights at the Prospect Park bandshell to list them all, but the organizers of this series, which has been going on since 1979, continue to make Park Slope one of the best places to be on any given summer evening in New York.