With its rumbling of trains overhead, cobblestone streets and cavernous spaces carved out of former factories, DUMBO (an acronym for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass") exudes a cool, urban grandeur that sets it apart from bustling Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. Nestled against the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge, this neighborhood has transformed during the past few decades from an industrial zone into an artsy enclave of airy lofts, unique galleries and fashionable boutiques. DUMBO has a little bit of everything in precisely the right proportion—you can browse through a hip bookstore or two, visit several galleries, pick up some Japanese pop-culture magazines and then take in an avant-garde theatrical or burlesque performance. The outdoor expanses of Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park are perfect places to unwind and let the kids run free, and offer striking, iconic views of the East River and a magnificent perspective of Lower Manhattan. Then it's back to scampering across cobblestone streets for Danish furniture, French éclairs and art books.

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