Here’s what tourists really think of Brooklyn

Visitors Tell the Eagle Their Preconceptions of the Borough

May 18, 2016 By Scott Enman Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Two tourists from Tokyo, Japan pose in front of a “Welcome to Brooklyn” sign under the Brooklyn Bridge. Eagle photos by Scott Enman

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On the Brooklyn Bridge southbound exit near Cadman Plaza West, drivers are greeted with a sign that reads, “Welcome to Brooklyn: How Sweet It Is!”

Brooklynites have always known that the borough they call home is special and indeed “sweet,” but what about foreigners? Does Brooklyn’s reputation as a trendy, hip and sophisticated place translate across borders and overseas?

The Brooklyn Eagle took to the Brooklyn Bridge and the streets of DUMBO to ask several groups of tourists what they think about Kings County.

Fifteen tourists from 10 nations across the world weighed in on their preconceptions of the borough.

Through broken English, hand gestures and some Spanish, the Eagle was able to understand how the world really sees Brooklyn.

Here’s what Brooklyn’s visitors had to say to the question: “What have you heard about Brooklyn?”

Who: Yukihiro Taira, 24, and Saki Taira, 23.

Where: Tokyo

“Brooklyn is very young. It has good fashion and is trendy. We hear there are many vintage shops. Oh, and it has good coffee. There are many tourists here. Look, we have an entire book on Brooklyn!”

Who: Antonio Martin.

Where: Barcelona

“There are many artists here. There’s an energy in the air.”

Who: Jennie Marisco, 34, and Brandon Keichline, 26.

Where: North Carolina

“I’ve seen a lot of television shows; mainly cop shows that show it to be a rough area. We had no idea what to expect.”

Who: Oliver Becker.

Where: Berlin

“I’ve heard that the city is big, amazing and has a lot to see. I haven’t heard much about Brooklyn specifically.”

Who: Farenc Horvidr.

Where: Hungary

“I hear Brooklyn has very nice people. The Brooklyn Bridge is beautiful too.”

Who: Ophelie A.

Where: Lyon, France

“The bridge is good. It has a nice view. I’ve seen it a lot in the movies, songs and pop culture. I’ve heard there’s a lot of criminality, violence and lots of poor, but I don’t know if this is true.”

Who: Klaudia T.

Where: Germany

“I know it from ‘Sex and the City.’ My travel guide told me to take the subway to Brooklyn and walk across the bridge to Manhattan for a better view.”

Who: Trent Hu, 54.

Where: San Francisco

“My mother grew up here, so I went to see the church where she was married. I heard about Grimaldi’s of course and how Brooklyn has changed a lot. Carroll Gardens is a nice little neighborhood. I love Smith Street too.”

Who: Romain Debrigan, 33, Pierre Delort, 33, and Sarah Schlunberger, 32.

Where: Paris

“In Brooklyn, there’s very good street art and graffiti. There are also good restaurants and bars. We’ve heard about Williamsburg and the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Who: Jasmine Lochrann, 27, and Quentin Dejeon, 30.

Where: Paris

“We love the Brooklyn [Brewery] beer! We know about Williamsburg and how it’s the fashion quarter and how Brooklyn has a bit of this small town feel.”

Who: Michelle Joslin and Wayne Joslin.

Where: London

“DUMBO is nice. I hear Brooklyn is up and coming. It’s a bit like London in that it’s right on the water like the [River] Thames. Brooklyn also uses a lot of old walls from other eras in their construction. The bars and restaurants are great too.”

Who: Milan Zeletaka.

Where: Czech Republic

“I’ve seen it in the movies. I’ve heard about the bridge, but nothing really in particular. I’m excited to explore here.”

Who: Ron Barrow.

Where: Toronto, Canada

“Brooklyn’s quite nice. I hear it’s been renovated a lot; a lot of community redesign especially around Barclays Center. There’s a lot of pedestrian traffic. I’m pleased with the borough. It’s interesting to see the old perception versus the new perception. The old perception is that you shouldn’t walk anywhere, you should only take the subway and bus. But the new perception is nothing like that.”

Who: Davile Tilvikaita, 30, and Irma Stravkaile, 28.

Where: London and Iceland

“We thought it would be horrible, but it was clean. It wasn’t too bad at all.”

Who: Alex Gomez Parrayo, 40, and Irene Hirschfeld, 40.

Where: Madrid, Spain

“We heard that Brooklyn is less chaotic. It’s more relaxed. The neighborhoods aren’t like Manhattan. There are a lot of great restaurants. It’s very modern. There are a lot of hipsters. We’ve eaten a lot of Southern food, like roasted chicken.”