How to Spend 6 Hours in New York: Green-Wood Cemetery and Sunset Park
Updated October 3, 2026
Six hours in New York heads to south Brooklyn for the hills of Green-Wood Cemetery, lunch at Japan Village in Industry City, the skyline from Sunset Park and a banh mi.
South Brooklyn is where this route shows you a side of the city most visitors never reach. You begin in a vast Victorian cemetery that by some accounts once drew more visitors than any attraction in the country but Niagara Falls. Roam its hills and ponds, then drop down to a century-old waterfront warehouse complex turned food and shopping hub. The afternoon climbs to a hilltop park with a sweeping view of the harbor before ending on Eighth Avenue, the heart of Brooklyn's largest Chinatown, for a Vietnamese sandwich to go. Green-Wood's hills are no place for a roller bag, so book a Bounce partner near the R train first. As of October 2026, those partners charge from $2.90 a day.
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The 6 hour plan, stop by stop
Stops and travel: 3 hr 10 min to 4 hr 50 min of 6 hours
Founded in 1838, Green-Wood spreads over 478 acres of glacial hills, ponds and winding paths, and in the nineteenth century crowds came to picnic here before Central Park existed. Entry is free, and the main gate opens every day. The Gothic Revival main gate, carved in brownstone, is home to a colony of bright green monk parakeets. Climb Battle Hill, the highest point in Brooklyn and a site of the 1776 Battle of Brooklyn, where a bronze Minerva raises her hand toward the Statue of Liberty across the harbor. Jean-Michel Basquiat, Leonard Bernstein and Louis Comfort Tiffany are buried here.
Tip: Pick up the free map at the main gate or use the Bloomberg Connects guide, and leave by the Sunset Park entrance near Industry City.
- Time here
- 1 hr 15 min to 2 hr
- Website
- green-wood.com
NaviTime to head out from Green-Wood Cemetery for Industry City. It's a 6 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
This cluster of huge brick warehouses began at the end of the nineteenth century as Bush Terminal, a private port where ships, rail lines and factories met on the Sunset Park waterfront. After decades of decline, the buildings now hold design studios, shops, breweries and food courts linked by landscaped courtyards. The highlight for a visitor is Japan Village, a food hall with stalls for ramen, hand rolls and bento boxes, a Japanese bakery, a sake shop and a Sunrise Mart grocery.
Tip: Carry your Japan Village lunch out to the courtyards between the buildings, where there are tables and lawn on a nice day.
- Time here
- 45 min to 1 hr 15 min
- Website
- industrycity.com
NaviTime to head out from Industry City for Sunset Park. It's a 9 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
The neighborhood takes its name from this hilltop park, one of the highest spots in Brooklyn. Its sloping lawns face west over the harbor toward the Statue of Liberty, New Jersey and the towers of Lower Manhattan. A large public pool built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s sits on its eastern side. On fine afternoons, people gather on the benches at the crest to watch the sun drop over the water.
Tip: Walk to the top of the hill near the Fifth Avenue side for the clearest view of the harbor and the downtown skyline.
- Time here
- 20 to 35 min
- Website
- nycgovparks.org
NaviTime to head out from Sunset Park for Ba Xuyen. It's a 20 minute walk if you leave now. Here's the link
On Eighth Avenue, the main street of Brooklyn's largest Chinatown, this small Vietnamese bakery has been a go-to for banh mi for years. Crusty rolls baked to stay light are layered with pâté, ham and headcheese, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, jalapeño and a swipe of mayonnaise, and the house special combines them all. There are a few stools, but most people take their sandwich to go. Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk is the classic drink alongside it.
Tip: Order the house special and a sardine banh mi to compare, and bring cash.
- Time here
- 15 to 25 min
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