You will be in the centre of a place that feels gritty and real. Take time to explore the streets and shops and use the wonderful food offerings that abound. If you go to Peaches, medium spicy is hot and too hot for me but the food is so authentic as is also true of the other places nearby. The spice shops near the station for Line C and independent grocers and coffee shops were great to visit. Downtown is not far but be careful with luggage as the subways all have so many steps it does not pay to have tons of bags. I think Uber had a meltdown of some sort as I found it had become so expensive compared with home or indeed London and I paid almost 67USD to go to downtown with my luggage which was too much for the subway. Consider that before you do anything with transport. Look up whats on because Brooklyn has some good entertainment. I always think it is a good idea before you leave home to check what is on in the listings that are in the New Yorker and online for theatres like Carnegie Hall, and the performance centres at Columbus Circle. If you have never experienced Radio City Music Hall xmas show, just go.. its mad and wonderful. The experience of Nutcracker is a thing you would never get tired experiencing at xmas time and brings ballet to life for even the hardest of hearts. I discovered a bawdy version of it in Brooklyn that I decided to note for next year with good friends as companions. New Yorkers are friendly people. I do not know why some consider them rude because that is not my experience at all. Ask when you are unsure and you will not have long to wait for an opinion or offer of help. Airbnb remains my choice because of the local feel it gives me, I do like hotels but I stayed one final night in Manhattan at a bland hotel that just happened to be convenient for something I had to do and I was sorry. overpriced and cold in nature and ambience, I wont book that again. Ask Avi anything at all and you will be helped. He is not a mind reader so do not do what I did and foret that culture needs things to be clear when it is not familiar.