Brooklyn

Understand

Brooklyn was once a separate city independent of the City of New York. The cities merged at the end of the nineteenth century, forever after lamented by Brooklynites as "The Great Mistake of 1898." Although Brooklyn is very diverse, what makes Brooklyn so different from the other boroughs are its distinct cultural neighborhoods. Manhattan is frequently referred to as "the city" by residents of the other boroughs — for example, in the phrase "I'm going to the city." Many Brooklynites have a great deal of pride in their borough, and most New Yorkers consider Brooklynites to have an identity distinct from that of other New Yorkers. In any case, remember while speaking to Brooklynites that referring to Manhattan as "the city" is acceptable but calling Manhattan "New York City" is not. Be careful not to confuse Brooklyn and the Bronx - they are very different parts of New York City.

Visitor information
Brooklyn Tourism & Visitors Center
Historic Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St, Ground Floor
+1 718 802-3846
M-F 10AM-6PM
at Court St; Subway: 2/3/4/5 trains to Borough Hall, M/R trains to Court St-Borough Hall, or A/C/F trains to Jay St-Borough Hall

Official tourist and visitor information center and gift shop with unique Brooklyn souvenirs.