Borough Park

Introduction

Borough Park sits in the southwestern part of Brooklyn, a neighbourhood defined as much by the places around it as by anything within its own streets. To the south lies Bensonhurst, with Dyker Heights to the southwest and Sunset Park to the west; Kensington and Green-Wood Cemetery form the northern edge, while Flatbush borders it to the east and Mapleton to the southeast.

Those boundaries make Borough Park easy to place on a map of Brooklyn and simple to fold into a wider tour of the borough's southwestern neighbourhoods. Use the surrounding areas as your reference points when planning how to approach and leave the neighbourhood.

Getting around

You don't need a car to reach or get around Borough Park. Buses are your most direct option from elsewhere in Brooklyn: the MTA Bus Company's B35 route runs between Church Av/Rogers Av and 39 St/13 Av in Borough Park, with no transfer required and frequent service throughout the day, every day. Fares are modest, making the bus an inexpensive way to travel. The subway also serves the neighborhood, but there is no direct train from central Brooklyn, so plan on at least one change at a major transfer hub and allow extra time for it; subway fares are comparable to bus fares, keeping a combined trip cheap.

If you'd rather skip transfers, taxis make the trip from nearby Brooklyn in only a few minutes, though at a considerably higher fare; local operators include Bay Express, Chico Express, and La Revancha, and ride-hailing apps are another convenient alternative. Once you're in the neighborhood, it's compact enough that walking is practical for getting around, though walking in from farther afield takes close to an hour, so it suits local movement better than arrival. For schedules and service information, check mta.info or call the MTA.

Three days in Borough Park

Day one: Start in Borough Park itself, where the streets are busy with kosher bakeries, delis and Judaica shops, and the neighbourhood's Hasidic character sets the tone for the rest of your stay. Use the MTA Bus Company routes along Church Av and the subway stops at Church Av and Rogers Av to get your bearings, and keep fares in mind if you plan to hop between neighbourhoods. For lunch, stop at La Revancha, a Borough Park spot for a filling meal before an afternoon of wandering.

Day two: Head south to Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights, where the pace shifts and the streets open up; Dyker Heights is known for its elaborate holiday light displays in season. Continue on to Sunset Park for a change of scene and something to eat, with Chico Express among the casual options. Buses make the connections between these Brooklyn neighbourhoods straightforward, so you can link several stops in a single day without much backtracking.

Day three: Turn north and east toward Kensington and Flatbush, passing Mapleton along the way, and take a quiet pause at Green-Wood Cemetery, whose rolling grounds offer a contrast to the dense commercial streets. If you have time, push on toward Bay Express for a final meal before heading back. Once you've covered this stretch of Brooklyn, you'll have a sense of how the borough's neighbourhoods shift from one block to the next.