As we had family who grew up on the Lower East Side our roots are established here much deeper than…read moremost. With ties to the old world Ukrainian and Polish parts of this area we still love walking these streets and visiting the buildings our family members grew up in long ago. The area has changed a lot over the years. St Marks Place is a shell of the anti-establishment hippie punk scene it used to be now with all the karaoke, chain shops, and Asian eateries populating the area. Yet you can still envision it's punk soul when walking the street, Katz Deli is an iconic place to drop some cash on a pastrami sandwich and cream soda. Veselka is a must stop to eat pierogies, kielbasa, eggs, coffee and Ukrainian standards. Veniero's is a terrific old world spot to enjoy pastries since 1894. So many others, too many to mention. There are so many places to eat, drink, and feast here. Cool murals, art, and graffiti can also be found on the sides of buildings.

I spend a ton of my time in the East Village whenever I'm in NYC, and it never fails to deliver…read morethat classic, energetic neighborhood vibe. St. Mark's Place is still the ultimate heart of it all, packed with an amazing mix of quirky shops, incredible restaurants, and street vendors selling everything from vintage clothes to unique art. You can grab world-class ramen on one block and hunt through a killer record store on the next. Its authentic, old-school NYC vibes are still alive and well.

Since I live in the Yorkville area next door to Spanish Harlem I love walking up here on a nice…read moreday. Many are reluctant to walk through this neighborhood, or see no reason to but there are many hidden gems here from delicious food, to shopping, to art. We'll walk through El Barrio on our way to Costco and nosh on street food and flavored ice from the carts you'll find on the corners. View some amazing art and graffiti on sides of buildings and park areas. Plus, there are plenty of cheapo stores here to pick up things for the kitchen and bathroom. There's a lot of history and culture up here, so don't be fearful of exploring the area.

Spanish Harlem or El Barrio, is in Upper Manhattan. It's general boundaries are from East 96th…read moreStreet up to East 142 Street and from Fifth Avenue to the Harlem River. In 1960 Ben E. King sang a song 'Spanish Harlem'. The neighborhood is one of the largest predominantly Latin Communities in New York City, made up of Puerto Ricans, Dominican, Cuban, and Mexican Immigrants. The community is noted for its contributions to Latin and Salsa Music. East Harlem also includes the area formerly known as Italian Harlem, very few remnants of a once predominantly Italian Community remain. I have spent many a beautiful day walking miles through East Harlem. This community is full of beauty and culturally diverse activity. Schools and children were plentiful early in the morning. While they are in school the streets fill with shoppers and elderly attending community programs. This area has many Government Funded Housing Complexes. There are lots of city Parks and Community Centers. The schools are colorful and plentiful. You will see all ages in the streets busy with their daily life. I love finding new small businesses during my walks. Baked goods and fried chicken are two of my favorites. On the West Side of East Harlem along Fifth Avenue there are Museums. Museo Del Barrio being my favorite. There's Lots of Food in this neighborhood consisting of many cultures! You're hurting yourself if you can't find something to eat. Read the Yelp reviews. When the weather is nice you'll see me traveling through this community. The Graffiti is fantastic. I love to photograph the beautiful art work. If you're in Manhattan and want a steak at Ricardo's, Mexican Tacos, French Pastry, Soul Food, Chinese and don't let me forget Halal, you'll find it here. I'm not a food, culture or community expert. If I'm speaking out of turn about this community please let me know. Better yet add your own review. All I know is I have a heck of a good time every time I spend the day here!

Bloomfield is a nice little town on the come up. They have several new luxury apartment complexes,…read moretwo nicer supermarkets and Bloomfield college has some nice new additions. This use to be a basic blue collar town. Their downtown area was almost depressing. But it is now revitalized. Even new awnings on storefronts are to be seen. Now if they would add a cultural aspect to it, they would be able to compete with other middle class towns.

I visited Keyport, NJ for the first time last weekend for a UYE with Central Jersey friends…read more Driving in I was surprised by the maritime flavor of this borough on Raritan Bay, and even more by the crowds of people on Front Street and the Waterfront Promenade on American Legion Drive that borders on wide Matawan Creek before it empties into the bay. Our group settled in at the bar of Old Glory Kitchen & Spirits, a converted church across from the Front Street Diner, and a block from the water. The town is very walkable, with a oceanside feel. Back in the day, it was a major oystering center, with New York City right across the bay at the back of Jersey's neck. It's history is not particularly long, but it has its place in the steamship industry before and during the Civil War, and the seaplane's creation in the early 20th Century. The most famous resident was Garret Hobart, who was William McKinley's Vice President in the 1896 election, but who died in office three years later at the age of 57. A few years ago they tried to restart the oyster beds that had died in the 1920s, but the water in Raritan Bay was so polluted that the EPA said they would be unsafe to eat, and the effort was abandoned. Today, it is a significant tourist destination in northern Monmouth County, where you can spend the day walking along the Bayfront promenade and stop in any number of taverns and restaurants to get out of the sun for a decent meal. There are beaches to the north and south with beautiful views of lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn skyline. For those who call Keyport home and have a boat, the commute to the city is about 30 minutes. Housing prices are still comparatively low, so if you don't have to concern yourselves with school, this could be an excellent place to call home.

Carroll Gardens is a beautiful neighborhood in Brooklyn filled with brownstones, most with iron…read morefencing surrounding a small green space in the front of the house. Thus the naming. The area, originally settled by Italians, is very popular due to its highly rated elementary school & beautiful brownstones on tree lined streets. Many have been totally renovated on the interior with some sadly renovated as pricey apartments. Some have remained in the family over the years. Restaurants choices are plentiful, both in the neighborhood & further down Court or Smith into adjacent neighborhoods. Before the pandemic there was a plethora of fun shops along Court Street in the heart of the neighborhood. Court & Smith are main arteries that features shopping & restaurants. I'm sad to report that my restaurant of choice for pizza was a casualty of the pandemic. Also a victim was a fun clothing store. There's easy walking access to the Subway Station. Serious grocery shopping requires a vehicle to get to the nearby Whole Foods in Gowanus, Union Market, Trader Joe's (with extremely challenging street parking), Wegmans, Costco, etc. Fairway in Red Hook was a huge store with a beautiful view from the parking lot. I haven't been to the store that took its place. Shopping via vehicle comes with the additional challenge of finding street parking to get purchases inside. It's easier for small quantities or taking someone along to stay with the vehicle (obviously parked in a no parking area) while the other takes the groceries inside. Gourmet Fresh on Court Street is a small store with a limited selection. But it's fine for quick pickups. Speaking of street parking, it's not easy to find a spot on the narrow one way streets. It's especially challenging on alternate side parking days. Most people double park then rush to get a good spot when the time period ends. When I was taking my Grandson to preschool in Williamsburg we would have to circle the blocks continuously waiting for a spot to become vacant. Young children don't have much patience for that. One becomes extremely experienced at judging the size of an opening between parked vehicles. Difficult parallel parking quickly becomes an expertise. Carroll Park has something for every age kid with basketball courts, playgrounds & spaces to bike, scoot, take batting practice and such. There's usually someone friendly to visit with on a bench. Carroll School is directly across the side street. All that said, if the prices of the brownstones hadn't gotten so steep I would buy one in a minute. It's a great neighborhood.

3.0 stars, Carroll Gardens and it's not because I don't love you but I have a few bones to pick as…read moreof late (okay, the last several years). I am old enough to witness the profound changes that continue to take place, yet young enough to predict what's to come (at times allowing me to gesture "gasp"). In the attempt to remain fair, here's my humble review/opinion: The Good: 1) CG has always been a visually gorgeous (charming brownstones) and safe neighborhood. 2) A selection of very good restaurants with just about every cuisine in close proximity 3) Very convenient, accessible and a short ride to Manhattan 4) Borders other great 'hoods such as Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO and Park Slope. 5) No need for a car 6) Diversity of many backgrounds, religions and cultures There's a little France feeling to it. 7) Some of the nicest, artistic and intelligent people within a community 8) Family friendly 9) Some of the best local flavor specialty food shops and bakeries The Bad: 1) Outrageous and insane increase in real estate. Come on, enough already as people are being priced out. Some old timers bought these brownstones for a mere $2000 way back when. 2) Over development. Do we really need more luxury high rises? Some are eyesores and doesn't fit in. 3) Very overcrowded. I realize CG is trendy but I sometimes have to allow a couple trains to go by because I can't squeeze on during morning rush hour. 4) Due to the unreasonable real estate conditions, smaller, independent merchants have been driven out and being replaced by huge franchise businesses. We don't need more CVS or banks. In fact, we lost two bookstores in 2016. 5) Citibike docking stations. I know biking is efficient, healthy and environmentally friendly but no more! People need space to park their cars--you know the machinery with 4 wheels 6) A parking nightmare 7) The loss of a tighter knit community feeling. 8) The residence of some rude and self entitled individuals The Ugly: 1) Way too overpriced with a continuation in that trend 2) The endless MTA track work and changes that disrupt an entire commute on weeekends and even weekdays. There's been too many occasions when my commute has taken 90 minutes! You'd think I was traveling from/to CT. 3) Oftentimes, neighborhood reeks of excessive pot. I'm sorry but I don't like drugs---enough already! Please shape up a bit more Carroll Gardens. With your extreme face lift, I sometimes don't recognize you anymore. I realize this requires a community effort. Yet, I still adore you.

Nolita is basically SoNoHo…read more Which I think it a Bell Biv Devoe lyric from Poison. "The SoNoHo she'll be cut like an afro..." Wouldn't the So and No cancel each other out, making this just Ho? I guess it is also West Lower East Side. Anyway, between Houston, Broome, the Bowery, and Lafayette, Nolita has some stellar sites, including our faves: Softside, Thai Diner, and Ceres. It's not as frenetic as SoHo, touristy as Little Italy, or as corporate at Lower East Side. Great place to walk, bad place to drive or park.

Nolita stands for north of Little Italy. It is a small New York area full of businesses and…read morerestaurants. Parking comes at a premium both in the pay lot and streets if you can find a space. Expect a lot of gridlock and slow moving traffic during high times.

East Harlem is so diverse in population. It's full of colorful art graffiti and crochet and more. I…read moream still giving East Harlem Five Stars because it is home to me. I live on the dividing line between East Harlem and Yorkville Upper East Side. The crime is getting fearful. Teen gangs shooting by the school nearby. People randomly stabbed when walking down the street and taking out their trash. I'm not sure how much I'll be out and about this Spring though Summer. I'll see how strong I feel and how my doctor reports come out next week! I'm keeping my faith in my community and the NYPD. Please let us return to somewhat more peaceful ways. It wasn't perfect before but it was better than in recent months.

What's not to love? Kind, genuine people, beautiful street art, great food and iced tea @Ginjan…read moreBrothers, good plant stores, etc., East Harlem does NEED and DESERVES more grocery stores- they only have 1 for a very large population! Bring fresh food back to East Harlem!

I am always expecting to see interesting public art as I walk through Manhattan but I was not…read moreexpecting to see one Venus de Milo let alone two and certainly not three. These headless and armless (and topless!) ladies stand in the center of a reflective pool at 1301 Avenue of the Americas. They were installed in 1990. Some people love them. Some people hate them. I thought the interesting "corroded copper" was a neat touch and I liked them enough that they're getting a four star review. Jim Dine was born in 1935 in Cincinnati. He studied at the University of Cincinnati and Boston Museum School from 1953-1955, and received his BFA from Ohio University in 1957. His diverse body of work defies such easy categorization, however, as it is also understood as seminal to Neo-Dada and Neo-Expressionism. [Review 15719 overall - 309 in New York - 1223 of 2021.]

My travels take me North and South on 6th Avenue all the time. Sixth Avenue aka Avenue of the…read moreAmerica's has wide sidewalks and beautiful high rise buildings. If you visit Central Park and then decide to walk to Rockefeller Center, try walking South on 6th Avenue. On the West Side of the street at 1301 Building you will see the Venus Sculptures. I've been passing here so many years. My photos I'm attaching to this review were taken July 20, 2016. The sculptures aren't going anywhere so go see for yourself. I'm a lover of Landmark Sculpture and 6th Avenue. Lots of happy walks and memories. Enjoy!