Because of the long subway ride (about an hour from Midtown Manhattan) and its proximity to the Coney Island boardwalk, this one is really for summer. This surprisingly good aquarium is home to hundreds of sea creatures. Taking center stage are Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins and California sea lions that perform daily during summer at the Aquatheater. Also basking in the spotlight are gangly Pacific octopuses, sharks, and a brand-new sea horse exhibit. Black-footed penguins, California sea otters, and a variety of seals live at the Sea Cliffs exhibit, a re-creation of a Pacific coastal habitat. But my absolute favorites are the beautiful white Beluga whales, which exude buckets of aquatic charm. Children love the hands-on exhibits at Discovery Cove. There's an indoor oceanview cafeteria and an outdoor snack bar, plus picnic tables.

If you've made the trip out, you simply must check out the human exhibits on nearby Coney Island's 2.7-mile-long boardwalk. Not much is left from its heyday, and it can be a little eerie when the crowds aren't around. But you can still use the beach, drop some cash at the boardwalk arcade, and ride the famed wooden Cyclone roller coaster (still a terrifying ride, if only because it seems so ... rickety). You can't leave without treating yourself to a Nathan's Famous hot dog, just off the boardwalk at Surf and Stillwell avenues. This is the original -- where the term hot dog was coined back in 1906.