Brooklyn is best known for its iconic Brooklyn Bridge, which connects the Brooklyn waterfront to Lower Manhattan. Many of the borough's top museums offer free admission regularly or on select days. For low-cost transportation, New York City's renowned rapid transit subway system connects dozens of neighborhoods to Manhattan and other area destinations. Some attractions are free only on certain days – please check before you go.
1. The Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is New York City's third-largest museum, located near the Brooklyn neighborhood of Prospect Heights within Prospect Park. The 560,000-square-foot Beaux Arts-style museum was designed in 1895 and has been significantly revitalized over recent decades, holding a collection of over 1.5 million artworks and artifacts from around the world. Noted collections of African, Oceanic, Japanese, European, and American artworks are showcased, spanning from antiquity to the present day. Major artists represented include Georgia O'Keeffe, Edgar Degas, Mark Rothko, and Edward Hopper. The museum's Memorial Sculpture Garden also showcases salvaged architectural artifacts from throughout the city.
200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238, Phone: 718-638-5000
2. Coney Island
Coney Island is one of Brooklyn's most famous summer getaway spots, known internationally for its expansive public recreational beachfront, entertainment-filled boardwalk, and classic amusement rides. Visitors can explore the district's free-admission beach and boardwalk year-round, which spans over three miles along the borough's southern coastline. Midway games, sideshow attractions, and food vendors line the beach's renowned boardwalk, including the original Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs stand. For additional admission or ride ticket charges, visitors can take a spin on the roller coasters and rides of Luna Park and Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, including the historic Cyclone rollercoaster and one of the world's only eccentric wheel rides. Nearby, New York Aquarium is home to marine life exhibits, while MCU Park serves as the home stadium for the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team.
1904 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224
3. The New York Aquarium
The New York Aquarium is the oldest continuously-operated aquarium in the United States, originally opened with Battery Park's Castle Garden in 1896. Since 1957, it has been located along Coney Island's famed boardwalk, housing populations of more than 250 marine life species, including sand tiger sharks, green moray eels, harbor seals, and blackfooted penguins. The aquarium highlights daily animal feedings as part of scheduled programming, as well as performances of an aquatic-themed puppet performance scripted by Avenue Q creator John Tartaglia. On Wednesday afternoon beginning at 3:00pm, visitors can enter the aquarium for free as part of the facility's pay-what-you-wish admission initiative.
602 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224, Phone: 718-265-3474
4. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a 52-acre botanical garden within Brooklyn's Prospect Park, open to the public for free each Friday before noon and throughout the day on weekdays between December and February. The gardens were originally founded in 1910 and house significant collections of cherry trees, roses, and other native and exotic plants, attracting more than 900,000 visitors each year. Outdoor gardens include a Japanese garden, a native flora garden, and the oldest continually-operating children's botanic garden in the world. Three indoor plant pavilions and an aquatic plant house are also showcased within the Steinhardt Conservatory, which is also home to the C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum.
990 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225, Phone: 718-623-7200
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5. The Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge was the first steel-wire suspension bridge in the world at its opening in 1883, spanning more than 1,595 feet across the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The bridge, designed by famed bridge engineer John A. Roebling, is one of New York City's most iconic landmarks and most popular tourist attractions, attracting over 4,000 pedestrians and 3,100 cyclists daily. Visitors can walk or ride across the bridge day and night, with a pedestrian and cyclist platform walkway suspended high above motor vehicle lanes. The bridge offers unparalleled views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn skylines, with views of the Statue of Liberty possible on clear days. Visitors should note that early morning and evening crossing times may be significantly less crowded than midday crossings and offer better chances for photo opportunities and sightseeing.
Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY 10038
6. Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Bridge Park spans 1.3 miles along Brooklyn's beautiful East River waterfront, reclaiming the borough's shoreline from industrial activity with phase additions since 2008. The 85-acre park was designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and stretches through Brooklyn's DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights neighborhoods between Jay Street and Atlantic Avenue. Six former industrial piers along the borough's waterfront have been transformed into public recreational spaces, with sporting courts, children's playgrounds, picnic areas, salt marsh ecosystems, and concessionaires integrated into each pier area. Main Street and Empire-Fulton Ferry Parks have been integrated into the larger park project, which also offers a dog run, a rock climbing wall, and pedestrian and bicycle paths.
334 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, Phone: 718-222-9939
7. The Brooklyn Brewery
The Brooklyn Brewery is Brooklyn's premiere craft microbrewery and one of the most renowned microbreweries in the United States, originally founded in 1988 by Steve Hindy and Tom Potter. Today, the brewery is known for its flagship pre-Prohibition-style Brooklyn Lager, along with favorites such as its hop-forward Brooklyn East IPA, unique Sorachi Ace Saison, and Shackmeister Ale, exclusively available at Shake Shack restaurants throughout the United States. Brewery tours and tastings are usually offered on Saturdays, elaborating on the brewery's operations at their Williamsburg facility. No reservations are required for free tours. Pints and company merchandise are available for purchase separately after all tours.
79 N 11th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249, Phone: 718-486-7422
8. The Waterfront Museum
The Waterfront Museum is a maritime history museum in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, located aboard the National Register of Historic Places-listed 1914 Lehigh Valley Barge #79. The barge, which was constructed in 1914, is the final remaining wooden barge in New York Harbor. Free tours of the preserved barge are offered on certain days while the barge is docked at the neighborhood's pier. Tours for school groups are offered regularly with advance registration, and free public special event programming is offered throughout the year, including art exhibits and live performances aboard the barge.
290 Conover St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, Phone: 718-624-4719
9. Adam Yauch Park
Adam Yauch Park is a Brooklyn Heights playground named in honor of founding Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch, a Brooklyn resident and filmmaker, artist, and international social activist. The park, which was formerly known as State Street Park and Palmetto Playground, was a childhood favorite play spot for Yauch and his family. Following Yauch's death in 2012 from cancer, the park was renamed in his honor. Today, it showcases a beautiful selection of diverse tree species, including London plane, Norway maple, pin oak, and silver linden trees. Half and full basketball courts are provided for visitor use, along with a greenhouse facility, a fitness area, a community garden, and a dog run.
5512, 27 State St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, Phone: 212-639-9675
10. BRIC House
BRIC House is Brooklyn's leading free cultural programming organization, housed within the former Strand Theater building within the borough's Cultural District. The organization is dedicated to presenting new and engaging works by emerging and mid-career artists, with a focus on diverse works emphasizing individual expression. Two performance spaces are offered at the organization's main building, including the flexible-configuration BRIC House Ballroom, which hosts a variety of free and low-cost live performances throughout the year. A 3,000-square-foot art gallery is also offered, which is open to the public for free daily, along with with a public media center, television studio, drop-in workshop center, cafe, and artist work spaces.
647 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217, Phone: 718-855-7882
11. The Brooklyn Children’s Museum
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum was the United States' first children's museum at the time of its 1899 founding and is considered to be one of the, if not the, first children's museums in the world. The museum, which is located in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood, is noted for its input from regional children in planning new exhibits and its philosophy of engaging young minds from an early age to promote lifelong learning. More than 400,000 annual visitors explore its exhibits each year, including its World Brooklyn market, which mimics the borough's neighborhood establishments with kid-friendly storefronts, and its Sensory Room, which features activities specifically designed with autism-spectrum children in mind. Pay-as-you-wish hours are offered at the museum on Thursday afternoons and Sundays during the early evening hours.
145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213, Phone: 718-735-4400
12. The Brooklyn Book Festival
The Brooklyn Book Festival is one of the largest free literary festivals in New York City and across the United States, attracting more than 30,000 attendees each year. The festival, which was begun in 2006 as a means to showcase Brooklyn voices and topics across various genres of literature, takes place over the span of a week each September, with free events held throughout the borough highlighting the works and voices of more than 300 internationally-acclaimed and emerging authors. An annual Festival Day offers a literary marketplace with more than 250 booksellers, and a Children's Day provides literary-themed activities for young readers. Other events include book readings, stand-up comedy performances, and live musical events.
209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn NY 11201, Phone: 570-362-6657
13. The Old Stone House
The Old Stone House is a reconstruction of the historic Vechte-Cortelyou House, a Dutch farmstead that was originally constructed in 1699 and served as an artillery house during the 1776 Battle of Long Island, a seminal battle during the American Revolutionary War. During the 19th century, it served as a clubhouse for the baseball team that would become the world-renowned Brooklyn Dodgers. Though the home was demolished in 1897, it was reconstructed in 1933 in Brooklyn's Washington Park, which is located near the neighborhoods of Park Slope and Gowanus. Visitors can explore the home for free on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and peruse exhibits related to the American Revolutionary War and the home's baseball connection. Free musical performances are also showcased throughout the year within the home's great room and outdoor grounds.
336 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, Phone: 718-768-3195
14. BLDG 92
BLDG 92 is a unique museum within the former 1858 Marine Commandant's residence at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which is located along the borough's East River waterfront between the neighborhoods of DUMBO and Williamsburg. The LEED-certified museum is open to the public for free Wednesdays through Sundays during the afternoon hours, showcasing three floors of exhibits related to the history and development of the Yard. Free Navy Yard tours are also offered each weekend by the museum for visitors and small groups. The museum's full-service cafe is open to the public daily, serving Brooklyn Roasting Company coffee drinks.
63 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205, Phone: 718-907-5932
15. Free Tours By Foot
Free Tours By Foot is a tour company exploring major tourist sites throughout Brooklyn and New York City, offering both paid-ticket guided and free self-guided tours for area visitors. Self-guided tour information is provided in both brochure and audio tour form, offering historical and contextual information on a number of the borough's most famous landmarks, along with a number of hidden gems throughout neighborhoods. Landmarks showcased include the Brooklyn Bridge, the historic Greenwood Cemetery, and a number of historic homes and buildings in neighborhoods such as Brooklyn Heights. Several self-guided food tours are also offered throughout the borough, including tours exploring popular and historic restaurants and bars in neighborhoods such as Williamsburg and Flatbush.
112 Suffolk St, New York, NY 10002, Phone: 646-450-6831
16. Brooklyn Art Library
Brooklyn Art Library is an art store and gallery that strives to make creativity accessible for all Brooklyn residents, located in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. The library, which was founded in 2006, serves as the main repository for sketchbooks created as part of the Art House's Sketchbook Project, housing more than 41,000 sketchbooks created in 130 countries that may be perused by visitors for free during business hours. 20,000 additional sketchbooks are housed within the library's digital archives, which may also be explored by visitors at the site or online. Workshops and art classes are also held at the library's community space, which may be rented for use by organizations for private special events.
28 Frost St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, Phone: 718-388-7941
17. Bargemusic
Bargemusic offers a unique chance to see free classical music performances aboard a converted 1899 coffee barge docked at Brooklyn's Fulton Ferry Landing, located along the East River near the Brooklyn Bridge. The organization was founded in 1977 by Olga Bloom and presents more than 200 classical performances each year, conducted by Mark Peskanov. Concerts are presented aboard the barge's floating concert hall, which can hold up to 140 attendees per show. Free concerts include the Music in Motion Series, which engages audiences in a question-and-answer session with musicians following performances. Visitors should note that food and drink are not permitted aboard the barge and that public restrooms are offered nearby in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Brooklyn Bridge Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11201
18. Movies With A View
Movies With A View is an annual free summer film series held at Harbor View Lawn at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, overlooking the East River and the Manhattan skyline. The program was launched in the summer of 2000 and has attracted more than 500,000 moviegoers since its inception, with films offered each Thursday evening during the months of July and August. Food and alcoholic beverages are provided by vendors associated with local food market organization Smorgasburg, available before and during film showings. Film lineups for each summer often center around a specific theme, such as highlighting the works of female directors. An annual lineup of DJs also plays music before film showings.
2 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
19. The Annual Brighton Jubilee
The Annual Brighton Jubilee is the largest annual festival held each year in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Brighton, attracting more than 125,000 attendees. The festival, which was established over four decades ago by the Brighton Neighborhood Association, strives to reflect the neighborhood's diverse population through a diverse array of performances, food, and family-friendly activities. Multiple stages highlight live music and entertainment performances throughout the one-day festival, which is held each year on a Sunday at the end of August. Children's rides are also offered, along with food vendors serving up international cuisine options. Visitors should note that while the festival is free to enter, many attractions require a purchase or ticketed upcharge.
Brighton Beach, Brightwater Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222, Phone: 718-891-0800
20. Owl's Head Park
Owl's Head Park is a riverfront park in Brooklyn's Bay Ridge neighborhood, located adjacent to the Owl's Head wastewater treatment plant along a former glacial moraine site. The park is home to Brooklyn's only skate park, Millennium Skate Park, which is one of seven skate parks located throughout New York City. Unparalleled views of New York Harbor and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge are offered from the park's hill, which serves as a popular spot for sledding during the winter months. A large dog run is also offered, along with children's playgrounds, basketball courts, a spray pool, and day-use picnic areas.
Colonial Road & 68 St &, Shore Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11220, Phone: 212-639-9675
21. The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store
The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store is one of New York City's most unique retail locations, serving as the public storefront for nonprofit writing and literacy organization 826NYC, which offers free after-school tutoring and writing workshops for young Brooklyn-area students. The Park Slope store is open to the public during the afternoon hours Tuesdays through Sundays, selling quirky superhero-themed goods and novelties, including costumes, posters, toys, and unique gadgets and joke items. Visitors can also check out humorous superhero-themed displays, including a vintage "mind-reading" chair, a cape testing wind tunnel, and a Devillainizer apparatus. Though purchase is not required to visit the store, donations to 826NYC are greatly appreciated to help fund future endeavors.
372 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215, Phone: 718-499-9884
22. Interference Archive
Interference Archive is a social-justice-oriented library, archive, and gallery in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, originally founded as the private collection of activists Dara Greenwald and Josh MacPhee. Following an exhibition of the couple's collections at Manhattan's Exit Art gallery in 2008, the pair moved their collections into a Gowanus warehouse and later into their current Park Slope location. Founded on the idea that activism collection causes interference to popular social narratives, the volunteer-run resource showcases free art exhibitions as public outreach, open to the public Thursdays through Sundays during the afternoon hours. Periodic public special event programming is also offered, including lectures, workshops, and live performances.
314 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
What are the 22 Best Free & Affordable Attractions in Brooklyn Year Round?
The 22 Best Free & Affordable Attractions in Brooklyn Year Round according to local experts are:
- The Brooklyn Museum
- Coney Island
- The New York Aquarium
- The Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- The Brooklyn Bridge
- Brooklyn Bridge Park
- The Brooklyn Brewery
- The Waterfront Museum
- Adam Yauch Park
- BRIC House
- The Brooklyn Children’s Museum
- The Brooklyn Book Festival
- The Old Stone House
- BLDG 92
- Free Tours By Foot
- Brooklyn Art Library
- Bargemusic
- Movies With A View
- The Annual Brighton Jubilee
- Owl's Head Park
- The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store
- Interference Archive
Attraction Spotlight: Building 92
Building 92 in Brooklyn, NY is a blast from the past, brought into modern times with a focus on how history can influence the present. Guests who visit the Yard are able to get a glimpse at this historic naval yard while learning about how it has changed the NYC area in innumerable ways. The United States Navy commissioned the naval yard originally in 1801 and it operated continually until 1966, when it was decommissioned. It reopened again in 1969 under a different name and went through a series of changes until finally turning into a museum in 2011.
Permanent Exhibits
Brooklyn Naval Yard: Past, Present, Future - This exhibit features an extensive history of the Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, with a focus on how it impacted the area in a variety of narratives - social, natural, cultural, industrial and, of course, naval. It tells the story of the naval yard for the first time, looking at the contributions that it made to technology, innovation, industry, and manufacturing not only in New York but also all across America. It also explores the way that the Yard has impacted politics, labor, urban planning as well as environmental planning, and education. The exhibit stretches out over three floors, exploring not only the Yard itself but also the people who contributed to making it into what it is today. This includes many generations, starting with the Native Americans.
Today’s Yard - The first-floor gallery on the east side features the Today’s Yard exhibit that shines the light on 15 businesses that are located in the Yard via a portrait mural with embedded video. Each piece lasts about 90 seconds and is a personal intro to the entrepreneurs and their workforce.
Designing the Future - This section of the museum focuses on what the future may bring to the Yard and features many of the up and coming architecture, engineering, and design students and their ideas, some that may someday even make it to the Yard for manufacturing and development! No matter how many times guests visit the museum, they will see a different exhibit as it is constantly changing and evolving.
Yard Work - This constantly evolving and rotating exhibit displays the products, people, tools, and talents of the community and culture that encompasses the Yard. It is also located in the cafe, which is operated by the local Brooklyn Roasting Company. Recently, this exhibit has featured works done in metal and wood.
Mural - The 66-foot wall that stretches along the perimeter of the Yard along the Greenway is home to a mural that changes on an annual basis. It currently features a map of 10 commuters who tracked their daily commute on their smart phone apps. Those commutes were mapped with a variety of colors, making for a beautiful and lively must-see mural.
Educational Opportunities
Building 92 prides itself on its excellent educational opportunities for students. To that end, they collaborate with the Historical Society of Brooklyn to offer their education programs free of charge to all students from kindergarten through 12th grade and their teachers provided they go to the school in the NYC public system. Students will learn how to think like engineers and historians through hands on investigation of the arts, material culture, as well as written documents that help them to better understand how America as a whole and NYC in specific was developed.
Programs as 90 minutes in length and teachers can choose from a variety according to grade level of their students. All field trips require reservation in advance and can accommodate up to 32 students with 3 chaperones (must be adults). Bus parking is available.
Special Events
There are special events offered throughout the year at Building 92, most of them free of charge. The website runs an up to date calendar with additional information, including times and cost (if applicable). The Tools and Talent workshops offer seasonal activities that let guests get hands on experience with each event.
For example, in December, they offer a twist on the traditional gingerbread house making that happens during Christmastime… gingerbread ships! Building 92 also runs a series of cultural programming, performances, and other artistic performances that it calls Bldg. 92 Presents. There are also frequent public talks related to the history of the Yard, helping guests to understand the significance of the area in a way that allows them to ask questions and engage with the actual history. Keep an eye on the website for other special events, including both bus and bike tours, factory tours and other themed tours as these are offered on a fairly regular basis.
Building 92, 63 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11205, Phone: 718-907-5932
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Shopping in Brooklyn, NYC
If you love to shop, you’re going to love Brooklyn. Shopping there is a totally different experience from going to Fifth Avenue or Manhattan. One thing people remember about Brooklyn is that it always changes, which means that every visit there is a whole new experience altogether. This kind of unpredictability, however, can be confusing if you don’t know your way around. Here’s a quick guide to help keep yourself from getting lost, especially if you’re looking for something in particular.
But first, it’s important to remember that exploring is half the fun of shopping in Brooklyn and the best way to do this is to visit the little stores found in the city’s many neighborhoods. Brooklyn can be a big place though, so you’ll want to start at places like Park Slope, Fort Greene, Cobbie Hill, Williamsburg, and Prospect Heights. Other than that, you can take the roads less traveled and make your way to any of the other neighborhoods there. You might take some interest in the Irish stores within Bay Ridge and the food stalls and restaurants situated along Ocean Avenue.
Fans of vintage goods will want to go to Williamsburg, which is riddled with shops that deal with everything vintage. More importantly, you’ll want to catch the Brooklyn Flea, which is famous for its antiques, though they don’t sell them cheap. Aside from that, there are a lot of flea markets in Brooklyn as well. For other antiques you’ll want to look for the furniture stores along Atlantic Avenue as well as the ones near Smith and Nevins.
If you want to go for the national brands like Best Buy, Macy’s Target, Aeropostale, and Victoria Secret, they’re all conveniently located at the Atlantic Center and the rest of the Brooklyn malls. As you would expect, they offer great selections of mid-priced and even discounted goods for sale.
New York is known for its walkers, which is why the sneakers is everyone’s choice of shoes. If you’re in the market for a pair, you’ll find the trendiest sneaker stores at the malls, especially the ones at Fulton Mall. The hipsters have their place to just at Williamsburg.
You can also go to IKEA, which is pretty accessible via a bus, ferry, or car from Manhattan to the Red Hook neighborhood. Meanwhile, Downtown Brooklyn is home to a shopping center called City Point as well as a Century 21 and Target. Since 2017, there’s also been a huge food hall put up there.
Brooklyn does have a very lively market environment. In fact, people will find the Brooklyn Flea every week selling second hand and vintage goods as well as a wide variety of farm to table products. There’s also an innovative market called DeKalb Market whose stores are inside gigantic shipping containers that open for most of the year. These are all on top of all the other flea markets in Brooklyn.
If there’s one time of the year that Brooklyn’s markets are at their finest that would be the month of December when the holidays bring markets all over. They show up in schools, plazas, concert halls, and other public places where they can set up shop.
There are other markets that open only during certain seasons as well. For instance, an African marketplace called the BAM Dance Africa opens in Fort Greene brings in thousands of shoppers every year. There’s also the Brooklyn Book Festival which is hosted annually as a way to showcase Brooklyn’s vibrant reading and writing culture.
In Park Slope along Fifth Avenue are shops for women and children’s clothing and some stores for furniture. You can find more in Carroll Gardens along Smith and Court streets as well. If you go to Williamsburg, there are hipster clothes being sold as Bedford and Grand Avenues along with a lot of accessories. Some African imports can be found in Fort Greene at Fulton Street. Some children’s clothing and accessories are also found along Fifth Avenue by Sunset Park.
Clothing that are on the more conservative side such as wigs, hats, long coats, and dresses can be found in the Jewish neighborhood, Borough Park. The stores are closed on Saturdays though, so go there on other days.
In Brooklyn you can find Etsy, a very popular online market as well as a number of neighborhood stores that sell uniquely designed or handmade clothing and other accessories like jewelry. There are some locally made household items like pots and pillows as well. The clothes here are designed by artists within the Etsy network.
If you’re interested in more products like these, you can go back to Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Williamsburg, Prospect Heights, and Park Slope. You can also find local sculptors, artists, and painters doing their work at the annual Waterfront Artists Coalition, which takes place in Bushwick.
If you want ethnic food, you might want to consider the Middle Eastern cuisine of Sahadi’s emporium along Atlantic Avenue just off Clinton Street. You might also like the authentic Russian dishes at the M&I Supermarket along Brighton Beach Avenue.
For some Polish kielbasa and bread, you’ll want to check out Manhattan Avenue. Meanwhile, there’s Italian food pretty much anywhere in Brooklyn, although you’ll want to visit the meat markets and pastry shops along 13th Avenue as well as those in Dkyer Heights. Some Norweian food stores can be found along Bay Ridge as well.
Finally, a couple of Pakistani and halal restaurants are found in Coney Island Avenue together with some places that offer Caribbean fare. You’ll also find a couple of Irish and African restaurants there.
Lastly for specialty food shops, DUMBO, Williamsburg, and Park Slope have very popular bakeries such as Steve’s Key Lime Pie and Baked. There are also some organic food and meat markets there.
The shopping list is never going to be exhaustive. But hopefully you can make your way around Brooklyn and find whatever it is that you’re looking for in shopping heaven.
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Newark to Brooklyn
When traveling to New York City, you have the choice of three major airport: JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark. All three of these airports are immensely busy throughout the year and have their own unique advantages.
Newark, or to give it its full name, Newark Liberty International Airport, is the only one of the trio to be located in the state of New Jersey and is actually the main airport in NJ. It's also one of the most convenient for tourists or travelers wishing to visit the New York City borough of Brooklyn.
The most populous borough in all of New York City, Brooklyn is located on the western end of Long Island and is home to some of the city's most famous landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge, the Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch, and Coney Island. It's an increasingly popular part of NYC to visit, with its own unique charms and personality that set it apart from the other boroughs.
There are plenty of things to do in Brooklyn, but before you worry about any of that, you need to actually get there. Fortunately, if you fly into Newark Airport, you'll have many different options to transfer from Newark to Brooklyn. In fact, getting to Brooklyn from the airport is a lot easier than you might think.
Brooklyn is by far one of the most popular NYC boroughs to visit, beloved by tourists and travelers of all ages and backgrounds. People visit Brooklyn from all over the world, and many choose to fly into Newark Airport to make the transfer as easy as possible. While JFK Airport is located to the east of Brooklyn, Newark is situated to the west, meaning you'll have to cross over the Hudson River to get there. Fortunately, the journey is very simple, with a wide range of options to suit every possible budget. Let’s take a look at the best ways to get from Newark to Brooklyn.
One of the most iconic parts of the Big Apple is its subway system, so this is the first port of call for many tourists and travelers arriving at one of the city's major airports. Getting to Brooklyn from Newark via subway or train is a smart and budget-friendly option. It should take around one and a half hours in total, but can take a little longer depending on the time of day and how busy the city happens to be. A train ticket costs around $15 and subway tickets start at just $2.75. The first step for this journey is to ride the 'AirTrain' at Newark, which will take you over to the Newark Liberty Airport Station.
It's important to note that this train doesn't go directly into the city, so you will need to change afterwards. Upon arrival at Newark Liberty Airport Station, you can buy train tickets to get to New York Penn Station. The station itself is relatively easy to navigate, with multiple signs providing up-to-date information on the latest trains, times, and platforms. The train from Newark to Penn will take about half an hour in total. At that point, you'll be in the heart of Manhattan and have direct access to the subway system, able to buy your subway tickets immediately and choose your route to Brooklyn. There are multiple lines connecting Penn to Brooklyn, so you can take any of the A, C, and E blue MTA trains or the 1, 2, and 3 red line trains.
If you'd prefer to take a bus from Newark Airport into Brooklyn, you'll have two major options. There's the Express Bus and the Shuttle Bus. Despite the name, the Express Bus is actually slower than the Shuttle Bus, but it's a little cheaper.
Let's focus on the Express Bus first: this is the 'Newark Liberty Airport Express' which leaves directly from the airport and heads over to Manhattan, calling at several places like Grand Central Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. You can hop off at any of these stops and then buy a subway ticket to get over to Brooklyn.
As for the Shuttle Bus, this is often one of the fastest options to get to Brooklyn from the airport. The bus can be found just outside the airport exit and, just like the Express Bus, will make several stops in Manhattan, allowing you to hop off at a place like Grand Central and use the subway to continue your journey.
The final option is to ride along in another vehicle, either a taxi or a private transfer car. Taxis will be cheaper, but you'll still need to hand over around $110 to get all the way to Brooklyn and the length of the journey is highly dependent on New York traffic. Many taxis can be found outside Newark Airport, so this is one of the most convenient options and doesn’t' involve any waiting around.
On a good day, this is the fastest option too as it will take you directly where you need to go, and many taxis can be in Brooklyn from Newark within an hour. As for private transfers, these may cost up to $120 or even more at times, but are quick and easy like taxis. Private transfer rides from the airport to Brooklyn, or any other NYC area, can be booked online, with the driver picking you up straight from the airport and taking you wherever you need to go.
Of course, one of the simplest options to get from Newark airport to Brooklyn, or anywhere else around New York City and the surrounding area, is to simply rent a car for yourself. Car rentals are located directly at the airport, with many of the biggest brands operating at Newark, allowing you to choose the right vehicle for you and your fellow travelers at the best possible rate. Renting a car has a lot of advantages, especially if you're traveling with a lot of luggage as it can be frustrating and difficult to get around the subway with suitcases and bags. From Newark, all you need to do is head out onto the New Jersey Turnpike and follow the signs to reach Brooklyn quickly and easily.
