Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Several panelists chose the terrific Brooklyn Botanic Garden, of which Ken Druse says, "four million 'neighbors' think of it as their backyard. There's just a feeling there—it's friendly and just feels good." The 52-acre garden is known, among other things, for encompassing the first garden designed for the visually impaired and the first children's garden, which became the prototype for children's gardens worldwide. BBG's lily pools attract herons and egrets, and 10,000 different plants ranging from 45,000 bluebells blossoming in an oak, beech and birch wood to a collection of rare tree peonies from Japan to the largest and most diverse flowering cherry collection outside of Japan delight visitors. There's also a celebrity path honoring famous Brooklynites from Walt Whitman to Wendy Wasserstein.

For more information: Brooklyn Botanic Garden