By Kira Semmler Oct 26, 2010, 4:06 GMT
New York - Brooklyn may be a part of the world metropole that is New York but in many ways it resembles a small city: introspective and lively, home to good earners, young families and a variety of cultures. For many years, Brooklyn has existed in the huge shadow of Manhattan but perhaps that is now about to change.
For most tourists Brooklyn isn't high on their priorities when visiting New York, but in recent years this borough with over 2.5 million residents has become a bit of a secret tip for visitors to the Big Apple.
Brooklyn was an independent city until its consolidation with New York City in 1898 and it is increasingly home not only to some of the city's better earners but also young families with children, which has led to the regeneration of quarter after quarter.
Thanks to the lower building plot prices compared to pricy Manhattan and the growing interest in what is considered an up and coming area, hoteliers have also discovered Brooklyn with more and more trendy and expensive hotels being built.
The Sheraton opened its doors in Downtown Brooklyn in May of this year while a boutique hotel is scheduled to follow in 2011 in Williamsburg. By 2012, there are expected to be 1,500 hotel rooms in the centre of Brooklyn.
A room in a two-star Brooklyn hotel costs 150 dollars a night, 100 dollars less than an equivalent room in Manhattan. But it's not just the hotel prices that are attracting an ever growing number of tourists to the borough.
'We have noticed that because of the Brooklyn cruise terminal more and more cruise visitors are spending a night there at the beginning or end of their stay,' says Jeanette Dye of the marketing firm New York Guest.
Brooklyn, named after the Utrecht village of Breukelen in the Netherlands, is situated on Long Island, south-east of Manhattan, and has a population density of nearly 14,000 people per square kilometre.
However, New York City's most populous borough still has the feel of a small city, thanks in part to its low-rise architecture in comparison to Manhattan, but is also unmistakably part of a world metropole.
Parts of Brooklyn are made up of rows of 19th century brown-brick houses, which have become popular with successful New Yorkers looking to raise young families.
But turn a corner and Brooklyn presents another side of itself thanks to the influx of immigrants from all over the world into its neighbourhoods. Secondhand African clothing can be found on sale in a shop beside a Syrian market while on Fifth Avenue all the big commercial chains can be found.
Brooklyn is also home to many Ukrainians in Brighton Beach, which has been nicknamed 'Little Odessa' although recently it has been renamed 'Little Russia' because of the overwhelming presence of the Russian population.
West Indians are concentrated in the Crown Heights and Flatbush neighbourhoods in central Brooklyn while Orthodox Jews and Hasidic Jews are largely concentrated in Borough Park and Williamsburg.
Brooklyn doesn't only offer flair, it also has plenty of attractions worth visiting. Prospect Park can be compared with Manhattan's Central Park and during the summer hosts free open-air concerts.
Prospect Park is 2.37 square kilometres in size and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the same men who designed Central Park. Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are located adjacent to the park as is the Brooklyn Museum, the second largest art museum in New York.
Its permanent collection includes more than one-and-a-half million objects, from Ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art, and it is possible to visualise the development of the city from its authorization by the Dutch West India Company in 1646 to its consolidation with New York City over 350 years later.
Parents know how difficult it can be to convince children of the merits of a museum visit and the experience of Alicia Stephens from New Jersey is no exception.
Initially, her five-year-old daughter Sophia and eight-year-old son Harrison didn't want to go to the Brooklyn Children's Museum, which was the first created expressly for children when it was founded in 1899.
'I rode on the subway,' says Sophia, who was delighted with her day.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is more geared towards adults and, founded in 1861, is America's oldest continuously operating performing arts centre. BAM offers not only concerts but also dance productions, films, a cultural centre and art exhibitions.
Between April and November it is the location for the Brooklyn Flea, a market for all kinds of things such as antiques, furniture, jewelry, design objects, and locally grown and prepared foods.
DUMBO, an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, was once where Brillo Pads were manufactured but has now emerged as one of New York City's premier arts districts. There are also plenty of restaurants and bars.
Information: www.nycgo.com
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