This past weekend my husband and I traveled to Brooklyn, N.Y. to visit friends. While overall comfortable with neighborhoods in Manhattan, I am always interested to explore the different areas of Brooklyn.

We arrived to our friends’ apartment early in the day, and decided to start our visit with brunch at The Farm. The farm-to-table restaurant serves up classic brunch dishes highlighting local produce. After a leisurely meal, we stopped at our friends’ apartment before heading out for some afternoon activities.

We decided to explore Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood. First stop, Strong Rope Brewery. The brewery and taproom serves a variety of beer styles, as well as guest ciders, wines and spirits. Next, we visited a few stops on Gowanus Open Studios. The annual free weekend event coincided with our visit. Artists throughout the neighborhood open their doors to art lovers to view art, meet with the artists and learn more about their process. While we didn’t visit every studio on the extensive tour, I enjoyed the artists we did see, all the while exploring the area. Located among the studios, Threes Brewing was our next stop. The brewery, bar and event space features a beautiful patio and taproom. We sipped on a few brews while enjoying the warm evening. We ventured just a little further for dinner at Miriam. The Mediterranean restaurant offers an impressive selection of Israeli fare. My husband and I split a few dishes; all were incredible!

Overall, it was a fun weekend, exploring parts of Brooklyn that were new to me. There is always plenty to see and do in New York City. On your next trip to the Big Apple, consider making a stop in Gowanus.

—Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director