WHY GO: Yellow taxis, tall buildings, delicious diners and that bridge.
FOR HOW LONG: Five fun-packed days
WHAT'S MY BUDGET: $$$ Save up, accommodation is expensive and you’ll be tempted by every shop, bar and restaurant you walk past.
WHERE TO STAY: Brooklyn!
GETTING AROUND: Walk in Manhattan, bike around Brooklyn and take the metro for longer journeys.
LANGUAGE: English, with that American slant
THE DETAILS:
The best days always start with brunch.
Brooklyn’s best brunches:
Café Collette is a beautiful venue, with big windows, wooden floors and huge houseplants. It feels decadent and welcoming, and we ended up staying well into the afternoon and propping up the bar with cocktails in hand. But go for the brunch – incredible French toast and scrummy frittatas.
Give yourself extra time to read the menu at Building on Bond - you’ll find it hard to choose, but whether you go for bacon and eggs, a burger or the enormous chicken and bacon salad, you can’t wrong. Everything was delicious, and the service was brilliant.
Once you're suitably full and ready for it.
Explore Manhattan
Tear yourself away from Brooklyn’s bar and cafes for a day of sightseeing. There are lots of tall buildings you can climb, and hundreds of landmarks to see, but I found plenty of amazing and different things to do on street – and sea – level.
On a sunny day, hire a city bike and take it along Battery Park to the Staton Island ferry terminal. There’s a wide path for bikes and pedestrians all along the water’s edge which takes you through the park and provides views of sparking water, big skies and the Statue of Liberty.
When you get to the ferry terminal, you can dock your bike and get on board for free. Great views of the statue and the Manhattan skyline. You have to get off at Staton Island, but can walk round and get on the next ferry back to Manhattan.
Take a stroll along the High Line, a disused railway line above the city’s West Side, that’s been turned into a park. Take your time because there are sculptures, water-features and bars along the way. And if it’s a nice day, make sure you get some ice cream too, pumpkin was a surprise favourite!
Central Park is bigger, greener and with more water in it than you’d think from the movies. Take a bike to get around it, and enjoy some brilliant people-watching opportunities.
If it's not so sunny, be sure to go get lost in the Met. You pay what you like and it’ll keep you entertained all afternoon. Art, sculpture, ceramics and installations in a beautiful high-ceilinged and airy setting. Great gift shop, although looking at the postcards made me realise how much art there was that I hadn’t got to see.
Before the end of the day, escape the tourists and,
Get back to Brooklyn
Pretend to be a local in Williamsburg. For an authentic American afternoon get a pizza at Roberta’s and eat in the garden with a beer or a cider. And then spend the afternoon drifting in and out of the vintage shops around South 4th Street and North 5th. Some are very high-end, selling furs and retro designer clothes for hundreds of dollars, but there are also fabulous, affordable thrift shops.
Last but in no means least, you must go and fall in love with the Bridge. I went to New York to see one of my best friends get married. We walked across the bridge from Brooklyn to City Hall for the ceremony, so it will always feel special to me. But I’m confident walking across the wooden boards, high above the East River, watching the Manhattan come into view as the sun sets, will make you fall in love too.
The Perfect Night Out in Brooklyn:
Splash out at Hibino, a tiny and authentic Japanese restaurant, serving freshly made tofu, sushi and specials. We had Braised Short Ribs in Sweet Soy Broth and it was incredible. Wash it down with Saki or Prosecco.
If you’re after a steak and a good glass of red, head to Sweetwater in Williamsburg. Top off with the biggest slice of banoffee pie you’ve ever seen and roll out of there, fat but happy.
If you like a DJ and a dartboard along with your cocktails, you can’t do better than Robert Bar. Friendly, fun vibe, and delicious Kir Royals. Plus, the dartboard is free – you just might end up having to play with whoever was there before you.
If pool is your thing, try Brooklyn Inn, just down the road. Fierce gin and tonics, candlelit corners and a pool table in the back room. Plus, décor that takes you back to 1885, when it was first opened.
End your all American day, with an all American late-night nibble at Carroll Gardens Classic Diner, Cobble Hill, open 24 hours a day. A true American diner, like you see in the movies, with a huge menu full of shakes, fries, burgers and burritos. Be warned there is no such thing as a small portion in New York, especially here.
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