10 Brooklyn staycation ideas

December 23, 2013 Helen Klein

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Everywhere you turn, Brooklyn is hopping.

As we say goodbye to outgoing Borough President Marty Markowitz, whose three terms saw Brooklyn transition from “outer borough” to “the place to be,” we at The Home Reporter and Spectator decided to come up with our own list of 10 not-to-be-missed Brooklyn hot spots.

So, in no particular order, here they are:

The brand-new ice skating rink at the Lakeside Center in Prospect Park, which opened to the public officially on December 20;
The one-year-young Barclays Center. Go for a Nets game; go for a concert; go for another special event, but be sure to take in the delights of the new arena;
Restaurants, restaurants, restaurants: There are so many to choose from, with innumerable cuisines from around the globe represented;
The continually evolving playground that is Coney Island. Try the newfangled rides at Luna Park, but don’t forget the classics, the Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel.
The Marine Park nature trail, which snakes out from the Salt Marsh Nature Center, and offers a view of bucolic Brooklyn and the opportunity to enjoy views of visiting wildlife;
The borough’s early homes, beginning with Lefferts Historic Home in Prospect Park, which is open to the public, as is the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House on Clarendon Road. But, those aren’t the only old houses still standing: check out the Lott House in Marine Park, the Bennett-Farrell House in Bay Ridge, and the Bennett Home on Kings Highway, at least from outside as these are still private residences.
Sheepshead Bay’s Emmons Avenue. On one side of the street, you can stop for a meal; on the other, you can head out on a fishing boat and catch your meal;
The BAM Cultural District, where theater and music lovers can indulge their passions;
Williamsburg, where the art, music and dining scene is lively, edgy and compelling; and,
The holiday lights of Dyker Heights, a seasonal spectacular you can catch right now on the side streets of this quiet Brooklyn neighborhood. Cruise the 80s from 10^th Avenue to 13^th Avenue to see the largest concentration of dramatic displays.