Now that you are truly awake, you can’t pass up the chance to walk through the Brooklyn Promenade on your way to breakfast. This may be the most touristy part of the neighborhood, but it remains a legitimate marve… anytime you step on the wide boardwalk. After a yoga session, the walk on the Promenade will open your senses with the sounds of the cars passing beneath, the wind blowing on your face and the views of the mammoth skyline filling your eye. Like much of Brooklyn Heights, the place is crawling with original vintage work, from the benches to the lamps to the stones lining the walkways. Not to mention, this was the setting for one of the most iconic images on film, immortalized in Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall.”

With all the resplendent architecture to take in, it’s easy to overlook Montague Street, the beating heart of Brooklyn Heights. As a resident, of course, you know that this strip from Pierrepont Place to Court Street is one of the most underrated shopping districts in all of Brooklyn. You begin your stroll from Columbus Park near Borough Hall and walk west. On the strip, you encounter the Brooklyn Historical Society, and a slew of eateries. You approach one of the most beloved shops in the area: Housing Work Thrift Shop, and pass by many Asian restaurants and bars, and you land at J. McLaughlin, a legendary clothing store that has been on Montague for nearly 50 years.

The one thing you will surely have noticed while spending time in Brooklyn Heights is that you could walk around for hours… without getting bored. That’s what history, seeping through, seems to be able to do to you. Today, you are taking it up a notch. At lunch, you have create quite an impressive list for your own personal walking tour of the former homes of the great writers. Your first stop is the former home of H.P. Lovecraft at 169 Clinton Street. From there, you make your way to The Bohemian Boarding House at 7 Middagh Street. The building, adorned with a wonderful gingerbread facade, was once a creative collective that included editor George Davis, writer Carson McCullers, and poet W.H. Auden. Many other creative and celebrities have been a guest there in the past, including Aaron Copeland, Leonard Bernstein, Richard Wright, and Salvador Dali. You move to the famed Willow Street to discover the former home of Truman Capote at 70 Willow Street. Only a few blocks down you will find the Death of the Salesman author Arthur Miller’s old home at 155 Willow Street. The tour doesn’t end there, as you decide to turn onto Remsen Street to catch a glimpse of Norman Mailer’s one-time studio at 20 Remsen Street. Finalize your author craving by visiting Henry Miller’s home at 91 Remsen.

Now that you have set your creative future, things could get stressful. I can’t think of a better way to fend off the stress but joining the legendary Heights Casino. Built in 1904, the Flemish Revival-style sports club that will make you feel like you have stepped into a different era, but with state-of-the-art facilities. Perfect your squash on their six international single courts and a hardball doubles court. There are also two indoor tennis courts, and the sleek fitness center goes without saying.