The most famous New York City museums are in Manhattan. You've heard about the Met, MoMA, and Whitney, even if you've never been to them. I always said it wasn't fair to our "little" Brooklyn Museum. But then, I discovered it's the city's second-largest museum. It doesn't feel that way, and that's what I like most about it.
At the Brooklyn Museum, there are more than one million works to see. The collection has many famous names (Degas, Monet, van Gogh), but it excels in modern art. The coolest exhibit I've seen so far is Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion. Each display paired the designer's futuristic creations with incredible electronic music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
My favorite space is the third-floor court. It has a new glass floor suspended over the original glass, terrazzo, and marble floor from 1893. The court, with a fictional costume exhibit, stars in the opening episode of the Netflix series Pose.
Unlike the museums in Manhattan, the crowd in Brooklyn is a local one. Thanks to institutions like the Brooklyn Museum and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, we no longer have to go into the city for art and culture. These spots make the outer boroughs more liveable than ever, and more worthy of a visit.
Find your way with 301 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
When you step into "Rainey Park" in New York City, it feels like you have been welcomed into the shared backyard of Astoria residents. Compact & sunny!
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"Queens Bakehouse" in NYC was an instant hit with me. Their inventive twists on classics are what really stole my heart - the croissant loaf, for example.
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"Utopia" is my neighborhood go-to breakfast joint. It's a real old-school kind of place; I go with my newspaper and am always served well and fast.
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"Malachy's Donegal Inn" is an Irish bar in New York city that's a survivor. There's an ingrained (or ingrown) sense of comfort, 'cares abandoned'...
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"Central Park Benches" in NYC (apart from their comfort) are known for their commemorative plaques. One of them is dedicated by the citizens of Liverpool...
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You can find "BANKSY in New York" in the Upper West Side. 'Boy With a Hammer' is the only one of his pieces that hasn't been 'repurposed'...
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"Silvana" is a large cafe, boutique, shawarma and falafel bar in NYC that also offers live music performances on their downstairs stage. Great acts!
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The menu is simple: hamburgers, French fries & toppings. No over-the-top ingredients, no superfluous adjectives, and high-value food at rock-bottom prices.
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"Elizabeth Street Garden" New York: formerly the site of a large, important school house, it was reclaimed in the '90s and turned into a sculpture garden.
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One block away from a 21st century LinkNYC WiFi tower on Broadway sits one of three West End Avenue working telephone 'booths', the last in NYC...
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After, "Anthony & Son" Panini Shoppe's Italian-style super-sandwiches, no regular New York sandwich will ever taste as good again...
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"Dutch Kills" in New York isn't hiding it's one of the best bars in the city, but it isn't publicizing the fact, either. No password to enter, however!
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301 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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