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Though the boutiques on Bedford Avenue are best for people-watching, you’ll also find stores along Grand Street, and on many side streets, especially North 6th.

At the Realform Girdle Building (218 Bedford Ave., Williamsburg | 11211)—the closest thing Williamsburg has to a mall—pick up free newspapers and magazines that will help you get a read on the local scene. Attractions include a small café, a new/used record store, achingly hip boutiques, and an art bookstore.

The small size of the Bedford Cheese Shop (229 Bedford Ave., at N. 4th St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/599–7588 | www.bedfordcheeseshop.com) belies the fact that this is one of the city’s best cheese stores, packed with an encyclopedic assortment of artisan cheeses as well as small-producer cured meats, gourmet imported oils, chocolates, and other dry goods. Don’t miss the quirky and occasionally salacious descriptions of the cheeses (“looks like dirty scrimshaw but tastes like a peat-covered goat teat”).

One of the standout boutiques on Bedford, Catbird (219 Bedford Ave., near N. 5th St., Williamsburg | 11211 |

718/599–3457 | www.catbirdnyc.com), is a dollhouse-size shop whose shelves are filled with handmade jewelry, home accessories, and whimsical hats.

Brooklyn’s thriving home-design scene is often credited to

Future Perfect (115 N. 6th St., at Berry St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/599–6278 | www.thefutureperfect.com), which has since opened a Manhattan branch.

Even if you’re not planning on shipping home a Bone Chair made entirely of cow ribs, you’ll have a great time browsing the playful and often ironic furnishings from better-known local Brooklyn designers and international exclusives. A&G Merch (111 N. 6th St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/388– 1779 | www.aandgmerch.com) sells affordable home accessories that are both contemporary and stylish.

Local fashionistas and out-of-towners alike flock to

Beacon’s Closet (88 N. 11th St., Williamsburg | 11211 | 718/486–0816 | www.beaconscloset.com) for its huge selection of used and vintage clothing and accessories where real deals can be scored if you devote some time to browsing.

Mandate of Heaven (158 Cook St., Williamsburg | 11206 | 718/366–2565 | mandateofheavenclothing.com) sells quirky, delicately reimagined pieces sourced from the ample vintage clothing stores of Williamsburg. You’ll find one-of-a-kind and handmade clothes, from jeans to capes.

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Where to Eat | Where to Stay | Nightlife

On Atlantic Avenue’s south side, the three adjacent neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill form a quiet residential area of leafy streets lined with 19th-century town houses.

The action swirls around Smith Street, a famed restaurant row augmented by fresh, fashionable boutiques, as well as Court Street’s restaurants, bookstores, and old-fashioned bakeries.

Nearby on Atlantic Avenue between Court and Clinton is a rapidly gentrifying Middle Eastern enclave, which includes the emporium Sahadi’s (187 Atlantic Ave. | 718/624– 4550) great for purchasing a veritable bazaar of olives, baklava, and other treats. Get to this neighborhood by taking the F train to Bergen Street or Carroll Street.

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WHERE TO EAT IN CARROLL GARDENS, COBBLE HILL, AND BOERUM HILL

Brooklyn Fare.

$$$$ | GLOBAL | At Brooklyn’s only restaurant with two coveted Michelin stars, local star chef César Ramirez and his sous-chefs offer an inimitable culinary performance during three nightly seatings. Out of the multitude of copper pots and pans and on to dainty dishes come 20 seafoodfocused concoctions presented to 18 diners seated at a semicircular steel counter. Examples include king salmon parfait with basil gelee, avocado, maple syrup, and mustard, and fresh tofu and king crab blended with matsutake mushrooms and dashi sauce. It’s BYOB. | 200 Schermerhorn St., near Hoyt St., Downtown | 11201 | 718/243–0050 | www.brooklynfare.com | Reservations

essential. | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch| Subway: A, C to Hoyt–Schermerhorn; 2, 3 to Hoyt St.; 4, 5 to Nevins St.; B, M, Q, R to Dekalb Ave.

Buttermilk Channel.

$$ | AMERICAN | This cozy bistro serves up a spirited slice of down-home Americana on Court Street. Locals swear by comfort-food mainstays with emphasis on local and organic, especially the all-time fave: buttermilk-fried chicken with cheddar waffles. Other standouts include the house-made charcuterie and snacks like handmade mozzarella. | 524 Court St.at Huntington St., Carroll Gardens | 11231 | 718/852–8490 | www.buttermilkchannelnyc.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | No lunch weekdays. | Subway: F to Carroll St.

Char No. 4.

$ | AMERICAN | With 300-plus whiskeys to choose from, with particular accent on American labels, Char No. 4 is a connoisseur’s dream. (The name refers to barrels in which the golden liquor is aged.) Complement your tipple with updated dishes from south of the Mason-Dixon line. Many of the appetizers involve bacon; don’t miss the thick-cut bacon with peas and carrots, the BLT, or the cheese curds with pimento sauce. | 196 Smith St., Carroll Gardens | 11201 | 718/643–2106 | www.charno4.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | No lunch Mon.–Thurs. | Subway: F to Bergen St.

Saul.

$$$ | AMERICAN | Owner Saul Bolton’s experience as a cook at famed Le Bernardin shows; the dynamic menu of seasonal specials features first-rate ingredients from the city’s best purveyors. The food is so good that patrons only wish the portions were larger. | 140 Smith St., near Bergen, Carroll Gardens | 11231 | 718/935–9844 | www.saulrestaurant.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | No lunch | Subway: F to Bergen St.

WHERE TO STAY IN CARROLL GARDENS, COBBLE HILL, AND BOERUM HILL

Nu Hotel—Brooklyn.

$–$$ | Sitting atop Smith Street, one of Brooklyn’s main drags for nightlife and shopping, the hip-yet-affordable Nu is perfect for visitors seeking a manageable taste of outerborough New York—and the staff is eager to highlight the neighborhood’s charms. Flat-screen TVs, complimentary Wi-Fi, and AV hookups for your iPod or laptop make the above-average-size rooms livable, though the minimalist white-and-gray color scheme (punctuated with eco-friendly flourishes like cork floors, organic cotton sheets, and leadfree paint) can feel chilly at times. Just off the small check-in area downstairs, a quiet bar serves small plates of Spanish food at night and free pastries with Starbucks coffee come morning—but more fun can be had outside the front door. Pros: great Brooklyn launching pad; knowledgeable staff; fitness center open 24 hours. Cons: it’s a subway or cab ride to anything in Manhattan; bar area can be a little too quiet; limited in-room amenities. TripAdvisor: “clean, spacious, minimalistic rooms,” “complimentary continental breakfast,” “short to subway.” | 85 Smith St., Brooklyn |

11201 | 718/852–8585 | www.nuhotelbrooklyn.com | 3 rooms, 16 suites | In-room: a/c, safe, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: bar, gym, Internet terminal, parking (paid) | AE, MC, V | Subway: F to Bergen St.; A, C, G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn.

NIGHTLIFE IN CARROLL GARDENS, COBBLE HILL, AND BOERUM HILL

Brooklyn Social.

You could walk right past this inconspicuous storefront without even knowing you skipped past a converted men’s social club. Inside, a local crowd listens to the jukebox while sipping old-world cocktails served by bartenders in butcher’s aprons. End the night with a game of pool. | 335 Smith St., between President and Carroll Sts., Carroll Gardens | 11231 | 718/858–7758 | www.brooklynsocialbar.com| Subway: F to Carroll St.

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Exploring Fort Greene | Where to Eat in Fort Greene

One of Brooklyn’s most diverse neighborhoods, Fort Greene has long been a home to writers like Richard Wright, Marianne Moore, and John Steinbeck, and many musicians such as Betty Carter, Branford Marsalis, and even rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard. Architecture buffs will see many great examples of Eastlake and Italianate styles, especially in the facade of BAM, Brooklyn’s performing arts powerhouse.

Today the city has built on the success of BAM by creating a cultural district around it. Here, you can take a modern dance class at the Mark Morris Dance Center (3 Lafayette Ave. | www.markmorrisdancegroup.org), see African diaspora performances by 651Arts (www.651arts.org) in various venues around the neighborhood, catch avant-garde theater at the Irondale Center (85 S. Oxford St. | www.irondale.org), or spend a weekend learning to blow glass at UrbanGlass (647 Fulton St. | www.urbanglass.org).

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EXPLORING FORT GREENE

Fodor’s Choice | The Brooklyn Academy of Music.

BAM is a comprehensive arts anchor for the borough, with diverse and cutting-edge offerings in opera, theater, dance, music, film, and more shown in a 1908 neo-Italianate showpiece. Late choreographer Pina Bausch, director Milos Forman, and composer Philip Glass have all recently presented work here. The BAM Rose Cinemas shows both art-house and mainstream films. The season’s biggest annual event is the Next Wave Festival each fall, which showcases work by emerging and established artists.

BAM holds performances in the Beaux-Arts–style Howard Gilman Opera House and at the nearby Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St.), a 1904 vaudeville house whose renovation purposefully retained some of its crumbling beauty. | Peter Jay Sharp Bldg.,30 Lafayette Ave.,

between Ashland Pl. and St. Felix St., Fort Greene | 11217 | 718/636–4100 | www.bam.org | Subway: C to Lafayette Ave.; 2, 3, 4, 5, B, Q to Atlantic Ave.; D, N, R to Atlantic Ave.–Pacific St.

The Brooklyn Flea Market.

Quirky, inclusive, and full of unclaimed treasures—that’s Brooklyn in a nutshell, and it also aptly describes the Brooklyn Flea. This little market that could is now one of Brooklyn’s most popular shopping attractions, luring locals and bargain hunters from afar with vintage finds, hip crafts, and crazy-delicious eats.

The Flea is a hybrid of traditional flea market, garage sale, and crafts fair. It’s a tumble of the expensive, the cheap, and the strange. Some vendors hawk high-end items like antique doors refashioned into tables, rescued fixtures from prewar houses, or midcentury lamps identical to those in

Mad Men.

The most “Brooklyn-y” component is the local artisans, and buying their one-of-a-kind handmade wares gives shoppers the altruistic feeling of supporting arts and crafts, whether that’s silk-screen T-shirts of giant squid, tongue- and-cheek charm bracelets with little daggers, or handstitched stuffed elephants. You’ll also find not a small number of oddly specialized booths. Exhibit A: the vendor who sells nothing beyond oil paintings of bicycles. Why not? Finally, there is plenty of bric-a-brac to sift through: great stuff that may not be practical (mink stoles, nonfunctional alarm clocks, Star Wars collectibles), but it makes for fun browsing.

When you’ve exhausted the shopping side of things, the Flea boasts some fantastic food options. You’ll find fat pretzels from Sigmund Pretzel Shop, funny franks from Asia Dogs, cold cuts and sandwiches from Mile End delicatessen, organic ice cream from Blue Marble, even the popular McClure’s pickles, all with plenty of Crop to Cup family-farmed coffee to get a second wind.

The Flea takes place in two locations every weekend from mid-March to late November. The market splits time between the parking lot of a local school on Saturday and the stunning interior of the landmark Williamsburgh Savings Bank (now an event space known as Skylight One Hanson) on Sunday. During the colder months the Flea happens at its indoor location on both Saturday and Sunday. | Mid- Mar.–late Nov., Sat.: Bishop Laughlin Memorial High School, 176 Lafayette Ave., between Clermont and Vanderbilt Ave., Fort Greene; Sun.: One Hanson Pl., Fort Greene | Winter: One Hanson Pl., Fort Greene | www.brooklynflea.com | Free | Sat. and Sun. 10–5 | Subway: A, C to Lafayette Ave. for outdoor location; 2, 3, 4, 5, B, Q to Atlantic Ave.; D, N, R to Atlantic Ave.–Pacific St. for indoor location.

WHERE TO EAT IN FORT GREENE

BAMcafé.

$$ | NEW AMERICAN | Starting two hours before operahouse performances, enjoy nouveau American fare in the dramatic Lepercq Space on the mezzanine level. On Friday and Saturday, when free concerts take place as part of BAMcafé Live (June–September), BAMcafé opens at 8 pm with a limited menu. | 30 Lafayette Ave., at Ashland Pl., Fort Greene | 11217 | 718/623–7811 | www.bam.org | D, DC, MC, V | Subway: D, M, N, R to Pacific St.; 2, 3, 4, 5, B, Q to Atlantic Ave.; C to Lafayette Ave.

The General Greene.

$ | AMERICAN | A good example of the hearty, stick-to- your-ribs fare that Brooklyn serves up these days, the General Greene is a neighborhood darling. Waiting for a table is part of the experience, especially at brunch time on weekends, as are the cocktails and the famous saltedcaramel sundae. | 229 DeKalb Ave., Fort Greene | 11205 | 718/222–1510 | www.thegeneralgreene.com | MC, V | Subway: C to Lafayette Ave.; B, M, Q, R to DeKalb Ave.

Madiba.

$$$ | SOUTH AFRICAN | The borough’s only South African restaurant (and the city’s first), is styled after a traditional shebeen, a local bar known for its convivial atmosphere and lively conversation. This eatery—with its wooden benches, colorful African-theme paintings, and quirky folk art—has staple curries and stews, as well as offbeat options such as ostrich carpaccio and spicy peri-peri prawns. | 195 Dekalb Ave., Fort Greene | 11205 | 718/855–9190 | www.madibarestaurant.com | AE, D, DC, MC, V | Subway: C to Lafayette Ave.; 2, 3, 4, 5, B, Q to Atlantic Ave

No. 7.

$$ | NEW AMERICAN | Sit at the marble-top bar or on the banquettes in the back at this buzzy neighborhood bistro lighted up by Edison bulbs. The frequently changing menu takes American classics and throws them for a global spin. The result is a nouveau fusion that pulls in local diners in droves. Recent dishes have included cashew-crusted tofu with noodles, poached egg, and pickled coconut as well as bouchot mussels with quince, Chinese sausage, and spaghetti squash. | 7 Greene Ave., Fort Greene | 11238 |

718/522–6370 | www.no7restaurant.com | MC, V | No lunch weekdays; bar only Mon.| Subway: C to Lafayette Ave; 2, 3, 4, 5, B, Q to Atlantic Ave.

Smoke Joint.

$ | BARBECUE | Up the street from BAM, find in-house- smoked “real New York barbecue,” which translates to a mix of regional specialties like incredibly moist chicken, spicy dry-rubbed beef short ribs, collard greens, and meaty barbecued beans. Several kinds of sauces are served on the side, and the counter service couldn’t be friendlier at this truly local joint. | 87 S. Elliot Pl., Fort Greene | 11217 | 718/797–1011 | www.thesmokejoint.com | Reservations not accepted | AE, DC, MC, V | Subway: C to Lafayette Ave.; 2, 3, 4, 5, B, Q to Atlantic Ave.; D, M, N, R to Pacific St.

Stonehome Wine Bar & Restaurant.

$$ | NEW AMERICAN | The place to go before or after BAM if you want your food to match your wine, this dimly lighted basement hideaway serves great tasting flights— three samples for $18—and 35 wines by the glass. The cheese and charcuterie are stellar, as are the in-house- made pâtés and sausages. The small and uncomplicated menu features market-fresh new American fare, such as the all-time fave: organic air-dried chicken served with seasonal sides. On a recent fall night, those included cheddar grits, kale, and dark chicken jus. | 87 Lafayette Ave., at S. PortlandAve., Fort Greene | 11217 | 718/624– 9443 | www.stonehomewinebar.com | AE, MC, V | No lunch | Subway: C to Lafayette Ave.

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Exploring | Where to Eat | Nightlife | Shopping | Performing Arts

Follow dog walkers and bicyclists to idyllic 585-acre Prospect Park, designed by Olmsted and Vaux of Central Park fame. Along with rolling meadows, shady forests, and a series of lakes, there are concerts and kids’ programs.

Adjacent to the park are two of Brooklyn’s main attractions: the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a must-see during its springtime Cherry Blossom Festival, and the Brooklyn Museum, known for its Egyptian and feminist art collections.

The neighborhood that literally slopes down from the park, Park Slope is known affectionately as “Stroller Land.” This family-friendly neighborhood is full of academics, writers, and late-blooming couples pushing Bugaboo strollers to its cafés and designer boutiques.

One of Brooklyn’s most comfortable places to live, Park Slope contains row after row of immaculate brownstones that date from its turn-of-the-20th-century heyday, when it had the nation’s highest per-capita income. To see some of the neighborhood’s most beautiful houses, walk between 7th Avenue and Prospect Park along any of the streets between Sterling Place and 4th Street.

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EXPLORING PROSPECT PARK/PROSPECT HEIGHTS/PARK SLOPE

Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The 52 acres of this beloved Brooklyn retreat, one of the finest botanic gardens in the country, are a must-see, especially in spring and summer. A major attraction is the beguiling Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden—complete with a pond, blazing red torii gate, and Shinto shrine. Nearby, the Japanese cherry arbor turns into a breathtaking cloud of pink every spring; the Sakura Matsuri, a two-day cherry blossom festival, is a hugely popular event.

Also be sure to wander through the Cranford Rose Garden (5,000 plants, 1,200 varieties); the Fragrance Garden, designed especially for the blind; and the Shakespeare Garden, featuring more than 80 plants immortalized by the