visiting Brooklyn

Will go to Brooklyn during a NYC trip in 2 weeks to see the Cherry Blossoms at the Botanical Garden.
Want to spend some daytime while there walking around a nice neighborhood, and have lunch… From what I remember, there is nothing around the Brooklyn Garden, but haven’t been there in 20 years. We know Brooklyn Heights already.

Any suggestions?

Franny’s on Flatbush Avenue. 5-15 minutes from Botanical Gardens.

Regarding gardens for the Cherry blossoms, is the NY Botanical Garden any better/ worse than the Brooklyn one?
We could then go to Arthur Ave for lunch. In that vein, any Arthur Ave recs?

Roberto’s on or around Arthur Ave. Haven’t been recently, nothing fancy, but used to be terrific.

Both are nice, but I prefer Brooklyn. Right around the corner (so to speak) is the Brooklyn Museum (of Art). Across the street is Prospect Park. All of that in one day should tire you out. I agree with Franny’s. Pretty darn good pizza. If it’s nice, sit outside in the rear.

The Park Slope neighborhood (on 7th Ave, and short walking distance to Franny’s and the above) has shops, plus plenty of beautiful homes to look at.

If the weather is good, head to Coney Island for a look/see. Have a frank and fries at Nathan’s. Walk on the Boardwalk. The Aquarium is just past the oldest wooden roller coaster in America… The Cyclone. If you keep walking east, head to Brighton Beach Ave in Brighton Beach. When I grew up, the neighborhood was all Jewish; then Russian Jewish, and now lots and lots of Russians. Plenty of local flavor restaurants and shops, many with Russian writing.

If you’re cabbing/Ubering it, take a detour to see the beautiful homes in Manhattan Beach. Only a half mile (2kn) away, but light years apart from the very crowded Brighton Beach.

Minimum 2 days in the place of my birth.

My friends were in from Houston last week. We took them to the Market for lunch. It’s on Arthur Ave, mid block. It’s a mini indoor market that has cigar makers making cigars when you open the doors. This is not a fancy place. There are a couple of places to eat. As you walk in on the right (in the back), there’s a deli counter that will remind you of Italy. They mostly have pre-made Italian combination sandwiches.
In the rear left of the market, there’s a place with pizza and hot sandwiches. Since my friends wanted to relive their Brooklyn childhood, they went for a hot veal parm hero and a shrimp parm hero.

There are many typical red check tablecloth places on Arthur Ave. If you want that experience, head to Dominicks. It’s across from the market. At the end, they tell you what you owe. No checks at this place. It may be cash only.

Want upscale and delicious, there’s only one place (and it ain’t no red check tablecloth place). Pardon my accent. Zero Otto Nove. Google it. Get there before they open, or prepare to wait.

And now a comment about the many bakeries on Arthur Ave and east 187th street. Pick one. Any one. You can’t go wrong.

If you want the best homemade, and they’ll fill your canolli on the spot, make a right out of the Market, and walk a few stores to the very famous Arthur Ave bread store Madonia. The large canolli is $2.00 - $2.50! On Mulberry St in Little Italy in Manhattan, this will set you back $4.00 - $4.50.