Columbia Heights Between Orange St and Vine St

I'm embarrassingly under-experienced when it comes to Brooklyn. I've had friends who live in Bushwick, Williamsburg and Greenpoint…but my experiences were limited to where they would take me. A few years ago I took a random trip to Park Slope just to get a feel for it. Early Sunday morning I woke up and hopped on a Brooklyn-bound 6 train, ready to explore the rest of borough for myself. I had never been to Brooklyn Heights before, though I had seen plenty of photos and knew a few people who lived in the area.

The row of houses that line Columbia Heights are clearly reserved for the privileged elite. The benches which sit in the small promenade across the street seem like a small token to the working class, so that we too may bask in the amazing views of Manhattan. With the echoing thunder of the BQE directly below you it's hard to have the sort of escapist experience you would hope for, but it's pretty magical none-the-less. It's surprising how many trees have been allowed to remain here considering how much they obstruct the otherwise picturesque view of the City.

It was a perfect day to visit, with hardly any clouds in the sky. It was still early as I began my walk down the steep hill towards the intimidating Watchtower building. From here you can see the DUMBO neighborhood to the north east, Manhattan to the north west and the rest of Brooklyn to the south. It's an incredibly beautiful (if not  all-too-brief) street.