BroadwayBK

Yes, Brooklyn residents also have a park!

Ever since the city gave us the new option of taking the G train down to Prospect Park, I've been visiting much more often - when the weather allows, anyway. I've never made it to the zoo they have in there, but the park provides an amazing getaway from the crowded city with the Prospect Park Lake and the Great Lawn near the 9th Street entrance on the Park Slope side of things.

An ex-boyfriend of mine lived near the park in Lefferts Gardens, and we used to stroll to the greenmarket in Grand Army Plaza to stock up on fresh eggs, milk and aromatherapy product from Lavender by the Bay. In the height of the season, I think the greenmarket here is even better than the one in McCarren Park, which is saying quite a lot.

The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (free entry on Tuesdays and Sunday!) are located here, and are one of my favorite places in all of New York City to visit when the cherry trees are blooming. (Even when the cherry blossoms aren't around, BBG is great - they have summer herb sales, and some breathtaking examples of bonsai.)

On weekends the roadways that cut through the park are closed off - with the exception of Flatbush Ave, which really doesn't ever die down, traffic-wise. Bikers and runners are just about always in Prospect Park, but when roadways are closed off on summer weekends people come out in droves to stroll through the park, so beware the crowds.

Park Avenue can be somewhat unavoidable to a driver trying to make it from Bushwick to Bed-Stuy, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, etc - but there is not much going on otherwise. Mostly residential and featuring the homes of working class and low income residents, this is not the best place to find yourself if you aren't familiar with the area or are alone at night. Certainly, Park Avenue in Brooklyn is nothing like the Park Avenue of Manhattan. Woodhull Hospital ends here - and there are quite a few homeless people sleeping on benches all around here, especially late at night.

Perhaps the best thing - or, only good thing - about Park Ave, the Brooklyn version, is that you can stand on Broadway and look down it and see the Manhattan skyline. But that occasional homeless man using a nearby phone booth as his personal toilet does take quite a bit away from the view.

When the weather begins to turn from frigid icy winter to blooming springtime, Washington Square is flooded with students and New Yorkers who've been longing to feel the sun on their faces once again. Summer will see the fountains turned on - and visitors are free to play in the water and some even wander around barefoot.

The famous arc over the park is worth making a trip to the park, but as far as parks go Washington Square Park isn't the best one around. It makes for a decent jog if you circle around the park quite a few times - which a lot of people come here to do. There is an extensive amount of benches, many of which are filled with homeless people, reading students, and some locals.

Washington Square N is a beautiful little stretch of New York City blocks, lined with brownstones that are surely very pricey. There is usually quite a bit of foot traffic in the area, but the streets aren't too bad when it comes to Manhattan traffic.

Flatbush Ave may be one of the busiest avenues in Brooklyn - which of course makes it an undesirable road to drive down, but also an unavoidable one. The area of the street closest to the bridge is highly populated with foot traffic, shoppers (there are a lot of shops and chain restaurants in the Downtown Brooklyn area) and wall-to-wall traffic. Where Flatbush Ave cuts through Prospect Park the traffic lets up (and speeds up), and here you'll pass the park zoo on one side and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden on the other.

The street starts after you leave the city on the Manhattan Bridge, and runs through Downtown Brooklyn, the Cobble Hill area and Prospect Park before heading into Crown Heights. It doesn't change much, however, before you reach Grand Army Plaza - the street is a long line of shops and restaurants and a lot of stop and go traffic. As far as general shopping and eating is concerned, the area is heavily populated with a range of fun places to spend money - especially in Cobble Hill and Downtown (which is where you'll find such staples as Junior's diner).

This is one of those rare places in the city that no one can really criticize, because what's not to love about Central Park? It's the perfect place for a quiet afternoon alone with a new book, for a first date conversation, or a healthy jog around the reservoir. And it's a must-see tourist destination for certain.

Though it may look completely natural and many of the trees have aged quite a bit, the entirety of the park was imported or man-made, which to me makes it all the more impressive and that much more of a true symbol of the city.

People from every walk of life converge in the park year-round, but it is of course especially beautiful during the spring and summer months, causing more and more park goers to linger throughout the day. It makes for a all-around hot spot because there are so many things to do there - from active things like roller blading or rowing boats across the lake to touristy things like carriage riding to lazy summer things like sunbathing.

Not only that, but Central Park is essential to an island with so much surrounding concrete, and an obvious choice for a much-needed respite from the drama of the city.

Nassau Ave varies greatly - as you near the BQE the street becomes mostly residential, and as you approach McCarren Park Nassau Ave is lined with varying shops. Here there are a lot of groceries, cell phone stores, wine shops, jewelry shops, bars and restaurants. This section of the street is home to a lot of mom-and-pops type businesses, though you will see the occasional Metro PCS joint.

I really like trolling for inexpensive jewelry around here, and there are a lot of cool things to find if you are willing to look a little bit. Nassau Ave is certainly not a shopping Mecca, but it offers a lot of interesting commodities for sure.

I actually looked at a few apartments on this street, but closer to the residential end of Nassau Ave. I recognized one building as having a lot of hipster-ish parties, which was the only reason why I was reluctant to move in. I really love this area - it's very welcoming to those who live there, and although there is a lot of traffic on this street I would still recommend living on it to those who appreciate an active nightlife and need to be surrounded by life's little commodities.

Flatbush is one of those main drags in Brooklyn that cuts through various neighborhoods of descending quality, but there are generally a number of shops and restaurants on just about every block of this street, except for where it cuts through Prospect Park.

Up where this street intersects with Atlantic Ave, a tourist would find plenty to consume by way of dining experiences. Flatbush continues north until it becomes the Manhattan Bridge, and in this area a tourist might feel as if they were in a shorter version of Manhattan's midtown. There are a lot of great tourist stops in this neighborhood, including Junior's of cheesecake fame.

This street is busy just about all of the time as it is one of the major roadways in Brooklyn.

If Dekalb has a lot of mixed reviews, it's because the street is a long one and goes through neighborhoods of varying safety and attractiveness. Where the street cuts through Fort Greene, there are a lot of shops and quaint little cafes - the all-natural beauty supply shop Carol's Daughter comes to mind - and the street runs along Fort Greene Park. This area is a great one for tourists to visit; the street ends near the Heights and Downtown, neighborhoods that resemble Manhattan's Midtown.

However, if you're cruising north of Fort Greene into Bed Stuy and Bushwick on Myrtle you will notice a marked difference. If you aren't familiar with these areas then it's best to stay out of them. Though crime has gone down a lot in recent years, it's still not a place any tourist would want to end up - especially on foot. There are a lot of residential options here that offer low rents, but keep in mind the neighborhood isn't the greatest.

If Myrtle Ave has a lot of mixed reviews, it's because the street is a long one and goes through neighborhoods of varying safety and attractiveness. Where the street cuts through Fort Greene, there are a lot of shops and quaint little cafes and the street runs along Fort Greene Park. This area is a great one for tourists to visit; the street ends near the Heights and Downtown, neighborhoods that resemble Manhattan's Midtown.

However, if you're cruising north/west of Fort Greene into Bed Stuy and Bushwick on Myrtle you will notice a marked difference. If you aren't familiar with these areas then it's best to stay out of them. Though crime has gone down a lot in recent years, it's still not a place any tourist would want to end up - especially on foot.

This tiny street is located relatively close enough to the hipster loftsville described below, but hipsters and their trendy cafes aren't generally found on Varet Street.

The area is more commercial in that it is lined with cell phone stores, bodegas, and dollar stores that appeal to the masses who come to buy inexpensive clothing and wares on the intersecting Graham Ave (Ave of Puerto Rico) and the subsequent interesting Broadway. There is a Bank of America located on the corner of Varet and Graham - which is incredibly convenient for residents as this isn't exactly an area rich with banks. Where the street intersects with Manhattan Ave there is a huge Food Baazar, a grocery store that stocks a number of specialty items such as entire stalks of sugar cane.

The street and foot traffic on Varet Street is not incredibly bad, but neighboring Graham and Humboldt see quite a bit of both kinds of traffic.

Actually located in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, this tiny street is located very close to the Bushwick border.

Montrose has seen much improvement and rising rents in recent years; nowadays the street is stocked with bakeries, thrift stores and located near trendy cafes (Boulevard on Bushwick Ave) and fancy grocers (Khim's Millenium Market). If you'd live here five years ago you'd make people gasp in horror when you told them where you live. Now when you describe your residence you live on a street that most people recognize as trendy Williamsburg. This street is a gem when taken into consideration with much of the surrounding streets, and if you can find an affordable rent on this street along the L train, then don't hesitate to move in.

The area where Montrose meets Broadway isn't the nicest area, but as one travels farther north the neighborhood blooms with hipsterdom and things to buy/places to eat.

Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill is a quiet, tree-lined street that is great for residents of any age as it is quiet enough for those who've already settled down and close enough to a number of lively spots for those who haven't yet passed their thrill-seeking primes. In this neighborhood, the street is home to both a stop on the (less than savory) G train and the (more reputable) C train. It's a mostly residential street - though where it intersects with Fulton it features a grocery shops and so forth - and quite a beautiful one at that.

The Clinton Hill/ Prospect Heights area of Atlantic Ave features some really great eating spots, and plenty of stores in which to purchase antique furniture. Though there is a lot to do here, the area stays pretty quiet as it avoids being much of a bar scene.

Blue Marble Ice Cream between Bond and Nevins features some of the greatest ice cream I have ever tasted - try the pumpkin or stick o'butter pecan flavors. The shop features an area for kids to play and incorporates every environment friendly tactic you can think of into both the actual ice cream and surrounding bits like cups and napkins.

Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches is another spot that makes this street worth visiting; the shop itself is rather cozy and the sandwiches are an inexpensive treat. Both the traditional Vietnamese pork sandwich and the sardine sandwich are delectable; they are served on the most perfectly toasted baguettes imaginable.

This area of the Brooklyn street serves as a fabulous backdrop for a stroll, and it's perfectly safe to wander Clinton Hill's Atlantic Ave after the sun sets, though shops here don't stay open for very long after dark sets in.

I'm not sure how this street managed to garner so many pleasant reviews; as a lengthy main drag that cuts through several Brooklyn neighborhoods, Nostrand is indeed a busy place and is home to inexpensive shops, diners and liquor stores. It cuts through Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights before extending just short of Brighton Beach. The area that goes through Bed-Stuy is not a place you want to be after dark - especially if you aren't familiar with the area. Though crime rates in Bed-Stuy have been on the decline, this neighborhood still has a ways to go.

When driving, I avoid Nostrand because the street features so many potholes in the Bed-Stuy area. As the street emerges from the neighborhood into Crown Heights there is a marked difference in the pavement, however - the street greatly improves.

Before I start raving about this one block outpost on the Broadway border of Bushwick and Bed-Stuy, let me first state that this is not the safest neighborhood. A lot of residents here are poor - in fact, both Marcy Houses and Bushwick Houses are about a 10-15 minute walk away. So, that being said - at least you know the rents here are pretty cheap by New York standards, which is why a lot of 20-something college grads/artist-types are moving into the area.

This street is great because it is located in the close vicinity of both the French restaurant Athom Cafe and the bar/coffee house/music venue Goodbye Blue Monday. Mostly residential, this block is just 30 seconds away from some of the freshest sandwiches you've ever had. The houses on this block are certainly nothing special, but in New York low rent is hard to come by so spaces around here fill up fast.

This street is relatively small; it ends abruptly on each side of Bushwick Houses, a massive collection of low income housing projects. On the northeast side of the gap, this street serves as a potholed collection of warehouses and service stations. Crowded during the day it is not, and it is even less welcoming during the evening hours, though there is a loft community of hipsters nearby.

The southwest side of the gap is a bit more happening - there is a school located here, so there are often kids playing basketball on the outdoor courts, and it intersects with an especially lively section of Graham Ave where there are a lot of cellphone stores and cheap clothing retailers.

Closely situated next to Red Hook, this is a safe, clean neighborhood - though it's mostly residential. The homes here are attractive looking and many feature small front yards and driveways. Street parking usually looks packed, which is unfortunate because this is a great neighborhood to have a car as it seems far from amenities like big grocery stores.

This is a nice neighborhood, and unlike its neighbor Red Hook, the rents are relatively pricey. Court Street in Cobble Hill features a number of nightlife spots, and I have heard tell of mob ties to the neighborhood. This is a picturesque and safe Brooklyn neighborhood, however, and I think tourists would appreciate an off-the-beaten-track stroll around it.

Midtown East encompasses most everything that you think of when you think NYC: tall buildings, Bryant Park, an H&M across the street from a Zara, a Starbucks on every corner and just as many hot dog stands, United Nations and Rockefeller Center. This is a great area, and though it's crowded (especially in areas with multiple department stores), it's not nearly as packed as some places in Midtown West (Times Square, anyone?).

Tourists should take a stroll up and down Fifth Avenue, and so should residents at that. Midtown is full of hotels and caters to out-of-town visitors, so tourists should feel right at home here, because they practically are.

Fans of the Broadway show Rent are familiar with an Alphabet City of old - one in which poor artist-types lived amongst other low income residents (nowadays you have to travel to Brooklyn to find such a juxtaposition) - but these days this neighborhood almost completely blend in with the East Village. What you'll find today are streets lined with bars and restaurants, though Avenue D is still home to a large number of low income housing projects. This hardly seems to matter, though, and Alphabet City hardly seems to know that it is not the East Village.

Like the East Village, it's expensive to live here - at least on Avenues A and B, with Avenue C in still in a bit of a transitional mode. And knowing how this city likes to operate, I wouldn't be surprised if one day all of those low income homes were razed to the ground in favor of some luxury waterfront condos. So check back in a decade or so if that's what you are in the market for.

If you have an apartment in this middle income housing development, you were doing something right at one point. Nowadays, though residents here are dealing with a lot of changes, and things are looking pretty confusing for them at the moment.

The housing projects were recently sold to real estate mogul Tishman Speyer, and attempts are being made at selling remodeled apartments as "luxury" condos. Currently the Tenants Association find themselves at odds with Tishman Speyer, and many likely face a long legal battle so as not to be driven from their own apartments.

If you completely ignore this conflict, this happens to be a nice neighborhood, close to the relatively quite Gramercy Park and the bustling East Village, there is something for both elderly residents and their fun loving visiting grandchildren.

Most New Yorkers will tell you that they are not fans of Times Square - it's crowded, dirty and full of tourists who move at a strangely slow pace. But in fact there are people who live in this neighborhood, and I once heard one actually praise the tourists who frequent the area because he appreciated their great appreciation for New York - tourists don't take this city for granted, he said.

This neighborhood is a must-see for all first-time tourists - I know it was certainly on my list when I was a teenager visiting the city for the first time. There is nothing like Times Square in the rest of the country, that's for sure.

So there you have it: this area has its ups (amazing theater shows, a function as a unique tourist destination, sidewalks that actually sparkle) and its downs (crowds, tourists traps, too many chain restaurants).

If I am yearning to be in the midst of boutique stores, cafes and restaurants (or just really in the mood for Five Guys), this is the first NYC neighborhood I think to visit. The West Village can be a bit tricky to navigate if you aren't familiar with the area (the grid is pretty much nonexistent here), but the streets are lovely and likely just what you picture when you think of the downtown neighborhoods of New York.

Out of physical range (and likely the budgets) of NYU students, the residents here tend to be middle aged professionals who dress the part. An affordable apartment here would be a spectacular find - but good luck. Tourists should be happiest here, though it tends to be pretty crowded, especially during the weekend evenings.

My nostalgia for this neighborhood is often overtaken by the weekend crowd of dudes from Jersey - though I actually go out at night here less and less. My first official residency was located in this neighborhood - a tiny one bedroom apartment that I shared with two other girls, and if that tells you anything about how affordable this neighborhood was about five years ago then let me assure you it's only gotten worse.

Though the fancy hotels and boutiques keep moving in (and out), there are some great (and even affordable) vintage stores that are a must-see for the dedicated shopper. The first of those is Fox & Fawn - a tiny spot on Suffolk St that you may just miss if you aren't paying close attention. The prices here are incredibly affordable and this store is often cited as one of the best of its kind in the area. Daha Vintage is another store that I greatly enjoy, and the prices are not the lowest but they aren't incredibly insane, either. They have an amazing collection of vintage shoes

I have mixed feelings about the financial district. First of all, it is always packed with both business men and tourists - an unlikely mix, but there they are all the same. The streets tend to be narrow and the sidewalks crowded, all of which is off putting for someone who feels disinclined toward crowds.

Then again, Century 21 - the greatest discount retail store ever created - is located in this neighborhood, and so I can't help but brave this atmosphere once in a while. When I do venture down there, I am always amazed at how clean (for New York City) the streets always are. This neighborhood is certainly a sight to behold and anyone visiting the city for a short while probably has no choice but to behold it - the same goes for Times Square - it's an area one should visit at least once in their lifetime.

Fort Greene is full of prime real estate - though obviously this will make it a bit pricier than many Brooklyn neighborhoods. That being said, Fort Greene is a great area that is surrounded by other great neighborhoods - which is something of a rarity in Brooklyn. It's a rather small neighborhood, but residents enjoy much of the perks that Manhattanites take for granted, such as close proximity to good shopping and decent restaurants.

There are a number of wine bars and lounges springing up in the neighborhood, and residents have a range of things to choose from on their own streets when it comes to nightlife. If you are visiting from out of town, you may not find Fort Greene as exciting as Times Square, but a seasoned New Yorker can't fail to appreciate such a quiet, clean and commercially stocked neighborhood.

Ah, what I wouldn't give to be able to afford to live here. As Brooklyn neighborhoods go, this is one of the pricier options - but well worth it if you have the means. The area is just a hop away from Manhattan, but has all the amenities that you would find in a city neighborhood like Soho. It even looks the part, with upstanding brownstone homes and fancy eateries and shops.

This is a great place for tourists to visit if they want to escape the madness of Manhattan for a bit, or if they just want to see a bit of Brooklyn before heading home. The Promenade - the long walk that overlooks the Manhattan skyline - is a must-visit for both tourists and residents, and it's likely that you'll recognize the place from any number of films.

This is a purely residential area, and as far as residential areas go this is a nice one. Close to Lefferts Garden and Prospect Park (the actual park rather than the neighborhood of the same name), this street is incredibly picturesque - especially during any season in which there are still leaves on the trees. Residents keep tidy front lawns (albeit small ones, keeping with the Brooklyn tradition), and the homes here are a pleasant sight during a leisurely stroll.

The neighborhood is quite and there is usually parking available in the street as some of the residents on this street have their own driveways. There is little to no traffic on this street, which is intersected by main drags like Nostrand and Utica.

The area of Flushing Ave that runs through Bushwick is very driveable, which can't be said for many of the streets in the area. There are some cool spots that newly arrived Bushwick residents will soon find themselves often. The first is Wreck Room, one of the most frequented bars in the neighborhood - perhaps mostly due to its size. The second is Life Cafe, the restaurant made famous when its East Village location was featured in the musical Rent. The latter was actually one of the first hipster-ish businesses to make it out to this area of Brooklyn, so it deserves some kind of props even if their tofu scramble is overpriced.

This is a residential street that - although there isn't much happening on the actual street - is in close proximity to a great wine shop and a ton of bars (like Huckleberry Bar) and restaurants. The apartments on this street are generally really nice, and I would recommend checking out the real estate on this street to any of my professional twenty-something peers.

The area is clean and safe, though not far from some less-than-desirable areas. Still, I think Maujer is nicely situated in Williamsburg and far enough away from anything sketchy to make a great homebase.

Manhattan Ave is okay - I've seen plenty worse in the area. Only a few years ago this wasn't the safest place, but not people just think of it as another part of Williamsburg. This is probably because more run-down parts of the area - notably in Bushwick - are being gentrified, so this street doesn't seem so bad anymore. I wouldn't say that this is a dangerous area, but there isn't much on it besides Don Pedro's (a wonderful music venue that doubles as a bar and cocina latina) and the local Food Bazaar (probably the best grocery store in the vicinity south of Key Food on Grand).

I'm not sure I would agree that the shops on this street are "cute." There is only one that I would recommend visiting - and only if you happen to be stuck in the area for some inexplicable reason. That is a shop called Lash Boutique. I bought the dress I wore on New Year's there because I didn't feel like going into the city, but it's sort of like if H&M migrated to Graham Ave and had to call itself something new in order to fit in. The coolest in the area but nothing incredible.

Anyway - this street is what one of my associates once referred to as "the poor man's mall." Nothing could describe it better. One of the local electronic shops sells blank DVDs separately - something you probably won't see in the RadioShack across the street. The shops are all incredibly cheap, and don't come recommended.

The street itself is generally really crowded with shoppers and Dunkin Donuts customers. Wouldn't want to live here, though there are some decent apartments on this street that are relatively inexpensive due to the location.

This street gets a higher rating than perhaps the local real estate deserves because it is well paved - a rarity in this area of Bed-Stuy. There isn't much to this street. Where it meets Broadway you have on one side Woodhull Hospital (a place that many warn against ever going) and on the other the low income housing projects where rapper Jay-Z lived until he ran away from home, Marcy Projects.

The street is not by any means visually stunning, but like I said you can drive on it and in this neighborhood that actually counts for quite a bit. Though I do live nearby in Bushwick, I'm not sure that I would want to live this far south. In Bushwick there are bars and a bit of nightlife, but Bed-Stuy doesn't feature much of the same and Park Ave is no exception.

Beaver St is a short street that runs from Flushing Ave and merges into Bushwick Ave. Compared to the rest of the area, it's a pretty great street. However, when compared to the rest of the city it isn't much to brag about. The street boasts mostly residencies, with two bodegas and a cuchifrito place on one corner. I've one in one of the bodegas once, but never went back after learning they didn't sell cigarettes.

Bushwick Houses - one of the local low income housing projects - lies on Flushing at the end of Beaver Street. I live in close proximity to both these housing developments and the street in question and I have witnessed few acts of crime (a car being broken in to) and no acts of violence (though I heard what sounded like someone getting a bottle smashed over his head once). Tourists, obviously, have no reason to come here. And if you can afford a better apartment, you should probably take it.

The Broadway that lines the border of Williamsburg, Bushwick and Bed-Stuy is not comparable to the Broadway that most people are familiar with in Manhattan. Though I admit there are some cool spots on the street - Big Apple Coffee & Donut Shop springs to mind - there are a lot of shops that sell sneakers or cheap clothing (Rainbow is one) and there is a lot of fast food, especially where Broadway meets Flushing.

The JMZ line runs right about the street, making Broadway a less-than-desirable place to live. Although I live nearby and everyone that I know who lives on this street say that they don't even notice the train anymore. Go figure.

Astoria is one of the most diverse places in the world - I once read an interesting piece in National Geographic stating something to that effect, anyway. Each time I go here I enjoy a different Greek restaurant, as there are a lot of them in the area. It struck me as a place that's rather quiet during the evenings - most of the residents probably head into the city for weekend partying.

Manhattan dwellers will probably be doing a bit more walking out here than they are used to - at least when it comes to catching the local public transportation. But that is a small price to pay for a quiet city dwelling that is so close to some of the best neighborhoods in Manhattan.

This neighborhood is absolutely stunning, especially during the warmer months. The trees that line the street look old and lovely, and most of the residents tend gardens or do a bit of landscaping in their small front lawns. The houses that line the streets are also lovely - but I doubt that real estate would be easily obtained here. This area is a historic district, making acquisition that much more difficult.

The neighborhood with the worst moniker in all of New York City is actually a great place to visit. The Promenade overlooking the Manhattan skyline is nearby and there are a good amount of restaurants and cafes in the area. It does seem a little deserted late at night - it's not exactly a bustling neighborhood when it comes to nightlife but it does serve as a great place for a romantic stroll or a first date.

I would love to live in the area, but I believe it's a bit pricey to get an apartment here so I'll just have to take my dreams elsewhere. Anyway, this neighborhood should be cherished because there are so few places in this city where you can go out and not suffocate in the crowds. This is one of those places.

Crown Heights is not exactly the kind of place you would escort your grandmother from out of town, but as far as residencies go it's not a bad place. It's rather inexpensive, as it is far from being the Upper East Side, but I would pack up and move here if it came down to it. It's close to Park Slope, which is a nice neighborhood for shopping and going out.

As far as shopping and eating in this area, don't expect much unless you are a huge proponent of Popeye's and Footlocker. However, there are highlights to be had - just as in every New York neighborhood. There are many Caribbean eateries, and many cater to vegans, though I doubt there are a ton living in the area. Crown Heights is one of those neighborhoods that is slowly being gentrified as residents are outpriced from neighborhoods like Park Slope, so cafes and bars are beginning to spring up.

Close to Brooklyn Heights - one of my favorite areas in the entire city - Downtown Brooklyn has much to offer, but the bustling area closely resembles the busier streets of Manhattan. This is not so surprising, as the moniker "downtown" is meant to imply such things. Anyway, while I wouldn't want to live in the area I visit often, and I still haven't completely explored the area.

There are a lot of restaurants and bars on my to-do list, and I would recommend this neighborhood to tourists who like to wander without any set plans. It's easy to do here and still manage not to misstep with an unknown restaurant or nightspot.

I am one of Park Slope's biggest enthusiasts, which is saying a lot for a neighborhood of which it is difficult to find anything bad to say. The nightlife scene here is amazing, but there are still places to live where the noise from the bars doesn't reach residents' bedrooms.

The shopping in the area is also great - it's always nice to be able to shop for stylish clothes at affordable prices, something that is not always possible in boutique shops in the city.

I've been in a few apartments in the area, however, and it seems that many of them are relatively small, but not unexpectedly so for city apartments. Larger spaces can probably be found, but it's likely you'd be incredibly lucky to find such a mythical place.

I'm actually dreaming of the day I can move into a 1 bedroom in Ridgewood. All of my friends - like much of our twenty-something demographic - seem to live in Brooklyn, but I sort of have my heart set on Queens.

From what I understand Ridgewood offers apartments to be admired - at least from a New York City standpoint. The neighborhood is quiet and if I do move there it will be the first neighborhood I live in that isn't crawling with hipsters. It will definitely be a bit of a culture shock, but I am ready for something new.

The area is home to a K-Mart that I must admit to having frequented a few times. Once to purchase a vacuum - as a surrogate New Yorker, I wasn't sure where else to get one. :) The pizza in the area is generally great as well.

Clinton Hill is an extremely hospitable Brooklyn neighborhood. Places like Soda Bar offer brunch, and there are plenty of shops, restaurants and the like around to keep locals occupied.

Actual living space in the neighborhood seems to be of a higher standard than surrounding areas; I have a few friends who live down there and their apartments are every bit as spacious as a Brooklyn living space should be. (My Bushwick apartment, on the other hand, would fit nicely into a former LES tenement building.)

The neighborhood encompasses the Pratt Institute, so there are a lot of students in the area. But the rents are what you would expect from such picturesque neighborhood - not very low, yet still affordable.

I definitely enjoy passing through this neighborhood - it's a lot prettier than my stomping ground in Bushwick - but I can't say that anything about Bed-Stuy really keeps me hanging around. I used to be a member of the YMCA on Bedford, and I have to say that it is probably the best gym in Brooklyn.

I drive through the area a lot on my way to Clinton Hill and I can't say much for the roads - I always know when I've left the neighborhood when Nostrand is suddenly less pot-holy. Some places in Bed-Stuy are pretty run down; for example I once saw a house whose exterior walls were completely caved in or fallen down. The house still retained its furniture.

I know there used to be some major gang problems in the area, but that of late they have been much improved. Like Bushwick, it's a neighborhood that is slowly being gentrified, as the low rents are appealing to the young professional/artistic twenty-something set.

In the past few years rents in Williamsburg have gone up - which is why may young professionals are now spilling into the surrounding areas of Greenpoint and Bushwick. There are more shops and restaurants in the area than ever before, but the good news is that most are not very expensive even with all the condos going up on the East River.

Fornino's has a great pizza menu and offers ambiance for a decent sit-down dining experience, and Anna Maria Pizza stays open late to cater to the massive amount of bar hoppers that pervade the area.

The area around Bedford is usually crowded with twenty-somethings on any given day of the week or weekend. As far as living there goes, it's great if you want to participate in the scene but not so wonderful if you can't sleep through the noise that drunken people in their twenties like to make.

I probably wouldn't recommend a trip to Bushwick for anyone who is visiting from out of town - it's not exactly picturesque or what a tourist would imagine when they think of Brooklyn. That being said, Bushwick is a pretty cool neighborhood if you don't mind living in close proximity to low income housing projects. People often tell me stories of having their cars broken into and of their neighbors being shot, but the former has never (knock on wood) happened to me and the latter seems to be happening much less than it apparently used to.

There are some good places to eat (Athom Cafe on the Bed Stuy side of Broadway and Northeast Kingdom come to mind) and some cool bars (my personal favorite being King's County on Seigel at Bogart), but Bushwick residents do a lot of walking as there is a bit of space between hot spots. That is of course unless they live in loftsville over on Bogart off the L train, where residents enjoy a 24 hour organic market, coffee shops, and close proximity to King's County and Wreck Room (another bar worth checking out).