Brooklyn Staycation: A Day In Fort Greene

Looking for a way to get away without the hassle of taking a trip? Brooklyn Staycation is your guide to taking a breather without ever leaving the borough. Each week, we will zoom in on different Brooklyn neighborhood. Today, we will take you on a walk through Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, and Wallabout. Check out more Brooklyn Staycations here.

As one of Brooklyn’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods, Fort Greene is a neighborhood in transition, with the best of both worlds sitting next to one another — often vying with each other for space. From beautiful 19th century architecture to brownstones and townhouses, and shopping strips full of small businesses run by local merchants next to major cultural juggernauts that tourists and performers from around the world come to visit and perform in, there is never a dull moment in the area.

Contrary to what some guide books might say, though, there is more to see and do here than just the big-name stops. During your day here, you can sample Ethiopian and Dominican food, admire historic churches, have a picnic in the park, take a tour of a World War II era industrial park, visit a Revolutionary War memorial, catch a movie or a play, and people-watch (or celebrity-watch) at local watering holes.

How To Get There

Getting here might be the easiest or most frustrating thing ever, depending on where you’re heading. The main hub is at Atlantic Terminal-Barclays Center, which houses multiple subway lines: B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

You can also take the G to Fulton Street, Clinton/Washington Avenues, or Classon Avenue. And it’s just a short walk over from Downtown Brooklyn’s Jay Street station with the A/C/F/R lines. Several bus lines also lead to the neighborhood: B25, B26, B38, B44, B48, B52, B57, or the B69.

What To Eat

Start your day off right with a cup of coffee from one of the neighborhood’s many locally-run spots. You can’t go wrong with the mocha at WTF Coffee Lab (47 Willoughby Avenue), the Irish or Mexican coffees at Putnam’s Pub (419 Myrtle Avenue), anything with a splash of homemade vegan almond milk at Red Lantern Bicycles (345 Myrtle Avenue), or even the low-key but still awesome selections at La Bagel Delight (73 Lafayette Avenue).

If you’d prefer to wake up over a hot breakfast, then you’ll be spoiled for choices. There’s the customizable Black Forest Benedikt at Black Forest Brooklyn (722 Fulton Street), the bacon cheddar waffle at Pillow Cafe (505 Myrtle Avenue), a ridiculously addictive Jessie Sandwich at Alice’s Arbor (549 Classon Avenue), and even an incredibly filling and solid breakfast menu at Academy Restaurant (69 Lafayette Avenue). And that’s just a handful of options: you can literally walk into dozens more options around almost every corner!

As a longtime home to many African immigrant communities, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill are still home to the likes of Nelson Mandela tribute Madiba (195 DeKalb Avenue), which features South African cuisine, and La Caye (35 Lafayette Avenue, Haitian cuisine), Bati (747 Fulton Street, traditional Ethiopian), and Buka (946 Fulton Street, Nigerian cuisine).

But there are also plenty of other cuisines from around the world, such as Dominican, Thai, Indian, Chinese, German, and Mediterranean. The oxtail stew and chicken stew at El Cofre (454 Myrtle Avenue) are can’t-miss lunch options if you’re in the area near Myrtle and Washington Avenues — around which there are also several great lunch specials offered at Thaiholic (372 Myrtle Avenue) and Myrtle Thai (438 Myrtle Avenue).

Or you could go even spicier, with one of three Indian spots in Fort Greene alone. And Kum Kau (463 Myrtle Avenue) offers an upscale Chinese food experience if all you’re used to is takeout options.

On the dessert front, check out one of the 10 best local spots for ice cream, milk shakes and more: highlights include the newly opened Greene Grape Scoops (680 Fulton Street), $1 scoops at Liberty Pizza (482 Myrtle Avenue), and gelato at Cammareri Bakery and Cafe’s (1 South Elliot Place).

Whether happy hour or unwinding after your jaunt through the neighborhood, local bars and bar-restaurants are full-service experiences for everyone. For example, SIP Bar (14 Putnam Avenue) will pair your Brooklyn Winter Ale or Lynchburg Lemonade with a homemade grilled cheese sandwich, Hops Hill (886 Fulton Street) will surround you with an exceptional beer menu, including 12 beers on tap rotated often, and Moot Bar (579 Myrtle Avenue) has a free hotdog Tuesday with any drink purchase.

Things To Do And See

Fort Greene is part of the Brooklyn Cultural District, which consists of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), the Mark Morris Dance Center, and BRIC Arts. Each of these organizations is chock full programming, ranging from small newscasts from Brooklyn Independent Media to live music from local and worldwide performers, and major, star-studded performances and readings from the likes of Sir Patrick Stewart and Neil Gaiman.

If you’re with the kids or on the market for a gift for mom or someone else special, stop by UrbanGlass (647 Fulton Street) for a hand-blown pendant, a peek into the gallery, or even a class with a glass artist.

Speaking of art, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill are home to countless numbers of artists, past and present, thanks to a history of innovation, culture, and education, including at Pratt Institute (200 Willoughby Avenue). A walk around the campus is like exploring an outdoor gallery, and every season there is something new to notice.

Walking around local streets is an arts education, as well, thanks to giant murals like those of Biggie Smalls on the side of Habana Outpost (757 Fulton Street) and others at Trilok Fusion Arts and Garden (143 Waverly Avenue), which hosts regular events open to the public, as well, including a Brooklyn Pop-Up Market every Saturday, featuring Brooklyn makers.

The independent spirit that permeates the neighborhood is also evident at Greenlight Bookstore — one of the only independent bookstores left in the borough — where literary luminaries like Jhumpa Lahiri, Selina Alko, and David Sedaris have made appearances for readings.

You can also stock up on picnic, beach and other essentials at Peck’s Homemade (455A Myrtle Avenue), Greene Grape Provisions (767 Fulton Street), and the Fort Greene General Store (218 DeKalb Avenue), or

And if you happen to be here on a Saturday, don’t forget to stop by the Brooklyn Flea (176 Lafayette Avenue), which features dozens of vendors from across Brooklyn with wares and eats all in one space. The open air market in the schoolyard of Bishop Loughlin High School is a perfect way to enjoy a beautiful day.

The Park

No trip to Fort Greene would be complete without an hour or two (or more) in Fort Greene Park, bordered by DeKalb Avenue, Washington Park, Myrtle Avenue, and St. Edwards Street). Named after General Nathaniel Greene, the fort was originally known as Fort Putnam during the Revolutionary War and was rebuilt for use in the War of 1812, before being designated as a park in 1845.

Learn more about the park’s live music and arts events, as well as its history, at the Fort Greene Park Visitor Center: Did you know Fort Greene Park was designed by Central Park architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux? Did you know it has a museum with artifacts and exhibits about the park’s significance in the American Revolution? Either way, come by for a refresher or introductory course!

One of the most striking and unavoidable bits of history here, though, is the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. Pay your respects at this 106-year-old, 149-foot-tall structure built in tribute to the 11,500 Revolutionary War prisoners of war who are buried beneath the monument in the park.

Then And Now

History extends beyond the park, as well. There are the houses that luminaries like Walt Whitman wrote masterpieces in, but there are also numerous other buildings of significance, such as the Renken Dairy building and Henry and Susan McDonald House, which recently got landmark status.

See these and other bits of wonderful architecture while on the free Wallabout Walking Tour (RSVP now for a spot in the August and September tours), which is a guided walk through 400 years of history, showing you, as the Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership describes, “how the neighborhood has developed from when the Dutch first arrived in the early 1600s and highlight notable residents, such as Author Walt Whitman and Doo-Wop Singer Little Anthony” — touching on many of the lesser known stories, such as the birthplace of Michael Jordan and the Tootsie Roll Chocolate Factory.

You’ll also pass by historic churches such as the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew (520 Clinton Avenue), St. Mary’s Episcopal (230 Classon Avenue), and Emmanuel Baptist Church (279 Lafayette Avenue).

Speaking of tours, make sure to walk or take a bus to the Brooklyn Navy Yard along Flushing Avenue. A former shipbuilding hub since the turn of the 19th century, the industrial park is now undergoing a manufacturing renaissance while still seeking to stay true to its roots.

Visit BLDG 92 at 63 Flushing Avenue, at Carlton Avenue, to see the free exhibit of the Yard’s history before embarking on one of their many factory and Yard tours. You can also arrange for a visit to one of the city’s only rooftop farms, Brooklyn Grange.

And that’s just the beginning. There are more great things to do in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill than we could possibly list here. To keep up to date on what’s happening in the neighborhood, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to our daily newsletter.