USA Travel Guide

We’ve given Manhattan plenty of blog time in the past, so today we’re hopping across the East River to a place magnitudes more diverse, authentic and fascinating: Brooklyn. At more than two and a half million people, Brooklyn is the most populace borough of New York City, home to thriving ethnic communities with personality, culture, art and attitude all their own.

There’s tons to see, and what’s better, tons to eat! Today’s tour delivers them both.

<Deep Breath> The Best of Brooklyn Multicultural Neighborhood, Sightseeing, Food Tasting Combination Bus & Walking Tour by New York Fun Tours is a fulfilling (and just plain filling) midday exploration of all things Brooklyn. Art, culture, people, history, architecture, food – as the mouthful of a name suggests, it’s got it all. Far and away one of the best New York sightseeing tours.

It’s also one its least “touristy”. In fact, the company claims to get just as many New Yorkers as out-of-towners, no doubt because this tour is all about discovering the hidden gems of Brooklyn, off-the-beaten-path eateries to make your taste buds sing and your wallets relax. Not just good fun, this tour is good advice.

So what is it? The Best of Brooklyn Yadda-Yadda Tour is a comprehensive four-hour bus and walking tour of several Brooklyn neighborhoods packed with fun stories and humorous history and punctuated by stops at Brooklyn restaurants and markets that cater to locals. The tour actually starts in Manhattan in the West Village, but you’re soon across the bridge and into Kings County where you’ll spend the majority of your time.

Like Brooklyn itself, the tour is full of ethnic delights. You’ll visit an authentic Hasidic deli (always chatty folk there), Jacque Torres’ chocolate factory in the DUMBO neighborhood, and the Latin American neighborhood of Sunset Park, where traditional “Cuban” sandwiches mark a filling end to the day.

All along the way, your tour guide regales you with interesting mental tidbits. Always nice to feed your brain along with your stomach.

Food is ample on the tour. You won’t feel stuffed, but it’s unlikely you’ll be anywhere close to hungry by the end. Also, you’ll spend more time on your feet than some bus seat, so dress accordingly and prepare to do some walking.

The Best of Brooklyn Multicultural Neighborhood, Sightseeing, Food Tasting Combination Bus & Walking Tour is held every Monday, Friday and Sunday, rain or shine, starting at 11:00 a.m. Tours start in the West Village, Manhattan; the exact location is provided when you purchase tickets. Those are $95 per person, by the way.

Tours almost always sell out early, so advanced purchase is more or less required. Get started here.

We haven’t really focused on getting into New York before, but of course you don’t have to stay in Manhattan. Stay out by JFK Airport and you can justify stopping by one of those Brooklyn recommendations for dinner on your way back to the room. You’ll be passing right through town.

For hotels near JFK Airport, we usually stay at the Holiday Inn JFK Airport Hotel. Airport shuttle, free parking and Internet, convenient location – it’s gets the job done.

If you wanted to stay closer to the start of the tour, we’ve really started to dig the Hotel Reserve in the financial district. Literally across the street from the Federal Reserve Bank of NYC, this boutique-style hotel offers great sightseeing and is located just a couple miles out from New York Fun Tours.

Have an incredible time exploring Brooklyn.