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be among the top five largest American cities. Brooklyn's neighborhoods are usually diverse concentrations of ethnic culture.

African-American and Caribbean communities are numerous throughout Brooklyn. Bedford-Stuyvesant is the most notable, which experienced turbulent crime waves and rioting in the 60s and 70s like many New York neighborhoods. Today, efforts to create a more positive image include a series of huge murals showing hometown heroes Chris Rock and Mos Def, and the Universal Hip Hop Parade which celebrates the artistic contributions of the Bedford-Stuyvesant hip-hop culture.

Large Russian and eastern European communities are found in Brighton Beach, sometimes known as Little Odessa. For visitors in the summertime, head over to Brighton Beach for a trip to Coney Island beach, a favorite summer hangout for New Yorkers from across the city.

The Bushwick neighborhood is 80% Hispanic, so admirers of Latin culture will find plenty of opportunities to practice their Spanish and taste the best tortillas in the city. Borough Park is a Jewish neighborhood where you can enjoy Kosher delis and synagogues. Numerous pockets of Irish, Polish, and Chinese communities are also scattered across Brooklyn. Altogether, Brooklyn is probably the best place to experience a variety of cultures and cuisines.

QUEENS

Queens is a borough of 2.2 million residents, and is the largest borough by land area. Queens is a very important borough for many visitors, as two of New York's airports are located here- John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia. This borough is considered to be one of the suburban boroughs, with many neighborhoods similar in layout and architecture to the green lawns and single family homes outside of the city.

Flushing is the heart of Queens- you may remember Flushing from the theme song of Fran Drescher's "The Nanny." The neighborhood is largely Chinese, Korean, Greek, and Italian, with growing Indian and Bengali populations. Visitors can enjoy the New York Mets baseball games at Flushing's Shea Stadium and view the annual US Open Tennis Tournament at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. While at the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, check out the Westinghouse Time Capsules, created in 1938 and 1965 that are due to be opened in about 5,000 years.

STATEN ISLAND

With less than half a million people, Staten Island is the smallest New York borough. It is known as a quieter place to live in New York with its suburban style streets and homes. Smaller museums, the Staten Island Zoo, parks, and beaches.

A major reason to visit this under-appreciated "Forgotten Borough" of New York is the trip there. Ride the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan for amazing views of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the Manhattan skyline.

People who aren't very familiar with New York often wonder how people can find their place in the vast urban jungle. But visitors who pay attention to these intimate neighborhoods, along with the hundreds more that were not covered, will find that New Yorkers really identify with their own little slice of the city. Each neighborhood is unique and plays a special role in defining the world's greatest city, New York.

Learn more about this author, Shane Hampton.
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