Hipster Paradise: Where to Stay in Brooklyn

Brooklyn, baby. Famed for hot dogs, bagels and achingly cool hipsters. Don’t forget your trench coat and tote otherwise they’ll kick you out. Long hailed as the coolest spot in town, if you’re wondering where to stay in Brooklyn, don’t worry: Plum Guide knows. Visit for an incredible cafe scene, a mindblowing art and culture roster and foodie delights. From the sculpture garden of Fort Greene to the jazz cafes of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn is never going to disappoint.

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Youthful and creative, ergo you will be too if you stay in Williamsburg. Against a backdrop of old industrial buildings you’ll find a swoon-worthy cafe scene; take your laptop and refresh your emails all day whilst looking like a successful entrepreneur. An ideal day looks a little like this: start at Grand Street and hunt out the perfect vintage outfit, then pay a visit to Brooklyn Art Library before hitting up one of the many restaurants in Williamsburg. Choose from an evening bar hopping or snuggle down at the infamous Nitehawk Cinema. Delight in the rooftop views of this Williamsburg apartment.

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The Italian population has actually decreased in Carroll Gardens since it’s heyday but you’ll still find enough bakeries, cafes and delis dotted through the old streets to keep you happy. Arancini and gelato are the perfect fuel for a day spent exploring the streets. Find craft stores, record shops and vintage treasure troves easily as you hop the old-school style streets. This feels like real New York. Carroll Park is the hub of the neighbourhood and a delightful spot to wind down and people watch. Check ahead as the Smith Street Stage theatre company host plays there occasionally. Cosy up in this tasteful Carroll Gardens apartment.

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Sandwiched between Brooklyn Heights and Clinton Hill, Downtown Brooklyn is a commercial and financial hub. Big-wigs carrying suitcases and screaming into phones are a common sight. Use the iconic Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower as your compass as you explore for the day. Three things you must do in Downtown (you’ll thank us later): eat cheesecake at Junior’s, browse the food heaven of DeKalb Market Hall and immerse yourself in Brooklyn Museum.

Drink cocktails on the roof terrace of this Downtown home.

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Ever-evolving, Bushwick is a haven for the artist elite of New York City. The well known Bushwick Collective call this place home and the streets are all the more colourful for it. If you're looking for street art, this is where to stay in Brooklyn. As to be expected, there are many galleries to explore and emerging artists to discover and say ‘I saw them first’. Breweries and taprooms have recently moved back to Bushwick after closures in the 70s, so it is almost too easy to spend hours sampling the wares. Just make sure you drink lots of water too.

Delight in this artist’s home in Bushwick.

Touted as the ‘New Williamsburg’, Greenpoint is achingly hip these days. Once the Polish capital of NYC you can find nods to its roots on the streets. Make sure to sample yourself some pierogi or grab some goulash at authentic Polish restaurant Karczma. Spend all your money in secondhand book stores and vinyl shops in between cafe hopping. If you need some green space in your life head to WNYC Transmitter Park and you’ll get some incredible views of the Manhattan skyline.

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A slight mouthful to say so those in the know call it Bed-Stuy and now you can too. Bed-Stuy (see? We can do it too!) is one of those spots that feel like real Brooklyn and gosh damn the streets look like they’re straight out of a movie. Architecture aficionados will have a field day wandering the historic brownstone streets. Bedford-Stuyvesant is all about the jazz so make sure to find a new favourite jazz bar, curl up with a cocktail and pretend the world doesn’t exist. Explore amazing Bedford-Stuyvesant homes.

Think culture, art and history: think Fort-Greene. Poets Spike Lee and Whitman called this place home so after a stay here you’re practically a wordsmith. Alongside a host of indoor galleries, The Pratt Institute Sculpture Garden offers a rotating exhibition of work and you get fresh air too. The stunning architecture and beautiful streets mean you might spot a film crew here. Brooklyn Academy of Music is a must for culture vultures. A very nice time all round. Find epic apartments in Fort Greene.

Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. One hell of an acronym, wouldn’t you agree? Dumbo is a great idea if you’re wondering where to stay in Brooklyn. Find high-end boutique stores, independent restaurants and oh so trendy cafes to while away the hours. Sundays see the great and good of New York descend on the Brooklyn Flea Market, so head there to grab a bargain. For the classical music heads, it doesn’t get much better. Bargemusic, a former coffee bean barge, hosts four performances a week of Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and the greats to a backdrop of city views on the water. Delightful.

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