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Major city · United States

Brooklyn

Stay 2–3 nights in Brooklyn and treat Manhattan as a day trip: you sleep cheaper and the DUMBO and Promenade views are the point.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Brooklyn is a borough of 2.5 million people that still behaves like a separate city: brownstone blocks, a waterfront park under two bridges, and its own museum district. Most visitors sleep in Manhattan and cross for a day; sleeping here instead cuts hotel costs and puts the best views a walk from your bed. Two nights covers Downtown and the park; add a third for Williamsburg or Coney Island.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jan–Feb (cold, wind off the water), late Jul–Aug (humid)
Airports
JFK · LGA · EWR
Nights
2–3
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Brooklyn911 ▾
  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • NYC non-emergency311

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Brooklyn, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$4–6
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner, one person before tax and tip$25–45
  • BeerDraught beer in a bar$8–10
  • Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi or rideshare, Brooklyn Heights to WilliamsburgHigher with surge pricing.$20–30
  • Metro or bus rideSubway or bus rideflat fare, tap a contactless card or phone
  • Museum or sight ticketBrooklyn Museum suggested admissioncheck the official site
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personUS$55
  • Mid-range bedHotel or brownstone double room, a night, per roomUS$260
  • High-end bedHotel or brownstone double room, a night, per roomUS$500

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$90 · Mid US$150 · High US$300

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Brooklyn Bridge and the Brooklyn Heights PromenadeDUMBO waterfront and Manhattan Bridge viewsProspect Park, Brooklyn Museum and Botanic GardenConey Island boardwalk and the CyclonePizza, bagels and the borough's food streets
Airports
JFK John F. Kennedy International (In Queens but the closest airport to most of Brooklyn; AirTrain to Jamaica or Howard Beach, then subway or LIRR.) · LGA LaGuardia (No rail link; bus plus subway, or a taxi across Queens, roughly 40–70 min to Downtown Brooklyn.) · EWR Newark Liberty (Across the Hudson in New Jersey; AirTrain to Newark Penn, then NJ Transit or PATH plus subway. Slowest of the three.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    4°C (39°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    5°C (41°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    10°C (50°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    16°C (61°F)

  5. May

    Best

    22°C (72°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid*

    30°C (86°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    29°C (84°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    25°C (77°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    18°C (64°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    12°C (54°F)

  12. Dec

    not flagged

    7°C (45°F)

Best: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Jan–Feb, Jul–Aug. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (30°C (86°F)), coolest Jan (−3°C (27°F) low), wettest Jan (10 rain days), driest Sep (8). Averages, not a forecast.

* only part of the month (early, mid or late).

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Brooklyn: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C (39°F)

−3°C (27°F)

10 rd

Feb

5°C (41°F)

−2°C (28°F)

9 rd

Mar

10°C (50°F)

2°C (36°F)

10 rd

Apr

16°C (61°F)

7°C (45°F)

10 rd

May

22°C (72°F)

13°C (55°F)

10 rd

Jun

27°C (81°F)

18°C (64°F)

10 rd

Jul

30°C (86°F)

21°C (70°F)

10 rd

Aug

29°C (84°F)

21°C (70°F)

9 rd

Sep

25°C (77°F)

17°C (63°F)

8 rd

Oct

18°C (64°F)

11°C (52°F)

8 rd

Nov

12°C (54°F)

6°C (43°F)

9 rd

Dec

7°C (45°F)

0°C (32°F)

10 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The subway is the default: the 2/3/4/5, A/C, F, R and B/Q run under Downtown Brooklyn, and the L links Williamsburg to Manhattan. Tap in at the turnstile with a contactless card or phone; the fare is flat and subway-to-local-bus transfers are free inside the window. Buses fill the gaps in Red Hook and along the waterfront. Walking beats everything between Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO and the bridge; taxis and rideshare are for late nights and airport runs.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Manhattan

go

Door to door: 15–30 min

Subway: 2/3/4/5 from Borough Hall, A/C from Jay St–MetroTech, L from Bedford Avenue

Treat it as a day trip and sleep in Brooklyn; the last trains back run all night.

Queens

go

Door to door: 20–50 min

G to Court Square, 7 to Flushing, or LIRR from Atlantic Terminal

Astoria and Long Island City for food and the waterfront; Flushing for Chinese food.

Staten Island

caution

Door to door: 1–1.5 h

R to Bay Ridge, then the S79 bus over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, or the free ferry from Manhattan

The ferry is the better trip; the bus crossing is slow and dull.

Bronx

caution

Door to door: 50–70 min

4 or 5 from Borough Hall to 161 St–Yankee Stadium, or the B/D to the same stop

Worth it for a ballgame or the zoo; not a casual wander.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights

Best first base: subway hub at Jay St–MetroTech and Borough Hall, the Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park on foot, Manhattan one or two stops away.

Williamsburg and Greenpoint

L train to Manhattan in minutes; bars, music and the Bedford Avenue strip. Noisier at night, fewer family rooms.

Park Slope and Prospect Heights

Quiet brownstone streets beside Prospect Park, the museum and the Botanic Garden; good for families, slower to Manhattan.

Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights

Cheaper beds and short-term rentals on the A/C and 3/4 lines; check the exact block before booking.

Coney Island and Brighton Beach

Only worth it in summer, when the beach is the reason; 45–60 min by subway from Downtown.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
$110–200 excl. bed
High
$200+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel or brownstone double room1 × 2 nights × US$260US$520
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$150US$600
AirTrain JFK plus subway into Brooklyn, one way2 × US$11US$22
Subway and bus rides, one day2 × US$12US$24
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$120
Trip total≈ US$329 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,316

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax is added at the till and flights are excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$4–6
Slice of pizza$4–7
Bagel with cream cheese$4–6
Sit-down dinner, one person before tax and tip$25–45
Draught beer in a bar$8–10
Subway or bus rideflat fare, tap a contactless card or phone
Taxi or rideshare, Brooklyn Heights to WilliamsburgHigher with surge pricing.$20–30
Brooklyn Museum suggested admissioncheck the official site

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Brooklyn is a big borough, not one place: Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Williamsburg and DUMBO are busy and well lit late, while some blocks further east are quiet and poorly lit after dark. Watch your phone on the subway platform, not the borough.
  • Subway fare is paid by tapping a contactless card or phone; buy a MetroCard only if you still have one.
  • The Brooklyn Bridge walkway is shared with cyclists and is packed from mid-morning; go before 08:00 or after 20:00.
  • Some blocks in East New York, Brownsville and parts of Bed-Stuy have little for a visitor after dark; check your route, not the borough.
  • Summer heat on the Coney Island boardwalk and the Prospect Park meadows is real; carry water.
  • Short-term rental rules in New York City are strict and change; confirm the listing is legal before you pay.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
NYC non-emergency
311

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

BrooklynBrooklyn

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • NYC non-emergency311

Embassy

No embassies in Brooklyn; consulates-general cluster in Midtown Manhattan. Check your country's listing before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • JFK → Downtown Brooklyn: AirTrain plus subway, about $11, 60–75 min
  • Subway ride: flat fare, tap a contactless card or phone
  • Taxi Brooklyn Heights → Williamsburg: $20–30
  • Metro-North or LIRR from Atlantic Terminal: fare by zone, check at the machine

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Excuse me — Excuse me
  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Where is the subway? — Where is the subway?
  • To this address, please — To this address, please

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink at the bar, 15–20% in taxis.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Brooklyn. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jan–Feb (cold, wind off the water), late Jul–Aug (humid) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 5 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources