Downtown Brooklyn - Surprisingly Charming

I Love Franklin Ave. has been on jury duty for the past few weeks, which has hindered the blogging somewhat. On the plus side, it's allowed for some exploring of the Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights areas during lunch, which despite being well-blogged and well-known, are relatively new to me. What's surprised me most is the character of the Columbus Park/Cadman Plaza area, particularly on Greenmarket days: with the fresh food for sale and people sitting on the steps of Borough Hall, the place feels as homey as a New England college town! I realize this isn't news, but for someone who's previous experiences of downtown consisted primarily of wandering around Court Street looking for food after movies, it is a revelation. All of which is to say that if you haven't kicked around downtown Brooklyn at lunchtime, you might well have to at some point, and when you do, take a minute to enjoy the scenery.