10 Brooklyn Outdoor Experiences that Cost FREE.99 (from a Native New Yorker)
Looking for the best outdoor spaces in Brooklyn? Wondering what experiences are best for outdoors activities in Brooklyn? Where should I go out in Brooklyn? Looking to explore without it costing you a penny? Just because you’re in a concrete jungle, doesn’t mean you can’t find some incredible outdoor spaces to “escape” the jungle! NYC can be expensive, but it can also be super cheap if you select the right things to do!
Summer 2020 for me became the summer of FREE outdoor exploration of my own backyard! I realized that I did not have to travel far or spend a lot to escape. Whether you live in New York City or are visiting New York City, this article will feature my favorite places in Brooklyn to explore for FREE and experience the outdoors.
For each experience, I am including the following information:
Description
Unique “Did You Know?” Fact
Things to Do
Landmarks & Attractions Nearby
Directions
FYIs Before You Go
10 Brooklyn Outdoor Experiences for FREE.99 featured in this post:
Relax in Prospect Park
Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge
Stroll across the Williamsburg Bridge
Lounge at Domino Park
Take a moment at East River State Park
Smell the flowers at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
Lounge at the Beach
Spend a Day at Coney Island
Get lost in the street art area of the Bushwick Collective
Explore Brooklyn Bridge Park
1. Relax in Prospect Park
One does not have to make a trek to Central Park to experience a green oasis -- you can head to Prospect Park instead. There are 585 acres to enjoy! Whether you want to ride a bike, go for a run, have a picnic or BBQ, there is ample green space for that. You are guaranteed to have a relaxing day.
Did you know? Prospect Park was designed by the same team that created Central Park.
Things to Do:
Boat tour at the Audubon Center
Go fishing
Ride horses
Rent a pedal boat
Stroll through the park
Shop at a farmer’s market
Landmarks & Attractions nearby
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn Museum
Lefferts Historic House
Directions:
F at 7th Ave., 15th St./Prospect Park, and Fort Hamilton Parkway stations
2/3 at Grand Army Plaza
Q at Parkside Ave.
Q /B/S trains at Prospect Park station
FYIs before you go:
Prospect Park is HUGE -- it is the second-largest park to Marine Park. With that being said, what you are interested in doing/seeing impacts what side of the park you want to enter.
Prospect Park hosts several events throughout the year, especially in the summer. BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn in the Prospect Park Bandshell is the most popular, where there are many concerts and shows throughout the summer. It's New York's longest-running, free outdoor performing arts festival, often featuring major celebrities. For example, Patti LaBelle opened for Summer 2019. Check out the calendar so you can plan your trip to Prospect Park around an event.
Interested in exploring Prospect Park with some guidance? There are walking tours offered by Turnstile Tours in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance that you can check out!
Interested in a Farmers Market? There are two of them by Prospect Park you can enjoy!:
Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket: Open Saturdays year-round from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Located at Prospect Park West by Flatbush Avenue/Grand Army Plaza
Bartel-Pritchard Square Wednesday Greenmarket: Open Wednesdays, Year-round from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Located near Prospect Park West at 15th Street
2. Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic things you can do in New York City. It truly is one of the best ways to see the NYC skyline for FREE.99. It is no wonder that two million people come to walk across the historic Brooklyn Bridge each year. Once you finish your walk, there are a variety of activities to do (many food-related) to reward your long walk!
Did you know? Each weekend on average, 26,800 people cross the bridge on any given weekend day. More than 120,000 vehicles, 4,000 pedestrians, and 2,600 bicyclists cross the Brooklyn Bridge every day.
Brooklyn Side:
Things to Do:
Eat Fresh Seafood Rolls (lobster, shrimp, crab) from Luke's Lobster, a ten-minute walk from the Brooklyn Bridge's exit on the Brooklyn side.
Grab dessert from Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory or Junior’s Cheesecake
Eat pizza at the famous Grimaldi’s
Take a moment looking at photos from the exhibit, Photoville NYC
Roam and eat at the Time Out Market New York
Landmarks & Attractions nearby:
Junior’s Cheesecake
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory
Photoville NYC
Time Out Market New York
Directions:
Closest trains: A, C or F to Jay Street/MetroTech Station; N, R to Court Street Station; 2/3 or 4/5 to Borough Hall Station if you are trying to enter from the pedestrian walkway from Tillary and Adams St (this part has a longer entry walk to enter, but it is all leveled)
Shortcut: A or C Train to the High Street Station. Exit at the High Street exit. There is a staircase entrance on Washington Street to enter -- you can use this Google Maps link for directions to that entrance from your starting destination. This helps you bypass the longer entry walk, but requires you to climb steps.
Ferry: Take NYC Ferry’s East River route to Fulton Landing in Brooklyn at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1
Manhattan Side:
Things to Do:
Visit the African Burial Ground National Monument
Tour City Hall -- located right next to the Brooklyn Bridge walkway entrance
Visit One World Trade Center, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Oculus Center—this is located about a 15 min walk from the bridge
Check out Tweed Courthouse.
Wander up to Chinatown -- this is located about 16 minutes (0.7 miles from the bridge)
Landmarks & Attractions nearby:
City Hall
African Burial Ground National Monument
Tweed Courthouse
Chinatown
One World Trade Center
9/11 Memorial & Museum
Oculus Center
Directions:
Closest trains: 4, 5, or 6 trains to Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall Stop or J or Z trains to Chambers St. Stop. The bridge is right across the street from the subway station.
Nearby trains: 2 or 3 trains to Park Place, the N or R train to City Hall, or the A or C train to Fulton Street
FYIs before you go:
If you want the best view walking the Brooklyn Bridge, walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan so the skyline is always in front of you.
If you want little to no people in your pictures on the Brooklyn Bridge, you either need to wake up super early (6-7 am early) or be very patient and creative with your angles!
If you're walking, you should plan to spend about an hour getting from one side to the other -- including stopping for views and photos and dodging bicycles
Stay in your lane: There are lots of bikes on the bridge to dodge -- the beginning of the pedestrian walkway from the Brooklyn side is really tight, so you really need to be careful. While the walkway does widen towards the middle, there is a lot to pay attention to between the bikes and crowds of people.
Wear comfortable shoes: You’ll be walking a lot across the bridge, so it is best to be comfortable!
Don’t leave a lock on the bridge: You will actually be fined $100 if caught.
3. Stroll across the Williamsburg Bridge
There is more to New York City than the Brooklyn Bridge -- there are 7 bridges that connect to Brooklyn, 3 of which connect to Manhattan. If you are looking for a more local bridge to walk across, the Williamsburg Bridge is a good option. It provides a more unique view of the city, as it connects the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway across the East River.
Did you know? Williamsburg Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world (7,308 feet) until 1924 when the Bear Mountain bridge opened upstate?
Brooklyn Side:
Things to Do:
Stroll through Domino Park or East River State Park
Splurge at Peter Lugers Steakhouse
Eat a meal at Patrizia’s!
Indulge in sweets at one of these places: Martha’s Country Bakery or Levain Bakery
Wander & eat at Smorgasburg
Go on a street mural gallery walk along Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg
Landmarks & Attractions nearby:
East River State Park
Domino Park
Peter Lugers Steakhouse
Smorgasburg
Directions:
J, M, and Z lines to Marcy Avenue. Then walk to enter at Berry St between South 5th and South 6th Streets.
Manhattan Side:
Things to Do:
Grab dinner in Little Italy
Go on a street mural gallery walk on Lower East Side or Williamsburg
Grab some tasty dessert from Eileen’s Cheesecake
Landmarks & Attractions nearby:
Little Italy
Lower East Side
Eileen’s Cheesecake
Directions:
F, J, M, and Z trains to Delancey St & Essex station. Then enter the bridge at Clinton and Delancey Street.
FYIs before you go:
The Williamsburg Bridge provides a unique view: The views from the Williamsburg Bridge walk are not as pretty as the Brooklyn or Manhattan Bridges. However, you do get a different perspective of the city.
The Williamsburg Bridge has a much bigger incline to enter and decline to exit.
If you enter walking on the Lower East Side, you will most likely deal with more traffic since there is only one entrance for bicyclists and pedestrians on that side -- I noticed seeing a lot more bikes when I was exiting the bridge.
For the best views: Walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan so the skyline is always in front of you.
If you're walking, you should plan to spend about 45 min- 1 hour getting from one side to the other -- including stopping for views.
Stay in your lane: There are lots of bikes on the bridge on the Manhattan side to dodge, but the majority of the bridge was smooth to walk!
Wear comfortable shoes: You’ll be walking a lot across the bridge, so best to be comfortable!
4. Lounge at Domino Park
A former Domino Sugar Refinery, the area has been transformed into a 5-acre public park as of 2018. The park has many features including a playground, chairs to lounge out, a walkway, and dope views of the Williamsburg Bridge and Manhattan skyline by the waterfront. A unique aspect of this playground is that there are many artifacts from the factory sprinkled throughout such as cranes that were once used to unload sugarcane from freight ships, sugar tanks used to collect the liquid sweetener, and screw conveyors. Even the wood used to build the benches and chairs came from the former sugar refinery.
Did you know? The same architects and designers who created the High-Line in Chelsea created Domino Park.
Things to Do:
Take a stroll on the elevated walkway, made from 21 columns from the factory’s Raw Sugar Warehouse.
Grab a bite to eat at Tacocino or one of the food trucks right outside the park.
Chill out on a wooden lounge chair
Play in the sugar refinery-themed Playground
Landmarks & Attractions nearby:
Williamsburg Bridge
East River State Park
Directions:
Subway: Take the M, J, Z to Marcy Avenue OR the L to Bedford Avenue.
Ferry: Take NYC Ferry’s East River route to North Williamsburg (at North 6th Street) or South Williamsburg (at Schaefer Landing) Stop
FYIs before you go:
There are three park entrances: 1) Kent Avenue at South 5th Street; 2) South 3rd Street, and 3) Grand Street
Hours: The park is open from 6:00 am to 1:00 am every day of the week
There isn’t much shade at all, so you may want to bring a hat and apply sunscreen.
Drinks are not allowed into the park. We were turned away when we had milkshakes in our hands.
I am unsure if this is at all entrances, but the entrance we entered searched everyone’s bags.
5. Take a moment at East River State Park
Another great park in Williamsburg Brooklyn is East River State Park, located right on the East River waterfront. Formerly used as a shipping dock, this 7-acre waterfront park offers really breathtaking views of Manhattan, the NYC skyline, and the Williamsburg Bridge. You can still see remnants of the 19th-century shipping dock such as old cobblestone streets and railroad tracks embedded in concrete.
Did you know? The East River State Park was renamed the Marsha P. John State Park in February 2020 in honor of a transgender woman of color who was a pioneer of the LGBTQ civil rights movement and a prominent figure in the Stonewall Uprising.
Things to Do:
Explore different cuisines by grabbing bites to eat at Smorgasburg on Saturdays
Grab Ice cream at OddFellows Ice Cream
Take in the beautiful skyline while sitting on a bench or while having a picnic or BBQ
Attend a summer event
Landmarks & Attractions nearby:
Smorgasburg
Williamsburg Bridge
Directions:
Subway: Take the L train to Bedford Avenue, and walk towards the river to Berry Street. Pass Berry Street, Wythe Avenue, and Kent Avenue. You'll find the entrance to the Park on Kent Avenue between N. 9th Street and N.10th Street.
Ferry: Take NYC Ferry’s East River route to North Williamsburg (at North 6th Street) or South Williamsburg (at Schaefer Landing) Stop
FYIs before you go:
Bicycles are not allowed here.
You can only bring 2 dogs at a time.
Hours: 9 am to dusk
6. Smell the flowers at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
If you are looking for the ultimate escape from the city’s bustle, a perfect oasis filled with nature, vibrant flowers, quiet, and lack of crowds, then Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is for you. This 52-acre garden containing 12,000 species of plants draws nearly 3/4 million visitors a year. This summer, the BBG reopened for visits since March. Typically, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is open year-round and each season has its very own star exhibits.
Did you know? The sons of Frederick Olmsted, the most famous designer of Prospect Park and Central Park, designed the original plans for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Things to Do:
Explore the Brooklyn Museum near the 990 Washington Ave & 150 Eastern Parkway entrances
Relax at nearby Prospect Park
Sit on the lawn under the trees at the Cherry Esplanade of Brooklyn Botanic Gardens
Shop & Dine at Prospect Heights
Shop at the Saturday Farmers Market at Near Grand Army Plaza
Attend some of the annual events at BBG such as Cherry Blossom Festival and Chile Pepper Festival
Landmarks & Attractions nearby:
Brooklyn Museum
Prospect Park
Grand Army Plaza
Prospect Heights