Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn & Dumbo

A New York icon, the Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s first steel suspension bridge, and, at almost 1596ft, the longest when it opened in 1883. Construction was fraught with disaster, but the bridge's neo-Gothic towers have endured as city emblems. Crossing the bridge is a breeze-buffeted, exhilarating journey with numerous photo-ops. The suspended bicycle/pedestrian walkway delivers soul-stirring views of Manhattan, the East River and the waterfront. If walking, stay in the pedestrian lane as cyclists move quickly and stop suddenly.

This 85-acre park is one of Brooklyn’s best-loved attractions. Wrapping itself around a 1.3-mile bend on the East River, the post-industrial site runs from just beyond the far side of the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo to the west end of Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn Heights. It's revitalized a once-barren stretch of shoreline, turning a series of abandoned piers into landscaped parkland with jaw-dropping views of Manhattan. There's lots to see and do here, with playgrounds, walkways and lawns galore.

Every Sunday from spring through early fall, 80-odd vendors sell their wares inside a giant archway under the Manhattan Bridge. There's everything from antiques to records, vintage clothes, bouquets of flowers, quirky handicrafts and housewares, even wormwood liqueur. Snack on flavored doughnuts or a slice while contemplating if a kimono or Brooklyn print T-shirt will fit in your rucksack.

This handsome red-brick building, a Civil War–era tobacco warehouse, is the first permanent home of avant-garde performance company St Ann's. The 'warehouse' – a high-tech, flexible 320-seat theater – is ideal for staging genre-bending theater, music, dance and puppet performances.

Occupying an old subway station built in 1936 (and out of service since 1946), this kid-friendly museum takes on 100-plus years of getting around town. The best part is the downstairs area, on the platform, where you can climb aboard 20 original subway and elevated train cars dating to 1907. Temporary exhibitions highlight the subway's fascinating history, from its grueling construction to the art of map design.