Kyle McGovern

Brooklyn Heights is a peculiar piece of real estate among the five boroughs: a quiet, clean suburb with tree-lined streets and a wide-screen view of FiDi. Thanks to the perfectly preserved brownstones and soft sunlight, it feels a bit like the neighborhood time forgot. Danny Gomez, bartender, Henry Street Ale House "[I love] the names of the streets: Cranberry, Orange, Pineapple, Love Lane—what?" Brooklyn Heights is a peculiar piece of real estate among the five boroughs: a quiet, clean suburb with tree-lined streets and a wide-screen view of FiDi. Thanks to the perfectly preserved brownstones and soft sunlight, it feels a bit like the neighborhood time forgot. Danny Gomez, bartender, Henry Street Ale House "[I love] the names of the streets: Cranberry, Orange, Pineapple, Love Lane—what?" "Jack the Horse is incredible. It's an older restaurant with fantastic cocktails, great food, and it's pretty much all locals over there. Henry's End is [also] really good. They serve all game food, like elk, ostrich, crocodile, things like that."Jack the Horse Tavern, 66 Hicks Street at Cranberry St, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn (718-852-5084, jackthehorse.com) * Henry's End Restaurant, 44 Henry Street between Cranberry and Middagh Sts (718-834-1776, henrysend.com) "I come to work about thirty minutes early every day, and just lay down and read in Cadman Plaza." Cadman Plaza Park, Cadman Plaza West between the Brooklyn Bridge and Tillary St (nycgovparks.org) "[Locals love going to Henry Stree

Belmont is the Bronx's very own Little Italy. This close-knit community thrives on the enthusiasm of its businesses and the supportve relationships that have developed among retail and restaurant owners, respectively. Arthur Avenue is lined with bakeries and butcher shops, while East 187th Street is marked by the smell of pastries and the sound of church bells. But regardless of what type of establishment they walk into, residents feel immediately at home as genial proprietors welcome them like family, whether they're first-time customers or lifelong regulars. Sam Zimmer, Fordham University student "The main bartender's name [at Mug-Z's] is Suits. Everyone knows him as Suits. It can get pretty crowded, but on off nights it's great. It's Fordham's main bar, I would say."Mug-Z's, 2476 Arthur Ave at 189th St (718-364-8238) "Howl at the Moon has a bigger cover charge than Mug-Z's on the busy nights. There will be less people or older people, so I like that. But I wouldn't call it quieter. They've got awesome burgers and fake plastic palm trees inside."Howl at the Moon, 585 E 189th St between Arthur Ave and Hoffman St (718-561-7694) Marlon Feld, software development firm executive "I generally start over at Mike's Deli. They have a fantastic vegetarian sandwich, called the Garden of Eden. I'm not a strict vegetarian; I don't eat red meat. The stereotype is that you have to eat meat to enjoy food [here], and that's just not the case. It's a big sandwich on a roll, with eggplant, ro