Say Cheesecake!
So you've crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and found yourself in Brooklyn. If you're planning on turning around and heading back to Manhattan "FUHGEDDABOUTIT"! Brooklyn (downtown and beyond) is a destination you would be remiss to skip!

The Real New York
Sure, Manhattan, with its tall buildings, throngs of tourists and 24-hour entertainment is exciting and adventurous, but Brooklyn is what makes New York, well… New York! It is, after all, where most New Yorkers call home: Brooklyn has been New York's most populous borough since the 1930's. Today 2.5 million residents live in Brooklyn, their backgrounds ranging from "born and bred" Brooklynites, to immigrants, to up and coming restaurateurs, to newly arrived hipsters and trendsetters.

So there's no better way to get your first taste of Brooklyn than by visiting Brooklyn's own downtown, which is situated at the terminus of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, and surrounded by thriving and eclectic brownstone neighborhoods like the historic Brooklyn Heights district and the cultural and artistic district of Fort Greene.

Here you'll find the well-known Junior's Cheesecake (386 Flatbush Avenue), the Brooklyn Historical Society (128 Pierpont Street), whose documents, artwork and artifacts represent Brooklyn's diverse cultures, past and present, and the majestic Greek Revival style Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street), home to the Tourism and Visitor's Center and the office of Brooklyn's number one cheerleader, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

Beyond Bridges and Cheesecake
Downtown Brooklyn offers a healthy dose of culture and learning opportunities too:
America's oldest continually operating performing arts center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is located in close proximity to downtown Brooklyn and serves as a powerhouse for music, dance, drama and film. Watch movies available nowhere else on the big screen or see a performance by internationally known artists (30 Lafayette Avenue). If you're an aspiring dancer who desires to make your own stage appearance, learn the right moves from some of the best dancers in the world by taking a class at the Mark Morris Dance Group. Adult classes include West African, modern and ballet, or enroll your tot in a children's class like creative dance or tap! (3 Lafayette Avenue).

One of the City's leading cultural institutions, the New York Transit Museum, is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street. The museum is the largest museum in the United States devoted to urban public transportation history. Step back in time and view the museum's collection of vintage cars and antique turnstiles in a decommissioned 1930's subway system and become the most knowledgeable "straphanger" on your commute.

Getting Here:
Subway 2, 3, 4, 5: Borough Hall
A, C, F: Jay Street/Borough Hall
A, C, G: Hoyt-Schermerhorn
D, M, R, Q: De Kalb Avenue
2, 3: Hoyt Street
M, R: Lawrence Street-MetroTech
Bus All of these bus routes stop either on the Fulton Street Mall or within two blocks:
B25, B26, B38, B37, B41, B45, B51, B52, B54, B57, B61, B65, B67, B75
Parking Flatbush Avenue Extension between De Kalb Avenue and Willoughby Street
Duffield Street between Fulton and Willoughby Street
Willoughby Street between Flatbush Avenue Extension and Albee Square West
Willoughby Street between Duffield Street and Albee Square West
Hoyt Street between Livingston and Fulton Street
Smith Street off Livingston Street
The New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge Hotel Parking lot at 333 Adams Street between Willoughby and Johnson Street