I want to be a part of it

New York – and specifically Manhattan – have long been dear to my heart, but on this visit it’s Brooklyn that I fall for.  Our cousins live in Crown Heights, an area that while rough around the edges has its fair share of funky bars and vintage stores.  And in fact that’s precisely what we spend our first afternoon doing: walking to Prospect Park and then round Prospect Heights and Crown Heights, ducking into vintage shops ($100 dollars for a dress, anyone?!) and ending up at Franklin Park, a dark neighbourhood bar with pear cider on tap.

The following two days are blisteringly hot and many of our plans go out of the window.  Finding that the Strand bookstore on Broadway has air conditioning, we loiter for a couple of hours (no great hardship) and leave with a stack of books between us. 

Other great discoveries: 

A bookstore in downtown Brooklyn which is open till 10 at night - great to browse after a few cocktails.

Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village. 

Lunch at Grey Dog on University between 11th & 12th Streets.  Their homemade lemonade really hit the spot after a morning in 38 degree temps.

Brooklyn Flea on Saturday morning was a great final stop and I wished I could fill up my bag with goodies.  If I’d been flying home that day I would’ve done so, but I didn’t think the vintage maps, street signs and other tempting ephemera would survive a 5000 mile trip round the States so we left empty-handed.