Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Columbia Heights (above the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway), between Remsen and Orange Streets
It's all about the view, of course: a panoramic take on the Lower Manhattan skyline. But the Promenade is also a great place to take in the human (and canine) parade. The strip of pedestrian parkland, built over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, was opened to the public in 1950, after Robert Moses' plan to construct a highway through the center of Brooklyn Heights was shot down. Today, the Promenade is beloved by locals and visitors alike. And once you're done taking in the scenery, turn around and ogle the backs of the handsome townhouses along Columbia Heights, wondering what it must be like to wake up with one of the world's greatest views every single morning. —PT