How to get to Downtown Brooklyn

The Dutch named Brooklyn after their city back in the Netherlands, Breukelen — similar to “brug,” the Dutch word for “bridge.” Fast forward close to 400-something years, and DTBK is still a civic, commercial, and cultural center.

Eventually, you’re bound to make a trip, whether for concerts and museums, or shopping and iconic cheesecake restaurants, or jury duty (good luck!) at Borough Hall. So how does one make their pilgrimage to this historic neighborhood? Here’s your travel guide on how to get to Downtown Brooklyn.

Getting to DTBK from within Brooklyn

If you’re already in BK, you’ve got all the options. Trains, buses, and automobiles (oh my) are abundant, so it’s really “dealer’s choice.” Downtown Brooklyn sits just south of DUMBO and north of Park Slope and Carroll Gardens. Basically, all buses and subway trains make stops here, with the exception of the L, 7, and the J/M lines.

If you’re in a rush, or want to feel like you’re in an action movie car chase, you can’t go wrong by just telling any cabbie to take you to Barclays. From there, it’s an easy stroll to, let’s say, your favorite legal cannabis dispensary in downtown Brooklyn.

Getting to DTBK from Manhattan

If you’re coming from Manhattan by subway, you’ll pretty much have to venture south through Union Square or FiDi. But once you make your way on the 2/3, 4/5, A/C, Q/R, or F/B/D, DTBK is really just a couple stops after you cross into Brooklyn. All these lines run through Barclays Center, which is just a block from The Travel Agency. If you prefer, and if it’s running, you can also take a detour through Williamsburg on the L and a bus.

TL;DR — the MTA runs main arteries through Downtown Brooklyn from anywhere in Manhattan, so it’s an easy ride.

If you’ve got a car (or a ride app), make your way to either the Manhattan Bridge or Brooklyn Bridge. It’s ok to go sightseeing in your own city, so your secret of admiring the skyline and vista like a tourist is safe with us.

Getting to DTBK from Queens

Queens is big; long live Queens. If you’re coming to our neck of the woods by subway, you’ve got a few options. The G train is your main subway crosstown connection — but let’s be honest, most locals know that it’s also not 100% reliable. Depending on where you’re coming from, you can also take the LIRR or take a loop through Manhattan with the F. By car, you’ll likely take the Tillary exit on 278W.

Getting to DTBK from Long Island

Get your LIRR ticket ready. You can either take the rail all the way to Penn Station and make your way slightly back East with a connecting A/C or 2/3 subway train. Or, take the LIRR to the Jamaica station on Sutphin Boulevard, then take the J subway train and transfer to the C at Broadway Junction. It turns out to be about the same time, it just depends on how much you enjoy Penn Station.

If you’ve got four wheels, 495W is one of the likeliest paths. Unless there’s a gallery of construction, it’s the fastest.

Getting to DTBK from Staten Island

Excited to have you in our borough from so far away (mentally). You’ll likely be traveling by car, so take the Verrazano Bridge — unless you really want to put getting gridlocked in Manhattan on your itinerary.

From there, we recommend taking the scenic (and direct) route through Red Hook and Park Slope. For the travel-weary, you have Prospect Park along the way to catch some fresh air, have a picnic, or maybe even visit the zoo. Once you get to Downtown Brooklyn, there are plenty of parking lots within a few blocks of The Travel Agency if you don’t hit the street parking lottery.

Getting to DTBK from the Bronx

If you’re coming to visit our Brooklyn home by subway, the trains through Manhattan are your most direct ticket. Depending on where in the Bronx you’re calling home, take either the 2, 5, or the B/D trains, or transfer from the 1 at a hub like Times Square. By car, you can take a sightseeing route via Randolph’s Island and Interstate 278W, or a more straight shot down 87. Depending on roadside attractions (construction), it’s a pretty straightforward route as well.

Making your way downtown

No matter where you’re coming from, Downtown Brooklyn is a travel destination worth the visit. Barclay’s Center, Fort Greene Park, Junior’s, shopping, live music, and The Travel Agency — Downtown Brooklyn has something for everyone. But even if you can’t make the trip, remember that The Travel Agency also delivers.