Neighborhoods in Brief

Manhattan is just one of the five boroughs that make up the very Big Apple. The others are Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island.

Brooklyn Brooklynites are quick to tell you that their borough is the fourth-largest city in the United States. That's because this borough is about pride and attitude. And though it has been over 45 years since the team left, don't even talk about the Dodgers.

Brooklyn is also about neighborhoods and diversity; the borough is a pleasure to explore. Some highlights include New York's first historic district, Brooklyn Heights, with its elegant brownstones; the Promenade, with its spectacular view of Manhattan; and the romantic River Cafe. To get to Brooklyn Heights, take the A, C, F to Jay Street; the 2, 3, 4, 5 to Clark Street; or the M (during rush hours), N, R to Court Street.

One of Brooklyn's most rapidly changing neighborhoods is DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). What was once a scattering of warehouses is now a thriving artist's colony, with those warehouses now converted into expensive lofts, and not so easy for artists to afford. The main drag is Washington Street, and businesses are beginning to populate the area. It's here where you'll find Jacques Torres Chocolate, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, and Grimaldi's Pizza. The best way to get to DUMBO is the F train to York Street or the A or C to High Street.

Brooklyn's now, way past hip neighborhood (though the very hippest say it's "over") is Williamsburg. In the early 1990s, artists began to flee Manhattan's high rents to live here among the Hispanic and Hasidic communities already there. Now, though, the pioneers have seen their once independent and inexpensive enclave being transformed into Brooklyn's version of SoHo. There are a number of funky, youth-oriented boutiques along the neighborhood's main drag, Bedford Avenue, but Williamsburg is also the home of that venerable red-meat institution, Peter Luger. The best train to take to get to Williamsburg from Manhattan is the L to Bedford Avenue.

Other emerging neighborhoods are Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill. Smith Street cuts through all three and has become a booming restaurant destination. To get to Smith Street, the best train is the F, with stops at either Carroll Street or Bergen Street.

Downtown Brooklyn off Flatbush Avenue is probably best known for BAM, the Brooklyn Academy of Music. You'll also find a number of department stores and one of the borough's most beloved landmarks, Junior's, the diner noted for its cheesecakes. Many trains converge in downtown Brooklyn at the Pacific Street/Atlantic Avenue station, including the 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, M, N, Q, and R.

Park Slope is probably the heart of Brooklyn; it is here and in nearby Prospect Heights where you find the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, and Prospect Park. The 2, 3, 4 trains to Grand Army Plaza will land you close to all of the above.

In its heyday during the early 20th century, Coney Island was to New York what South Beach is to Miami. This was where everyone flocked to escape the heat and grime of a New York summer day. A few remnants of Coney Island's past remain, such as the long-defunct parachute ride. But during the summer you can still ride on one of the best roller coasters anywhere, the famous Cyclone (though the summer of 2007 will be the last one for the Cyclone's home, Astroland). Coney Island is also the home of the New York Aquarium and the minor-league baseball team the Cyclones. To get to Coney Island, take the F or Q to West 8th Street, Brooklyn.

The Bronx Perhaps the most famous destination in the Bronx, and next to Rome's Colosseum maybe one of the most celebrated sports arenas in the world, is Yankee Stadium, with 2008 to be that marvelous monument's last season. Even if you are a Yankee hater, you will be awed by the stadium The 4, B, or D trains all stop there.

The Bronx is also the home of the United States' largest metropolitan animal park, the Bronx Zoo, and the New York Botanical Gardens. Both are wonders worthy of an excursion. To get to the Bronx Zoo, you can take the 2 train to Pelham Parkway and walk to the Bronxdale entrance of the zoo. To get to the Botanical Gardens, you can take Metro-North from Grand Central Station to the Botanical Gardens station.

While visiting either the Bronx Zoo or the Botanical Gardens, stop at the Little Italy of the Bronx, Arthur Avenue, for a mouthwatering walk past meat markets, delis, vegetable stands, fish markets, cafes, and restaurants. To get to Arthur Avenue, take the 4, B, or D train to Fordham Road and transfer to the no. 12 bus east, or the no. 2 or 5 train to Pelham Parkway and the no. 12 bus west.

Queens Queens is the largest borough in New York and it's also the city's most ethnically diverse. There are more languages spoken in this 109 square miles than anywhere else on the planet. All that ethnicity translates into an adventurous eater's paradise. I've dined on Thai, Peruvian, Indian, Guyanese, Greek, Colombian, and Brazilian here, and I've barely scratched the surface. But there's more to Queens than just food.

Astoria, with its large Greek community, is also the home of the American Museum of the Moving Image, dedicated to the movies -- film, video, and digital. To get there, take the R to Steinway or the N/W to 36th Avenue.

With former warehouses and factories being converted to expensive condos, Long Island City, directly across the river from Manhattan's Upper East Side, is becoming Queens' version of DUMBO. It is also where you will find a number of museums including the Noguchi Museum, Socrates Park, and the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center. The best train to take to get to Long Island City is the no. 7. The no. 7 train is also known as the International Express, running through one ethnic community after another; get off at just about any spot and you'll see signs in an assortment of languages. The no. 7 train will also take you to Flushing, where you'll find Shea Stadium, home of the Mets; the Louis Armstrong Stadium and the Arthur Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadow Park, where the U.S. Open is held each September; and the Queens Museum of Art on the grounds of the 1964 World's Fair.

Staten Island Staten Island is the most remote of the boroughs and most enjoyably reached by ferry. There is a suburban feel to the borough, making it a haven for commuters. The free Staten Island Ferry gets you to the borough. If you decide to spend time in Staten Island, take in a Staten Island Yankees minor-league baseball game. The stadium is within walking distance of the ferry and has lovely views of downtown Manhattan.