Sunset Park

Sunset Park isn’t as wellknown as the Chinatowns in Manhattan and Queens, but it’s one of the city’s fastest-growing immigrant neighborhoods. There’s an Asian enclave here — predominantly Chinese, with a concentration of Fujianese and Cantonese residents — as well as a large Spanish-speaking population. Latino eateries and businesses are centered along Brooklyn’s Fifth Avenue, while Eighth Avenue is home to many Asian restaurants, markets and shops, roughly between 40th and 60th streets. The neighborhood is served by several subway stops.

Good, inexpensive, authentic eateries abound. Some aficionados have anointed Ba Xuyen, 4222 Eighth Ave. in Brooklyn, as home to the best banh mi in the city: Vietnamese sandwiches on crispy baguettes, loaded with ingredients like crunchy pickled vegetables, savory meatballs and fragrant cilantro. Others swear by Lucky Eight, 5204 Eighth Ave., a Chinese restaurant that’s even recommended by the Michelin guide. Another foodie fave is Yun Nan Flavour Garden, 5121 Eighth Ave., known for rice noodles and other specialties of China’s Yunnan province.

On Feb. 21, a public school, P.S. 310, at 6214 Fourth Ave., in Brooklyn, is hosting a day of free festivities in honor of the new year. It runs from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and includes include martial arts and lion dance performances, games and vendors.

While you’re in Sunset Park, consider visiting a major attraction that has nothing to do with Chinatown: Green-Wood Cemetery. This beautifully landscaped National Historic Landmark, established in 1838, offers tours and is the final resting place for many famous individuals, from Leonard Bernstein to Jean-Michel Basquiat. The main entrance is on Fifth Avenue and 25th Street (in Brooklyn).