5 great neighbourhood walks in New York

Immerse yourself in NYC’s oldest neighborhood. See the earliest examples of decorative cast-iron buildings: Cast Iron House, 67 Franklin St; Obsidian House, 93 Reade St; 131 Duane St. The charming Hook & Ladder 8 rehouse from Ghostbusters at 14 N Moore St, and the row houses, on Harrison and Washington St.

Take a stroll along Bedford Avenue. Start south at the Williamsburg Bridge and meander your way up all the way to McCarren Park. Williamsburg is buzzing with great restaurants, trendy cafes, bars and boutiques. This neighborhood still shows some rough edges and has a lot of street art.

The UWS is known for its pretty tree-lined streets lined with characteristic townhouses — snake up and down the blocks from 69th to 76th, from Central Park West to Columbus. The Ansonia Hotel, a castle-like behemoth takes up an entire block on Broadway between 73rd and 74th Streets. Near the Museum of Natural History, NY Historical Society, The Dakota.

Bedford Street from Christopher to Houston is the fastest way to walk through the Village to Soho. On the way: narrowest house 751⁄2 Bedford St; oldest house 77 Bedford St; some think the house on the corner of Grove and Bedford Streets (17 Grove) is the oldest; 102 Bedford St was renovated by an amateur architect in an odd style.

You can feel New York’s past lingering in the streets, but also its future, thanks to the creative enterprises that have moved in. Must dos: take a picture on the corner of Water/Washington with Brooklyn Bridge looming; go for a ride on a beautifully-restored 1922 carousel, housed in a glass pavilion designed by Jean Nouvel.