New York City is comprised of multiple neighborhoods called boroughs. While Manhattan is easily the most visited and wildly celebrated due to tourist attractions, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island offer great entertainment, culture, and iconic attractions. Transportation and access to and from all the boroughs is easy due to subways, buses, and ferries for those separated by water.
Manhattan
Home to the majority of the city’s attractions, this borough is easily declared as the cultural hub of New York City. With the Empire State Building, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Broadway, Manhattan is geographically the smallest borough yet the most densely populated. The city’s main train and bus portals also enter through Manhattan, so many of the tourist attractions are within close proximity of these locations to cater to those visiting.
Brooklyn
Probably the most well-known for the Brooklyn Bridge, this borough has grown with increasing popularity over the years due to more land area and capabilities in transportation. Coney Island is a popular destination for both residents and visitors, and the Barclays Center is home to many of the local sports teams, such as the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the NHL’s New York Islanders.
Queens
Located just across the East River from Manhattan and just north of Brooklyn, Queens is known for its rich cultural diversity, which also leads to some of the best culinary varieties within New York City as a whole. Another associating detail about Queens is that it is home to both of New York City’s airports, La Guardia and JFK International. Citi Field, the home field for the New York Mets, and the US Open also call Queens home.
The Bronx
As the upper most portion of New York City, this borough is most known for Yankee Stadium, home to the famous New York Yankees. The Bronx Zoo is also here as the largest zoo in the United States with over 4,000 animals. About a quarter of the Bronx is open space, which includes cemeteries, parks, and gardens, providing fresh air and space to spread out for those looking for a break from the noise and hectic nature of city living.
Staten Island
Often referred to as “The Forgotten Borough” due to its geographic distance from the rest of the boroughs, Staten Island is the least populated borough of the five in New York City. Once home to the Fresh Kills Landfill that received debris from the September 11 attacks, the area is currently being cleaned up to eventually become Freshkills Park. Once completed, it will be New York City’s second largest park.
