Developed around the turn of the century as a result of the new subway system, the Upper West Side is now one of the hottest rental areas in the city. The Upper West Side has become home to many of the city's writers, musicians, actors, and intellectuals. Its unpretentious and independent character makes it a choice neighborhood for a diverse group of people representative of the city as a whole. A favorite amongst the young Wall Street banking crowd and other well-paid professionals, the neighborhood is now home to many of the city's wealthy and famous individuals. With its proximity to Lincoln Center and other performing arts venues, it is also a neighborhood of actors, writers, and musicians. The Upper West Side is packed with fashionable stores, trendy bars and restaurants as well as multiple movie theaters, including the Sony I-Max theatre. This area is also a great place to shop for food. For the athletic-minded, the Upper West Side is a great place to work up a sweat. Whether it's rock climbing in one of the areas ultra modern gyms, roller blading in Central Park or a game of baseball in Riverside Park, the Upper West Side will surely keep you active!(top)
Manhattan's gold coast, as it is sometimes called, is a mostly residential part of Manhattan with an abundance of luxury apartment buildings, townhouses, private schools, legendary restaurants and shopping on Madison Avenue and grand apartments lining Park Avenue and fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. The Upper East Side is an exclusive universe of clean streets, ivy-covered townhouses, designer boutiques, an abundance of private schools and museums, offering the best of everything in the city. While Fifth and Park Avenue offer spacious and luxurious residential dwellings, Madison Avenue gives us the best in commercial retailing; housing the most prestigious and international boutiques. With the most famous museums contained within, this neighborhood is packed with culture, class and refinement. Points of interest include shopping on Madison Avenue and Third Avenue Bloomingdale's, the Guggenheim Museum, Hunter College and Central Park. (top)
Known
for its exclusive shopping along Fifth Avenue and its luxurious apartments
along Park Avenue, the Midtown East area is certainly for those with
a taste for the finer things. The eastern part of this neighborhood
is filled with luxury buildings, which offer breathtaking views of the
East River. Turtle Bay is the site of the United Nations and some of
New York's costliest real estate. Beekman Place residents enjoy stately
townhouses and elegant apartment buildings that offer river views, many
with gardens or terraces. Sutton Place instantly suggests status and
affluence to New Yorkers and out-of-towners alike. This quiet enclave
is within walking distance to the best Manhattan has to offer in shops,
restaurants, theatres and cultural institutions. Points of interest
include Rockefeller Center; St. Patrick's Cathedral, FAO Schwartz, Gucci,
Tiffany & Co., Grand Central Station and the United Nations. (top)
Also known as Hell's Kitchen and Midtown West, this neighborhood is home to many young professionals attracted to the area because of its proximity to midtown and its reasonably priced rents. Residents tend to work in the performing arts, fashion, advertising, media and recording professionals. Because the area was once supported by breweries, slaughter houses, outdoor markets, neighborhood shops and restaurants have a tradition of offering a wide variety of fresh and exotic food options. Ninth Avenue is one of the city's great resources of good and inexpensive ethnic restaurants. A great place to catch a bite to eat before going to the theater or a weekend brunch. Points of interest include Carnegie hall, Disney store, Virgin Megastore, Times Square, Theatre District, All-Star Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Jeckyll & Hyde and the Hard Rock Cafe. (top)
Murray
Hill is probably best known to its close proximity to the Empire State
Building. Aside from the historical landmark, the area is also a center
of business, and the site of many clubs, churches, hi-rise apartment
buildings, brownstone mansions and restaurants. Murray Hill is a neighborhood
where time has changed old carriage houses into charming homes. The
brownstones here are unpretentious turn-of-the-century buildings that
are elegant and fashionable. This popular area is made more attractive
by the vitality of its early evening street life. There are doctors,
nurses and other young professionals employed by the University and
Bellevue Hospitals and related New York University medical facilities.
Casual, inviting shops and restaurants crowd Second and Third Avenues
and play to a youthful audience. Points of interest include the Empire
State Building and Pierpont Morgan Library. (top)
Chelsea previously understood by most to be from 14th Street to 24th Street and from Fifth Avenue to the Hudson has grown to extend its northern border to 30th Street and its eastern border to Seventh Avenue. The name was given to the area by Captain Thomas Clark after the Thames-side village Chelsea, now part of London. The area, with its diverse building styles, is a patchwork of townhouses, prewar low rises and loft buildings. With its many residential services, convenience to transportation and the development of Chelsea Piers, it has become a much sought after community by many. Chelsea is home to a wide range of people and activities and has recently undergone a transformation that has made it one of New York's most happening neighborhoods. Old warehouses that were once factories and breweries are being converted into gallery spaces, nightclubs and residential lofts. With the newly paved Hudson River Park and the massive Chelsea Piers Sports and Recreation Complex. Chelsea is becoming a favorite spot for sports enthusiast. For the most part, Chelsea can be considered a mix of family types, great stores, movie theaters, sports enthusiasts, artists and bargain shopping. Points of interests include Historic 'Ladies Mile' of shopping along 6th Avenue, Chelsea Piers Sports and Recreation Complex (ice skating, indoor golf, tennis, rock climbing and much more), 26th Street Flea Market, and the famous Chelsea Hotel. (top)
This
area surrounds Gramercy Park, after which it was named.The park is one
square block in size and is fenced and locked. Only residents of the
surrounding buildings have keys to the park. The park is reminiscent
of a quiet London square with an air of elegance that sets the tone
for the neighborhood as a whole. This is one of New York's most historic
and urbane enclaves. The area is well known for its large prewar buildings
as well as its postwar hi-rises, many with doormen. Scattered throughout
are low-rise buildings and brownstones that line side streets. GramercyPark
includes many restored homes throughout the neighborhood. Valued for
its charming streets and filled with synagogues, churches, schools,
shopping and places for outdoor recreation, Gramercy Park is becoming
a great place to live. (top)
Greenwich Village is homey and intimate; a small town within a sprawling metropolis - a town within a town loved by artists, writers, and actors. With its tree-lined streets, all named rather than numbered, it is difficult to remember at times that one is still in New York City. The streets of Greenwich Village are lined with shops offering anything you could ever want to buy. Whether it be antiques, books, clothing, jewelry, music, house wares or just a cup of coffee at one of the small cafes this neighborhood offers something for everyone. Everything is within walking distance from everything else. Points of interests include Washington Square Park, 8th Street shopping, Astor Place shopping, New York University, and Bleeker Street night life. (top)
TriBeCa
(Triangle Below Canal Street), was an industrial district that in the
last decade has undergone a major revitalization. Many warehouses have
been converted to livable residential lofts and new businesses which
emerged make the neighborhood much more like a community than an industrial
district. Residents like their neighborhood for its vibrancy, as well
as for the solitude and harmony achieved by mixed zoning. They lunch
in posh restaurants and shop is gourmet food stores, and boast of having
everything they could possibly want or need just a few steps from their
doors. Tribeca is now a fashionable residential neighborhood with an
affluent population. The streets are lined with shops, art galleries,
bars and restaurants. Tribeca is also home to many celebrities including
Robert DeNiro, David Letterman and the late John F. Kennedy, Jr. (top)
The East Village is home to a very much eclectic group. Also a stomping ground for New York University students. For the most part, apartment buildings in the East Village are low-rise and pre-war units, although luxury buildings are starting exist however they are not widespread. Whether you prefer indian eats and live sitar music or potato latkes and stories of the old neighborhood, you've got plenty of options. Because the area also has a slew of far-out nightclubs, music venues, bars and funky shops, the most number of 24hr kitchens is higher than most in most neighborhoods around the city. Points of interest include Angelika's Kitchen, Tompkins Square park and shopping on St.Marks Place. (top)
A
relatively new residential and commercial neighborhood. Battery Park
City is located at the southern most tip of Manhattan. The residential
area includes numerous hi-rise luxury buildings with views of the Statue
of Liberty or the Hudson River. In addition, there are several parks
and gardens including Battery Park, and the 1.5 mile esplanade along
the Hudson River for walking, jogging or picture taking. (top)
A downtown neighborhood with a vibrant artistic life is Soho (South of Houston Street). Soho is considered to have some of the world's finest examples of the 19th century prefabricated cast-iron architectural style buildings. Once an abandoned industrial district, Soho is now a haven for artists. Many of the huge warehouse buildings have been transformed into lofty studios. In addition to its architectural allure, Soho also offers great shopping, art gallaries and fine restaurants. Soho has become one of the most sought after neighbourhoods in New York City. (top)
