Hunters Point

Hunters Point sits right across the river from Midtown, one subway stop from Grand Central, and for most of its history it was a place of factories, rail yards and oil refineries. Pepsi, chewing gum and bread were all made around here. Over the last thirty years, glass towers have risen along the water, but the neighborhood kept pieces of its past: old loading gantries, a giant neon sign and a block of 19th-century rowhouses. Best of all is the view. From the waterfront parks, the whole Manhattan skyline lines up in front of you, with the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the United Nations close enough to touch.