Tag: Exploring Brooklyn Block by Block

Day Three Hundred and Seventy-Seven Walking through Brooklyn in the Wintertime January 31st, 2026

Who says there’s nothing to do in the cold months? It all depends on how much you want to bundle up and enjoy the outdoors.

The last weekend of the ‘Monet & Venice’ showing at the Brooklyn Museum brought me out to Brooklyn on a sunny but chilly Saturday afternoon recently. I knew there would be crowds at the Brooklyn Museum as everyone was probably thinking of doing the same (at the end of the visit I found this to be true) so I got to the museum by noon and got tickets to the first slot open at 2:30pm.

Since I had a couple of hours until my tour of the exhibit, I decided to tour the Brooklyn Botanic Garden next door. There were no walking tours that day and the gardens were under a foot of snow from the recent storm. There was a quiet beauty of all the snow and the way it fell and shined in the sun all over the gardens. There were no lines or crowds (like the recent lightshow a few weeks earlier), so I had the gardens pretty much to myself.

The first stop on my walk was the Japanese Gardens, which has I had visited recently for the lightshow and experienced the fantastic musical display. The pond now sat under snow and ice and still it was impressive looking.

Walking through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden next to the Japanese Gardens

The Japanese Gardens in the early afternoon

The inside of the Japanese Gardens in the middle of winter. It was such a spectacular view of the pond.

The beauty of the snow covered pool

Another view of the Garden

I never realized how beautiful the Japanese Gardens were in the winter. The sun shines so nicely on the snow covered trees. It was just as beautiful snow covered as it is in the Spring and Summer when the garden is in full bloom.

The fountain in the Shakespeare Garden

I then walked through the entire gardens stopping in various gardens to see what they looked like topped with snow. My first stop was the Shakespeare Gardens and I marveled at the elegance of the snow covered fountain I like so much in the Spring. The variety of the colors of this garden are waiting just under the snow for the warmer months.

The view of the snow covered gardens

I then walked around the paths to the back of the gardens along the watershed lawns that were under a foot of snow and still impressive.

Daffodil Hill in the winter. In two months this will be covered by hundreds of brightly colored daffodils

The Magnolia tree court and sun dial

In the Spring, this is my favorite part of the garden with the hues of pinks and whites of the Magnolia trees and the yellows of the daffodils.

My favorite fountain just off the Magnolia Court on the stairs leading to the Lotus polls

The snow covered fountains by the Lotus pools

The snow covered Lotus pools shined in the sun

I then got out of the cold weather and entered into the warmth of the Tropical Garden Collection. This series of gallery of plants is a series of greenhouses at various degrees of temperatures that display a series of themed gardens. They don’t just display plants but also keep you warm in a cold day.

The indoor tropical gardens

The Tropical Garden collection

The first room I visited wasabi the Bonsai Museum room. The temperature controlled room was perfect for a stroll.

The Bonsai museum

These beautiful tiny well pruned trees lined the tables with their elegance and been so well maintained.

The Bonsai trees lining the tables in the galleries

The beautiful bonsai

The flowering bonsai

The beautifully shaped bonsai

The Cherry blossom bonsai in the middle of the winter

The other trees in the gallery

The video tour of one side of the Bonsai Gallery:

The video tour of one side the Bonsai Gallery:

My video of the gallery tour

The Tropical Room

The tropical room

I then toured the Tropical Garden collection with its series of flowering plants and palms. It was so nice and warm inside and a break from the cool temperatures outside.

A video tour of the Tropical Gallery:

The walk is amazing

The Tropical Room

Colorful tropical flowers line the walkway in the dead of winter

The blooming Lotus

The real White Lotus

I then walked through the second tropical room in the rain forest and there were more beautiful plants to see and experience. There was a wedding garden shoot going on so I was not able to tour the complex.

The flowering tiers of plants in the Tropical room

The flowering plants in the Tropical gallery

The beautiful violets

I then began the tour of the Desert Gallery and the beauty and warmth of the room made me very happy.

The Birds of Paradise in bloom

Along the walls of the gallery, more flowering plants were placed.

Flowers in bloom in the winter

The climate controlled Desert collection was filled with cactus and other plantings the defied the weather. They have a pretty extensive collection of desert flowers and cactus in the room.

The Desert Collection gallery

The flowering cactus family

Walking back through the rainforest

Walking back through the Desert Gallery before exiting to tour the snow covered gardens

Video tour of the Desert Gallery:

There was still a foot of snow on the ground when I visited the gardens that day, which did not make it popular with people wanting to visit the gardens but I found a quiet elegance in just walking the paths and admiring the snow covered plantings. It was like they were waiting to awake again in the near future.

I walked through the gardens which while under a blanket of snow still offered the most beautiful views. I was one of the few people walking through the gardens that afternoon so it was quiet and you could just enjoy watching nature.

Walking past the Children’s Garden in the Winter

Walking over the bridge in the Watershed lawn

I saw this little squirrel holding on to the tree looking cold

The geese feeding on the Watershed lawn

The Cherry Blossom lawn in the winter

The Rose Garden Fountain in the winter

Walking through the Cherry Blossom lawn

Walking back through the Magnolia garden

Taking one last walk around the Lotus Pools

Before I left the gardens that afternoon, I stopped in the Gift Shop for some warmth and see the items they were carrying. They have such beautiful selection of flowers and gifts and the perfect place to warm up on a cold day. Everything is so colorfully displayed.

The Gift Shop at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Everything was in full bloom and really colorful

Everything was so beautifully displayed here

Before I left for the Brooklyn Museum to start my 2:30 pm tour, I stopped at one of my favorite sandwich shops down the road from the museum, Bahn Mai Place at 824b Washington Avenue for lunch. I love their sandwiches and drinks.

I ordinarily try a restaurant a few times before I recommend it for my dining website, DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com, but I had the most amazing sandwich for dinner a few years ago and I had to share this place with the world.

Banh Mi Place at 824B Washington Avenue

https://banhmiplacebk.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d8530850-Reviews-Banh_Mi_Place-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=69573

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/tag/banh-mi-place/

There are also all sorts of rice dishes on the menu, Pho (soups) and salads on the menu as well most priced around $10.00. On the Beverage menu, there is a selection of Hot, Iced and Milk drinks to choose from as well as a selection of Bubble teas and smoothies.

One sandwich I can recommend on a cold day is the Grilled Chicken Banh Mai. I had the sandwich with a mild hot sauce on a cold wintery day. The warm bun and crunchy fresh vegetables with the spicy sauce really warmed me up on a cold afternoon in Brooklyn.

The Grilled Chicken Bahn Mi with a mild spicy sauce

The grilled chicken with fresh veggies

The mild spicy sauce really brings out the flavor of the grilled meat. With a little plumb and chili sauces, it really brings out the flavor of the sandwich.

The chicken was spicy and moist

It was the perfect lunch

The service was very quick and very friendly. The woman who made my sandwich pushed my order ahead of someone else’s who ordered the same thing as me so I could be on my way which I thought was very nice of her.

After lunch, it was off to the Brooklyn Museum and the tour of the ‘Monet & Venice’ exhibition. I was so lucky that I got to the museum early and got the tickets. The show was completely sold out by the time I left.

The Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

The museum was seriously packed that afternoon, not just for the show but all over the museum. I have been coming here for over twenty years and I had never seen it so packed. Every floor was filled with people.

The entrance to the ‘Monet & Venice’ exhibition

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/monet-venice

The description of the show

(from the Brooklyn Museum website):

Claude Monet once claimed that Venice was “too beautiful to be painted,” a challenge he embraced by creating an extraordinary sequence of works depicting the Italian city. Monet and Venice is the first exhibition to focus on Monet’s luminous Venetian paintings—a radiant yet underexplored chapter in the artist’s late career—since their debut in 1912 (Brooklyn Museum website).

New York’s largest museum show dedicated to Monet in over 25 years, the exhibition features more than 100 artworks, books, and ephemera. Two masterpieces, the Brooklyn Museum’s own Palazzo Ducale and The Grand Canal, Venice from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, are presented alongside selections from throughout Monet’s career—including 19 of his Venetian paintings (Brooklyn Museum website).

The artist’s singular vision of Venice is also set in dialogue with portrayals of the city by renowned artists such as Canaletto, Paul Signac, John Singer Sargent, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Where others focused on Venice’s busy streets and canals, Monet’s interpretation is hauntingly devoid of human presence. Instead, he captures the interplay of architecture with color and light, enveloping viewers in the city’s distinctive atmosphere. Sonic installations by Niles Luther, the Museum’s composer in residence, and other immersive elements will further transport you to this fabled place (Brooklyn Museum website).

Walking through the galleries admiring the art

These were some of my favorite pieces from the show. These also were a favorite of Monet himself to the City of Venice.

The paintings of the Grand Canal

The views along the coastline of Italy

One of Monet’s famous ‘Water Lilly’ collection

Views from the Grand Canal

Walking around the gallery

Another view of the Grand Canal

I could not believe how packed the exhibition got behind me as I double backed through the gallery on the way out. Not only did the crowds grow in the exhibition but the line outside the exhibition was over a hundred deep and wrapped around three galleries on the Fifth Floor. It was so busy on the floor, I decided to walk around other exhibitions.

My favorite painting in the American Wing of the Mountain House Hotel in the Catskills

Then I walked down to the Middle Eastern Wing with the Assyrian and Egyptian Art, one of personal favorites in the museum. Unlike the Met, the Egyptian Wing of the museum is not overwhelming and is easier to view as the exhibits are not as packed with artifacts.

I started first admiring the Assyrian panels of the genies gracing the walls of the famous palace. It blows my mind that these are almost over a thousand years old.

The panels of genies along the walls of the old palace

The panels of genies along the walls

The different versions of genies along the walks

I have been visiting the Egyptian Wing of the museum since I attended the opening of the renovation with my father over a decade ago. It has an iconic entrance to the wing of the museum.

The entrance to the Egyptian Wing of the Brooklyn Museum

Walking through the Egyptian Galleries

Admiring the art on the wall

Walking through the Mummy display

The details on the Mummy coffin

Finishing the tour of the Egyptian galleries

I had a nice time at both the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and at the Brooklyn Museum. There is more than enough to see and do at both cultural locations in the heart of Brooklyn.

It was a wonderful walk around neighborhood and even with all the snow on the ground, it was easy to maneuver around the sidewalks and streets. The snow may have covered the ground but was a backdrop for the beauty that it displayed. The recent storm did not keep us inside but brought us outside to see how it looked and enjoy its beauty.

Places to Visit:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

990 Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11225

(718) 623-7210

http://www.bbg.org

Open: Sunday and Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm

Admission: Depending on the time of year/please check the website

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d103900-Reviews-Brooklyn_Botanic_Garden-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden 990 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11225

Brooklyn Museum

200 Eastern Parkway

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(718) 638-5000

Open: Sunday 11:00am-6:00pm/Monday-Tuesday Closed/ Wednesday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm

Admission: Adults $20.00/$30.00 Ticketed Events/Seniors-and Students Over 21 $14.00/Children Under 19 and Members Free

My review on TripAdvisor:

Places to Eat:

Banh Mi Place

824B Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(718) 552-2660

https://banhmiplacebklyn.com/

Open: Sunday 11:30am-9:00pm/Monday-Thursday 11:30am-9:30pm/Friday & Saturday 11:30am-10:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60827-d8530850-Reviews-Banh_Mi_Place-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/tag/banh-mi-place/

Day Three-Hundred and Seventy-Three Walking through the Light show at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden January 4th, 2026

I promised myself I would cut back on holiday activities last year. Since almost all of my older blogs have been revamped and updated to reflect the work on my newer visits and walks of neighborhoods and towns, I took a step back and revisited one last holiday activity I enjoyed last year, The Light Show at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The Gardens have been running this show for several years to increase traffic in the Gardens during the winter months to great success. These type of lightshows are gaining popularity in botanical gardens all over the country similar to the drive through holiday light shows. They are becoming a new tradition for families in usually quiet parks during the holiday season. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been an impressive show over the last four years that I have attended.

The directory of the ‘Lightscape Show’ at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

https://www.bbg.org/lightscape

The brilliance of the “The Tree of Stars” display at the entrance of the show

I love how they illuminated the trees to the music

The Christmas music illuminated the trees in the “Shadow Play” and created a festive beginning to the light shows

One of the best parts of the light shows is displayed in the Japanese Garden “Let the Magic Begin”. The water show keeps people dazzled for almost five minutes. I find myself every year having to watch it three times. Once to check it out, once to film it and then the last time to be dazzled by it myself. It is one of the reasons why I put up with 35-degree weather.

The beautiful lights illuminate the gardens at its start

Then the water show “Let the Magic Begin” begins

The video of the water show is so impressive every year (excuse my coughing)

The end of the water show was spectacular

I walked down the pathway toward Daffodil Hill and could not wait until the sea of yellow flowers returned in four months. In its place was a sea of lights and sounds in the display “Papillion’s”.

I next walked through a sea of butterflies and the skies were full of color in the ‘Papillion’s’ display

The trees were full of colorful butterflies in ‘Papillion’s’

I then walked through the Shakespeare Garden and came across the ‘Threshold’ display which was a sea of lights that flipped and sparkled around.

The ‘Threahold’ display in the Shakespeare Garden

‘Threshold’ in full color

‘Threshold’ changing colors

I walked around the spiral of spinning lights s and admired all the beautiful colors as it moved around. I walked around the Shakespeare Garden and looked at where the colorful flowers and plantings are placed in the Spring and Summer.

As I walked to the lawns of the Watershed, I passed the ‘Sway’ exhibition with its layers of colorful lights on the trees.

The colorful lights of ‘Sway’ as the music plays on CD

The video of the ‘Sway’ lights against the trees

The illumination of the trees in the gardens during the light show

The next display on the lawn of the Watershed was ‘Fluxit’, which looked like outside fire. It clicked and sparkled as the music played.

The ‘Fluxit’ display as it lit and moved

The video of the ‘Fluxit’ display

Once I left the Watershed lawns, I walked into the ‘Winter Terrace’, where in the warmer months are the Lotus Pools and seasonal plants and flowers are displayed. It was now decorated with topiary women guiding in the pools, the fountains were decorated with blinking lights and where the bar and restaurant were located. The area is really crowded with people milling around and taking a break from the walk.

The ‘Winter Terrace’ in full illumination

The Lotus Pools with the illuminated women

The ‘Illuminated’ women in the pool

One of the ‘Illuminated’ women

The fountain was shimmering with lights in the “Winter Terrace”

While I was walking around the frozen pools admiring the lights, many of the patrons were in the glassed-in banquet room having snacks and drinks. The building was packed with people eating and drinking.

I walked through the next series of displays ‘Flock’ and ‘Shadow Lantern’s on the edge of the Water Basin lawn. “Flock” looks like illuminated pigeons flying around the trees.

The display ‘Flock’ on the lawn’s edge

The ‘Shadow Lantern’s’ were quite brilliant

The ‘Shadow Lantern’s’ cast their brilliant lights all over the sidewalks with a sea of snowflakes and could hear the music in the background.

One of my favorite displays in the show was walking through the giant ‘Lilly’s of the Valley’ display to what sounded like a 1970’s folk singer. It was like a surreal trip through ‘Wonderland’ and I felt like Alice when she was shrunk walking through the gardens.

The ‘Lilly’s of the Valley’ display

Walking by the floral displays illuminated with brilliant lights

My video of walking through the giant patch of Lillie’s and watching the plants and trees change colors. It was a lot of fun to walk around.

The next display was another favorite of mine, the colorful and interactive ‘Winter Walk’ with lights and music to the song ‘Sleigh Ride’ that sounded like the New York Pops. The colors popped and popped with the music.

The ‘Winter Walk’ in full color as the music played

My pictures and videos don’t give the display justice as I filmed everything from the side view of the display.

The festive lights dancing to the song ‘Sleigh Ride’

Talk about putting you in the Christmas spirit even after the holidays were over. “Sleigh Ride” is still one of my favorite songs at the holidays.

I loved walking past the lines of trees that were illuminated

I followed the path down to where in the Spring, the Bluebell flowers bloom brightly and the whole area is a sea of purples and blues. Now it was ‘Bluebonnets’, a sea of purple lights. It was just picturesque and brought the gardens back even in the dead of winter.

‘Bluebonnets’ light display

The light flowers replacing the Spring flowers

The ‘Robin’s Trail’ display at the end of the ‘Bluebonnets’ display

As I entered the Cherry Blossom lawn, which is a sea of pinks in various hues, there was now the ‘Leaf on the Light’ display on all the trees.

The ‘Leaf on the Light’ display

Towards the end of the light display for the spectacular finish of the display in the Cherry Blossom lawn, you had to walk through the lines of Cherry Blossoms that line the pathways on both sides of the lawn. Only this side of the pathway was open and lit for the display.

I walked through ‘Pulse’ , where the trunks of the trees kept changing colors. It was an interesting walk down the pathway.

The lighting of ‘Pulse’ as I walked down the pathway

‘Pulse’ as it changed colors

All this led to the best part of the show, ‘The Sea of Light’, where the whole Cherry Blossom lawn became a dazzling sea of lights, sounds and music. I love the creation of the lawn light display every year I visit the show.

The ‘Sea of Light’ as it started

The ‘Sea of Light’ as it changed colors

The dazzling ‘Sea of Light’ performance and the lively music that accompanied it.

This was the best way to cap off the evening with its dazzling lights and music. Even as it got colder, I stayed longer to see watch it at least three times. I wanted to get the perfect video to share with everyone. If there was part of the show I enjoyed most, it was this part of the display.

As I left the gardens that evening, I exited through the ‘Winter Cathedral’, an archway of an illumination of lights that is the one place that foot traffic stops as people always want to take pictures here. While this display has moved around the gardens over the years, it is still the one display that has been been consistent every year.

The ‘Cathedral of Lights’

Couples were stopping here asking everyone to take their pictures. It was a popular spot to take pictures.

The ‘Cathedral of Lights’

The last display I walked through to exit that night was the ‘Firefly Field’ at the old main entrance of the Gardens.

The ‘Firefly Field’ blazing with Tony lights

It was a nice way to wrap up the show. The “Lightscape” light display at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was spectacular this year and always different. As cold as it was, it was still an amazing night of sights and sounds.

It was a nice way to rest and relax as the holiday season ended. Until next year!

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

990 Washington Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11225

(718) 623-7210

http://www.bbg.org

Open: Sunday and Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm/Monday Closed/Tuesday-Friday 8:00am-6:00pm

Admission: Depending on the time of year/please check the website

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60827-d103900-Reviews-Brooklyn_Botanic_Garden-Brooklyn_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/brooklyn-botanical-garden/

Coney Island History Project c/o Deno’s Wonderful Wheel Park 3059 West 12th Street Brooklyn, NY 11224

Coney Island History Project

C/O Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park

3059 West 12th Street

Brooklyn, NY 11224

https://www.coneyislandhistory.org/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 1:00pm-7:00pm (summer months only-May 24th-September 1st)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d4777489-r1014119112-Coney_Island_History_Project_Walking_Tour-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The front of The Coney Island Project

I came across this interesting museum/gallery when I was walking around Coney Island. The museum is a few small rooms located in one of the buildings in Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park. The museum is not related to the Coney Island Museum on Surf Avenue.

The small gallery space has a wealth of information and some interesting artifacts on Coney Island’s history both past and present.

The main room had artifacts and pictures of Coney Island’s past amusement history. There were many photo’s of the old parks, especially Steeplechase Park before its closing in 1965. It shows its development, growth and changes after the 1907 fire that destroyed the park.

There was all sorts of artifacts from that time as well as the former Astroland that was replaced by the new Luna Park. If you know the history of Coney Island, this can fascinating to read.

The second room had the later history when the Island’s amusements fell into disrepair and the whole island seemed to fall apart. The pictures show a very run down Coney Island.

The outside pictures show Coney Island in its heyday when during the 1930’s and 40’s before and during WWII, the island being a place of relief for so many New Yorker’s especially the working class.

The inside of the gallery

The main gallery

The Steeplechase Exhibition

Coney Island in ruin in the 1970’s

The history of Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park

The display outside the museum

The mechanical display that sings and dances

The Miss Coney Island robot is a throwback to old technology and campy robotics that is fun to watch. For a quarter, you can take an interesting video with this robot.

The Deno’s Map of the park

The history of the park

The History of the Museum:

(From the Coney Island Historical Coalition website)

The Coney Island History Project’s 2025 exhibition center season begins Memorial Day Weekend with a combination of free indoor and outdoor exhibits. Visitors to the exhibition center are invited to take free souvenir photos with Coney Island’s only original Steeplechase horse, from the legendary ride that gave Steeplechase Park its name, and the iconic Cyclops head from Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park’s Spook-A-Rama, Coney Island’s oldest dark ride.

The real Midway

I took pictures after the Mermaid Parade and showed how busy the amusement section was that day. There is so much potential to update the amusements and modernize the area with new rides and concessions. There is so much that can be done here. I already see new luxury apartment buildings being built and the revamping of the main shopping drag.