Brooklyn Heights: the first suburb and the great view
Brownstone lanes, Montague Street, and the cantilevered walk with the whole Manhattan skyline. This is a Claude-drafted route awaiting the editor's walk.

1. Borough Hall
Start at the old seat of the City of Brooklyn, before it was a borough of anything. Cross Cadman Plaza and head west into the quiet streets; the noise drops off within a block.

2. Montague Street
The neighbourhood's high street, sloping down towards the water. Coffee and a bench here if you want one before the lanes; the shops thin out and the brownstones take over as you go.

3. Willow, Cranberry and Pineapple Streets
The fruit-named lanes are the heart of it — wisteria, stoops, and some of the oldest wood-frame houses left in the city. Wander them in no particular order; you can't get lost in three blocks.

4. Brooklyn Heights Promenade
The cantilevered walk sits out over the expressway, and the whole of Lower Manhattan lines up across the water. Come for sunset, when the towers light and the harbour goes gold. This is the view.

5. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1
Take the stairs or the path down to the waterfront. The lawns run right to the river, the bridge is overhead to the north, and the skyline you just looked at is now at eye level.

6. Clark St station
Back up the hill, the 2/3 platform sits under the old St George Hotel — you reach it by lift, which is half the fun. One stop and you're under the river.

Brooklyn Heights: the first suburb and the great view