Williamsburg's cool kids, DUMBO's skyline view, Park Slope's brownstones. Cheaper than Manhattan, more interesting food and arts scene, and the best skyline view of the city is from this side of the river.
Quick verdict: Brooklyn is for travellers who don't want to feel like they're on a tour bus — cheaper, hipper, more diverse, and frankly more interesting than most of Manhattan. The trade-off: you'll commute by subway to Manhattan-based sights, which adds 25-40 minutes per trip. Worth it for repeat NYC visitors and anyone who'd rather feel like they're living somewhere than touring it. Three sub-areas worth knowing: Williamsburg (trendy, restaurants, music), DUMBO (skyline views, posh, design), Park Slope (residential, family-friendly).
Easily the most spectacular hotel view in NYC — directly across the East River from Lower Manhattan, with a swimming pool that looks straight at the skyline. Sustainable design, stunning lobby, two outstanding restaurants. £450–£680. The kind of place that makes a trip memorable. Walking distance to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Check Prices on Hotels.com →The cooler-than-cool Williamsburg landmark — a striking modern building with a 23rd-floor outdoor pool, an excellent rooftop bar (Westlight) with the best view of Manhattan from this side, and rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. Brilliant for hen dos, design-loving couples, and anyone wanting a properly modern hotel experience. £320–£480.
Check Prices on Hotels.com →The original Williamsburg landmark — a beautifully converted 1901 cooperage with an iconic rooftop bar (The Ides) where the Brooklyn cool kids drink cocktails facing the Manhattan skyline. Properly stylish, properly Williamsburg. £290–£430.
Check Prices on Hotels.com →The same Pod chain as Times Square — small, smart, well-priced. Pod Brooklyn is in Williamsburg with great subway connections back to Manhattan in 15 minutes. £140–£200, much less than Manhattan equivalents.
Check Prices on Hotels.com →Brooklyn's most famous patch — formerly hipster, now properly grown-up but still Brooklyn-cool. Excellent restaurants, vintage shops, music venues, the Wythe and William Vale, and Smorgasburg food market on Saturdays. 15 minutes by L train to Manhattan. Best for: 25-45 year-old visitors who want food and bars within walking distance.
The waterfront patch directly under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges. Famous for the cobbled streets, the photo of the Empire State Building framed by the Manhattan Bridge (you've seen it), the 1 Hotel, and the Brooklyn Bridge Park. Posh, design-led, more expensive. 5 minutes by subway to Lower Manhattan. Best for: design-loving couples, anyone planning to walk the Brooklyn Bridge.
The brownstones, the prams, the playgrounds. Properly residential, with Prospect Park (Brooklyn's Central Park) on the doorstep. Best for: families who want a different feel from the Upper West Side, with significantly better-value hotels.
The historic patch overlooking Manhattan from the famous Brooklyn Heights Promenade. More residential than touristy, but well-located for both Lower Manhattan (one stop on the subway) and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Williamsburg, DUMBO, Park Slope and beyond — all on Hotels.com.
Search Brooklyn Hotels →From Williamsburg, the L train to Union Square (Manhattan) is 8 minutes. From DUMBO, the F train to Midtown is 25 minutes. So yes, you'll add 30-50 minutes per Manhattan day vs staying in Manhattan, but the savings on hotel cost (often £80-£130 per night) more than cover taxis if you're tired.
The neighborhoods you're staying in (Williamsburg, DUMBO, Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights) are all low-crime and well-policed. As anywhere — common sense, especially late at night.
Yes. The Brooklyn Bridge walk takes you straight into Lower Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty Ferry from Battery Park is a 10-minute subway away from DUMBO. Times Square is 25 minutes from Williamsburg by L+1 train.
For 3 nights or fewer in NYC: probably stick to Manhattan to maximise sight-seeing time. For 5+ nights: Brooklyn for some of those nights gives you a much richer trip and saves real money. Some experienced travellers split — three Manhattan nights, three Brooklyn nights — and rate it the best way to do New York.