Exploring New York City’s 5 Boroughs

No trip to New York is complete without exploring Manhattan’s many attractions. One of the best ways to get a feel for the borough is on an NYC walking tour through its neighborhoods. In Harlem, visit a piece of music history at the Apollo Theater, where legends including Billie Holiday performed. For more culture nearby, check out The Studio Museum in Harlem, which highlights works by artists of African descent, or stroll down Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue, where you can see highlights at the Met and more. When you need a break from the crowds, stroll through Central Park and relax on a private pedicab ride when you’re tired.

If you’re dreaming of dumplings and noodles, a guided food tour of Chinatown or Little Italy is a delicious way to learn about each neighborhood. In SoHo and Greenwich Village, you can make an afternoon of shopping and visiting the local stores and cafés. The Lower East Side also has plenty of cool bars, vintage shops, and boutiques.

On a free evening, snag a Broadway show ticket and pop by Times Square afterward to see the lights. This is also the perfect time to snack on a hot dog from a street cart.

On a sunny day in Brooklyn, there’s nothing better than walking or biking across the Brooklyn Bridge or Williamsburg Bridge and admiring the skyline. If you end up in Dumbo, you’ll find cobblestone streets and waterfront views of Manhattan. In Williamsburg, work your way through trendy cafés and vintage shops.

Some of the other top places to visit in Brooklyn include the Brooklyn Museum, which is New York City’s second largest museum after the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For some nearby nature, visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden or Prospect Park, which was designed by the same landscape architects who planned Central Park.

The neighborhood of Red Hook is ideal for a day trip—you can bike over or take a ferry. Grab a lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound, some dessert from Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie, and end the day at Sunny's, a beloved local bar.

Coney Island is fun for its boardwalk, or visit the more lowkey Brighton Beach for some great Russian food. If you’re planning a visit to the famous Green-Wood Cemetery, which is the resting place for figures such as Leonard Bernstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat, make sure to stop by nearby Sunset Park. There, you’ll find a wide range of Asian and Mexican food that’s worth the trip, or you can top off your day with a savory slice of Brooklyn pizza.

Queens is one of the most culturally diverse areas in New York and the US—its residents speak more than 150 languages combined. Fittingly, this borough is also a food lover’s dream. One of the best things to do in NYC’s five boroughs is a food crawl, and there are countless foodie hidden gems in Queens. The neighborhood of Jackson Heights is great for South Asian, Mexican, and South American food. Astoria is the city’s best spot for Greek food, and the Chinatown in Flushing is even bigger than the one in Manhattan. Depending on the season, you can try many different cuisines in one place at the Queens Night Market.

Seeking some contemporary art? Head to the Queens Museum or MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. Design lovers should also check out the Noguchi Museum and its sculpture garden for a peaceful getaway within the city. From there, walk a few minutes over to the Socrates Sculpture Park to see some free outdoor art installations.

In Flushing Meadows Corona Park, you’ll find several attractions for sports fans. Catch a baseball game at Citi Field, which is home to the New York Mets; there’s also the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which hosts the US Open.

There are several must-see spots in the Bronx, including plenty of green spaces that will give you a break from Manhattan’s bustle. You can easily spend a day wandering around the sprawling 250-acre (101-hectare) New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), which features seasonal exhibitions and a library with an extensive collection of botany-related literature. If you’re in the mood for even more wildlife, the nearby Bronx Zoo will keep you busy with more than 11,000 animals to see, including gorillas. Van Cortlandt Park is a great spot to go birding, hiking, or have a relaxing picnic.

Of course, the Bronx is also famous for Yankee Stadium, where you can catch a New York Yankees game during baseball season. Guided tours of the stadium are available even during the offseason. When you’re feeling peckish, head to Arthur Avenue, aka the Bronx’s Little Italy, for some Italian food. Stroll around and you’ll find pizza and pasta galore, along with many Italian bakeries and specialty grocery stores with snacks such as imported olives and cheeses. You’ll also find great Dominican and Puerto Rican food in the Bronx, with specialties including mofongo, a plantain-based dish from Puerto Rico.

This borough often gets overlooked by visitors to the city, but there are plenty of unique things to do on Staten Island. First, hop aboard the Staten Island ferry for a front-row view of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline for free.

The ferry will take you to St. George, a historic neighborhood with 19th-century architecture. See what’s on at the St. George Theatre—even if you don’t catch a show, its ornate interiors are worth a visit. Then, learn all about maritime history at the National Lighthouse Museum, or see a life-sized mastodon at the Staten Island Museum.

One of Staten Island’s best features is its natural beauty. Head to Clove Lakes Park for scenic walking trails. You can also unwind by exploring the New York Chinese Scholar's Garden, which offers pavilions, waterfalls, a bamboo forest path, and more.

Finally, make sure to leave room for some good eats when you get hungry. The neighborhood of Tompkinsville has great Sri Lankan food, as Staten Island has a large Sri Lankan community. Staten Island also makes some of the best pies in the city; although every local has their own favorite pizzeria, Denino’s, Joe and Pat’s, and Lee's Tavern are all reliable options.