We are headed to New York for four days at the end of the month. We will be two days in Manhattan (Chelsea) and two days in Brooklyn. We have never been to Brooklyn before, and thought it would be an interesting change. Would you have any suggestions for good restaurants (ethnic restaurants would be favored) and sights to see? How about area to walk about? Tips?

If you can give me an idea of what part of Brooklyn you plan to be in, I can be much more helpful...we're big enough that if we were still a city, we'd be the 4th largest in the country! Some idea of your interests would also be helpful.

But for a start, some things I'd put on the list:
-Historic House collection and American Art at the Brooklyn Museum
-just next door, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (combined ticket cheaper)
-Brooklyn Historical Society (downtown Brooklyn)
-a few blocks from that, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade
-Brooklyn Bridge Park or Prospect Park
-Coney Island

I have a number of blogs on Brooklyn and New York on TravelGumbo.com that you might find helpful:
http://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/new-york-city-index

If you're into current "hip" shopping, Williamsburg. Also a center of current "hip" eating.

Restaurants, some favorites of ours, some just famous.
-Junior's, in downtown Brooklyn. The cheesecake mecca of the world
-Queen, on Court Street. Solid northern italian, wonderful ricotta cheesecake
-Two Polish gems: Teresa's on Montague St., downtown, and Lomzinianka on Manhattan Ave. near Bedford in Greenpoint (next to Williamsburg). This one will feed you cheap (under $12!) and the best you'll eat.
-Franny's and Marko's on Flatbush Ave. near Prospect Park; same owners...but one is pizza-centric the other not.
-On 5th Avenue, another north Italian: Al Di La in Park Slope
-deep into Midwood, Difaro's Pizza. Incredible throwback, incredible pizza, herbs grown in the store window, everything fresh.

Besides the cheesecake the food at Junior's is plain awful.

If you go to Di Fara's pizza, there is nothing else to see in that neighborhood and there is a line for an expensive slice of pizza.

Queen on Court is a shade above your standard red sauce joint.
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If you want Italian food in Brooklyn Heights go to the place with a stupid name Noodle Pudding. As noted above the views of Manhattan are fantastic from the Promenade and the residential architecture, especially on the streets named after fruits and Columbia Heights are spectacular.

Go to Atlantic Ave and see the Mid-eastern spice store, bakery and restaurants.

http://www.sahadis.com/
http://www.damascusbakery.com/

Go to the next neighborhood with the stupid real estate invented name DUMBO. There are many art galleries and hipster stores.

There is also a branch of Jacques Torres chocolate
http://nymag.com/srch?t=restaurant&N...ml_sort_name|0

Delete from that list the well-known Grimaldi's pizza-long lines, and there is better pizza in Manhattan and add a more a expensive restaurant called Vinegar Hill House.

And if you walk in the other direction of DUMBO there are many interesting places on Smith Street

https://www.google.com/search?q=smit...x-a&channel=sb

Note that you're getting recommendations for parts of Brooklyn generally close to Manhattan (other than Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Museum). Exactly where will you be?

Brooklyn is a good deal larger than Manhattan, with far more residents, neighborhoods and territory and far less subway coverage once you're out of downtown/Williamsburg/the Heights.

Take the train to Brighton Beach and explore the Russian/Ukrainian stores. Have lunch at Cafe Glechik

.http://glechik.com/