Summer In The City: Things To Do In Brooklyn

This summer, we will feature a guide for what to do in all five boroughs. Today John Major, author of the book 111 Places in Brooklyn That You Must Not Miss, talks about his favorite summer attractions from around the borough. Plus, listeners share their favorite summer spots in Queens.

Alison Stewart: You're listening to All Of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. We are continuing our Summer in the City series, spotlighting the best things to do in each borough. Today, we are headed to Brooklyn, the city's most populous borough. Brooklyn is the home to great parks, museums, some of the city's best bars and restaurants. Even if you think you've got a good grasp on what's going on in the borough, there's always more to explore. Joining me now to share some of his recommendations is John Major. He is the author of the book 111 Places in Brooklyn That You Must Not Miss. John, welcome back to All Of It.

John Major: Thank you. It's so nice to be here.

Alison Stewart: Listeners, we want your recommendations. What is your favorite thing to do in Brooklyn in the summer? Give us a call. 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. We have this guide, 111 Places in Brooklyn You Must Not Miss. We had you back on the show. You see, my markers are still--

John Major: I do, I do.

Alison Stewart: Back in 2018, when it was released. I understand you're working on an updated version of the guide.

John Major: Yes. COVID, obviously, created the conditions for some changes. Brooklyn is dynamic and always changing anyway. It's nice to be here and nice to celebrate what we love about the borough.

Alison Stewart: So many things have changed in Brooklyn, but how have you seen Brooklyn change in the past seven years since the last time you were here?

John Major: I personally think that given some of the dynamics that are going on in the city and the country, people are looking for authenticity. They're looking for attachments to their communities. The summer is really a great time to get out of the house, switch off the TV, maybe not take in so much news, and connect with the community that's right around you, your neighbors.

Alison Stewart: Let's start with Brooklyn Bridge Park to check out two different public art exhibits. The first one is called Dreaming with the Archives. That one actually requires you to use your phone to enter an augmented reality experience.

John Major: Yes, it's fantastic, actually. It's only been there for a week or two. It's all about connecting the space that is Brooklyn Bridge Park to both the history of that place and imagined futures. You can access, through QR codes, various elements of the exhibit as you walk through the park. It's really a great way to explore the space, particularly with children. There are guided tours that are available to lead you through.

Alison Stewart: How would I sign up for a guided tour?

John Major: I think the best way probably is just to go to the Brooklyn Bridge Park website, which is brooklynbridgepark.org, and have a look on there.

Alison Stewart: The second art exhibit you describe, you write, is an immersive sculptural soundscape. What is this piece?

John Major: It's a fantastic piece that is a series of structures, let's say, that form like a bone-like body, and you can walk through it and around it. Immersed within the structure are eight speakers playing snippets of sound. It's created by an artist named Torkwase Dyson and titled Akua, which is born on Wednesday in the West African tradition that she's accessing. It's just a great way to be outdoors and a beautiful space near to the water, and also just to have this museum-like experience.

Alison Stewart: We're getting texts already. This says, "Take a friend to Food Bazaar in Red Hook. Grab some food, sit outside, great views of water, traffic, and the Statue of Liberty." Another text says, "Whale watching on the American Princess. Whales and dolphins are just offshore of the beaches of Brooklyn and Queens. Get on the boat, see the whales and dolphins off the coast of Coney Island and the Rockaways. You will love it." Listeners, call in. Tell us what you like about Brooklyn. Our number is 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC.

Two rules of thumb. If you're driving, please don't call us. Please pull over and call us. Please do not call us when you are driving. The second rule of thumb is, this will be on transcript later today. If you're running to write things down, don't worry about it. Check out the transcript later. We're with John Major, author of the guidebook 111 Things in Brooklyn You Must Not Miss. He's also doing an updated version, and we want your recommendations. 212-433-9692.

Okay. Up next in Greenpoint is a bar that you suggest people check out. It's called Scrappleland.

John Major: Yes, this is fairly new on the scene. It's a bar that features 39 classic pinball games as the on-site entertainment. It's brought to you by the same people who did another place on Manhattan Avenue called the Sunshine Laundromat, which is a functioning laundromat with a speakeasy bar. If you go through one of the drawing machines, you end up in a bar with about 20 pinball machines and various games. It's just a great concept to find this unexpected place.

The new Scrappleland also features a rooftop where you can try your hand at cornhole. There is a beautiful sculpture up there by Brooklyn-based artist Tom Fruin, who makes these gorgeous mosaic sculptures-

Alison Stewart: Water towers.

John Major: -of water towers. Exactly.

Alison Stewart: Didn't that used to be a beer bar? Wasn't it a beer bar at one point or something?

John Major: I think so. They're using that space and transforming it into something new. Who knows, maybe, ultimately, a new generation will be turned on to pinball, which I thoroughly endorse.

Alison Stewart: This says, "I love going to Brighton Beach. Though many love the Rockaways, this beach will always have my heart. The water's much calmer, and I think it's a beautiful long stretch of sand with so many delicious food options right off the subway. My favorite meal is stopping at Tashkent Supermarket and picking up an Uzbek Plov. It's a rice and meat dish. So good, you can't believe it. They have the most extensive hot and cold food bar I've ever seen. Anyone who goes becomes an immediate fan." Thanks for the text.

All right, we are going to head out to Red Hook. You suggest Pioneer Works. Oh, this is a great space. Pioneer Works to check out an exhibit about the legacy of the ballroom community in the city.

John Major: Yes, this is also a fairly new arrival there, a terrific art space in Red Hook. They have put together an exhibit that's being curated by three icons of the ballroom scene. The one at Pioneer Works features segments of video by artist Felix Rodriguez, who began documenting balls after watching Paris is Burning back in 1990. He felt like the audience he was watching with were laughing at inappropriate times, and it just made him want to capture what was really special about that scene. One thing to note, aside from going there to see the exhibit, there is going to be a mini ball event on site on August 10th that may be of distinct interest to viewers.

Alison Stewart: That is at Pioneer Works in Red Hook. My guest is John Major, author of the guidebook 111 Things to Do in Brooklyn You Must Not Miss. Give us a call. Tell us your favorite things to do in Brooklyn. 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. After the break, we'll hear about a park that won an Olympic medal. Stay with us.

[MUSIC - Luscious Jackson: Citysong]

Alison Stewart: You are listening to All Of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. We're discussing some of the best things to do in Brooklyn over the summer. My guest is John Major, author of the guidebook 111 Things in Brooklyn You Must Not Miss. Listeners, we want your recommendations of the best things to do in Brooklyn, especially in the summer. Give us a call. 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. I said before the break, we're going to check out a park that won an Olympic medal. Please explain.

John Major: Very bizarrely, back in the '20s and '30s, the Olympic Committee actually gave medals for the arts in the category of the arts. One was on urban design. A architect named Charles Downing Lay submitted plans that he had to renovate Marine Park, which is in Sheepshead Bay and Avenue U, and lo and behold, won a silver medal. Although the Berlin Games are, of course, remembered for Jesse Owens and the rowing team that the film was made about, this actually was the first medal that was won by the US team.

The park has recently been renovated again. There's a beautiful running track for runners and bikers. There are pickleball courts, handball courts, tennis courts. It's just a great place to be. On weekends, bits of immigrant communities who miss their cricket tend to arrive there for cricket matches. It's really a wonderful way to experience the totality of the immigrant experience in Brooklyn and also be introduced to a game that's even slower than baseball, that Bill Bryson said a moderately active spectator could burn off more calories than a cricketer. If you don't know much about the sport, it's always a reason to strike up a conversation.

Alison Stewart: Well, next to Marine Park is the Salt Mars Center. What can I do at the Saltmarsh Center?

John Major: Also a fantastic space, a beautiful visitor center that gives you an introduction to some of the ecological aspects there. There are also paths that take you through the grasses and wetlands. Over 250 breeds of birds and 50 breeds of butterflies populate that space. It's a way to quietly retreat into nature in a space like Brooklyn, where you don't always imagine those encounters as available.

Alison Stewart: John, let's take some calls. Nick is calling us from Brooklyn. Hey, Nick, thanks for making the time to call All Of It.

Nick: Hi, thanks so much for having me. I go to this place in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Nostrand, very close to the 25B&Q called Bar Bayeux. I like to go there Tuesday nights. They have live jazz most nights of the week, but Tuesday nights are really special, and they have a set by people who are remarkable and world famous. It's just in this little hole in the wall that's really affordable and terrific. They have a great piano and people like Ethan Iverson of The Bad Plus, or Ed Sherry, or I saw Al Foster, before he passed away, play there a couple times. I mean, just incredible musicians that you wouldn't expect at this small bar in Brooklyn. It's a beautiful scene.

Alison Stewart: Nick, thank you so much for calling, and thanks for giving the subway lines. That's very special.

John Major: [laughs]

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to Rachel in Manhattan. Hey, Rachel, where do you go when you're in Brooklyn?

Rachel: Hi. I wanted to call and talk about Daiso in Japan Village. If you don't know what Daiso is, it's kind of like-- I don't want to say a dollar store because I know they're $2.15 now, but it's a Japanese convenience store where you can get household goods and a ton of other cute stuff for really cheap. It's my go-to. I go get like an onigiri and then walk around. Super fun.

Alison Stewart: Thanks, Rachel. Let's talk to Fiona from Brooklyn. Hey, Fiona.

Fiona: Hi, thank you for taking my call. I feel like there's so many wonderful little spots, especially in Prospect Park. My favorite spot to go in the park is the dog beach. I'm not the best with geography, so I can't tell you exactly where that is, but if you look on a map, it is on there. It's basically a place where dogs are allowed to go in the water and swim. They've been doing it all summer. It is so fun to watch.

Alison Stewart: Love it. Thank you so much, Fiona. All right. It's summer. It's time for ice cream. Where should we go in Brooklyn?

John Major: For this recommendation, I turned to a friend of mine, Rahel Mazur, who wrote another book in the 111 series on places for kids and families in New York City. It's a fantastic resource. As somebody who raised three small children, I wish it had existed when I was doing that. She recommends a place called Brooklyn Pharmacy, which is in Carroll Gardens, that is kind of an old school ice cream center with contemporary touches, set in a historic apothecary in Carroll Gardens. You can get egg creams and milkshakes and all the good treats that you crave. It sounds like a very beautiful place to hang out.

Alison Stewart: That is Brooklyn Pharmacy. I'm doing a little shoutout to Brown Butter Creamery in Bed-Stuy. Just saying. Love their ice cream. We got a call here, and this is on your list as well. The text says, "Hi, Alison. Green-Wood Cemetery is a great place to visit all year round, but especially in the summer." You agree?

John Major: Yes, totally agree. They have some terrific special events. One is, it's already passed, but a night of celebration called Niblo's Garden. It's a former impresario who has a tomb there along a lake. For that evening, they highlight that tomb and they have circus actors surrounding the lake performing. It's just a beautiful night out for a picnic and watching the fireflies as it grows dark.

Green-Wood Cemetery began its life as a first public park in the city. It has beautiful mature trees and landscaping, and it's a gorgeous place to walk and get out your energy. There are also guided tours that happen there on trolleys that are sometimes theme-based, like around, let's say, artists and musicians with Leonard Bernstein and Louis Comfort Tiffany, Jean-Michel Basquiat, just to name a few. They also have themes around baseball players who are buried there, mobsters, the works. This is the place to be up close and personal with historic figures who are permanent residents of Brooklyn.

Alison Stewart: FAO Schwarz, lots of people are there.

John Major: Exactly.

Alison Stewart: Let's talk to Ian from Staten Island. Hey, Ian, thanks for calling All Of It. You're on the air.

Ian: Hi, how are you? I wanted to talk about Dekalb Market in downtown Brooklyn. I actually just went for the first time yesterday, and it's really amazing. There's a huge target. There's so many good food spots, all different cuisines. They have a Katz's Delicatessen. The one in the Lower East Side is always so hard to get into. There was a really quick line there. The food was so good. They have a Trader Joe's, a McNally bookstore, so many things. It's amazing.

Alison Stewart: Thanks so much for calling in, and make sure you listen tomorrow because we're going to be talking about Staten Island tomorrow as well. Let's see. I have on my list baboons. It says baboons right here.

John Major: Yes. This also comes from Rahel, who finds that one of her favorite oases for families is in the baboon area of the Brooklyn Zoo. Air conditioned, cool area where the kids can come run around, play to their heart's content, looking and imitating the baboons and laughing at funny butts and colors and shapes.

Alison Stewart: [laughs]

John Major: Well, parents and grandparents who are overheated and exhausted from all that juvenile energy can sit on a bench and recuperate for a few minutes.

Alison Stewart: This text says, "Get to Coney Island at the end of the day at the far ends of the beach. Be there for sunset. It's unlike anywhere else in New York City." That is Michael from Brooklyn. If you do that, you can go to a Coney Island Cyclone game. I went on July 5th. It was awesome.

John Major: The Cyclones are away right now, but they're back at the end of July. I think I counted that they still have 18 games at home. They're always great promotions. I think August 1st is Irish night. They're having a Harry Potter event later in August. Tons of giveaways. It's a great place to spend an evening out with friends and family. I was there on Sunday. There were, behind me, like seven or eight kids who had gone to Cornell who were having a little miniature reunion. It's just a great place to see that there's still enthusiasm for the national pastime.

Alison Stewart: In our last 30 seconds, anything else you want to mention?

John Major: Well, I would just say, too, I'm a big fan of the New York Liberty, so I'm never going to not point them out. They still have 10 home games. Particularly next week on the 25th, they have a game against the Phoenix Mercury. That is the celebration of pride. There's going to be an exhibit of fan pictures on the concourse. It's sure to just be a wonderful evening that demonstrates all the reasons that we love our borough.

Alison Stewart: John Major, he was our guest, walking us through all the things we can do in Brooklyn. Thanks for being with us.

John Major: Thank you so much.

Alison Stewart: Coming up, Robin Givhan's new book explains Virgil Abloh's rise to the top of the fashion industry. It's titled Make It Ours. She joins us to discuss. That's after the headlines.