Plenty of local restaurants and culinary choices in East New York await your appetite. Many establishments sit along Sutter Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. Fast-food joints mainly exist along Atlantic, while you can find local eateries on both avenues. A few nightlife options, mainly bars and lounges, dot the landscape along Atlantic Avenue on the northern edge of the neighborhood. Original Napoli's Pizza on Sutter began in 1972, and the place continues to deliver hot, fresh Italian food to area residents. The Napoli Special pizza arrives at your table or at your door loaded with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. For an even heartier meal, dive into the stuffed pizza with chopped meat, onions, sausage, pepperoni and cheese. Go all out with the lasagna pizza that contains sausage, meatballs, chopped meat and ricotta cheese alongside mozzarella. No matter what you order, expect a huge, New York-style pizza with plenty of hot, steamy goodness inside. Other dishes include pasta, sandwiches, gyros and seafood with pasta. Rico Chimi Cafeteria serves Dominican food with style. Order the patacones, a huge sandwich filled with beef and lettuce. Instead of bread, this monster has two fried plantains. The yaroa has plenty to enjoy in one bowl, including chicken, beef or pork combined with platano maduros or fries and then topped with cheese and sauce. For a small group, picao arrives at your table as a mix of all three meats alongside onions and peppers. Fried plantains surround the entree to complete the plating. If you want huge, meaty meals at a fair price, Rico Chimi Cafeteria has what you crave. Just east of this neighborhood on Linden Boulevard sits the famous and sparkling Lindenwood Diner. Eat breakfast all day, every day with a huge omelette made with your choice of four ingredients. Pile on ham, pork bacon, turkey bacon, chicken sausage or beef. Then add peppers, mushrooms, avocado or onions followed by Swiss, cheddar or mozzarella cheeses. The Angus rib eye with two eggs serves as a breakfast bonanza at this high-end diner, while broiled salmon represents the specialty of the house. For dinner, grab teriyaki sliced steak or broiled pork chops served with tomato and jalapeño. Club House Sports Bar & Lounge on Williams Avenue showcases football games, regular DJs, open mic nights and plenty of action. The place stays open until 4 a.m., so you can dance the night away while sipping some tasty drinks. This bar remains top-notch for this area in terms of a place for nightlife. For live music and events, Tropical Paradise Ballroom & Banquet Hall has world-class facilities for any event, such as a wedding, concert or celebration. Parties and events happen regularly, so check out any ticketed events for any live music choices.

East New York served as a low spot among several hills east of the city proper. During the American Revolution, British and Hessian troops used this low-lying pass as a way to sneak up on Gen. George Washington's troops during the Battle of Long Island. John Pitkin, an early landowner, sought to build a city to rival New York until the Panic of 1837 quashed his dreams. A few roads sprang up in the mid-1800s, and then several railway lines connected other neighborhoods on Long Island with New York City proper in the 1870s and 1880s. Brooklyn incorporated East New York in 1898. The city saw rapid growth in the 1930s through the 1950s as residents from many cultural backgrounds inhabited East New York. Most of the museums, arts scene and annual events occur in other neighborhoods. Schools and churches in East New York hold annual celebrations for the community.

Most city streets contain broad sidewalks for daylight walks. Some houses, but not all, have driveways so bicyclists have an easier time getting around residential streets. Pitkin Avenue and Van Siclen Avenue have bike lanes, while New Lots Avenue and Liberty Avenue represent bicycle-friendly thoroughfares. Streets do have free public parking for businesses, schools and government agencies. However, you may want to arrive at your destination early in case you have trouble finding a spot. Access Belt/Shoreline Parkway from Erksine Street to the south of the neighborhood. This highway curves around to the west to connect to interstate highways and other major highways around New York. If your car breaks down, plenty of taxi or cab companies service the area, and Uber remains a viable option. Public transportation stops abound in East New York. Pick up a train at Atlantic Avenue and Williams at the northwest part of the neighborhood, or hop on a train along New Lots Avenue or Sutter Avenue. Otherwise, several Metro Transit Authority buses stop along Pitkin Avenue.

Living costs slightly less in East New York as compared to downtown New York City, mostly due to slightly lower housing expenses. Expect to spend approximately $1,100 per month in rent for a one-bedroom apartment in this neighborhood. A pint at a local pub costs around $3.50, while gasoline typically averages 1 percent higher than the national norm. A one-way ticket on the Long Island Railroad costs $6 to reach Grand Central Station at the heart of the city.

A revitalized shopping center, called Gateway Center, contains high-value and high-end stores just north of the Belt Parkway. Specialty shops and local businesses dot the landscape along Atlantic Avenue and Snediker Avenue. Inner Gaze Furniture Design on Hinsdale Street features furniture for commercial and residential purposes. The craftspeople who work here create durable pieces for any style, whether you want a Victorian stairwell or a contemporary end table. Rite-Way Wood-Craft, Inc. features custom cabinetry for houses all over Brooklyn. Stop by and see the showroom on Snediker for fantastic kitchen designs that take your breath away. See what new cabinets can do for your home at this premier local establishment. Plenty of locally owned grocery stores service East New York. Shop-Rite, in the Gateway Center, provides basic grocery items along with fresh meats and produce. Fine Fare Supermarket on Livonia represents a vaunted regional chain grocery that has everything you need for a weekly shopping trip. Key Food and Food Universe also have stores nearby. Two East New York Farmers' Market locations sell locally grown produce. Stop by the location on Scheneck Avenue between New Lots Avenue and Livonia Avenue every Saturday morning from June to November. The other location, on New Lots Avenue between Alabama Avenue and Georgia Avenue, sells goods Wednesday afternoons from July to October.

Several free parks and playgrounds exist in East New York for kids and dogs to get some exercise. Make sure you keep your pooch on a leash and clean up after any messes. Linden Park features a running track, playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts and soccer fields. Breukelen Ballfields Park has dog-friendly areas and five baseball diamonds alongside handball courts and playgrounds. Spring Creek Park features the largest nature preserve and undeveloped land in the Jamaica Bay area. Check out plenty of outdoor events at Gateway Center, such as the 5-kilometer run, a jazz festival and an outdoor movie series for something different during the summer.