10 best things to do around Barclays Center in Brooklyn

Those searching for a little peace and quiet would do well to spend a few hours at this verdant oasis. The garden—which abuts two other neighborhood gems: the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park—was founded in 1910 and features thousands of types of flora, laid out over 52 acres.

In addition to its numerous classes related to flowers, BBG also provides additional creative programs across a diverse range of hobbies. Some of the other available topics include cooking, perfume blending, and fitness. Check out their website to learn about their upcoming events.

Restaurateur Roni Mazumdar opened the original Masalawala, his first operation, with his father Satyen Mazumdar on the Lower East Side in 2011. Now in Park Slope, again with his father, “this is the restaurant I wanted to open 10 years ago, but couldn’t,” he told Resy.

The Brooklyn location, billed as “a celebration of India’s yesteryears” opened to immediate popularity in 2022 and has maintained most of that momentum since. The vibes here are busy and buzzy but warm and inviting. We recommend ordering the macher dim, keema kaleji and unforgettably comforting rice.

If you're the type who likes to relax by sitting and sipping on some tea while playing board games with friends or strangers, head over to The Squarrel cafe, located just two blocks from Barclays Center.

Check out the extensive game options you can choose from on their website, which includes everything from Catan to Monopoly and World of Warcraft. Their drink menu includes your traditional selection of coffees as well as robust tea options that include Osmanthus Oolong and Goji Chrysanthemum, a decaf tea blended with goji berry and chrysanthemum. 

The third-largest museum in the five boroughs, the Brooklyn Museum follows the encyclopedic template of the Metropolitan Museum with a collection housed in an 1897 Beaux-Art building packed with period rooms, ancient art and contemporary paintings, sculptures and more. Loads of things, all of the things.  

It has become one of NYC's premier art institutions that boast Egyptian, African and Oceanic artifacts as well as hotter contemporary art exhibits that rotate in and out. In fact, it has an entire wing devoted to the latest in feminist art, where you will find Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party, a huge permanent installation that pays tribute to famous women throughout history.

To call Out of the Closet just a thrift store would be like calling Barclays Center an event space. This place contains plenty of hidden treasures, from flamboyant articles of clothing perfect for styling a loud outfit to books and CDs from the early 2000s. There's always a community feel here from the retail workers as well as the nurses who hand out prescriptions at a pharmacy counter that sits behind the clothing racks.

The best part? All profits from your purchase go towards funding the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and the clinic upstairs, which provides free HIV testing to New Yorkers. 

For the first time in 60 years, the historic Brooklyn Paramount is hosting concerts again in one of the most stunning live event settings anywhere in the city, and they've already had an impressive slate of artists grace its stage, including PinkPantherass and Charli XCX. Upcoming shows include concerts by St. Vincent and Orville Peck.  

BAM, which showcases local and out-of-town companies, is one of New York’s most prominent cultural institutions. The Howard Gilman Opera House, with its Federal-style columns and carved marble, is a beautiful dance venue. Visit their website to learn about upcoming film, theater, and music performances happening at the beloved theater. 

Along the edge of Fort Greene Park and across from a row of brownstones, a curated crop of meat, bread and produce vendors set up booths every Saturday all year long. If the rich variety of cheeses and artisanal breads for sale don’t evoke a quaint, small-town feel, the rotating roster of performing local musicians certainly will.

Brooklyn's Greenlight Bookstore is run by owners familiar with the NYC publishing and bookselling worlds, both of whom brought with them an eye for a comfortable space and a selection that goes well beyond best-sellers. Fort Greene locals—many of whom are authors themselves—have heartily embraced the place since its opening in 2009. The community spirit endows its day-to-day operations as well as its event series.

Cowboy culture may make a comeback thanks to this Prospect Heights bar from Deb Bicknese, Gerard Kouwenhoven and Alex Savoie. Antique trappings—like a foot-powered player piano (stocked with scores of ragtime and Western) and a tiger-oak bar from a Montana saloon—add an authentic touch.

To wet the ol’ whistle, look for local microbrews, along with a healthy selection of whiskeys and seasonal cocktails. The bar is also one of the neighborhood’s few late-night dining options, with a small menu of chuckwagon-inspired bites like fried-green-tomato sandwiches.