Brooklyn doesn’t try to out-dazzle Manhattan at the holidays, and that’s exactly the point. This is a borough that does the season on its own terms: a little quieter, a little more real, with none of the elbow-to-elbow crowds. It’s independent bookshops and family-run bakeries instead of department store windows.
\n\n\n\nIt’s a neighborhood block lighting up house by house instead of one big switch-flip. And when you do want the sparkle, a light show, an outdoor rink, a glowing garden trail, Brooklyn has all of that too, just without the wait. You’re not rushing between landmarks. You’re wandering, warming your hands on a cup of hot chocolate, and ducking into shops because something in the window caught your eye.
\n\n\n\nHere’s how we’d spend a holiday visit to Brooklyn this year.
\n\n\n\nStart Slow: Boerum Hill’s Bookshops, Bakeries & Gifts
\n\n\n\nSkip the mall crowds. Right outside our front door is Boerum Hill, one of the best places in Brooklyn to do some holiday shopping.
\n\n\n\nSmith Street is where it all starts. Duck into Books Are Magic first; you’ll go in for one title and leave with four, thanks to staff picks that read like tips from a trusted friend. Just down the block, Exit9 Gift Emporium is stocked with the stuff that you can’t wait to unwrap: novelty finds, local designs, things you won’t find anywhere else. For the more nostalgic ones in your family, Unearth Vintage is a haven for thrift finds from all eras.
\n\n\n\nFor something truly whimsical (and a little further out), Mr. Boddington’s Studio is easily one of the city’s most charming stationary shops. A store straight out of a beloved children’s book with original prints, notebooks, and all kinds of paper treasures. Nearby, Bien Cuit is an ideal spot to escape the winter chill and kick up your feet with hot chocolate, buttery croissants, and light sandwiches on freshly baked bread.
\n\n\n\nChase the Lights (and a Little Magic Along the Way)
\n\n\n\nLooking for dazzling holiday lights in Brooklyn? Dyker Heights is the big one. Picture an entire neighborhood competing to out-decorate itself, with twinkling displays and Santa statues growing block by block. Motorized reindeer, glowing nativity scenes, rooftops rigged with more LEDs than seems structurally sound. The display usually flips on the day after Thanksgiving (November 27th this year) and stays lit through the New Year, which means you’ll have a wide window to catch it.
\n\n\n\nFor something a bit more contained, head to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for another season of after-dark installations from artists around the world, holiday wreath making, and more. Make sure to keep an eye on their events calendar to see holiday programming announcements throughout the season.
\n\n\n\nOnce you’ve had your fill of lights, warm back up at Sunday in Brooklyn, which trades its usual dining room for Snowday in Brooklyn each year; a kitschy, blanket-draped, holiday-cocktail takeover that runs nightly from late November through New Year’s Eve.
\n\n\n\nShop Small, Skate Outdoors & Catch a Show
\n\n\n\nThis is the part of the season where Brooklyn shows off: markets, performances, and plenty of excuses to lace up ice skates.
\n\n\n\nFor tradition with a twist, the Brooklyn Nutcracker is back this December with a unique take on Tchaikovsky’s score reimagined through hip hop, contemporary dance, and Brooklyn’s own multicultural history.
\n\n\n\nIf you’d rather shop than sit still, the FAD Market pops up across Dumbo all December long, and Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill on the first three weekends of December. Head there for dozens of local makers selling candles, jewelry, skincare, and the kind of gifts that don’t come from a big-box aisle.
\n\n\n\nFor something bigger, the Brooklyn Navy Yard hosts its Wallabout Wonderland market Dec 5th & 6th with last year’s event boasting 150-plus vendors, a DIY ugly sweater station, and enough floral bouquet bars and book giveaways to keep a whole family busy for an afternoon.
\n\n\n\nAnd if you want to move a little, Roebling Rink under the Brooklyn Bridge opens for the season on November 25th, while Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center gets its ice down even earlier, typically by the end of November, and keeps it running into spring. Go early for the quiet, stay for the golden-hour laps.
\n\n\n\nIf your trip lines up with New Year’s Eve, don’t leave yet. Grand Army Plaza throws one of the city’s best block parties, complete with fireworks over the treeline at midnight.
\n\n\n\nCome Home to NU Hotel
\n\n\n\nAfter a full day out being cheerful, NU Hotel is your quiet Brooklyn retreat to truly relax and enjoy the holiday.
\n\n\n\nThat’s the thing about Brooklyn at the holidays: you get both sides without having to choose. The calmness, the small local shops, the neighbors who decorate by hand, and the big light shows, the busy rinks, the markets everyone comes for. Manhattan gives you the postcard. Brooklyn gives you the season. Book your stay at NU Hotel and see for yourself.
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