New York · The Empire State

New York Local Guide

A neighbor's guide to New York State — from Manhattan's neighborhoods and Brooklyn's brownstones to the beaches of Long Island, the river towns of the Hudson Valley, the state capital at Albany, the Finger Lakes, and the cities and mountains of Western and Northern New York. Explore the communities, counties, parks and places that make the Empire State home.

Explore New York by Region

Practical groupings for navigating the state. Regions overlap, and every county belongs to more than one travel itinerary.

New York City

Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island — five boroughs and five counties.

Long Island

Nassau and Suffolk counties, the North and South shores, and the Hamptons.

Lower Hudson Valley

Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Orange counties.

Mid-Hudson Valley & Catskills

Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Greene and Columbia counties.

Capital Region

Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Saratoga Springs and surrounding communities.

Mohawk Valley

Utica, Rome, Herkimer, Amsterdam and Little Falls.

Central New York

Syracuse, Auburn, Cortland and Oswego.

Finger Lakes & Greater Rochester

Rochester, Canandaigua, Geneva, Ithaca and Watkins Glen.

Western New York

Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Erie, Niagara and Chautauqua counties.

Southern Tier

Binghamton, Elmira, Corning, Owego and Hornell.

Adirondacks & North Country

Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Plattsburgh, Watertown, Potsdam and Canton.

Long Island

20 community guides

Babylon

Village

Suffolk County

A South Shore village with a canal-lined downtown

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Bay Shore

Hamlet

Suffolk County

A South Shore waterfront hamlet with a revived Main Street

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Brentwood

Hamlet

Suffolk County

A large, diverse hamlet in central Long Island

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East Hampton

Town

Suffolk County

Ocean beaches, farm stands and the Montauk peninsula

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Garden City

Village

Nassau County

A planned village built around a railroad station

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Glen Cove

City

Nassau County

A small waterfront city on Long Island's Gold Coast

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Great Neck

Village

Nassau County

North Shore villages with a fast commute into Manhattan

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Hempstead

Town

Nassau County

Long Island's largest town and its densest village center

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Huntington

Town

Suffolk County

A North Shore town of harbors, villages and a cultural downtown

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Long Beach

City

Nassau County

A barrier-island city with an ocean beach and a boardwalk

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Mineola

Village

Nassau County

Nassau County's seat and a major rail crossroads

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Montauk

Hamlet

Suffolk County

The eastern tip of Long Island, known for surf and the lighthouse

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Oyster Bay

Town

Nassau County

North Shore harbor town with a presidential home

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Patchogue

Village

Suffolk County

A South Shore village rebuilt around its Main Street

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Port Jefferson

Village

Suffolk County

A North Shore harbor village with a ferry to Connecticut

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Riverhead

Town

Suffolk County

Suffolk County's seat and the gateway to the North Fork

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Rockville Centre

Village

Nassau County

A South Shore village with a walkable downtown

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Smithtown

Town

Suffolk County

A central Suffolk town with a historic Main Street

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Southampton

Town

Suffolk County

A South Fork town of ocean beaches and historic villages

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Stony Brook

Hamlet

Suffolk County

A North Shore hamlet built around a research university

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Lower Hudson Valley

20 community guides

Bronxville

Village

Westchester County

A compact village built around a college and a rail station

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Dobbs Ferry

Village

Westchester County

A river village with a waterfront park and a hilltop main street

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Hastings-on-Hudson

Village

Westchester County

A small river village with a walkable Warburton Avenue

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Mamaroneck

Village

Westchester County

A harbor village with a working waterfront

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Mount Kisco

Village

Westchester County

A northern Westchester village with a busy crossroads downtown

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Mount Vernon

City

Westchester County

A dense city at the northern edge of the Bronx

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New City

Hamlet

Rockland County

Rockland County's seat and its central commercial hub

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New Rochelle

City

Westchester County

A Sound Shore city rebuilding its downtown

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Nyack

Village

Rockland County

A river village known for its Main Street and arts scene

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Ossining

Village

Westchester County

A Hudson River village below Sing Sing's walls

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Peekskill

City

Westchester County

A river city with an arts district and mountain views

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Port Chester

Village

Westchester County

A diverse Sound Shore village with a busy dining scene

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Rye

City

Westchester County

A Sound Shore city of beaches, villages and open space

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Scarsdale

Village

Westchester County

A planned suburb known for its schools and village center

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Sleepy Hollow

Village

Westchester County

A river village shaped by Washington Irving's legend

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Spring Valley

Village

Rockland County

A diverse village in southern Rockland

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Suffern

Village

Rockland County

A Rockland village at the foot of the Ramapo Mountains

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Tarrytown

Village

Westchester County

A Hudson River village below the Tappan Zee Bridge

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White Plains

City

Westchester County

Westchester's county seat and commercial center

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Yonkers

City

Westchester County

Westchester's largest city, on the Hudson at the Bronx line

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Finger Lakes & Greater Rochester

19 community guides

Western New York

18 community guides

Things to Do

From the harbor to Lake Erie, here's where New Yorkers spend their time.

History & Culture

  • Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from Battery Park
  • Walk the Brooklyn Bridge and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade
  • Tour the New York State Capitol in Albany
  • See the National Comedy Center in Jamestown and the Corning Museum of Glass

Outdoors & Scenery

  • Hike the High Peaks in the Adirondacks
  • See Niagara Falls from Niagara Falls State Park
  • Walk the gorge trail at Watkins Glen
  • Spend a day at Jones Beach or Robert Moses on Long Island

Food & Local Life

  • Eat through Jackson Heights and Flushing in Queens
  • Shop Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and Chelsea Market in Manhattan
  • Try a beef on weck in Buffalo and a garbage plate in Rochester
  • Taste along the Seneca Lake and Keuka Lake wine trails

Getting Around New York

The New York State Thruway (I-87 and I-90) and the interstate system — I-81, I-84, I-86, I-88, I-95, I-278, I-495 and I-787 — connect every region of the state. Buffalo and Albany are roughly four and a half hours apart by car, and New York City to Buffalo takes about six and a half hours.

The MTA runs the subway, buses, Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road across New York City and its suburbs, while NJ Transit and PATH connect the region to New Jersey. Amtrak's Empire Service links New York City with Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, the Adirondack runs to Montreal, and the Maple Leaf continues to Toronto.

Major airports include John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, Westchester County, Albany International, Buffalo Niagara International, Greater Rochester International, Syracuse Hancock International and Plattsburgh International.

Explore New York's Local Businesses

Browse our directory of restaurants, shops, services, and more across the Empire State.

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