Albany, the capital of New York State, lies on the west bank of the Hudson River. Established in 1696 and now covering 21.9 square miles, its median age is 30.7 (2022). Government, healthcare, education, and technology are main drivers of its economy.

When poet and wit, Ogden Nash, famously penned “The Bronx? No thonx!” in 1931, he summed up contemporary opinion. Located east and northeast of Manhattan,

If ever there was a doubt that the borough had reached icon status, just notice how many neighborhoods around the country are referred to as “the Brooklyn of…,” shorthand for trendy, gentrified, and hipster-friendly.

First settled in 1789 at the eastern end of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River, is Buffalo, New York. Today, spanning 52.5 square miles of flat terrain on a radial street pattern, Buffalo has a median age of 33.4 (2022). Its primary economic sectors include healthcare, retail, tourism, logistics, and business services (banking, accounting, and insurance).

A short ride away from bustling New York City on the Metro North commuter rail, sits the combined city and town of Poughkeepsie, New York, on the banks of the Hudson River. Pronounced “pa-kip-see,” it’s a college town, home to Marist College, Vassar College and Dutchess Community College. Founded in 1686, it now covers 31.2 square miles, and has a median age of 37.8 (2022). Its main industries include retail, healthcare, education, finance, manufacturing, and science and technology.

More than any other borough, Queens feels like the place where the American Dream comes true. For the residents of this cultural melting pot, it’s impossible not to feel the vibrancy that comes with being an international crossroads.

Tucked away between downtown Miami, Brickell and Little Havana is the vibrant neighborhood of Riverside. Flanked by the Miami River on the East, Riverside offers a large, waterfront venue that features the best of Miami’s food, entertainment and culture – all in a beautifully landscaped setting with an outstanding view. In fact, some of the area’s earliest developers, the Tatum brothers, referred to the area as “The Beautiful Ridge” due to its verdant, elevated terrain close to the river.

Lying along Lake Ontario, is one of the U.S.’ first boomtowns, Rochester, New York. The city is the birthplace of iconic companies, in particular Xerox, Eastman Kodak, and Bausch & Lomb. It was founded in 1788, and today is a global center for science, technology, and research and development that covers 37.1 square miles. Its median age is 32.4 (2022).

The least populous borough of New York City, Staten Island is also its most affordable, and often most overlooked. Even people who have taken the free cruise past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on the Staten Island Ferry, may never have stepped on its shore. And that’s a shame, because SI has a lot to recommend it.

Central New York state’s hub of education and economics, Syracuse, was named after the ancient Greek city in Sicily. Incorporated in 1848, services, research, and healthcare are also major contributors to its economy. Its median age is 31.7 (2022).

Relaxed and unpretentious, Yorkville is a largely residential neighborhood on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Its immigrant roots—mostly German and Eastern European—are still on display in its eclectic architecture and locally owned shops. Limited transportation opportunities long kept Yorkville under the radar, but that’s beginning to change now that the first phase of the Second Avenue subway opened in 2017, helping connect Yorkville with the rest of Manhattan.