By Kevyn Lee
Contributing Writer

North Brother Island: North Brother is an island located in the East River right next to the Bronx. From 1885 to the 1960s, the island was used as a hospital and a drug rehabilitation center. The island has been off limits to the public for over 50 years, but has been recently declared a bird sanctuary. Much of the wildlife has made new homes within the old buildings and rooms in which patients used to live. However, many of these crumbling buildings are labeled unsafe.  Although it doesn’t appear on the NYC subway map, it is in fact part of New York City, not far from Manhattan.
High Bridge Tower: High Bridge Tower is located within High Bridge Park on 174th street in Manhattan. It is the second largest park on the island of Manhattan and it is in the neighborhood of Washington Heights, the most elevated area of Manhattan. Although it is closed to the public, I’ve had the chance to climb up to the top of the tower multiple times, a privilege only Parks Department workers get. Although the spiral staircase is currently under construction, it is still broken in many places so climbing up is a bit of a challenge. Although the tower is only 200 feet tall, from the top of it you can see lower Manhattan, New Jersey, the George Washington Bridge, and the Bronx.
New York City Beaches: Most visitors are unaware that New York City actually has beaches. Although they may not be the cleanest beaches, New York City has five of them: Brighton Beach, Coney Island; Manhattan Beach located in Brooklyn; Far Rockaway Beach in the borough of Queens; South Beach in Staten Island; and Orchard Beach in the Bronx. Orchard beach is the only man-made beach in the city, and is located in Pelham Bay Park, one of the biggest public Parks in NYC. There are also dozens of other private and state beaches in New York including Seagate Beach. Seagate Beach is a secluded beach about a thirty-minute walk west of the infamous amusement park, Coney Island. Separated from the road by a thick strip of trees, the city does not allow swimming at this beach making it even more secluded. At night the trees cover the lights from the streets making the stars visible along with a beautiful view of Brooklyn’s Belt Parkway and lower Manhattan in the distance.
The Secret Subway Exit: Located at 58 Joralemon St., in Brooklyn, this townhouse is not like the others. It serves as a ventilator and a secret emergency exit for the subway. The front of this façade is painted perfectly to blend into the street. Behind these doors and the blacked out windows, down a long set of dusty metal stairs, you’d find yourself nine stories below the city in the rat-infested tunnels of the 4/5 subway line.
5 Pointz Queens: Once a haven for law-breaking graffiti artists, 5 Pointz is an old 200,000 square foot factory building in Queens, New York City. Although graffiti was prominent during the late 1980s and 1990s in New York, much of it has been painted over. Graffiti is against the law of course, but not here. In fact, many of the building owners encourage it. Many artists have their work here from novice graffiti artists to professional artists from around the world. In a relatively deserted area of Queens, 5 Pointz has become a tourist attraction. It is easily visible from the elevated platform of the 7 line leaving Manhattan going into Queens.