Vacation in Prospect Heights

The name is giving you a taste of later things to come (Prospect Park!), but first, a taste of their coffee. Hmm, not bad. The cafe is miniscule, with only a few seats inside and two benches outside, but, morning beverage in hand, why not begin seeing the sights of the neighborhood.

Joyce is a coffee and goodies Godsend; while the regular coffee is a bit on the bitter side, the coffee drinks (cafe au lait, latte, mocha) are well-made.

While java seems to be a particularly difficult edible to perfect, baked goods and pastries are almost more so. At some point you just settle for cardboard cookies and tasteless croissants, but at Joyce you don’t have to. Everything IS homemade and it-ohmygosh-tastes like it!

Don’t be distracted by the fountains-it’s just water, people! The real treasures lie inside the museum, of course; highlights include Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party (ooooh) and animal mummies (ahhhh).

If you happen to be here on the first Saturday of the month, you get in free! And the museum is open until 11pm with lots of events, music and programming.

There is almost always a cool exhibit in the front lobby era that has something to do with Brooklyn. Most memorable were artists’ reactions to the impending Ratner plan that caused quite a stir.

Additionally, this is THE Brooklyn Library, the largest branch, complete with little cafe and children’s garden. During the summer, there are outdoor concerts on the brand spankin’-new plaza. A skinny elderly lady was there last time I visited, and she had some serious dance moves. Something tells me she’s a regular!

What’s not to like about a botanical garden? The Brooklyn one is far more manageable size-wise than the biggie in the Bronx, which is perfect for your mini-vacation. Make it there between 10 and 12 Saturday mornings and it’s FREE!

Definitely check out the Japanese Garden and Pond, and take some time to sit, relax reflect on your vacation so far. Does Brooklyn (and Prospect Heights specifically) strike your fancy?

Le Gamin has a few outposts in Manhattan, but this one is less crowded and has extremely friendly staff. This is where I head when I’m craving some crepes, especially the “sucre” kind. It’s got that very French feel, but not in a pretentious way.

Pizza meets classy atmosphere, throw in a little wine and to-die-for crostini combinations, and you have Franny’s. The restaurant set the bar for the neighborhood, as it’s one of the few Brooklyn venues that NYTimes Food critic Frank Bruni trekked out to the borough to review.