The 10 Best Views in Brooklyn, or: Brooklyn’s Best Instagram Spots


all photos by Dominique Stewart
The best way to see Brooklyn is to cycle the streets with a camera and/or smartphone in hand, all in order to not only explore the various urban landscapes and oases, but also to document them. Brooklyn might have been settled a few hundred years ago, but its character is more like that of a teenager, full of shifting, changing moods. It’s a kind of a photographer’s dream. And while there is no way to truly articulate the vibe of this place merely with something you post on Instagram, nor is there one site that truly exemplifies what Brooklyn means, we think these 10 ultra Instagram-friendly locations channel Brooklyn’s charm and afford some awe-inspiring photo opportunities. So whether you’re a proud Brooklyn-bred native or just a passerby, (re)visiting these spots and enjoying these views will make you fall in love with the borough all over again, and probably generate plenty of likes on your Instagram feed. Win-win.
DUMBO’s Washington Street: A hub where wide-angle lens and selfie-stick wielders venture out onto the Belgian bricks in order to capture themselves in front of a photogenic Manhattan Bridge sandwiched between red brick buildings, with the distant Empire State Building framed within the bridge’s pillars.
The murals in Sunset Park, Bushwick and scattered throughout the borough: Brooklyn shows off its artistic side in many different ways, but public art is certainly one of the most visible. Basically, you never know when you’re going to turn a corner and come face to face with Warhol and Basquiat or even an updated version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Bushwick Inlet Park: Honestly any of the waterfront parks along the East River serve as boundless opportunities to snap picturesque vignettes of Manhattan, and provide a glimpse into the hustle and bustle across the river without forcing you to leave the tranquility of the Brooklyn shore.
The Brooklyn Bridge: Ok, so maybe we saved the most obvious for last, but we had to include it. After all, this bridge is a staple of Brooklyn Instagram shots! It is an instant reminder of Brooklyn’s history, ingenuity, and creative prowess. Plus, compared to, say, the Williamsburg or 59th Street bridges, it’s super easy to identify, gives you the benefit of an iconic skyline shot in the background and is guaranteed to garner a lot of Insta-likes, particularly from family who live far enough away that this is the only part of Brooklyn they’ll recognize.