Entertainment & Sightseeing

In the hustling and bustling place that is Downtown Brooklyn, there are a variety of places that one could go to appreciate the taste of the neighborhood and keep yourself entertained.

 

Columbus Park & Cadman Park

Situated around the middle of Downtown Brooklyn, the area of Columbus Park and Cadman Plaza Park are situated in is a prime location to go and relax if one wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city (without actually leaving the city).

On a sunny day, and if the weather is right, you can come to sit on the benches that line Columbus Park and enjoy the architecture of Borough Hall while listening to the sound of the water fountain and of the occasional traffic commotion.

Go visit the Brooklyn Borough Hall. Built between 1846-1851, Borough Hall used to be Brooklyn’s City Hall when the borough was its own independent city. Today, it is one of the oldest public buildings in Brooklyn with its Greek revival style architecture, golden Justice statue on top of the clock tower, and marble steps and columns that is people like to take pictures on.

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays you can also find the Farmer’s Market out in front of the fountain. Here you can find a variety of produce such as fresh baked goods, vegetables and fruits, honey, and a multitude of plants.

Additionally, you could also just sit down in the benches that line the walkway of Columbus Park and just enjoy the warm sun and the free Wi-Fi service and just watch a macrocosm of people (lawyers, moms, nannies, dog owners, teens, business people, etc.) walk about the area.

If sitting on benches and looking at architecture is not your things, go over towards Cadman Plaza Park which is nearby. The green area is surrounded by trees and is covered with lush grass so you can surround yourself with greenery and give yourself a break away from the city life as you can do recreational physical activities in the open space. Play soccer, football, run, sunbathe, take pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge that is in the background, etc. Have fun!

 

 

Directions: Train stations closer to Borough Hall:

2/ 3/ 4/ 5 train to Borough Hall

R train to Court St.

Train stations  closer to Cadman Plaza Park:

2/ 3 train to Clark St.

A/ C train to High Street- Brooklyn Bridge Station

 

Brooklyn Bridge

Come by any day of the week and you’ll find people from all walks of life walking their dogs, holding hands with loved ones, taking pictures, doing exercise, and enjoying the scenery. Feel the wind in your face, smell the water from the river, and find a moment of peace while visiting one of New York City’s iconic monuments.

 

Fun Facts:

– Turn-of-the-century scam artists George C. Parker, William McCloundy, Reed C. Waddell, and Charles and Fred Gondorf have all been accused of the same audacious crime: attempting to sell the Brooklyn Bridge to gullible onlookers. (via Movoto).

– In 1884, about a year after the Brooklyn Bridge’s opening, famed circus owner P. T. Barnum led a parade of 21 elephants over the bridge to help quell doubts about the structure’s integrity (via Movoto).

– When the Brooklyn Bridge first opened in 1883, it cost a single cent to walk across on foot, five cents on horseback and ten cents for a wagon. These days, driving, riding a bike, and walking across the bridge are all free (via Movoto).

-Many people who worked on the Brooklyn Bridge, including head civil engineer Washington Roebling suffered from “the bends” due to working long hours in underwater caissons. The decompression sickness creates problematic “air bubbles” in blood and body tissues (via Movoto).

– It was the world’s longest bridge in its era (1893) and the first steel-wire suspension bridge, an engineering feat of its time which was accomplished by its designer, John A Roebling.

 

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

Come and sample what Brooklyn art as to offer.

For more than 150 years, BAM has been a performing and cinemas complex for adventurous artists, audiences, and innovative ideas that engage both global and local communities (it has been linked to London’s Barbican Center). With innovative and world-renowned programming in theater, dance, music, opera, film, and much more, BAM showcases the work of emerging artists and innovative modern masters.

Spread out into a total of three locations over Downtown Brooklyn, the BAM institute offers a wide variety of cultural and artistic events for the public to enjoy. You can take your pick from foreign films, indie films, opera, concerts, seasonal dances, performances of African dance and culture (their DanceAfrica Festival is the nation’s largest festival dedicated to African and African-diasporic dance, performance, art, and film), art exhibitions, educational programs for school children, etc.

** Additionally, they have reduced student pricing available Monday through Thursdays for most of their events which makes it very affordable for students.

 

Fun Facts:

–  In 1861, First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln attended one of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s very first performances: the opera Il Giuramento by Saverio Mercadante (via Movoto).

– In 1917, famed French stage and film actress Sarah Bernhardt performed six times in three days at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at the age of 73. At the time, Bernhardt had just one leg, having lost the other to gangrene in 1915 after a stage accident (via Movoto).

 

For more information, visit their website at: http://www.bam.org/ .