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New York (Brooklyn) Overview
 Editor's Picks: Don't Fughedabout Brooklyn's Best
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is docking in New York -- but not on the Hudson River, and not even in Manhattan. The arrival of the liner marked the official opening of the brand-new cruise terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn, on the Buttermilk Channel that separates Brooklyn from Governor's Island.
Both Cunard and Princess Cruises are already onboard to turn ships around in Red Hook, a neighborhood in South Brooklyn named for the red clay soil and the point of land projecting into the East River. Though it may not look like much now to the discerning traveler, Red Hook is the definition of "up and coming" -- high-end condos are being built, IKEA is coming to town, and the Beard Street Pier walkway has potential to be a major waterfront attraction with postcard-perfect views of the New York Bay and Statue of Liberty.
The allure of sightseeing amid the skyscrapers of Manhattan is strong, particularly for first-timers -- and the Red Hook port is close enough for cruisers to take advantage of all the Big Apple has to offer (for more info, read our New York port profile). But don't pooh-pooh the idea of kicking around Brooklyn before or after your cruise.
While Brooklyn may seem to be a lot like Manhattan on first glance, with heavy traffic, sizzling nightlife, and diverse people, cultures and cuisines, it is a destination in itself (and the buildings are shorter). With 2.5 million inhabitants, it is the largest New York City borough in terms of population; if it were its own city, it would be the fourth largest in the United States. And it has its own personal identity -- you'll find residential areas of brownstones and corner stores, trendy streets packed with bars and clubs, and a bustling downtown area where women in business suits and pumps walk alongside hipster artists in jeans and sneakers.
Indeed, Brooklyn is defined by its diversity: African-American history is prevalent in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Sunset Park boasts its own Chinatown, and in Flatbush, you'll feel like you are in the islands, mon (Brooklyn boasts the largest Caribbean population outside of the actual Caribbean). Even if you don't have time to visit a variety of Brooklyn's neighborhoods, you can take in this cultural dissonance simply by strolling along Smith Street. Known as Brooklyn's "restaurant row," Smith Street is lined with funky shops and ethnic eateries, with options for all budgets and tastes -- French, Italian, Mexican, Indian, Asian....
In the words of one Brooklyn resident, "Sure, you can take a subway into Manhattan for the night, but why would you want to?"
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Other U.S.A. Cruise Ports:
Baltimore • Boston • Charleston • Ft. Lauderdale • Galveston • Gulfport • Honolulu • Houston • Jacksonville • Key West • Los Angeles • Miami • Mobile • New Orleans • New York • New York (Brooklyn) • New York (Cape Liberty) • Norfolk • Philadelphia • Port Canaveral • Portland, Maine • San Diego • San Francisco • Seattle • Tampa
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Language
English.
Currency & Best Way to Get Money
The currency is the U.S. dollar. International visitors will find it easy to access cash at numerous ATM machines. Exchange bureaus so common in Europe are not in the U.S., but major banks do provide exchange services. Banks are generally open from Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., but many are open later and have Saturday morning hours.
Best Souvenir
A Brooklyn Bridge print or postcard. Foodies will want to check out the shelves at Jacques Torres' chocolate shop at 66 Water Street.
Where You're Docked
The passenger ship terminal is located in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, opposite Governor's Island on the Buttermilk Channel. From your ship you'll be able to see Manhattan, Staten Island, Lady Liberty and even Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey.
Parking is available at a rate of $18 per day. The facility features pay-on-foot machines -- when you return from your cruise, pay with cash or credit card at one of the machines (there are two in the terminal, two just outside), and you'll receive a ticket that will provide entry into the gated lot.
Hanging Around
The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal has a minor commercial strip along Van Brunt Street, three blocks from the terminal via a pedestrian gate. The B61 bus operates along the street to downtown Brooklyn. The terminal has vending machines, telephones and bathrooms.
Cobblestones peek through on Columbia and Van Brunt Streets, the two main thoroughfares. The neighborhood features an eclectic mix of shops, galleries, bars and restaurants, though at this point in time few points of interests are within walking distance of the pier.
Getting Around
The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is accessible by taxi or private limousine service. Follow signs from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel or the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The B61 bus links subway stations in downtown Brooklyn to Van Brunt Street within three blocks of the pier. Parking is $22 for the first day and $19 for additional days.
Cruise Shuttle Express provides transportation to Brooklyn's cruise terminal for local travelers and passengers from Maryland, Delaware, Pennyslvania and New Jersey. Cost varies depending on pick-up location. Visit www.cruiseshuttleexpress.com for information and reservations.
While in port, taking a taxi is your best bet; Red Hook lacks a subway line and is separated from neighboring Cobble Hill by a major highway. A ride from the pier to the downtown area of Brooklyn should be just under $10.
The NY Water Taxi connects Red Hook to Brooklyn Heights, Wall Street and Midtown Manhattan, but the service is limited to certain times of the year and the pier is a hike from the cruise terminal, particularly for passengers with luggage.
There are two public buses that service the area near the terminal, but it is not especially convenient; the B61 stop is four or five long blocks from the terminal, and the B77 stop about six.
Don't Miss
 The Brooklyn Museum, one of the largest and oldest in the country, is housed in a 560,000-square-ft., Beaux-Arts building. Among the attractions are permanent and world-renowned collections of Egyptian art. 200 Eastern Parkway, open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
After exploring the museum, be sure to check out the many parks and gardens in the complex, including Prospect Park (where you can rent pedal boats in the summer and ice skates in the winter), the Prospect Park Zoo and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden -- check their Web site to see which plants will be in bloom during your visit.
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan takes an hour or less, and is a great way to get a bird's-eye view of both skylines. The walkway entrance is next to the Federal Court Building (there are stairs on Cadman Plaza East and Prospect Street, and a ramp on Johnson and Adams). Along the route are plaques explaining a little bit about the bridge's history, including descriptions of what pedestrians would have seen on a walk when it first opened in 1883.
Take the only guided bus tour of Brooklyn's best pizzerias -- the "A Slice of Brooklyn" pizza tour. This 4 1/2-hour tour includes pizza and soft drinks at Grimaldi's (see more below under "Lunching") and L&B Spumoni Gardens. The 22-seat bus weaves through Brooklyn to sites including the Brooklyn Army Terminal from which Elvis shipped off to Germany in 1958 and a Bay Ride garage where scenes from "Goodfellas" were filmed. An audio-visual presentation delves into the history of the borough, its landmarks and -- what else? -- pizza.
Coney Island
Whadaboudit: Faded nostalgia. Even with recent efforts to buff it up a bit, Coney Island is still a bit tawdry, but its nostalgic pull puts it in the must-do category, if only to say you've been there.
Go To: Ride the Cyclone at Astroland (well over 80 years old, it still holds its own against today's high-tech G-force machines) -- and if those don't leave you slightly queasy, the fried boardwalk fare might (but it, too, is de rigueur). But here's a warning: the historic Astroland, New York City's largest amusement park, will close for good after Labor Day. Go now.
Don't Miss: The daily shark feeding at the New York Aquarium (Surf Avenue and West 8th Street, 718-265-FISH). Also: "Alien Stingers," where spotting a lone tentacled blob undulate in a blue-glowing tank is both bizarre and beautiful. Who knew jellyfish could be so lovely?
Fast Pitch: The Brooklyn Cyclones. Dem bums the Dodgers are long gone, but the Cyclones hold new promise for Brooklyn's baseball lovers. The minor league team, part of the New York Mets' organization, plays at the new Keyspan Park just off the Boardwalk in Coney Island.
Getting There: About a half-hour drive from Red Hook (and the drive down Ocean Parkway offers a glimpse of classic Brooklyn life and its international population). The D-F and N-Q subway lines all end at Coney Island.
Been There, Done That
The Brooklyn Children's Museum was founded in 1899 -- the first museum created just for kids. There are nine interactive galleries ranging from "Totally Tots," a space for under 5's that includes a kid-sized quarry and a reading nook, to "Animal Outpost," where children of all ages can observe live animals eating, sleeping, swimming and playing -- including resident Fantasia, a 17-foot-long Burmese Python. 145 Brooklyn Avenue; please check Web site for seasonal hours.
Beer enthusiasts should swing by the Brooklyn Brewery, famous for its pilsner and India pale ale -- free tours are offered on Saturdays from noon until 5 p.m., and happy hours happen every Friday night from 6 until 11 p.m. 79 North 11th St.
Cool tidbit: Brooklyn Brewery's label was designed by Milton Glaser, the same man who designed the "I Love New York" motto.
Fort Greene Park, originally named Washington Park, was established on the site of Fort Greene in 1847. Fort Greene, formerly known as Fort Putnam, was the scene of a fierce battle against the British in 1776. During the war, maritime prisoners were held in dismantled warships and then buried in shallow graves; today, washed-ashore bones of prison ship martyrs are kept in a crypt at the Prison Ship Martyrs Memorial. The park also offers more lighthearted fare, such as tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds, chess tables, and expansive lawns. 85 South Oxford St.
The New York Transit Museum, in Brooklyn Heights, is the largest museum in the world dedicated to urban public transporation history. The museum, housed in an authentic 1930's subway station, exhibits over 100 years of transit memorabilia, including restored subway cars, antique turnstiles and a working signal tower -- with a nifty gift shop to boot. 130 Livingston St.
Lunching
Best for Families: Junior's is a casual New York deli-style joint with an extensive menu sure to please the pickiest of eaters, young and old, offering diner fare like burgers, sandwiches and home-style entrees. Be sure to leave room for their world-famous cheesecake, cut into huge slices -- since the restaurant opened, only three men have supervised its production, and the recipe has remained a family "secret" for three generations. 386 Flatbush Ave. Open Sunday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. until 12:30 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6:30 a.m. until 2 a.m.
Best Brooklyn Pizza: Ask any Brooklynite where to get the best pizza, and your answer will nearly always be Grimaldi's. Brick oven slices? Fuhgeddabout it. Pasty Grimaldi began making pies at the age of 10 the old fashioned way -- in a coal oven -- and continues to do so today at his pizzeria in the DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) district. 19 Old Fulton St. Open 11:30 a.m. until 10:45 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. through 11:45 p.m. on Friday and noon until 11:45 p.m. on Saturday.
Best for a Luxe Lunch: The River Cafe is an elegant waterfront restaurant with gorgeous views of the New York skyline. Lunch offerings include crispy duck, lobster salad and osso buco (for a really over-the-top experience, try their $65 caviar service). Open for a la carte lunch noon until 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday; a Sunday brunch is offered from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. 1 Water St.
Accommodations
Best Downtown Location: The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is right in downtown Brooklyn, within walking distance of the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Promenade Park and nine major subway lines. It's also a great option for families: Rooms are spacious (by New York standards) and there's an indoor swimming pool -- an amenity Big Apple visitors would be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Rates start in the $200-$300 range. 333 Adams St.
Close to the Port, Easy on the Wallet: The Brooklyn Motor Inn is one of the newest properties in town, located in Red Hook near the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. Satellite television and vending machines are among the only frills, but rooms start from just over $100 per night -- and the hotel offers free parking to its guests. 140 Hamilton Ave.
Editor's Note: We've listed just a few close-to-the-port establishments here. For more places to stay, check out our New York port profile.
Staying in Touch
Ohiyo I-Cafe, 4817 8th Ave. or 8523 Bay Parkway, 2nd Floor
easyInternet Cafe has locations on Flatbush Ave., King's Highway and Nostrand Ave.
For More Information
On the Web: Brooklyn Tourism and Visitors Center
Cruise Critic Message Boards: U.S.A.
The Independent Traveler: New York Bargains and Features
--by Melissa Baldwin Paloti, Managing Editor
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