City To Tout Park Slope as Tourist Destination View Full Caption

PARK SLOPE — The city wants tourists to look beyond the glitz of Times Square and explore the family-friendly charms of Park Slope.

A new campaign by NYC & Company, the city's tourism board, promotes Park Slope as a tourist destination where visitors will find top-notch cuisine, cultural offerings and independent retailers.

"Conveniently located by nearly 10 subway lines, Park Slope is easily accessible from any part of New York City and the perfect destination for New Yorkers and visitors to spend an afternoon," NYC & Company said in a statement announcing the new campaign.

The promotional effort, part of NYC & Company's Neighborhood x Neighborhood initiative, will boost Park Slope's profile with street banners and ads at bus shelters. There's also a website that describes the neighborhood's selling points in detail, from the free popcorn at High Dive bar to the "funny" owner of Fifth Avenue's Record and Tape Center.

"The neighborhood's residents give it a literary, socially conscious feel," the website explains. "They shop at their own food co-op."

Mark Caserta, executive director of Park Slope's Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District, said the campaign effectively highlights the neighborhood's "small, intimate" businesses. "We like to call ourselves the other Fifth Avenue, [with] the local, the authentic businesses," Caserta said. "We want people who are interested in that kind of experience to visit us."

The Rock Shop, Cafe Regular, the Chocolate Room, Two Lovers and Music Matters are among the businesses highlighted on the website.

The campaign is meant to encourage tourists to explore areas outside Manhattan. The target audience includes visitors from Canada and the United Kingdom who have been to New York at least once before, said NYC & Company spokeswoman Emily Mayrath.

"They’ve already seen the Top of the Rock and gone to the Empire State Building," Mayrath said. "We’re trying to make sure they know they can get out of Midtown and see something new every time they come."