Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Day Trips - From Brooklyn's Gardens to China Town




Day Tripin' is the most fun. Taking your friends and going out for the day on some crazy adventure. What could be better?

Day trip # 1: From Brooklyn's Gardens to China Town

1. Start this in the late morning around Ten or Eleven. Meet you friends by the fountain in front of the Brooklyn Museum on Eastern PKWY and Washington Ave. Grab something from a bodega to eat on the steps or walk up Washington (Away from the museum) to Teddy's Restaurant, 791 Washington. There can you get some strong Greek coffee to perk you up. To eat you can have Green salad with dill and feta, or a Portabella Wrap with mozzarella and roasted red peppers.
2. Then your off to the gardens, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (admission $8 for adults, and $4 for students and seniors) with an entrance on either side of the museum. The BBG was founded in 1910 this is a wonderful way to feel like your out of the city. Don't try this trip on a Monday or you will find the gardens closed. The Shakespeare Garden exhibits more than 80 plants mentioned in William Shakespeare's plays and poems. This small Garden near the Washington entrance, was made in 1925. Even before a little of England came to Brooklyn, Japan was already on the Scene. The Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden was opened in1915 and was the first Japanese garden in an American public garden. The landscape designer Takeo Shiota (1881-1943) made this a beautiful garden to walk through with the ponds and bridges. So much to see but remember to sit in the grass and enjoy nature.
3. Exit at the Empire BLVD and Flatbush Ave and jump on the 41 bus down Flatbush toward downtown Brooklyn. Go to the end of the line (not to far) and walk down the park passed the WWII memorial to the Brooklyn Bridge. Completed in 1883 this steel-wire suspension bridge is one of the oldest bridges in the USA. It takes about 20 min. to walk across into Manhattan.
4. Walk three blocks up Centre St. to Worh st. and take a right. Take a left in the next three blocks and you are at the bottom of China Town. This is a perfect place to do a little shopping, and don't be afraid to haggle with the shop owner's it usually works. The two major streets for China Town are Mott and Mulberry. On Mott St. stop at the Eastern States Buddhist Temple. (between Bayard and Canal)
5. Time for dinner, you can pick from many different restaurants in the area. Xe Lua is a amazing Vietnamese restaurant on Mulberry St (86 Mulberry St) After a cup of tea try their spring rolls or something from their clay pot menu. On one corner of Mott St. Mr. Tang's has a great menu. Most dinners are served family style so order different things to share.
6. Having just enough energy to have a drink and sing some Karaoke head back down to 104 Bayard St. to Winnie's Bar. Winnie aims to please with strong drinks and cool tunes to belt out.

And that's the end of our day....hope you enjoyed the Trip.

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