Off the Beaten (Subway) Track

Some of the great community development groups that I partnered with in my nonprofit work were located in the Bronx. It's a diverse, culturally rich, and fascinating borough that has been reborn in the last decade. Among the many treasures within the northern-most part of the city, I love the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, Original Products botanica, Arthur Avenue, the Maritime Industry Museum, and Loeser's Kosher Deli.

What are your favorite places in the Bronx?

Labels: Bronx

If it had not been annexed to New York City in 1898, today Brooklyn would be the third largest city in the United States. Many argue that it lost more than it gained by joining forces with the other boroughs, but Brooklyn's die hards know in their hearts that it is the greatest part of New York. My some of favorite places in Brooklyn are the City Reliquary, Chip Shop, the Enrico Caruso Museum of America, Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies, and the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.

What are the best places in Brooklyn in your mind?

Labels: Brooklyn

Manhattan is the superlative. The skyscrapers, glamor, and wealth of narrow island purchased in the 1600 by Peter Minuet is what most people picture when they think about "New York City." Sure, it has more people per square mile than anywhere else in the country, but you can also lose yourself in the wilderness of Inwood Park. I particularly adore the Lower East Side Troll Museum, Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop, the Masonic Hall, Tender Buttons, the St. Francis Cabrini Shrine, and El Malecon.

How do you pass the time in Manhattan?

Labels: Manhattan

The most diverse county in the world, Queens offers every type of ethnic cuisine a person could possibly want. It is a middle class retreat from the dense urban environment that dominates many part of New York City. Queens rocks. I love the Steinway & Sons piano factory tour, the food in Astoria, the Panorama of the City of New York, El Indio Amazonico botanicas, and The Living Museum at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center.

What in Queens tickles you pink?

Labels: Queens

The most suburban and Republican borough, Staten Island is mocked by other New Yorkers for its white bread reputation. However, the Staten Island Ferry hides loads of interesting attractions and an increasingly diverse population. It's the borough that surprised me the most. The Staten Island Museum, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine, and the Nobel Maritime Collection made me realize how much I misunderstood the borough.

What about Staten Island floats your ferry?

Labels: Staten Island