During my quick 48 hour trip to New York City, my friend and I took a quick trip over the East River to Brooklyn! We walked through the streets of the borough and stopped at a few cool places along the way.
If you’re looking for a few quick hours to kill & a new spot in New York City- look no further! Here’s an itinerary for a brief stop in Brooklyn!
Photo Spots in DUMBO
Directions: From Manhattan, take the train to High St./Brooklyn Bridge. From there, it’s just an 8-minute walk to one of the most famous photo spots in Brooklyn.
This spot can be found at the intersection of Washington St. and Water St.
The brick buildings on both sides and the cobblestone street, combined with the backdrop of the Manhattan bridge make for the perfect photo spot when it’s sunny or overcast!
Beware: it’s super crowded mid-day. Be sure to make this your first or last stop on your itinerary so you’re either arriving in the morning or late afternoon when the crowds have died down a bit.
You’ll likely get a few others in your photo, but nothing that will take away from the quality or overall appeal of the background!
DUMBO:
After leaving this spot, definitely stop by one of the super cute coffee and pastry spots all around the area! One spot to note is Butler cafe, which had a line literally out the door when we were there!
After grabbing a nice hot or iced coffee, make your way down to the pier to see amazing views of downtown and midtown Manhattan. This is also an amazing photo spot, especially on a sunny day, as you get all of Manhattan and the East River in the background.
Fetch the Ferry!
After stopping at the photo spots, it’s time to make your way to the DUMBO ferry terminal. Buy a ticket for $2.75 and board the Ferry heading to South Williamsburg. It’s only a 20ish minute ferry ride and a great way to see both Brooklyn and Manhattan from the river. Also, it’s a fantastic way to get some great photos!
Set foot in Williamsburg!
From what I hear, Williamsburg is an up & coming area in Brooklyn where a lot of young adults live. There are a ton of small cafes and restaurants along with boutiques and flea markets with local artisans.
The best part about Williamsburg in the Spring-Fall? Smorgasburg!
Smorgasburg is an outdoor food festival held on weekends where 40-50 food vendors of all kinds bring some of their most famous products! There is quite literally something for everyone: from Indian to Venezuelan, to Brazilian, to a nice American fried chicken sandwich, there’s no doubt you’ll find something (or a few things) that you will LOVE.
The best part? All of the foods are extremely creative and photo-worthy. They’re certainly not things you’ll find in a typical restaurant, like pasta in the shape of a donut or a foot-long mozzarella stick.
All of the food stands accept Apple Pay and major credit cards, making the payment process hands-free and extremely convenient. There were no long lines at the stands, and there’s no line or fee to get into the event!
Now…. on to the good stuff!
A Smorgasboard at Smorgasburg:
My friend and I knew we couldn’t just get a thing or two each to eat on our own because there’s just too many good options. I truly would’ve taken a bite out of every single thing served there if I could. So instead, we decided to get 3 main things and split them, followed by a personal dessert.
#1: Truffle Fries with Lemon Garlic Aioli from Home Frite
#2: Giant Mozzarella Sticks from Big Mozz
#3: Chicken and Al Pastor Taco
#4: Watermelon + Maple Lemonade
#5: Chocolate Croissant for dessert- Didn’t get an individual photo, but I think this one is even better
Overall, all of these were 10/10. Normally, when food is so picturesque it doesn’t taste great but this was definitely an exception!
Here’s a break-down of everything you need to know before heading to Smorgasburg:
- Currently closed for 2021 season and will open back up in the spring of 2022
- Multiple locations around NYC, there’s one at the World Trade Center too
- No entrance fee
- Outdoor seating
- Williamsburg location is on the water, so may be breezy- pack a sweater if it’s not summer yet!
- Apple pay or credit card preferred, depending on vendor cash may not be an option
- Check the website linked here to stay up to date on vendors, locations, and opening dates
Boston & Beyond 