January 12, 2007
Brooklyn rocks Lonely Planet's 2007 Blue List
NewYorkology bought up a copy of the Lonely Planet’s new “Blue List The Best in Travel 2007” just to see why exactly it was calling Brooklyn one of the top travel destinations for the year.
 Surprisingly enough, the whole book rocks. It’s completely worth the $20. It’s about 250 pages of places you’ll want to go in the world, mostly off the beaten path. In no way is this a traditional guide book, but rather a series of colorful lists – most-deserted islands, the best micronations (“self-proclaimed, unrecognized countries,”) cities on the rise and dark tourism (“travel to sites associated with death, disaster and depravity.)
Brooklyn gets two pages, but other New York spots are mentioned throughout: Chelsea Hotel (hotels where famous people have died;) Washington Square Park, (best places to people watch;) weekly on-stage rap battles at Demerara’s and Club Pure, (best music and place combinations;) the Library Hotel, (most eccentric places to stay;) Wollman Rink, (the middle of somewhere;) Rise at the Ritz Carlton, Battery Park, (best bars with local flavour;) riding the subway, (best journeys;) and Ground Zero (famous memorials.)
As for Brooklyn, it makes the 2007 "Go List" along with spots such as Central Bulgaria, New Orleans, Portland in Oregon and La Mosquita in Honduras.
 Calling Brooklyn “the hippest part of New York City,” the borough is lauded for its mix of hipsters, ethnic enclaves, working-class families and eccentricities. Singled out: Coney Island’s 4th of July hot dog-eating contest at Nathan’s, its Mermaid Parade and Polar Bear Club New Year’s day swim; summertime Rooftop Films; the “absofuckinglutely unreal” view of Manhattan from Alma Restaurant; the Atlantic Antic street fair; Jacques Torres chocolates; Prospect Park, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn Museum; local beer and video games at Barcade; shopping for streetware at Triple Five Soul; and the views from the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park.
Ecstatic over the inclusion, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz’s office sent over a list of key 2007 dates for Brooklyn:
BAM's Brooklyn Next festival of emerging musicians - Feb. 16-17 and 23-24
Dine In Brooklyn restaurant week - March 19 to 30
 Grand opening of Brooklyn Museum's Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art - March 23
Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival - April 28, 29
Brooklyn Designs - May 11-13
Sundance Institute at BAM film festival - May 31-June 10
Coney Island Mermaid Parade - June 23
Brooklyn International Film Festival - June 1 - 10
West Indian American Day Carnival and Parade - Labor Day
Brooklyn Book Festival - September
Atlantic Antic street fair - September
BAM's Next Wave Festival - Fall
Brooklyn’s tourism center is located in the back of Borough Hall, directly upstairs from the Borough Hall subway station (4/5, 2/3, N/R and M; and a block or two away from the Jay Street/Borough Hall station: A/C and F)
Here are a few other NewYorkology posts about Brooklyn:
Aviator Sports: a Concorde and a very cool logo
Annie Leibovitz retrospective debuts in Brooklyn
Restored 1922 carved-wood carousel opens in Dumbo
Bellydancing, buses and beers at Atlantic Antic
Red Hook and Brooklyn Cruise Ship Terminal guide
January 12, 2007 10:14 AM in Out of Manhattan
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