DUMBO & Brooklyn Heights

On our New York New Year's Eve route it is stop 2 of 2 in a 3-day trip. Split evenly, that is about 2 days here, an estimate rather than a rule. The listed visit times for our 7 places add up to roughly 8 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

A slow Jan 1 on the Brooklyn waterfront, then the plunge at Coney Island. Standouts on our list: Brooklyn Heights Promenade (Third-of-a-mile esplanade above the East River with a straight-on view of Lower Manhattan and the harbor); Brooklyn Bridge (The 1883 bridge's raised wooden walkway is open to pedestrians around the clock; the walk takes about 30 minutes); Jane's Carousel (Restored 1922 carousel in a glass pavilion by Jean Nouvel, on the water between the two bridges).

Our New York New Year's Eve route is best Dec 30 – Jan 1. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages for nearby New York City put the warmest highs in July (26°C / 79°F), the coolest in January (4°C / 38°F) and the most rain in December (about 133 mm).

Start with Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Jane's Carousel and Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge. Our guide lists 7 places in all, from 3 activities, 1 outdoor spot and 3 places to eat.

Our picks: Juliana's (DUMBO); The River Café (DUMBO); Nathan's Famous (Coney Island). Lines build by early afternoon; go right at opening (Juliana's).

The closest destinations in our guides are New York City (about 2 km / 1 mi), Brooklyn (about 5 km / 3 mi) and Midtown Manhattan (about 6 km / 4 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.