After a lifelong love affair with NYC, I finally made the jump and moved here in January this year. While I'd always dreamed of the hustle & bustle of Manhattan, when the time came to make the leap, all of my friends had migrated out to Brooklyn. So when I started looking for an apartment, Brooklyn felt like a no-brainer.

i luv u street art brooklyn new york

flower market in brooklyn

taste of katz brooklyn new york

manhattan skyline from brooklyn

I like to think of Brooklyn as Manhattan's equally chic but a bit more subdued twin sister. The food and culture is equally excellent, but with bigger closets and more room to breathe (but still no in-unit washer/dryers). While I still make the pilgrimage into Manhattan multiple times per week for nights out and fabulous dinners I can't afford, I've come to appreciate Brooklyn for all it has to offer.

Consider me your Elsie Green NYC correspondent, reporting live from Brooklyn. And consider this your guide to everyone's new favorite borough. Give it a try on your next trip to New York, and thank me later.

brooklyn in the snow new york

Where to Eat

L'industrie Pizza
Colson Patisserie
Lilia Ristorante
Ugly Baby
Daigo Sushi Roll Bar
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
Bagel Pub
Shelsky's Smoked Fish
Emily Brooklyn
Dinner Party
Noodle Pudding
Frankies 457 Spuntino
House of Small Wonder
Smorgasburg
Little Cupcake Bakeshop Brooklyn
Winona's

bar in brooklyn williamsburg

Where to Drink

Hungry Ghost Coffee
Gorilla Coffee
Blank Street Coffee
octaviacoffeebk
Freddy's Bar & Backroom
TimeOut Market
Dirty Precious
Halyard's
Spritzenhaus33
Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club

brooklyn brownstone with vintage car

What to See

Prospect Park Boat House
DUMBO
Fort Greene Park
The view from the Q train going into Manhattan

 prospect park boathouse new york brooklyn

What to Do

Brooklyn Museum
Awoke Vintage
Brooklyn Flea
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
Books are Magic
A long walk through Boerum Hill to see brownstones
Greenlight Bookstore
Brooklyn Botanical Garden
Brooklyn Nets Game
Brewery hop in Red Hook
Any & all rooftop bars

man reading new york times on subway

Read more Elsie Green travel guides >

Andie Furber