Brooklyn is New York's most populated borough with over 2.6 million residents.  The lack of traditional tourist attractions (Times Square, Central Park, etc.) make this an ideal area to see how real New Yorker's live.  This can mean watching young professionals get plastered in Williamsburg on weekend afternoon, relaxing in Prospect Park, or even shopping at a Costco in Sunset Park.  During the summer Coney Island and Brighton Beach offers an escape from the city but not the crowds.

One Brooklyn's most defining feature is the Brownstone - a series of rowhomes using a brown stand stone for the outside facade.  Most of the homes have stairs leading up to the main floor.  The single family homes have now been subdivided into smaller units.  
PROSPECT  PARK  AND  PARK  SLOPE
Frederick Olmstead and Calvert Vaux designed both Central Park and Prospect Park.  While Central Park receives all the attention the designers considered Prospect Park as their preferred park.  I'm not so sure about that.  I've walked through the park twice and while it's a nice green space...it's not Central Park.  To the west of Prospect Park is Park Slope one of New York's nicest residential areas.
Park Slope's main commercial thoroughfare is 7th Avenue from 9th Street to 15th Street.  Aside from a few restaurants the stretch seemed old and dated.  The local coffee shop, Cusp, was underwhelming.  The brownstones in the surrounding area are the real attraction.
PUERTO  RICANS,  CHINESE,  AND  HASIDIC  JEWS
New York is a melting pot of cultures...kind of.  Walking around Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood you will see Puerto Ricans, Chinese, and Hasidic Jews.  You think how wonderful they can all live together.  Then you will notice that with a few commercial exceptions they tend to all live in their own separate world.  The Puerto Rico's dominate 5th Avenue.  The Chinese 8th Avenue.  The Hasidic Jews side streets in between.  There are streets you can walk down where every resident seems to be a Hasidic Jew.  On Columbus Day the Hasidic Jew School Buses pick up students.
I'm not sure of the connection but Hasidic Jews...the water...on a Sunday just seem to go together.  Whether it was at waterfront in Sheepshead Bay or a dock near the Brooklyn Army Terminal, where there was water, there were Hasidic Jews reading the bible.
At the southern end of 5th Avenue between 59th and 60th Streets sits the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  It's a glorious Catholic Cathedral who's congregation reflects the areas changing demographics.
Brooklyn has some great waterfront views of NYC - even in over cast weather. But the view I've always wanted to see is this crazy stretch of I-278 that wraps around Brooklyn Heights. The road feels like a double decker, cantilever design where it feels like you are driving on a shelf. It's the most insane piece of roadway I've ever driven on. From down below it looks crazy that someone would think to put an interstate here - not to mention one that is severely banged up.
My favorite "band" growing up was the Wu Tang Clan. I always liked the fact that the embraced this group atmosphere while letting individual acts shine. I wish I had a Wu Tang Clan of my own. From the RZA to Method Man to Chef Raekwon to the GZA to...the best of all...ODB - I had all the group and solo albums. As I aged, I followed the group less and less but they were the last group I liked when I actually listened to music. I've traveled across NYC in search of Wu Tang locations (that was pre-Hulu TV show too) and one of my favorite locals is the ODB mural on the side of a deli on the Southwest Corner of Putnam and Franklin Streets. And if you can get some badass to pose in front of the shop when you are taking the photo...even better.
​I’m sure that if your goal for visiting Coney Island is to ride the amusement park roller coaster and sit on the beach, that summer is a better time to visit.  If your goal is to enjoy the neighborhood and boardwalk in peace and quiet, visiting on a Friday in September can’t be beat.  I had the boardwalk to myself. 
 There’s great artwork accompany the rides. I visited Coney Island mid-week in September and couldn't believe how quiet it was. I was able to walk around and even though everything was closed, I still preferred enjoying Coney Island in this atmosphere rather than a packed weekend during the summer.
There’s also no lines a Nathan’s—which is good because the hotdogs are not exactly worth waiting in line for.