Your parents are coming…here’s where to take them in Brooklyn

At Tibet Mobile, you literally go through a cell phone store to the back room, where you will find some of the best momo dumplings around. Photo: Meredith Craig de Pietro

For Your World-Traveling Parent (Who Doesn’t Mind a Long-Ass Subway Ride) 

17. Experience a Middle Eastern bazaar on Atlantic Ave at Sahadi’s, a Lebanese grocery that’s been in NYC since 1898 and features 30 different kinds of olives, 200 varieties of cheese, dozens of olive oils, and endless spices from around the world.

18. Visit Brooklyn’s Chinatown in Sunset Park, the fastest-growing in the country, which by many accounts is now larger than Manhattan’s. We’ve got great Chinese restaurant recs here.

19. Immerse yourselves in Japanese culture at J-Collabo, an event space that offers classes, film screenings, art, and music all exploring Japan.

20. Chow down at the Red Hook Food Vendors Marketplace, featuring diverse delicacies from all corners of Latin America.

21. Head out of Brooklyn and into Jackson Heights to sample Tibetan and Himalayan food (among many other cuisines). For some recommended restaurants, read this.

22. Schlep out to Brighton Beach to try the food, booze, and goods of Russia (some great suggestions here), and then sweat out the toxins in the sand.

23. Undertake a more serious approach to relaxation at Brooklyn Banya, a traditional Russian bathhouse. You can even buy some venik (oak leaves) to whip your parents with!

24. Or for a Korean version of the spa experience, try Spa Castle out in Flushing, featuring pools, plunges, and sauna valley, which includes a Gold Sauna, Jade Sauna, Himalayan Salt Sauna, and more.

25. Gorge yourselves on authentic Ethiopian food at Bunna Café, and be sure to attend a traditional coffee ceremony, offered four times a week.

Atop Brooklyn Grange’s LIC rooftop farm, which hosts open houses every Saturday, May – October. Photo: Sidney Bensimon

For Parents Who Came to the City to Get Back to Nature 

26. Take a day trip to Marine Park, which is larger than Prospect and contains more diverse ecosystems, as well as being protected as a “Forever Wild” reserve.

27. Go bird-watching in Prospect Park, which according to the NYC Audubon Society, has up to 100 different species flitting around in the springtime.

28. Get up close to some marine life at the Coney Island Aquarium.

29. While away an afternoon at the marvelous Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

30. Take a paddle with the North Brooklyn Boat Club, and let them convince you that it’s not so scary to sail on the horrifically polluted Newtown Creek.

31. While you’re in Greenpoint, ramble along the Newtown Creek Nature Walk, a short stroll with a front-row view of the wastewater treatment digester eggs (affectionately known as the “Shit Tits”) and interesting facts about NYC water conservation. If your folks are hardcore environmentalists, the city offers semi-regular tours of those eggs too.

32. Visit Brooklyn Grange, the country’s largest rooftop farm, which has an open house every Saturday from May through October at their LIC flagship location.