To get from eastern Long Island to the city, travelers and commuters have to go through Queens, so this borough naturally became a very important transit hub, with Jamaica at its center. It also became crisscrossed with many expressways for vehicles.

Having explored the Bronx and Brooklyn, Sigrid now tells us all about Queens, which is geographically speaking the largest of the 5 boroughs of New York City.

Sigrid talks about the different ways to get from Brooklyn to Manhattan, and about some of the characteristics of this borough. For one thing, it is more affordable than Manhattan, although by no means a cheap place to live.

In the first of two parts, we look at Brooklyn's beginnings and how it came to be one of New York City's boroughs.

The borough of the Bronx has gotten a bad name because of issues with poverty and crime. It's also had its share of neglect and mishandling on the part of local and state administrations. However, the Bronx also has some claims to fame, such as the Bronx zoo and botanical garden.

The Bronx was the first area to become part of New York City. Lying to the north and northeast of Manhattan, it was a logical addition. The quirky name of this borough has its own history.

Sigrid seeks to answer the question "What's a borough?" In doing so, she talks about how New York City got its start, and also about the surrounding counties that played an important role in its development. In this video, you'll see 18th- and 19th-century maps of the area.

Sigrid describes the first part of her trip from Long Island to New Jersey, taking a moment to tell us about the famous Verrazzano Narrows Bridge.

Sigrid traveled back to the U.S. recently to visit her family. She talks about her trip and takes some "detours" to share what she learned about some of the places she visited. She also happened to go to Mexico, where she shot this introductory segment.

Most Americans don't realize how Columbus Day came to be a national holiday, but it actually doesn't have that much to do with Christopher Columbus, and we might even recognize a connection to present-day events. To recall something Mark Twain once supposedly said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes."

Columbus Day has always been a controversial holiday in the United States. In this video, Sigrid goes back in time to get some historical background, which sheds a new light on its significance.

What do people traditionally do on Memorial Day and Labor Day? Let's find out.

Sigrid talks about two important US holidays, Memorial Day and Labor Day. They are quite different in what they commemorate, but they're combined here because many Americans see them as bookends to the summer season.

The European Union has been in the news a lot lately, so let's take a look at what it's all about. What is a "union" and what's the purpose of this one?

We continue to explore the phenomenon of hurricanes. Why are they so dangerous? And do they serve any purpose?