DK Travel : New York : The Outer Boroughs

Manhattan is just one of New York’s five boroughs, each of which has its own unique attractions. Brooklyn alone, with its fine brownstone neighborhoods and numerous top-class sights, would be one of the largest cities in the U.S. The Bronx, to the north, boasts one of New York’s finest zoos, plus the New York Botanical Garden and Yankee Stadium, while Queens, a veritable melting pot of nationalities, is famous for its museums, ethnic dining, and numerous sports events. The ferry to Staten Island leads to New York’s only restored historic village.

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13th Avenue, Borough Park

The main street of Borough Park, home to America’s largest Orthodox Jewish community, bustles with shops filled with religious articles, tempting baked goods, children’s clothing, and linens.
18th Avenue, Bensonhurst

Headquarters of an old-world Italian community, the street is lined with coffee shops, bakeries, and delis.
74th Street, Jackson Heights

New York’s Indian community’s shop windows are filled with ornate gold jewelry and rich saris. Food stores are redolent with spices.
A Day Out in Brooklyn

Morning

Take the No. 2 or 3 subway train to Eastern Parkway - Brooklyn Museum, for the world-class Brooklyn Museum (see Brooklyn Museum of Art). The museum is part of a civic complex that includes the stately Grand Army Plaza, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden , with its well-known Japanese garden, and neighboring Prospect Park.

Along the western edge of Prospect Park is the beautiful Park Slope Historic District. Stop for coffee at Ozzie’s, 57 7th Avenue, before taking in the area’s historic residences. Browse the hip line-up of small shops along 7th Avenue, and stop for lunch at one of the many cafés here.

Afternoon

Return by train to Borough Hall and head for the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. Walk along Pierrepont, Willow, and Cranberry streets to see some 19th century houses; Truman Capote wrote Breakfast at Tiffany’s in the basement of No. 70 Willow, and Arthur Miller once owned the property at No. 155.

A short walk east brings you to Atlantic Avenue (see Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn). Look in on the spice shops here, and stop for refreshments at the Waterfront Ale House, 155 Atlantic Avenue. Head back to the Brooklyn Bridge, stopping at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade for dramatic vistas of Lower Manhattan’s towers. End the day with dinner at the romantic River Café .
Al Di La Trattoria

This cozy, northern Italian trattoria serves regional dishes like hanger steak, mussels in tomato sauce, and wonderful pastas.
Arthur Avenue, Bronx

In this Italian neighborhood, dozens of small, family-run stores sell everything from Italian wines, handmade pastas, and sausages to rosaries and votive candles.
Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn

New York’s Middle-Eastern shopping center offers baklava, varieties of olives, dried fruits, spices, and traditional clothing.
Brighton Beach Avenue, Brooklyn

Known as “Little Odessa,” Russian is the first language on this busy street selling everything from smoked fish to Russian dolls. A boardwalk stroll by the sea is a bonus.
Broadway, Astoria

Astoria has the largest Greek community outside Greece, with restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries on Broadway.
Bronx Zoo

Well past its 100th birthday, this sprawling zoo on 265 acres gets better all the time. The newest exhibits are a Butterfly Garden and Tiger Mountain, while the 6.5-acre Congo Gorilla Forest, an African rainforest habitat, brings visitors nose to nose with the inhabitants. The unusual World of Darkness shows nocturnal animals like bats in action.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with a glass of house wine, and all unavoidable charges including tax.
- under $25
- $25-$50
- $50-$80
- over $80