Main Drags: Broadway.

Lowdown: A mere 10-minute commute to Manhattan's East Side and land of significantly cheaper rent than Manhattan, Astoria is the answer to many die-hard artsy, big-city loving New Yorkers who are seeking all the pros and very few of the cons of NYC living. Astoria's population includes members hailing from Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latin America and Asia, as well as born-and-bred USA folks. Most of the neighborhood has a happy blend of professional and artsy vibes, a plethora of restaurants offering cuisine from just about every country, mega-chain stores and mom-and-pop shops that have existed since the early days of NYC.

Cool Spots: Museum of Modern Art, Socrates Sculpture Park, American Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria Park, Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum.

Get Here: Take the N or W train to the end of the line or the R train to Steinway Street.

Main Drag: Main Street (go figure).

Lowdown: Just off the last stop on the No. 7 train is the heart of Flushing, an ever-growing neighborhood in Queens. The population is mostly Asian, hence Flushing's second-largest Chinatown in NYC claim to fame. Signs along Main Street are in both English and Chinese characters, there are restaurants of every shape and form, as well as the funky boutiques showcasing the works of the other 30-plus cultures that call this diverse neighborhood home. With Midtown within an easy 30-minute ride on the No. 7 or the LIRR and a decent selection of affordable housing, Flushing is an ideal place for those who want to live with the mishmash of cultures and the style of NYC without having to pay Manhattan prices.

Cool Spots: Flushing Meadows Corona Park (site of the World's Fair), Flushing Town Hall (hosts art exhibits, operas and musical performances), Kissena Park, Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing Cemetery (resting place of Armstrong and Gillespie).

Get Here: No. 7 train to Main Street, LIRR from Midtown to Main Street.

Main Drags: Jamaica Avenue between Sutphin Boulevard and 170th Street.

Lowdown: Contrary to the confused notions of many naïve NYC tourists, Jamaica isn't just an island in the blue, it's also a bustling, sprawling neighborhood in Queens. Jamaica, Queens, includes Jamaica proper, Jamaica Hills, South Jamaica and Jamaica Estates. South Jamaica is the largest African-American neighborhood in Queens. Lots of immigrants have been attracted to the size and diversity of Jamaica, Queens, including groups from the Philippines, India, Jamaica (the country), Haiti, El Salvador, China and India. Though the center of Jamaica is home to a huge, upscale-wannabe commercial complex, the feel of this region is neighborhood-y and suburban.

Cool Spots/Landmarks: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Preserve, York College (which houses the Black American Heritage Foundation Music History Archive, a jazz museum and music archive).

Get Here: Jamaica is at the End of Where Subways Run—the final stops of the E-Z-J subway and the F line end at Jamaica-179th Street.

Epicenter: 73rd Street to Beach 98th Street.

Lowdown: Rockaway, or "The Rockaways," is embedded in New York's history as a retreat town for Manhattanites due to it's close-yet-far-enough proximity and pretty beachfront property. Seaside hotels and classic bungalows shot up like crazy starting in the 1830s, and though many of the hotels still remain, most of the bungalows were sacrificed for urban renewal projects during the 1960s. Rockaway encompasses Rockaway proper, Rockaway Park and Far Rockaway; years ago, it also included Rockaway Island, which was famously swallowed by the sea in 1893. The Rockaways are largely residential now, and home to a diverse population and a variety of soul food havens, family run diners, old-school drugstores and mom-and-pop shops. The beaches blend residential cute (cotton candy and rollerbladers along the boardwalk) with eerie ghost town vibes (crumbling WWI bungalows and broken-down trolley cars).

Main Drag: Linden Boulevard.

Lowdown: Home to a large population of African Americans and a growing number of Caribbean-Americans and Caribbean immigrants, St. Albans is a unique neighborhood in Queens where the development is skyrocketing. More and more new homes go up each day, standing out slightly against the detached one- and two-family homes and small apartment buildings that were erected in the 20s and 30s. The cultures that make up the neighborhood folks also lend to a great restaurant scene; Linden Boulevard is crammed with amazing Jamaican and Southern-style restaurants. St. Albans is most famous for its jazzy history, though; the ritzy, Tudor-filled enclave of Addisleigh Park is the former home of 40s jazz greats like Count Bassie and Lena Horne. Jazz addicts who want to get their fix on the local history can visit the Flushing Council on the Arts for the monthly Queens Jazz bus tour, which cruises through Addisleigh and shares all the cool stories.

Cool Spots/Landmarks: Black Spectrum Theater in Roy Wilkins Park, St. Albans Park.

Get Here: The LIRR train stops at Linden Boulevard and Montauk/Newburg Street.