Williamsburg

Episode two of our movies of NY walks focuses on a single film - the 2001 Wes Anderson comedy The Royal Tenenbaums. Anderson's fanciful version of New York hops all over Manhattan, from Battery Park to the Church of the Intercession to the Waldorf Astoria New York.

New York City is known for its rich literary history, and this week we'll visit the neighborhoods and locations that harbored the greats. Starting in in Williamsburg to visit Betty Smith's 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,' we'll hop the bridge for the remainder of our walk, visiting the birthplace of downtown birthplace of Herman Melville, the poetry scene of the East Village, the home of Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance, and the infamous Chelsea Hotel among many others.

Few major thoroughfares define its surroundings as strongly as the section of I-278 known as the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. This week we'll follow the entirety of its path, starting at the foot of the RFK bridge in Astoria and concluding at the base of the Verrazzano. Neighborhoods along the way include Woodside, Sunnyside, Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge and more.

The first in our series of musical walks focuses on the odes to Manhattan's streets and neighborhoods. We'll hit everywhere from the Manhattan Detention Complex to the neighborhoods Across 110th Street exploring the inspiration for some of New York's most famous songs. Acts covered include The Jim Carroll Band, Bobby Womack, Joni Mitchell, Bobby Rodriguez y La Compañia and many more.

If the weather's warm, the shore is where we want to be. This week we look to cover as much BK shoreline in one day as possible. After a hike through inland North Brooklyn, we arrive at the tip of Greenpoint and work our way down the East River, passing all three bridges and crossing the Gowanus Canal. A walk down Second Avenue brings us to Shore Road and the Verrazzanno Bridge. We end the day at Brighton Beach and a long train ride home.