A Whole New World (called Brooklyn)

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.  It was the first weekend all summer we didn’t have plans so we decided to venture out of our neighborhood, which we don’t do very often during the week.  We loaded the girls in the stroller on Saturday and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to check out Jane’s Carousel and DUMBO.  Along the way, my youngest fell asleep and my oldest was asking every five minutes if we were there. A  forty minute walk for my husband and I felt like hours to her.  I tried to keep her engaged by telling her how neat it was that we were walking over water, but she looked over to my husband and quietly whispered “Mommy’s lying, I see the street below us”, sort of true as there was a wall blocking her view of the water and she could only see the cars whizzing by below us.  It wasn’t until we were almost over the bridge that she could see the water we had just crossed and the carousel down below.  Her eyes lit up in excitement and then realized we still had a way to go before we were actually at the carousel.  We finally made it and spent an entire day exploring Brooklyn.  If you are looking for something to do before the weather gets cold, take a trip across the Brooklyn Bridge and visit these great spots (read below images):

Jane’s Carousel (2 bucks to pony up, open until September 30):

My youngest, finally woke up when we arrived at the carousel (perfect timing) but was terrified to go on.   My husband and I put her between us while my oldest rode on a pony, which she realized half way through that it didn’t go up and down, so she had to ride again.  In front of us was a Bride and Groom taking photographs, my daughter thought she was a princess and loved looking at her gown, I just hope they didn’t mind that my family (one screaming child and all) will be in the background of their pictures.

Dewey’s Candy Store:

Who say’s you need to be a kid to LOVE a candy store.  The store was a perfect stop before lunch, we needed a bribe (i know wrong) to get us through the meal.  So adorably arranged, you can buy a bag, a mason jar or a bucket of candy.  The variety of candy is so large it’s hard to know where to begin.  Gummies, hard candy, sugar-free candy, lollipops, skittles, M&M’s, a chocolate bar, pez dispensers from favorite characters, and candy I haven’t seen since I was a child.  It’s cool, hip, and nostalgic.  Definitely worth a visit when in Dumbo.

Gran Electrica:

We went at an off time so there was a limited menu so we only got guacamole, a few appetizers and a drink.  The guacamole wasn’t mushy like a lot of guacamole’s I have had lately.  It was large chunks of avocado lightly seasoned.  I usually like mine spicy but because the girls were with us it was mild.  We also got a crab tostado which was light and delicious.  We can’t wait to go back and try the tacos. To drink my husband and I got a margarita, perfect after the hot afternoon we had, while the girls sipped on a “special” orange soda. (note: there is no kids menu but they said they could make a quesadilla with cheese during regular menu hours.)

East River Ferry ($4 from DUMBO to Wall St/Pier 11)

We were exhausted by the end of the day so decided to take the girls on the ferry.  My oldest has asked to go on a boat for a while and it was a nice evening for it and it was easier than dealing with the subway.  It was also a lot cheaper than doing the water taxi.  My oldest did not peel her eyes away from the window the entire time.  It was a great experience to end a wonderful in a whole new world (called Brooklyn) they discovered!

disclaimer: I did not receive compensation for this post.  All opinions are my own.

Tags: Brooklyn, brooklyn bridge, day trip, Dewey's Candy Store, DUMBO, east river ferry, Gran Electrica, Janes Carousel