10 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN DUMBO (BROOKLYN)

With an area three times larger than Manhattan, the borough Brooklyn is a neighborhood of contrasts, where different cultures coexist, from the Orthodox Jew to the most absolute hipsterism, and composed of disadvantaged areas and other super chic. One of the latter is undoubtedly DUMBO. Do not think of the cute elephant with big ears, the word DUMBO comes from the acronym “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass”And refers to the location of the neighborhood, just below the Manhattan Bridge. On your trip to New York you will surely end up walking around here, and so that your visit is as complete as possible, we will recommend you 10 things to see and do in DUMBO.

But first let us tell you something ... What today is one of the most sought-after areas to live in New York, not so long ago was a tangle of factories and stores without any charm. But the great New York of the twentieth century was growing at a frantic pace and industries were forced to move to other places, transforming these peripheral neighborhoods into residences for all kinds of people. And those who settled in DUMBO were mostly artists and bohemians who ended up completely changing the neighborhood. What we see today is the combination of that industrial architecture (which we personally like so much), with the latest cultural and design movements, with modern premises and a presumptuous atmosphere. Now, let's see the best thing to do in DUMBO:

Ah! If you visit the neighborhood on a Sunday, you may agree with the Dumbo Flea, a market that takes place, from April to October, from 10am to 5pm. You will find a bit of everything: from vintage clothes to vinyl and things for the house.

1. Once you leave the York Street subway station, head straight to the Washington Street, to take one of the best photos you can take in New York. In front of you, and after a few more tourists, you will have the Manhattan Bridge framed between the brick and red buildings, and if you look closely, you can even see how the Empire State Building stands out in the background.

2. If you keep going down you will reach Plymouth St, a cobbled street that preserves the old rails where the trains that supplied all these factories passed. You can also see them at the end of the street Jay street, these are those that belonged to the Jay Street Connecting Railroad, which were used by the Arbuckle Company (coffee maker) to distribute their products. These rails remain attached to the streets as a souvenir of that time and have become one of the symbols of the neighborhood.

3. Crossing Plymouth St extends the Main Street Park, the most frequented park in the neighborhood, which offers a panoramic view that puts goosebumps. To your right, the Manhattan Bridge; on your left the Brooklyn Bridge, and in front of you and on the other side of the East River, the New York skyline with the skyscrapers of the financial zone. You will end up taking a million photos, but the site deserves it and you will never want to leave!

4. This park has a small rocky beach, the Pebble beach, although the truth is that we never saw anyone bathe and we do not believe it is highly recommended. What is a great plan is rent a kayak free and navigate for 20 minutes on the East River. Be careful because they are only available on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays in June, July and August. More info: www.bbpboathouse.org

5. If you travel with young children, you will surely enjoy the beautiful things in the Jane's Carrousel, a super nice carousel, encapsulated in a glass window. It is located in the same Main Street Park and the views from here, as in the entire route, are bestial. Did you know that it is a real 1920's carousel? He has been in Brooklyn since the 1980s, when they bought it at an amusement park in Ohio. Uploading costs $ 2.

6. To the right of Main Street Park there is another green space: the John Street Park. From here we will get a different perspective of the bridges and the river, but this much less frequented and a few meters away. So for us it is one of the places to see in DUMBO.

7. Enter the Empire Stores, a recent shopping center located inside a building built in the late 1800s. Today it houses shops, offices and restaurants. And a tip: climb on the top floor where there is a panoramic terrace and enjoy the views. And if you like bookstores, approach the Powerhouse books, a huge library with thousands of volumes in an industrial-style building that is a pass. It is not far from the Empire Stores.

8. Keep walking along the East River, go past the Brooklyn Bridge and reach the Brooklyn Bridge Park, where you will find one of the best viewpoints in the city: the Granite Proespect. There next, is the Old Pier 1, here prepare your camera because it is a very photogenic site. Lots of wooden poles that formed the old jetty protrude from the water, and in the background what stands out are the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan and on the left the Statue of Liberty. If you have more time, continue walking along the walk to the other piers: it is curious to see how they have taken advantage of the space to build football, basketball and athletic fields, where dozens of young people (and not so young) train and spend their free time .

9. Stay to eat in DUMBO. The options are many: from the mythical pizzas of Grimaldi's or Juliana's, to the lobster rolls of Luke's Lobster, or the hamburgers of Shake shack. The good thing is that the views are unbeatable, so do not make the mistake of making DUMBO a passing visit ... worth your time!

Curiosity: not everyone knows that the owners of Grimaldi's sold the pizzeria a few years ago (we assume that for a million) and founded another just in front, the Juliana's ... So if you want to eat the authentic Grimaldi's pizza, you have to go to Juliana's XD

10. And finally we leave the best: cross the Brooklyn Bridge walking until you reach Lower Manhattan (and not the other way around). The access is in Washington St, past the intersection with Prospect St. as you get on. It is one of the best things to do in New York. But be careful, it is a bridge for both pedestrians and bicycles, and each one has its lane. Yours, as a pedestrian, is the one on the left 😉

Here is a map where we have indicated the location of all the best things to see and do in the DUMBO neighborhood:

These are the 10 best things to see and do in DUMBO, one of our favorite areas of New York. You know it? What are your recommendations?