Brooklyn is recognized throughout the world as an iconic place, often imbued with an almost mythical hold on the popular and cultural imagination. Settled nearly 400 years ago by the Dutch—including the only woman, Lady Deborah Moody, to create a settlement in the New World—Brooklyn evokes the famed Dodgers, Coney Island and the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge, all characterized as smart, innovative, creative and ambitious.
Today, Brooklyn is in the midst of an exciting renaissance, its thriving neighborhoods bursting with artistic, cultural, economic and social activity. The
most populous of New York City’s boroughs, Brooklyn has 2.7 million residents who enjoy easy access to all of the metropolitan area’s world-class cultural and educational institutions, attractions, restaurants, shopping and outdoor space.
Only a short subway ride to Manhattan, Brooklyn itself has plenty of appealing offerings right here. Music lovers make a beeline to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, while historians frequent the Brooklyn Historical Society, located in Brooklyn Heights, New York City’s first suburb and first historic district. When Brooklynites need some outdoor diversions, they head to Coney Island or the New York Aquarium. At any time of year, Prospect Park is a popular option for outdoor concerts and just about every athletic endeavor, from jogging in spring and biking in autumn, to playing Frisbee on expansive green lawns or baseball on one of a dozen fields during the summer, to ice skating indoors in winter. The massive new Brooklyn Bridge Park, the first part of which is scheduled to open this year, will create a green ribbon along the shoreline with incomparable views of the Brooklyn Bridge, the lower Manhattan skyline and New York Harbor.
Perhaps best of all, two of the borough’s brightest attractions—the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden—are free to the Brooklyn College community.
Brooklyn offers some of the most vibrant cultural experiences and entertainment events in the city. You’ll find shops carrying everything from the creations of young fashion and home designers to exquisite couture and antiques, and from artisanal cheeses to Caribbean spices. With almost all of the world’s cuisines represented here, it’s possible to find restaurants featuring the finest European, Latin, Asian and Middle Eastern dishes. For entertainment, there are clubs highlighting new bands, performing art, poetry and book readings; concert halls presenting world-class orchestras, theater and dance companies; and galleries and festivals showcasing established and emerging artists.
The majority of Brooklyn College students live in Brooklyn, where extensive mass transit makes it easy for them to reach and enjoy all that the borough has to offer. The college’s first residence hall, only two blocks from campus, is scheduled to open for fall 2010. Until then, students who require housing will find a wide variety of options available around campus, from high-rise apartment buildings to private Victorian homes. For information about finding housing in Brooklyn, visit the Personal Counseling Program.
Useful LinksBookstores
Brooklyn
Brooklyn Borough President
Brooklyn Tourism
Cinema
Museums
Music
Parks
