Fun things to do in Brooklyn

Nothing says summer like the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. best yet, let your freak flag fly by dressing up in your best aquatic get up and joining the parade. Its only $10 to become part of the parade and its hella fun.

if that's not your thing than just watch the sites from the sidelines.

As children we would find ourselves visiting the zoo quite often. Located in Prospect Park, it was close to our home. We would spend hours seeing the animals and making a fun day of our visit. On one of those early visits, I recall my cousin (who loves lions) sticking her hand in the lion cage and almost getting her hand bitten off. The story goes that my quick response pulled her out of harms way. Til this day, whenever we recall our days in Brooklyn, she always make is point to remind me of my deed (lol, I was a child but I knew better).

The zoo has some really wonderful animals on view so, if you find yourself in the area visiting the Brooklyn Museum or the Botanic Gardens, extend your visit and take a walk in Prospect Park to the zoo. The children always have a wonderful time seeing the animals.

Admission Fees:
$6 for Adults, $2.25 for Seniors over 65 and $2 for children 3-12. Children under 3 are free.

Operating Hours:
Open 365 days of the year.
April-October Monday-Friday, 10am-5pm. Saturday, Sunday and holidays, 10am-5:30pm
November-March, 10am-4:30pm every day

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Near the Brooklyn Bridge you will see two huge buildings that have WATCHTOWER on them. These are the printing facilities for all of the material the Jehovah's Witness organization sends out. I studied their literature for a while and found it quite interesting and informative. I toured the facilities and they were very gracious since I was a bit late! It really is interesting to see everything. All of the workers are working for FREE!! It's amazing.

Although the religion is often questionable, the people are friendlier than I've ever known and they love to share their history and literature with anyone with an open ear.

I used to love walking in Brooklyn; it was almost like an escape from the craziness of Manhattan. It’s a fairly large suburb which is for the most part residential, though in some places, especially the busy areas, you could easily think you were in Manhattan. However, Brooklyn does feel so much more open than Manhattan as it has none of the skyscrapers which dominate Manhattan.

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The park under the Brooklyn Bridge and alongside the Manhattan Bridge is probably one of the best places to view the skyline of NY and experience a vibe that is all Brooklyn. The park includes a sculpture garden and is the perfect place to have a picnic, gathering, or (as you would see on any given Saturday), wedding photos.

A great people watching location! Brooklyn College is located in Midwood and was nominated as one of America's most beautiful campuses (forgot what year though). The campus is beautiful, the buildings have wonderful architecture, and you can meet all sorts of people here (because the student body is so diverse).

Located in the heart of Brooklyn, visit this large public library. The library contains more than 1.5 million books, magazines, and multimedia materials, free Internet access throughout the building, and a Multilingual Center for non-English speakers and those interested in linguistics.

The library opened on February 1, 1941. The library’s notable architecture was created to resemble an open book, with the spine on Grand Army Plaza and the building’s two wings opening like pages onto Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Avenue. I personally don't see it as a book, but it is a beautiful place to sit, read and people watch (not to mention, find a good book!)

Hours : Sun closed
Mon and Fri 9:00AM-6:00PM
Tue, Wed, Thur 9:00AM-9:00PM
Sat 10:00AM-6:00PM

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This pleasant area is the favorite area for the locals to spend nice days. If you visit it on a deserted day, the atmosphere of nostalgia and longing of the many immigrants who have walked this road will transfer to you.