Flight Direct

When most people think of New York City, they think of Manhattan - an image of gleaming skyscrapers and iconic landmarks clustered on an island at the mouth of the Hudson river. Manhattan is the oldest and most densely populated of the city's five boroughs, and with attractions such as the Empire State Building, Times Square and Central Park, understandably its most popular in tourism terms.

 

However, visitors who want a full and authentic experience of this famous city should also take the time to explore the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, each of which has a distinctive character, culture and heritage waiting to be discovered.

 

The Bronx is the northernmost of New York City's five boroughs and the only one located primarily on the mainland.

 

It is divided into east and west sections by the Bronx river, which was named after Jonas Bronck, a European immigrant who created the first settlement in the area in the 17th century.

 

The Bronx has a rich cultural heritage and is strongly associated with the emergence of hip-hop music in the early 1970s. It is also famous for its Italian cuisine and for being the home of the New York Yankees baseball team, who play at Yankee Stadium.

 

Attractions not to miss include the Bronx Zoo - the biggest in New York City and one of the largest in the US - the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Museum of the Arts.


Brooklyn
Approximately 2.5 million people live in Brooklyn, making it the most populous borough in New York City. It is linked to Manhattan by the Brooklyn Bridge, an instantly recognisable symbol of the city and one of the oldest suspension bridges in the country.

 

One of Brooklyn's defining aspects is its diversity. The borough encompasses a number of neighbourhoods and districts where particular ethnic groups and cultures predominate, such as the famous African-American community of Bedford-Stuyvesant, whose notable former residents including hip-hop star Jay-Z and actor Chris Rock.

 

Visitors might also be interested in exploring the trendy galleries, bars and vintage shops of Williamsburg or heading to locations such as Coney Island and the New York Aquarium.

 

Queens is the largest of the five boroughs by area, covering nearly 283 sq km of land in the east of the city. It is the first part of New York that many travellers see owing to the fact that it is home to two of the area's major international airports - JFK and LaGuardia.

 

Travellers with all sorts of tastes and passions will find something to interest them in Queens, with gastronomes able to sample Indian and Asian cuisine in Jackson Heights, Mexican fare in Corona and a combination of Irish and Thai food in Woodside.

 

Music lovers can pay a visit to the house where jazz great Louis Armstrong lived and died, which is now a museum, while culture vultures can stop off at the Queens Museum of Art and the Socrates Sculpture Park.

 

Located in the south-west of New York City and separated from the other boroughs by New York Bay, Staten Island is the most remote part of the city. It is home to hundreds of acres of parkland, which can provide a break from the ceaseless bustle and activity of the city's more hectic and densely populated areas.

 

The borough can be reached via the Staten Island Ferry, which offers a scenic 25-minute voyage from Manhattan affording views of the Statue of Liberty and the harbour.

 

Local attractions include Historic Richmond Town, a living history village and museum complex that features dozens of buildings dating as far back as the 17th century.

 

Also waiting to be explored are the arty neighbourhood of St George and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.