travel

City Guide: 3 Days In Brooklyn

Where to eat, sleep, and play (with a very heavy emphasis on eat) in Brooklyn.

DAY ONE
If you fly into Newark Airport, let me warn you, it’s a loooooong way to get to Brooklyn, using some combination of cab, subway, and shuttle bus (depending on your level of patience and tolerance for crowds), but as soon as you check into the Wythe Hotel (80 Wythe Avenue, wythehotel.com), all that stress will melt away. The former factory-turned-70-room hotel, offers a place to lay your head and rub elbows with Williamsburg hipsters in a setting of industrial chic perfection.

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The next three days will involve a lot of food, so kick things off with a bang at Smorgasburg, the food market put on by the Brooklyn Flea (Saturdays, East River State Park, smorgasburg.com). 100+ food vendors await. The ramen burger was the most popular item when we visited, but a 45-minute queue for a glorified noodle burger isn’t my cup of tea. Instead, get a taste of Mexican corn, wood-fire pizza, fresh coconuts, and ice cream sandwiches the size of your head (sadly I gobbled mine down so quickly I didn’t even have a chance to take a pic, true story).

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After eating three days worth of calories in 90 minutes, it’s time to burn them off with a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Take a cab down to DUMBO (interesting fact: did you know that DUMBO stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass?), and pop into Dabney Lee (45 Washington Street, dabneylee.com) for an explosion of colourful stationery and pretty little things, before walking the Bridge.

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Take the subway back and spend the rest of the afternoon making your way back to the hotel up Bedford Avenue, with stops at Bird (203 Grand Street, shopbird.com) for a great selection of men’s and women’s apparel from brands like Isabel Marant, Acne, Proenza Schouler, and Want Les Essentiels; Cyclical Industry (218 Bedford Avenue, cyclicalind.com) a tiny jewelry kiosk with delicate pieces at great prices; Catbird (219 Bedford Avenue, catbirdnyc.com) my favourite source for knuckle rings and other unique gems; and Red Pearl  (202 Bedford Avenue,redpearlbrooklyn.com) for colourful clothing and accessories, children’s books and handmade toys, cheeky greeting cards, and beautiful cotton kimonos.

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After a well-deserved siesta at the hotel, make your way to the place Vogue Living dubbed one of the Top 20 Bars in the WorldMaison Premiere (298 Bedford Avenue, maisonpremiere.com). Behind the unassuming entrance you’ll find yourself transported to New Orleans circa 1920, where the absinthe flows freely and the bartenders snap their suspenders behind the candlelit marble bar.

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DAY TWO
It’s not a real vacation unless it involves brunch, and there’s no better place to enjoy this delicious meal than Five Leaves (18 Bedford Avenue, fiveleavesny.com). Even if you’re a savoury breakfast person, the ricotta pancakes can be hard to resist, but if you’re determined to stick to your carb-free guns, there are a number of egg dishes that are equally delicious.

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When you’ve had enough of people watching from your table street-side (not possible), spend a little time exploring Greenpoint, stopping in at People of 2morrow (65 Franklin Streetpeopleof2morrow.com) for a curated collection of old and new, Wolves Within (174 Franklin Street, wolveswithin.com) for hard-to-find men’s and women’s brands, and Word (126 Franklin Street, wordbookstores.com), an independent bookstore with bite. Don’t dawdle too long though, because you’ve got places to go, like our next stop, the Brooklyn Flea!

The Brooklyn Flea (Sundays, 50 Kent Avenue, brooklynflea.com) is a must-do for every Brooklyn visit. Over 150 vendors are set up selling vintage, antique, and handmade items. It’s like an outdoor treasure hunt and you never know what you’ll find.

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When you’re covered in dust and have had enough of digging through old stuff, head over to the Mast Brothers chocolate factory (111 N 3rd Street, mastbrothers.com) and pick up some fortifications to tide you over to dinner. I suggest a sinfully delicious trifecta of dark chocolate and sea salt, Brooklyn Blend dark chocolate, and dark chocolate pudding (notice a theme here?).

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That should give you the strength (and the caffeine boost) you’ll need to rally for a night out, beginning with authentic Mexican at La Superior (295 Berry Street, lasuperiornyc.com) – get the guava margarita and say goodbye to any thought of an early morning start – followed by more drinks at The Ides (80 Wythe Avenue, wythehotel.com/the-ides), conveniently located on the rooftop of the hotel, so when you’re done soaking in the city views across the river, you’re only an elevator-ride away from your comfy down duvet.

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DAY THREE
Start your last day in Brooklyn with another amazing brunch at Café Colette (79 Berry Street,cafe-colette.com). Nab a table outside, facing 9th Street so you can people-watch under the awning in true Parisian style.

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When you’re done, hop in a cab and take a trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (990 Washington Avebbg.org). Walk through 52-acres where, depending on the season, you can see rose gardens, bonsai museums, fragrance gardens, orchids, cherry trees, and peonies. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you’ll be impressed by the lush landscapes of the gardens. With time for one last spot before you go, stop in at Bakeri (150 Wythe Avenue, bakeribrooklyn.comfor some plane snacks. While Porter Airlines might be great for Terra Chips, nothing will top off your trip like a dark chocolate, hazelnut, sea salt, rosemary cookie on the flight home.

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Planning to spend some time in Manhattan? Get more travel tips in 3 (perfect) days in New York City.

Daniela Andrews is the founder of Curious Citizen, a lifestyle blog where she shares her unique point of view on life, style, travel, food, and design. Her writing has appeared in The KitNational Post, and blogTO. She created Curious Citizen as a way to share her unique view with the world.

Image(s): Curious Citizen; Bridge feature image by Albert Pego, iStock