Brooklyn-ites for a Day

Matt and I have been slacking on our NYC site-seeing adventures. This is what happens no matter what city you live in - it just becomes 'where you live' and you go about your daily life's activities and you forget that there is all of this fun, exciting stuff to see and do.... Anywho, with the help of our friend Noelle, we were tourists for a day and explored some cool areas of Brooklyn.

Green-Wood Cemetery

(really awesome picture compliments of Noelle)

You may be asking, why are you site-seeing at a cemetery? Well, Green-Wood Cemetery isn't just any cemetery. It has National Historic Landmark status, Battle Hill (within the cemetery) is Brooklyn's highest point, there was a revolutionary war battle on this site, per Noelle it is featured in many movies AND it is absolutely gorgeous. Obviously, this is the 'place to be buried' if you are a New Yorker. There are already many famous and infamous residents such as Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed, Charles Ebbets, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Horace Greeley, Civil War generals, baseball legends, politicians, artists, entertainers and inventors. The weekend we were there we were blessed with good weather and beautiful fall colors. It was such a lovely, peaceful place, and we really enjoyed exploring it. One of the other visitors to the cemetery recommended we come back during the summer when there are colorful blooms all over the cemetery and water lilies covering the numerous ponds/lakes on the property. We may just do that :)

I took LOTS of pictures, and am trying to spare you the boredom and only pick a few favorites ;)

Brooklyn Esplanade and Brooklyn Bridge

We returned to Manhattan via the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood which boasts the Brooklyn Esplanade. The views from this area are amazing, and we timed it perfectly to be here right at sunset.

While at the Esplanade, I learned my camera phone could take panoramics and apply cool effects like 'cartoon'. I played with these a little, but I will definitely need to make more use of these settings in the future!

After a hard day of sight-seeing, we needed to refuel before making the long walk across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. We stopped off at Ignazio's Pizza and stuffed ourselves with yummy, cheesy, gooey pizza :)

Then we finally made our way across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. This was mine and Matt's first time on Brooklyn Bridge. We will definitely need to re-visit during the day (and once the construction is over) so we can really appreciate it :)