The Strand

176 Woodward Avenue, Ridgewood, Queens, NY 11385

Navigate just north of Bushwick and amorphous East Williamsburg to set foot in not only a different neighborhood but an entirely separate borough. Ridgewood may share a border with Brooklyn, but it is Queens to the bone. It’s the site of 10 nationally recognized historic districts — plus several more city-designated ones — preserving NYC’s ever-evolving architectural lineage. The oldest bit of Ridgewood history is the Vander Ende–Onderdonk House museum, which dates to 1709 and is the oldest surviving Dutch Colonial fieldstone house in the city. However, most of present-day Ridgewood is a product of the early 20th century, evidenced partly by a score of brick rowhouses and homes with front stoops. Transit options include the L Train and the elevated M Train, each traveling toward Williamsburg and into Manhattan. If you don’t feel like commuting, try spying a clear view of the Midtown Manhattan skyline from Grover Cleveland Park.