Blue Listed Brooklyn

In its newly published annual best-of-the-world guide, international travel expert Lonely Planet has named Brooklyn as a top tourist destination.

Brooklyn? Honestly?

Yep, to the astonishment of many native New Yorkers, Lonely Planet's "Blue List: The Best in Travel 2007" says, "Brooklyn's booming. Any New Yorker worth their street cred knows the new downtown lies just across the East River."

The book, a collection of travel tips submitted by Lonely Planet's readers and staff members, includes a two-page spread on this borough and states that "a cultural movement has emerged" in what they call "the USA's biggest city-within-a-city."

Brooklyn? Seriously?

Yes, along with Hawaii and New Orleans, Brooklyn has been singled out as a favorite U.S. destination. While we've gotten accustomed to occasionally glimpsing double-decker sightseeing coaches on some of the streets closest to Manhattan, many (OK, most) New Yorkers still have trouble believing that Brooklyn is a hotspot for tourists.

In fact, the inclusion of Brooklyn in latest edition of the best-selling guidebook has made headlines here. The Blue List's recommendations include the Brooklyn Bridge, Prospect Park, Coney Island and the Mermaid Parade, the Brooklyn Museum and the Jacques Torres Chocolate Factory, all located in what Lonely Plant is calling "the hippest part of New York City."

Brooklyn? Really?

Yeah, really. So please pardon us while we take a moment to kvell.


Lonely Plant Blue List 2007

Lonely Planet Blue List 2007
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