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A small but magnificent oasis, this 52-acre garden designed by the Olmsted brothers in 1910 is home to more than 12,000 plantings. It is best known for the Cranford Rose Gardens where thousands of roses cascade down arches and climb lattices, and the authentic Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, planted in 1915. It is also known for its Cherry Esplanade and Cherry Walk, one of the foremost cherry-blossom sites outside Japan. The Steinhardt Conservatory houses tropical and desert plants and one of America’s largest bonsai collections.

When it was completed in 1883 linking Manhattan and Brooklyn, this was the largest suspension bridge in the world and the first to be built of steel. It took 600 workmen and 16 years to build, and claimed 20 lives, including that of the designing engineer, John A. Roebling. It is now a symbol of New York, and those who walk the 1-mile (1.8-km) span are rewarded with fabulous views of city towers seen through the artistic wire cablework.

A classic experience, the walk across the Brooklyn Bridge yields thrilling vistas of city skyscrapers through the intricate bridge cable work. Bring the camera to record unparalleled views.

Permanent collections and changing exhibits.

Overlooking the East River and lower Manhattan skyline, the Brooklyn Heights Historic District is an enclave of old-world charm. Along its quaint streets are preserved, Federal, wooden and brick townhouses of the 1820s and even grander Greek Revival homes of the following decades.

The permanent collection has objects from ancient Egyptian to contemporary art (see Brooklyn Museum of Art).

A world-class museum in a fine Beaux Arts building exhibiting cutting-edge contemporary work alongside permanent collections of Asian, Egyptian, African, and American art. There are also Rodin sculptures, and decorative arts that include period rooms.

Raymond Hood’s 1924 American Radiator Building has become an ultra-contemporary hotel, with giant glass windows, bold, red-lacquered lobby desks, and pale-hued rooms that are the last word in minimalist decor.