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800.ELLIMAN

JenMac

  • Local Expert 51,537 points
  • Reviews 288
  • Questions 0
  • Answers 1,975
  • Discussions 61

Reviews

3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Too expensive for what it is"

I like Monitor street. It's a cute, residential street with a lot of really lovely apartments. It's quieter and cleaner than a lot of streets in the area. And, it's close to both McCarren and McGolrick parks which is great. But, there are a lot of things about the street that make it so that I would probably never live on Monitor. For one, it's kind of in between neighborhoods. It's almost in Greenpoint and almost in the Graham area of Williamsburg. But, it's about a 10 minute walk toward either area before you come across any bars, restaurants, shops . . .even a deli. I feel like this would be a major thorn in my side all of the time. I loved living across from Khim's Deli. it was so easy. Having to walk ten minutes in the winter to get a coffee sounds really unenjoyable. It also sounds a bit scary at night. It's not a bad street and it's safe as far as anything in New York can go. But, the streets that have no nightlife on them scare me a little. They're a little too quiet at night for my liking / walking. It's also a bit of a walk to the Graham Ave L train stop which can be a pain sometimes.
But, the thing I mostly don't love about Monitor is that so many of the buildings have been converted into "luxury" homes that the street is now insanely expensive. I can't justify spending hundreds of dollars more to live with nothing fun around me than to live on Graham or Lorimer. It makes absolutely no sense to me why anyone would pay over $2000 / month to live 10 minutes away from any sort of convenience. But, I guess people do. I just think it's a shame because it's a really lovely street that I wouldn't mind if it were actually less expensive than the hip streets.
Pros
  • Cute street
Cons
  • Rent is too high for what this is
  • No bars or restaurants
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Ugly street off the major Bushwick area"

Melrose has really cheap rent -- and, by cheap I mean you can get a two bedroom apartment for the price of a one bedroom in Williamsburg proper. But, that's legitimately the only plus side to living on Melrose street. It's a really ugly street that's kind of in the middle of nowhere in Bushwick. And, it's fairly close to all of the Bushwick bars and restaurants: Roberta's is a few blocks away and Melrose connects with Flushing which is the major strip in the neighborhood. So, I can see the appeal for living on it with students, hipsters, artists and other people that are a little strapped for cash. But, I just don't think there's quite enough to do or quite enough conveniences in the neighborhood to live here. And, it's dangerous. And, it takes a while to get to Manhattan. You add those things together with the fact that Melrose looks like a dump site for run down warehouses and it's not exactly an enticing street to live on. But, then again, I'm not twenty years old. It's just really ugly and sketchy even during the day.
Pros
  • Cheap rent
Cons
  • Ugly
  • Sketchy at night
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Cute street but still in Bushwick"

McKibben Court Ct is a tiny street off of, surprise, McKibben Street. It's actually a pretty cute street and it reminds me of all the little, quaint, really expensive alleys in the West Village. The apartments are old and nice looking and the street is quiet. The bad thing about this street, though, is that it's not one of those quaint alleys in the West Village. It's a cute street off of an ugly street in Bushwick. And, Bushwick isn't the best neighborhood. It's up and coming but it has been for some time. I guess McKibben Court wouldn't be awful to live on as far as little streets in low rent areas go. But, I feel like most of the youngsters and arty people who moved into the neighborhood kind of want to be in the thick of things and this isn't it. I don't know. I'm not a huge fan of Bushwick, in general. But, if you want a quieter street that's in a cheap neighborhood and you're not scared of the occasional mugger on the neighboring streets, then this might be a place to look for an apartment.
Pros
  • Quaint
  • Cheaper rent
Cons
  • Sketchy neighborhood
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Yikes"

Oh, McKibben Street. I can't think of this street without thinking of the McKibben Dorms. The "dorms" are a massive two building converted factory living situation wherein you pay almost a thousand bucks a month to rent a room with shared bathrooms on every floor. That has got to be some sort of sad joke. Also, there's a housing project just east of the dorm so now you know you're in Bushwick. The funny thing is that these rooms actually rent. They go out to a lot of the youngsters, artists and hipsters that have come into Bushwick in droves over the last five or so years. And, I can't for the life of me figure out why they don't just get into groups of three and rent a three bedroom actual apartment for about the same price just up the street. Which brings me to my biggest complaint about the street: why is the rent here so high?
Yeah, it's significantly lower than Williamsburg proper, but McKibben is in Bushwick which is still a really scary neighborhood that just happens to have a lot of hipsters and hipster bars trickling in. It's kind of like the wild west out here. Cowboys and Indians are fighting for who gets the land. And, yes the cowboys are going to win because the rent is already ridiculous for this neighborhood. But, I don't think the Indians are going down without a fight and a lot of muggings. Yeah, McKibben isn't a completely awful street. And, there are a lot of things to do popping up in the neighborhood. But, it's not nearly safe enough, aesthetically pleasing enough, fun enough or close enough to Manhattan to justify the amount you pay for living in a rat den in between "artists" and criminals.
Pros
  • Some nearby bars and restaurants
Cons
  • Rent is too high for what this is
  • Sketchy at night
  • Not gentrified as much as people think
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Eh, it's almost there but needs a few more years"

Marcy Ave is a pretty big street in south Williamsburg, and I keep on thinking that it's going to get really popular .. . but, it still hasn't. There are some great apartments on this street. And, the rent is much cheaper than a lot of other streets in Williamsburg. And, if you live on the street close to Broadway then you're just a hop skip and jump away from great bars and restaurants (Moto is my favorite -- it is lovely). But, the street, itself, doesn't have much to do on it in the way of fun. And, it is pretty shoddy looking in some parts, well, in a lot of parts. And, the street is close to a train. The JMZ actually has a stop on Marcy so getting into Manhattan isn't difficult at all. The only bummer about this stop is that it's an outdoor station, so waiting during the winter isn't ideal.
It's not a terrible street to live on, as long as you keep to the north side of it, but it's not great either. The cheap rent is lovely and there is close transport. But, it's still really sketchy at night on most of the street. And, the trickle down of youngsters and hipsters hasn't quite hit yet south of Broadway so there isn't a ton to do. I suppose I may be more likely to live here than go into 'Bushwick if I needed cheap rent, but it would be a hard sell.
Pros
  • Cheap rent
  • Not terribly far from bars and restaurants
Cons
  • Not a ton going on
  • Sketchy at night
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Too close to sketchy"

As with any other street that runs through or close to the Broadway Triangle, Lynch Street isn't great. It has the plus side of cheap rent and maybe a bit more space for your money. But, that's about the only up side to living on Lynch street. The street runs from the Broadway Triangle which is a span of land with old abandoned factories and a bunch of low income housing projects so that's not exactly enticing. And, to make things even better, it only runs down to nearly Bed Stuy, which is a really shaky neighborhood, but doesn't run quite into the now trendy Fort Green area around Pratt. So, it has a lot of near misses with fun, young areas and a lot of hits with crime heavy, abandoned looking areas. And, there's not a whole lot of convenience around Lynch. It's a pretty long walk to even a decent deli or coffee shop. And, any bar or restaurant venture requires a car ride unless you're willing to brave a sketchy street at night (which I'm not). Sure, the rent is reasonable, but that's not enough to entice, in my opinion. Furthermore, the street is pretty ugly with no energy to it.
Pros
  • Cheap rent
Cons
  • sketchy at night
  • ugly
  • No bars or restaurants nearby
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Some nice homes but the distance isn't ideal"

Yikes, this street is far. Lombardy Street is so far north in Willburg, that it's neighboring on the northern part of Greenpoint and Queens. There's really nothing up here and it's bordering on the part of the neighborhood that's heavily polluted which makes it not exactly ideal. And, the southern part of Lombardy has some really beautiful homes and apartments that are pretty cheap with a lot of space (a lot of them even have yards which is crazy). But, the northern part of the street looks like an industrial wasteland with a bunch of warehouses. Getting a three bedroom apartment with outdoor space for less than $2500 / month is a pretty great deal, but you have to pay for it in other ways.
For one, transportation is criminally far away from Lombardy Street. So, if you have to commute into Manhattan, it's really a pain. And, the walk to even a deli or market is pretty far, let alone any sort of restaurant or form of nightlife. Running out to get coffee is a bit of a chore on Lombardy. And, the northern end of the street is pretty sketchy at night because it's so vacant. It's really a toss up. You have all of this space for a reasonable price, but you have to really enjoy that space because walking anywhere else isn't exactly pleasant or easy.
Pros
  • Spacious, pretty homes
Cons
  • Remote location
  • Far from transportation
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"One of the better streets in Bushwick"

i'm still not totally sold on Bushwick as far as safety and having a whole lot to do in a neighborhood. But, there are an awful lot of youngsters that seem to like this neighborhood and Knickerbocker is one of the main streets in it. I guess if you were going to live in Bushwick, this would be the street you would want to live on. There are a lot of condo converts that have popped up on Knickerbocker in the last five years or so. And, I know that's a sign that the neighborhood is taking off, but I can't get around the price of them. Or, the rental prices in Bushwick, in general. Because the young and arty have flocked here over the last few years because of rent hikes in Williamsburg, the neighborhood has become somewhat popular. But, that was because the rent was cheap. And, it's nearly the same as Williamsburg now without nearly the number of bars, restaurants, shops and art venues. There are a few, of course, but not enough to justify not living in Willy. And, there are some streets in Bushwick that still have significantly lower rent. But, Knickerbocker isn't one of them. I guess this is because this street and the streets that cross Knickerbocker have the most going on. And, it's pretty close to a number of train stops. But, I still wouldn't call this street safe. There aren't enough young and arty people on it yet to have completely gentrified the street. So, it's still pretty sketchy at night. And, it's not especially pretty . . though most of north Brooklyn is pretty ugly.
I guess if you can find a cheaper rent and you're young, this wouldn't be a bad street to live on. It has enough going on that it's decent. It's just not enough to entice me.
Pros
  • Happening for a Bushwick street
Cons
  • Rent is too high to justify
  • Still not exactly safe
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Pretty good street as long as you stay south"

Kingsland Ave is a tough one because it has a lot of goods and bads. The blocks of Kingsland closer to Metropolitan are great and they're not too far from the L train or any of the bars and restaurants in the Graham Ave area. One of my good friends lives on Kingsland right at Skillman it's not too bad as far as convenience goes. He also has a back yard in his apartment which is nearly unheard of for anywhere in New York. The street is definitely a younger one. There are a lot of artists, students and hipsters on it because the rent is a bit cheaper than parts of Willy that are even off of Graham which is only a few blocks away. And, the further north you go on Kinglsand, the cheaper the rent gets because the further north you go, the further you are from any sort of convenience. It's a really residential street so if you live up toward Greenpoint, there's nothing in the way of bars, restaurants or delis near you. But, the walk isn't too bad. The other bad thing about Kinglsand is that the northern chunk of the street has a lot of pollution problems. It's right under the BQE and a lot of the new, expensive condos on the street are built on former factory sites that had sewage problems. Also, a lot of the buildings were put up really quickly so they have sort of tape and glue problems (i.e. poor insulation, electrical issues, etc). I guess I wouldn't mind living on Kingsland -- especially if I could have a yard -- but I would definitely live as close to Metropolitan as possible and I wouldn't live in one of the newer "luxury" buildings.
Pros
  • Cheaper rent
  • Close enough to conveniences
Cons
  • Not so great up toward Greenpoint
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Too far from everything"

Juliana Place is in the boons. It's a quiet street and you can find a great deal on a place (a lot of them are condos for sale). But, the reason you can find a good deal is because it's pretty far out of the way from pretty much everything. It's really far south and west and that's not a bad combination as far as being in a bad area, but it's not ideal. The street isn't unsafe, per say, but it's pretty scary looking at night because most of the apartments are in converted, old factories. There's not a neighborhood feel and there's not a lot of green around. It's pretty spooky around here and it feels like a ghost town.
And, the convenience factor to Juliana is awful. The closet restaurants are up at Broadway and though they're both fantastic, that's a bit of a hike to get to the closest place to eat. There's also a wine shop and a little deli on Broadway but that's pretty much it. And, it's not exactly at the end of the block. You have to walk pretty far just to pick up a coffee and the walk isn't exactly picturesque. The worst part about the location (as if having to walk six blocks to get to a deli isn't bad enough) is that getting to any sort of train is at least a 15 minute walk. So, any sort of commute into Manhattan is about an hour which is depressing considering you can see it from your window if you live on Juliana. There's just not enough happening on this street to justify living here at this point, in my opinion.
Pros
  • Cheaper rent
Cons
  • Far from transportation
  • several blocks to any sort of convenience
  • scary at night
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"No Man's Land"

There is only one good thing about Ivy Hill Road: The street sign. This street is so far east and north, it's almost like it doesn't belong to a neighborhood at all. And, there's nothing up here. It looks like the sort of street where body dumping happens. A lot of nameless warehouses and nothing else. But, the street sign is pretty cool. I don't know if it was forgotten about because it's so out of the way. But, the sign for Ivy Hill Road is from the 1940's. It was never replaced and is one of the only signs in Brooklyn that hasn't been touched. So, it's kind of like you went into a time warp in a horror film on Ivy Hill. Other than that, there's no reason to ever go up here (especially not to live). And, I'm not sure that an old street sign is really enough for anyone to make the effort for that matter. It's far from everything, the street is scary looking and you'd be living in a warehouse. This is a no fly zone
Pros
  • Old street sign
Cons
  • Scary abandoned looking
  • Way too far away
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"A little too far into Bushwick"

Irving Ave is a small street in Bushwick. It's pretty far into Bushwick too so there's no fibbing about this being Williamsburg or even "East Williamsburg." It's within fair walking distance of the bars and restaurants in Bushwick as most are on or near Flushing. But, I just don't think there's enough close by for this to be a great street to live on. First of all, it's off the Jefferson stop of the L train which is a really sketchy stop. And, Irving's not the sketchiest street in the neighborhood, but this neighborhood isn't exactly safe yet. And, living on a street without a lot going on in a sort of scary neighborhood is a bad idea, in my opinion. There's not enough people on the street late at night and I feel like that's just asking for trouble.
The plus side of living on Irving is that the rent on this street is dirt cheap. You can get a two bedroom place on Irving for less than a one bedroom place around Graham Ave in Williamsburg. And, the two aren't that far away from each other, technically speaking. Though, they look like night and day and sort of feel that way too. There are a lot of young artists and hipsters that have moved on Irving but there's still a mix of them and the old demographic which keeps the rent down because it's still a little less than desirable (unsafe). I wouldn't live on Irving because of the safety factor and because it's just too far from Manhattan. But, a lot of young people don't mind it.
Pros
  • Cheap rent
Cons
  • Far from Manhattan
  • Still not very safe
3/5 rating details
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
Just now

"Freeway"

I - 278 is actually a freeway, not a street you can live on. It's part of the BQE and it actually runs through all five burroughs of New York. The Williamsburg part of it is pretty small as it starts just after the Williamsburg bridge and runs up to Queens (which is pretty close to Williamsburg). I-278 isn't the most productive or fast freeway in New York, but it connects to just about every other freeway, directly. So, you can get to the airport, the Hamptons . . Connecticut. . . you name it, from this guy. Not much else to say about it, other than, don't live under it if you can at all help it.
Pros
  • Fast transport
Cons
  • It's a freeway
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Scarily desolate for a hipster street"

I remember the first time I walked past Harrison Place. I was going to Roberta's (my now favorite restaurant in the area) for the first time and kept on thinking that I was being walked to my death. This street is beyond ugly and scary looking. It looks like a series of warehouses where dreams go to die. And, you would never know that little gems are just around the corner. There are a lot of gems, like Roberta's, in Bushwick. But, there aren't enough, for me, to justify living on this street. And, I know that the hipster set like their buildings to look like abandoned warehouses because it ups the cool factor. But, I'm just not that cool. The insides of some of the buildings on Harrison are remodeled and very nice . . .but the outside. Dear of dear. It's as if no trees are on this street simply because they revolted. It's really scary.
And, the area is still pretty scary, in my opinion. It's scary during the day. The Morgan stop of the L train is right here and it looks like there's no train because almost no one is walking around at any given time. For any New Yorker, that's really creepy. There's nothing around here. At all. Around the corner toward Flushing, there are a few restaurants, bars, cafes, etc. But, absolutely nothing is on this street but what looks like abandonment. The neighborhood just hasn't developed enough yet that streets like Harrison are reasonably safe. And, I don't think any kind of cheap rent is worth that. I'd rather pay a little bit more and live a bit further west. But, if you're a brave, little hipster that won't let a potential mugging threaten your good time, this may be the street for you.
Pros
  • cheap rent
  • really big apartments
Cons
  • Dangerous
  • looks abandoned
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Don't make me laugh"

Grattan street is such a bizarre street. It feels like it's in the middle of nowhere though it's right in the midst of the new hipstertown. It's right where the (absolutely fantastic) restaurant, Roberta's is. And, yeah, there are a lot of bars, restaurants, cafes, etc popping up right around here because of the influx of hipsters and students over the last six or so years. But, it's still quite a hike away from Williamsburg proper. And, it's still not particularly safe. And, it's also ugly with an abandoned warehouse kind of vibe. This street, especially looks scary as all get out even during the day. I would pee myself if I had to walk to my apartment here late at night. There aren't enough hipsters and kids here yet for it to be even remotely pleasant to walk around after dark. And, there's not quite enough that the area has to offer yet to consider living this far away from Manhattan, in my opinion.
So, the thing that actually blows my mind is: how on Earth is the rent on this street so expensive? A lot of the apartments are in old, converted warehouses so I get the cool factor involved with them. But, a one bedroom one bathroom apartment on Grattan for $2100 / month? They have got to be joking. I lived in a big one bedroom on Graham and it was less expensive than that by a few hundred dollars. This street isn't safe yet! And, it's not bustling with all kinds of cool things to do yet! And, it's far! I cannot imagine for the life of me why anyone would even consider paying that or even $2700 / month for a three bedroom. People pay $900 a person to share an apartment in Bushwick? Seriously . . I can't take this street seriously. If you're going to pay that, live on Graham or Lorimer so you can actually sleep at night without thinking you're going to be robbed.
Pros
  • Some cool bars and restaurants around
Cons
  • Rent is ridiculous
  • Not safe yet
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Too sketchy"

Franklin Avenue is actually a really pretty street through most of its run through Brooklyn and the little chunk that it touches in Williamsburg is no different. There are some lovely, old brick buildings and a surprising amount of trees considering that this is about as far south as you can get in Williamsburg before the neighborhood switches to Bed Stuy. That's the problem with Franklin in this neighborhood, though. It's right on the border of Bed Stuy which is not a safe neighborhood at all. And, not only is it not safe, it's also not charming or neighborhood feeling or offering of anything to do.
Franklin is so far south, that it's quite a hike to any stretch of street that has bars or restaurants. And, it's not terribly far from the JMZ train but it's not a walk that I would want to make late at night. Because there are no bars and restaurants in the neighborhood, the only people out on the streets are usually up to no good. It's just not safe or inviting despite the pretty buildings.
The plus side is that the rent is really cheap to live in a cool apartment. You just have to be a trained streetfighter that doesn't mind a 15 minute walk to have dinner or pick up stuff from a decent deli. I do not fall under that category.
Pros
  • Cheap rent
  • Pretty buildings
Cons
  • Dangerous
  • No bars or restaurants
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Give it Five Years"

Forrest is a little street that's right near the thick of the popular part of Bushwick. And, I know that Bushwick is becoming more and more popular every year with the kids and arty set, but I still don't consider it all that gentrified or safe. There are definitely a few little bars and restaurants within short walking distance of Forrest. And, there are some great restaurants (like Roberta's) within a five or so minute walk. There's even a yoga studio nearby which wasn't even close to the case when I moved into Williamsburg. But, there aren't a lot of conveniences around. And, the neighborhood is pretty desolate looking. It's not the kind of street you feel really safe walking down late at night.
And, though the Morgan stop of the L train is close, it still takes about a half an hour to get to the city from here. If you have to go back and forth that can start to wear on you. And, staying in Manhattan all day with everything you need on your back can start to wear on you too. It's a pretty even mix of hipsters, young people and the people who lived in Bushwick before the Williamsburg crowd started to push east (which isn't necessarily always the kind of person you would want as your neighbor). And, the street is getting there. But, it's not there enough for my taste. The rent is really low, though and some of the apartments are spectacular and big. So, you have to weigh out the pros and cons if you're on a budget. If you're not, I would pass on Forrest.
Pros
  • Cheap rent
  • Big apartments
  • Up and coming
Cons
  • Still sketchy
  • Far from Manhattan
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Pretty sketchy"

Cook is a pretty scary street, in my opinion. It's a small street that runs through a part of the neighborhood called Broadway Triangle which is sort of where Williamsburg, Bed Stuy and Bushwick all kind of merge. It's a pretty shoddy part of all the neighborhoods and the street is taken up with mostly low income housing projects. There are some weird little stores like mom and pop electronics and dollar shops as the street hits Graham but there are no restaurants, bars, neighborhood things to do within many blocks. So, it's a really unappealing street. It's dirty and pretty desolate especially at night. I would be terrified to walk home at night if I lived on Cook. I'm even a little timid to walk around this part of the neighborhood during the day. There is a little bit of hipster infiltration in this area but not enough for there to even be a decent deli or cafe yet. And, the projects don't exactly do much for the neighborhood aesthetic. It's really noisy during the day which is a sharp contrast to the dead silence at night. And, the noise isn't a good kind of New York noise. Yeah, the rent is really cheap and it's close to the JMZ train which makes getting in and out of Manhattan pretty simple. But, that's not enough of a perk, in my opinion, to offset all of the bad things about this street. It may be hipsterfied in the next few years but it's not even close yet so I don't even go here.
Pros
  • inexpensive rent
Cons
  • constant foot and car traffic
  • crowded with cheap shops
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Decent street in a crummy area"

I wouldn't really consider Classon as a street that runs through Williamsburg: it's more like Bed Stuy . . . which isn't good. Surprisingly, this is kind of a pretty street. There's a lot of green around here which isn't all that common in New York, in general. Unfortunately, it's somewhat of a driving street. And, being that it's in Bed Stuy, it's really not an ideal neighborhood street to live on. And, by not ideal, I mean I wouldn't live around here if you paid me to. While Williamsburg is doing a lot of trickling into Bushwick, it's not making nearly as much headway south into Bed Stuy. It's still a pretty sketchy part of town. And, there is absolutely nothing to do around here. Nothing. There's not even a good deli on Classon and isn't that one of the best parts about living in New York. I love that fact that I can walk one block in any direction and run into something to do (or eat). And, that's not the case on this street. You have to walk for a while to get to any good restaurant or even the train for that matter. Plus, it's right under the BQE which isn't picturesque or appealing. Also, like I said, it's in a really sketchy area. I would be scared to live here.
Pros
  • Fair amount of green
  • cheap rent
Cons
  • Bad neighborhood
  • Nothing to do
  • Far from transportation
1/5
Just now

"Last stop before Queens"

Cherry Street is a really interesting name for a abandoned looking street that is basically in Siberia. I don't know anyone that lives even close to this far north and east in Williamsburg. And, there's nothing around here. There are no bars and restaurants and really nowhere to live. This street is, essentially, the pickup street to get onto the BQE just before the bridge into Queens. It runs directly underneath it and serves as the last onramp before you have to cross the water. So, there's nothing over here but a lingering sewage smell.
Cons
  • BQE onramp street
  • way out there
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"For the younger set"

This area is so close to being hip and hipster enough for me to think I wouldn't stay up all night, scared. But, I just don't think it's there yet. Bushwick Place isn't a terribly dangerous street to live on. And, there are definitely a lot of students, artists and hipsters in the area for it to be cool in a gritty sort of way. But, the actual street is scary looking even during the day to me. And, you're close to some of the great Bushwick restaurants like Il Passatore and Roberta's. But, there's nothing on this street but apartments. There's no neighborhood vibe on this street and it seems a bit like a wasteland.
The rent is cheap and some of the apartments are really cool. And, it's only one stop away from Graham which has a ton of bars, restaurants, music venues, etc. But, I guess I'm spoiled with being able to walk somewhere and not having to keep looking over my shoulder when I'm walking home. I feel like this is a street for young people. It's for people in the art community or university that have roommates, energy and not a lot of money. But, I think it's going to be just as safe as Willy within the next five years.
Pros
  • Cheap rent
Cons
  • Ugly
  • sketchy at night
  • Not a ton to do around the street
3/5 rating details
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
Just now

"A freeway"

There's not much to say about the Brooklyn Queens Expressway as far as reviewing a street to live on or visit because it's a freeway. You can access it starting at the Williamsburg Bridge and you can access both airports, Queens / Long Island and the Hamptons via this freeway. Traffic on it is pretty standard for New York City but there's no avoiding it if you're trying to do a quick summer beach visit (unless you're going to Jersey). The only bad part about the freeway is that it's not exactly pleasant to live on any of the streets that are directly under it.
Pros
  • Easy access to the beach and airports
Cons
  • It's a freeway
Recommended for
  • Beach Lovers
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Not there yet."

I don't know much about Boerum Street and I think that's kind of saying something considering I lived in the neighborhood for a few years. It runs from the southern part of Willy into Bushwick and I think it's a little too south. The hipsters and artists are just starting to trickle into the area but there aren't enough on Boerum to warrant the trickling in of bars, restaurants and conveniences. It's right on the cusp of the arty part and the dangerous part and I don't like being that close to danger.
There are some really nice apartments on Boerum and the rent is really reasonable. And, there are a few townhouses on the street and living in an actual house in New York isn't exactly cheap. These are under a million dollars but I think too expensive still for this part of the city. Parts of the street look really run down and other parts look almost abandoned so I would be really hesitant to live in something kind of nice amongst all of that. And, transportation is ok but you only have the JMZ line and I wouldn't want to walk from it late at night down this street. It's just not safe enough here, yet, and there's nothing to do within several blocks.
Pros
  • Cheap rent
Cons
  • Ugly
  • Not safe
  • Nothing to do
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Not ideal"

Beaver is a tiny little guy that merges with Bushwick after about two small blocks. It's better than any of the surrounding streets because it's kind of tucked away, but it's still not a good street. This part of the neighborhood is still pretty dangerous. And, it's really ugly. There are a lot of old factory buildings around here and a massive abandoned Pfizer factory just up the way so it looks like an abandoned industrial area except for it's not abandoned. There's nothing in the way of bars or restaurants and there's only one bodega nearby. So, there's nothing in the way of a neighborhood feel and there are no conveniences nearby. It's about a 10-15 minute walk away from the JMZ train which is a pretty good train but it's only one train option and it's not exactly a block away. And, one of the bigger housing projects is at the end of this street. Basically, what I'm saying is that it's boring, ugly and really unsafe. It may come up in the next ten years as Williamsburg continues to push east and south, but for right now, I wouldn't live here. The only plus side, really, is that the rent is really cheap and you're not a terribly far way away from fun things to do. You just have to walk through scaretown to get there.
Pros
  • inexpensive real estate
Cons
  • ugly
  • unsafe
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Pluses and minuses"

Eh, Beadel isn't a terrible street; but, I wouldn't want to live on it. It's in the northern part of Willy just across the BQE from Greenpoint. So, the plus side is that you're basically in between two pretty hip neighborhoods. The bad part is that you're on the outskirts of both. You're about a ten minute walk away from a park, but the park is McGolrick park which isn't the better one of the two Greenpoint parks. But, it's definitely quieter than McCarren. And, you're about a 10-15 minute walk away from the Graham stop of the L Train and the Nassau stop of the G train. That's no terrible but it's not great during a blizzard or when you're in a hurry, that's for sure.
The rent is much cheaper up here than it is in the thick of Greenpoint and especially down by the Graham. And, there are some really nice apartments on this street mixed in with ones that are a bit dated but bigger than anything you can find around Bedford. But, there's not much around here except for like one deli. You have to walk at least 10 minutes for a bar, restaurant, store, etc which makes it pretty inconvenient. And, because there isn't anything near this street, there aren't a lot of people out at night which makes it a little sketchy in my opinion.
Pros
  • cheap rent
  • some nice apartments
  • up and coming
Cons
  • Not developed yet
  • A bit of a hike to anything
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Internet Access 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Dangerous area"

Bartlett street is on the border of South Williamsburg and Bed-Stuy which is still a pretty bad neighborhood. South Williamsburg is starting to be quite hip although it's still pretty gritty. But, the movement into South Williamsburg and even Bushwick hasn't exactly reached Bed-Stuy yet. And, I don't think it's going to for some time still. It's pretty scary walking around here, quite frankly. And, I've walked around this street during the day. I wouldn't live here if you paid me right now because I feel like I would never sleep at night.
On the plus side, rent's really cheap and some of the apartments are cool looking because this used to be a big factory area. And, the JMZ train isn't that far which is a pretty reliable train with a nice view into the city. But, there are no bars, restaurants, or conveniences anywhere nearby. And, I doubt any of your friends will be living down the street. It's really ugly and it's really just not safe yet.
Pros
  • cheap rent
Cons
  • Dangerous
  • No bars, restaurants, stores, etc
  • Ugly
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Beautiful, old and quaint."

Sniffen Court is a really lovely little court just off 36th that was built in the mid 19th century as a stand alone courtyard and then converted into stables shortly thereafter. It was converted into residences in the early 1920's and the residences are kind of like living in little condos. They're really cool and Sniffen Court used to be a big artist enclave I'm guessing because of the secluded courtyard mixed with bungalow kinds of apartments. Sniffen looks a lot like the alley or mews streets in the West Village. It's very charming and the properties are stunning inside and out. And, because it's so secluded, there's very little in the way of noise or traffic. Most people don't even know it exists. The homes are are pretty spectacular on the inside and have roof decks, old accents, etc. Needless to say, the days of the artist enclave are over as buying property on Sniffen Court will set you back a few million dollars. There's a little theatre in here, as well, that has been around for about 150 years which I think is really cool. It's a very old timey little alley street. And, I don't think anyone would complain about living here.
Pros
  • Quiet
  • Charming
Cons
  • Very expensive
3/5 rating details
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
Just now

"Route to Long Island"

Interstate 495 which is often called the Long Island Expressway is a freeway that starts in the neighborhood right at the Queens-MIdtown Tunnel. It passes under the East River into Queens. It's a freeway so you definitely can't live on it, but it provides access to Queens / Long Island so it's a pretty well known freeway for Manhattanites. Long Island is where a lot of wealthy people live and many work in the city. It's also one of the easiest freeways to get to both La Guardia and JFK as well as the Hamptons which is undoubtedly the most popular summer vacation spot for New Yorkers. There's always a ton of traffic on this freeway but it's particularly grueling in the summer as people use it to get in and out of the city to hit the beaches. So, I never use it at normal hours if I'm trying to go to the beach. There's not a whole lot to say about it because it's a freeway but I guess it's a good thing it exists.
Pros
  • Access to Long Island and airports
Cons
  • It's a freeway
Recommended for
  • Country Lovers
  • Beach Lovers
3/5 rating details
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
Just now

"Basically, a highway"

Like FDR as it runs through any neighborhood on the east side, it's more of a highway than a street. The Drive part of FDR Drive is pretty literal. It's a very quick way to get from lower to upper Manhattan; or, at least, it's very quick compared to any of the avenues. But, it's not a street you live on. There aren't any apartments on FDR in Murray Hill. It would be like having an apartment on a Freeway.
And, the apartments that are just off of FDR aren't ideal, in my opinion. They have a great view of the East River but it's very loud and kind of scary because traffic just flies by. It's not particularly safe to even walk next to FDR in most parts. But, if you need to get from Murray Hill to the Upper East Side, Queens, etc, this is the best way.
Pros
  • Quick travel
Cons
  • You can't live here
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Big Buildings and little else"

39th starts off on the East River with an old Con Edison Plant that they're in the works to demolish and replace with high rise condos and commercial spaces. I'm not sure how I feel about this. For one, do we really need more high rise condos? Nobody that I know is looking to spend five grand a month to live in nowhere'sville Murray Hill. But, maybe I'm wrong. Also, these buildings are actually pretty cool and I doubt the new ones will be. But, it will probably stay the middle of nowhere as long as there's just a bunch of old, creepy power buildings and nothing else. It's really a toss up.
The block across 1st Avenue houses a very ritzy apartment building called the New York Tower. It's kind of a de facto banker's building which I will never understand. A woman who lost her job at a big bank jumped out of her apartment in this building in the early 2000's. And, that would be enough for me to pass on wanting to live here. Actually, no, Murray Hill would be enough for me to pass on wanting to live here. All of the blocks leading up to 3rd have really nice apartment buildings and nothing else. Plus, they're surrounded by entrance and exit tunnels to the Queens Midtown tunnel, so there's no aesthetic and nothing to do here but look at traffic. I don't understand why so many people with money would think that this is the spot to live.
At 3rd, there's an old publishing building that now does textbooks, I believe, but used to publish the likes of Edgar Allen Poe and Washington Irving. I'm sure they make a lot more money now but they definitely lost their street cred when they crossed over, in my opinion.
The block at Lex has an interesting mix of commerce, I think. There are two old hotels that have both been acquired by the W. And, an old distillery building that has now been acquired by Jim Beam. I find the very Vanilla W chain being next to the very dirt south Jim Beam really funny. But, I suppose the people working at Jim Beam all come to work with shoes on, etc so there's probably not as much of a war between them as I imagine in my mind. This block used to be the home of a city comptroller, Andrew Green. He is responsible for the New York Library and Met Museum. He was shot to death on this block on his way home. . . .not by a Jim Beam associate.
The next block is getting us into Midtown big commercial space kind of territory. There's a big pharma building, a smaller building dedicated to Jungian psychology and a massive commercial tower with all kinds of different businesses.
There's not much of a neighborhood feel around here though there are an awful lot of places to live. There's no nightlife or local hangouts in the mix. And, there's very little green. It's not a bad street and a lot of people like living here. I just think that if you can afford to live here, why wouldn't you live somewhere else?
Pros
  • Nice apartments
Cons
  • Expensive for no reason
  • No bar or restaurant scene
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Nowhere town"

East 36th starts at the East River in Murray Hill and it's kind of deserted at this point. There's one luxury building with some spectacular views and nothing surrounding it. The only thing in the vicinity right now is an old Con Ed building that hasn't yet been turned to another luxury high rise. I guess it's a nice place to live if you like living in one of the very few parts of the city where there is almost nothing around you. There are, however, a lot of cars around you right here because it's where the Queens Midtown Tunnel is. Whenever I use the tunnel, I always, think, man, I would not like to live here. There's a little park right here that even seems depressing because it's in midst of all this traffic and pretty much nothing else.
The block at 3rd starts to perk up a bit with a luxury high rise on one side of the block and a really charming, beautiful apartment complex called Sniffen court on the other. It was an artist enclave for many years starting in the early 20th century. It was a series of stables before that and it's a really cool little court. It's such a shame to me that this building has no neighborhood to support it. There are no restaurants, bars, galleries. . . there's nothing around here. There are even a few little brownstones on the next block and still no neighborhood which is devastating to me. Brownstones are hard to come by . .
All in all, it's not an ideal street to live on if you like any sort of energy at all. Anytime you wanted to do something outside of your apartment, you'd have to leave your neighborhood which isn't ideal (especially in the winter).
Cons
  • Pretty desolate for the large majority of the street
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Wasteland looking"

East 35th starts its run through 35th at the East River. And, like most bits of neighborhood on the East River, it's kind of depressing around here. There's a lone luxury apartment and an old Con Ed building that's going to be a luxury apartment right on FDR. I'm sure the units of the building are lovely and the view is spectacular, but it's kind of scary around here at night because it's so quiet and sort of desolate. There's almost nothing for blocks because of the Queens Midtown Tunnel entrance and then there's a Cathedral and Park at 2nd . . .and then nothing again for over a block because of the Queens Midtown Tunnel exit. The sad thing is that this is one of the only parks even remotely close to the area and it's completely surrounded by tunnel and nothing else which makes it sort of creeptown.
And, just to add to the neighborhood aesthetic and energy, the block at Lexington offers a little women's school and then a series of abandoned buildings across the street. It's very uncommon to have any sort of abandoned building in Manhattan let alone one side of a block of them. 35th is kind of like an Urban Wasteland in some sense. I know it won't be for long, but it's not exactly a comforting street at this point. The street starts to pick up with apartment buildings around Lexington, but by then we're getting into Midtown proper, so poor old Murray Hill's 35th is sort of left in the dumps.
Cons
  • Ugly
  • Desolate looking
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
Just now

"State oriented street"

Pearl starts its run through Chinatown at St James with a very interesting looking high school and a tiny little patch of green. It sounds like nothing much but there are some ugly buildings in this neighborhood and not very much green so these are kind of a bonus around these parts. The high school is business oriented (it looks medieval to me and I don't understand the connection). I find it interesting that so many high schools in this city are catered toward a certain profession. Whatever happened to regular school with a broad range of subjects?
The next block houses the NYPD police headquarters which is a massive, extremely ugly building but I venture to say that this is one of the safest blocks in the city. That's an awfully big building so there's got to be a cop walking in or out of it nearly twenty four hours a day, I imagine. I always see one when I'm here, anyway, which is a good thing because there's a housing project on the other side of the street and those scare the bejeezus out of me. They're always made to look like prisons which I don't get.
The next block houses a correctional center and two gorgeous courthouses. They are both really spectacular looking so it kind of makes up for the ugly preceding it. I don't, technically, consider this block of Pearl to be in Chinatown and I talk about the buildings at length in another Pearl review so I'll just say they are both very different and very beautiful buildings.
This isn't really a street you live on . . it's more a street you have to go to for jury duty or something and then happen to admire the little tidbits of great, old architecture. There's no neighborhood to this street at all. No bars, restaurants, nothing. It's a very state oriented kind of street.
Pros
  • Some beautiful buildings
Cons
  • Traffic
  • Not a neighborhood street
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Crime and Punishment"

Hayes Place is a little mini block off of Worth Street that seems more like an alley than any sort of street. It runs next to the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse which is a really pretty building. I don't know why courthouses are so pretty in this city, but the large majority of them are. They're very theatrical in New York, I feel. This one is a classical design with a big, gold tower.
Across Hayes is the absolute antithesis of the beautiful courthouse: a correctional center. Most courthouses have correctional centers next to them, so I get that. But, it's sad that such a lovely building is next to a prison. And, that's really all there is to this street: crime and punishment. I think it goes without saying that this isn't really a street to live on.
Pros
  • Courthouse architecture
Cons
  • The correctional facility
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
Just now

"The INS"

Federal Plaza is really just a governmental building across Lafayette from two little parks. It went up in the 60's and was named after a famous New York Senator (Javits). This building houses the US International Trade Court and the INS. Neither of those mean anything to me but this building means a lot to many of my friends. And, none of them have particularly fond thoughts of the ole federal plaza. Basically, if you aren't an American Citizen and you're living in New York, you'll probably have to spend a lot of time with these people -- begging, crying, arguing etc (if you're anything like my friends) because they are the people who grant you Visas, Naturalization, etc. And, apparently, they are a really tough bunch.
There's nothing really to this area but the building as the parks are considered Lafayette street. I guess it's pretty important, though, if you're moving here.
Pros
  • Immigration services
Cons
  • Immigration services
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
Just now

"The walk through the NYPD headquarters"

There's not much to say about the Police Plaza walkway except for the fact that it's probably one of the safer places to walk in Manhattan. It's a little walkway through the NY Police Headquarters and it runs parallel to the Brooklyn Bridge for the equivalent of about a block. It's quite green and the bridge peeking up over the trees is a lovely view. It's just the actual headquarters that you have to walk by that is quite the eyesore. It's a nasty looking building: a mass of concrete with tiny windows everywhere that makes it look like a prison.
You, obviously, can't live, eat or drink here but if you're going to the Brooklyn Bridge or happen to need a cop, this is at least a somewhat scenic part of your journey.
Pros
  • Green
Cons
  • Ugly building
  • just a walkway
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Tiny run"

There are some lovely old brick buildings on Catherine right at Broadway. One of them is a gorgeous building from the early 19th century that should be for residential use but is actually a commercial building. The building directly across Catherine is a newer apartment building that looks like it should be commercial. I may have to go talk to them about that.
But, that's about it as far as excitement goes for this little one block of street / lane. Those buildings take up pretty much the entire block on either side so there's not much else to do unless you're a government employee (the pretty building) or a resident in the bigger one. It's not a bad little street to live on and it's definitely quieter than other blocks in this neighborhood. There's just really not much going on.
Pros
  • Pretty buildings
Cons
  • Only one block / two buildings
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Half pretty / Half Ugly"

Park Row really starts off with a bang in Chinatown. . . . the two corner buildings at Worth are a low income housing project and a middle income housing project. Nothing really says welcome to the neighborhood than two modern day tenements. I don't know why they always have to make projects so ugly, too. It's like they're just asking for us to think the Candyman is lurking just behind the bushes. They always look like prisons and not having much money is depressing enough.
Speaking of prisons, the corner just across Pearl holds a Correctional center and the headquarters to the NYPD. So, I guess you'll be pretty safe if the Candyman does happen to be lurking in the projects. They're both hideously ugly buildings but the saving grace to this block is that two beautiful structures lie just beyond them. The Municipal Building is a gargantuan beautiful government office space that has a tower with the second tallest statue in New York. It's one million square feet of government including the Mayor's office and it seems like such a waste of pretty for dirty deeds, but I guess that's the US. Across from the Municipal Building is the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge isn't famous for nothing: it's beautiful. I walked across it when I first moved here and it was freezing but well worth it. It was built between 1870 and 1883 and people were so excited for the bridge that there was actually a mob to get on which resulted in 12 people being trampled to death. Add that to the 16 people who died constructing the bridge and it's a good thing this bridge is so pretty. It'd be a shame if all of that happened for something like the Manhattan Bridge (I kid . .. sorta).
I wouldn't live on Park Row even if I could but there are some lovely sights to see for an afternoon.
Pros
  • Brooklyn Bridge
  • NYPD
Cons
  • Very government oriented
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
Just now

"Pretty archway but it's just a bridge street"

There's not much to say about this street because it's basically the entrance to a bridge. So, you can't live on it and there are no bars, restaurants, shopping etc. There's really nothing to it except for bridge. And, it's not exactly in the prettiest part of town so the view isn't pleasing. There is, however, one gem to this particular bridge entrance: the Arch and Colonade.
There's a really beautiful arch kind of structure that was built in 1910 by the same people that did the New York Library so it looks similar to it (the NYPL is one of my favorite buildings). It was meant to serve as an impressive entrance into Manhattan and it certainly is. That is, if you can disregard all of the delis, tenement looking buildings, billboards and homeless people surrounding the arch. It really is beautiful. The funny thing is that the Manhattan Bridge is one of the lesser traveled bridges by myself or anyone I know so it seems like a waste for this particular bridge. But, there it is.
There's not much else to say considering there's not much you can say about something you drive on to get to Brooklyn. But, the Manhattan Bridge takes you to the southern part of Brooklyn and this is the entrance. Full stop.
Pros
  • The arch
  • Access to Brooklyn
Cons
  • You can't live here unless you're a troll
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Lots of green spaces for an Avenue"

There's quite a lot of green space on 6th Avenue which is rare for an Avenue and even rarer for the Garment District. That adds a massive bonus to the street appeal but it's still hard to justify living on an Avenue -- especially in this neighborhood. It's just always so crowded and loud around here. And, the neighborhood feel isn't exactly stellar.
The neighborhood starts at 32nd street and that block is taken up by Greeley Square and the Manhattan Mall. Greeley is a little green space in a sea of big buildings that's actually quite nice. The only problem is that it's pretty small so it's next to impossible to find a seat here. Because of that, I rarely go here. The Manhattan Mall is one of the weirdest things ever. It used to be Macy's rival department store called Gimbel's but it obviously wasn't that big of a rival because it went out of business. Now, it's a mall sort of thing with cheap stores like JC Penny's and little kiosks lining the walkways. I didn't know there was a mall in the city for about a year. That's about how popular this place is . . .
Up at 34th, we have more shopping and green with Herald Square and the Victoria Secret / H and M building. This is a crazy busy intersection so I never hang out around Herald Square. But, it would be lovely if there weren't so many tourists here all day every day. I feel sorry for the people who live around here because it can be an absolute nightmare to get through. It's pretty, though, if you can erase all the people in your imagination.
The rest of the Avenue in this neighborhood is a mix of commercial and residential spaces but most of the buildings are pretty old which I like. There are a lot of textile buildings on this street which is to be expected and a lot of little delis and takeout places. There's nothing really in the realm of neighborhood bars or restaurants and it just has a really commercial feel. It's not bad as far as Avenues to use to run errands. And, it has a ton of green and things to do, but I wouldn't want to live on it.
Pros
  • Parks and Squares
  • Shopping
Cons
  • Loud and crowded
  • Tourists
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Only for garment people"

West 39th used to be all mansions in the Garment District. But, those days, sadly, are over. Now, it's a really commercial street with some apartment buildings in the mix and about zero in the neighborhood feel region. It's not a street that people aspire to live on.
The Lord and Taylor shop is right on the corner at the start of 39th's run through the Garment District. It was quite the to do department store when it opened (about 100 years ago). Now, it's definitely a lower tier store, trailing far behind nearby Saks, Barneys, etc. But, they do still have a great holiday window display every year. The store shares the block with little stores and restaurants but nothing people are really dying to get into. The building on the other side of the street used to be PT Barnum's home. And, Sinclair Lewis lived two buildings over from that. I highly doubt any one in that vicinity of renown is living on the street these days.
The block at 6th is equally unimpressive with a coffee shop, a big commercial high rise, and the back entrance to the Marriott Hotel as its only landmarks. And, the block at Broadway is only impressive to people that work in the garment industry. The World Apparel Center takes up nearly the entire block and boasts a million square feet of showrooms and other garment related businesses. It's a pretty massive building that stands on the site of two former arts giants. The two buildings it replaced were the Maxine Elliott theatre and the Metropolitan Opera House. The theatre was a big time draw that saw plays written by Shaw, Maugham and Gregory. The Met Opera House was the home to the Met from the late 19th century until they moved to Lincoln Center. When it moved, they demanded the building be torn down so no rival companies could use the space. Both were demolished in the '60's which I think is such a shame.
39th's run through the neighborhood ends at 8th Avenue with a very appropriate block at 7th. There are two massive buildings on the block. One houses wholesale fabrics and textiles offices. And, the other is the building where Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan are all headquartered. It's not a block you'd want to live on (none of the blocks on this street are). But, if you work in fashion, this is probably the spot to be. There's no neighborhood vibe here and no bars or restaurants so it's a depressing place to live. But, at least it's a part of the garment district that's actually responsible for good garments.
Cons
  • Ugly
  • No neighborhood vibe
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Weird stores"

38th starts its run through the Garment District at 5th Avenue and it's a very commercial looking block. It's not bleak in appearance like a lot of other blocks in this neighborhood, but it's not exactly a block that you look at and think, "I'd really like to live there." Lord and Taylor is right on the north corner at 5th and it used to be a very impressive department store back in the 19th century that now is only known for impressive Holiday window displays. I do, however, think it's impressive that the store has been around for this long. Good for them. I've never been in there, but still, good for them. The rest of the block is taken up by a monster luxury apartment building and a little hotel with not so much luxury -- the rooms all have shared bathrooms.
The block at 6th is taken up by shops that make Lord and Taylor still seem luxurious. These stores are the reason I don't like this neighborhood. This block has cheap clothing stores and trinket shops . . there's even a store entirely dedicated to beads. I think it makes the street ugly and gives it a weird energy. I don't like it so I don't hang around here much.
The block at Broadway doesn't have much to it either but it does have a Crunch gym directly across the street from a Delicatessen and a Bakery which I find really funny. I would hate to work out at the gym and would probably be fat if I did. That smell has got to kill all the people walking in to go run for 30 minutes. It's like water torture but, ya know, food.
There's just nothing to this block in the way of exciting things to do or nice things to look at. It has no neighborhood feel to it at all. This area, in general, is like that, but this street is particularly offensive in my opinion. And, it's swarming with people and cars during the day and absolutely dead at night so you just can't win. I wouldn't live here.
Cons
  • Too busy at times
  • Too many people at times
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Gorgeous buildings ruined by weird shops"

This run of 29th, from 5th to 6th, looks now about how seedy it used to be back when this was the Tenderloin. It used to be a big neighborhood in the gambling, dance hall and prostitute arena in the 20th century; but, now it's just a dark commercial wholesale kind of jam. It's not dangerous around here for the most part, nowadays, but it's not fun by any stretch now either.
The block at 6th has just about every kind of wholesale shop you can imagine. There's a hat shop, accessories, clothing, party supplies, jewelry. . . you name it. They kind of scare me so I don't shop here but a lot of people do, apparently, because this area is always really crowded during the day. The costume jewelry shop on the corner used to be the most popular dance hall in the neighborhood where people like Eugene O"Neill would come to drink amongst other seedy activities. There were at least four gambling / dance halls on this block alone in the 19th-20th centuries. And, now, there are enormous, weird hats. Go figure.
Across Broadway, there are two magnificent looking cast-iron apartment buildings that used to be popular hotels for the likes of Oscar Wilde and other literati. I imagine the rent is grotesque at either of these buildings, but the apartments must be lovely if not maybe a little small even for Manhattan. The ground floors of both house bizarre wholesale shops which I'm sure the residents just love. There are some great, old buildings on this block like the Marble Church and other lovely apartment buildings so it kind of annoys me that the store fronts are all chintzy shops or to go places like a dingey falafel. This stretch of 29th could be so pretty but the businesses here really drag the aesthetic and energy down, in my opinion. It makes what could be a lovely street into a crowded and creepy passover one. It's not a horrible stretch to live on, but I think it has so much more potential than what it is now. Luckily, New York always changes so I'm sure it'll come back around.
Pros
  • Beautiful buildings
  • Great History
Cons
  • Weird shopping
  • Dingey to go restaurants
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Beautiful architecture for a commercial run"

This stretch of 28th only runs from 6th to 5th but has quite the rich history and some great old buildings. The block from 6th to Broadway used to be known as Tin Pan Alley. It's where all the new music was published in the 20th century and the sheet music shops would hire to people to play the new stuff on the street in front of the shops. I guess it made a lot of tin pan banging noises which doesn't say much for the music at the time. There's a fun little plaque on the south side of the street. All of the great, old buildings were music publishing companies that are now things like flower shops with apartments just above. I think these are some of the coolest looking buildings in the area. 57 West 28th used to be a high end gambling den (I wonder how many people were killed in that room). There's a gross looking high rise apartment building on the south side of the block which ordered the demolition of some of these great old building in order to go up. It's a very generic looking luxury apartment building that doesn't fit in at all with the architecture. I know it's not the residents' faults but I always give them stink eye when I see one entering. Conversely, there's a great old building on the corner at Broadway which used to be a church, then a public bath house and now it's a Wholeseller outlet. It was a bath house until 1985 which is pretty cool / creepy. The building is gorgeous, though, so I'm glad it's still around.
Across Broadway, there's another stretch of great buildings starting with the Johnston Building which is scheduled to open as a boutique hotel some time shortly, here. There are a lot of little bizarre / wholesale shops on this block and one of them is in one of the few remaining brownstones in the neighborhood. It's really lovely and I believe they sell perfume here. It used to be a gambling den back when this area was crawling with them. There's a beautiful but run down looking building on the corner at 5th which has more wholesale selling involved with it but I can't imagine it was built for anything remotely like that. It has these great story high arched windows at the top which I imagine would be awesome to look out of every day if you could live in that space. This building is somewhere around where Newland Archer lived in Age of Innocence, though, I'm presuming he lived in a brownstone back when the neighborhood was fancy.
West 28th is incredibly commercial and there isn't much in the realm of things to see, eat or do. But, so many of the buildings are so cool that I wouldn't mind horribly living in one of them if it were available. This block is very old timey to me and you don't get a lot of that in commercial areas.
Pros
  • Gorgeous buildings
  • Tons of history
Cons
  • No neighborhood feel
  • No bar or restaurant scene
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Madison Square Garden Street"

West 32nd starts at Madison Square Garden / Penn Station which I think is a pretty good indication of what kind of run this street has. It's pretty busy pretty much all the time, and it is very, very commercial. This is not the street you want to live on if you like the neighborhood kind of feel. There are a ton of tourists, commuters and people that just live in different neighborhoods coming to 32nd every day. It's kind of a mad house.
Seeing a concert or game at MSG is pretty spectacular but it's definitely not an intimate venue. This place is massive and sort of a promised land for a lot of people in the music world. Elton John has performed here over 50 times, John Lennon's last performance was here . .. and, I saw Rihanna here last year (it was someone else's birthday, don't judge me). A lot of people hate MSG, however, for a reason other than the crowds. The construction of this place involved the destruction of the original Penn Station which was heralded as a masterpiece. It was modeled off of Roman Baths, and apparently, it was a spectacular sight to behold. I happen to agree that it is a travesty. MSG is all fine and well, but it could have gone somewhere else. And, the new Penn Station looks like a slightly elevated subway station.
The block across 7th from MSG has a variety of things like a 99 cent store, a church, a few little eateries and the weirdest mall ever: The Manhattan Mall.
This one of the less desirable streets to live on in Chelsea because of the amount of people lurking around MSG. It's always loud and crowded around here with little in the neighborhood feel area. There are so many beautiful streets in Chelsea, that this one doesn't come anywhere near making the cut.
Pros
  • Transportation access
Cons
  • Commercial area
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"6th Ave - 40th to 47th"

This review is for the lower part of 6th Avenues run through midtown. Because the run is so expansive and the Avenue changes so much from the lower to the upper part of the neighborhood, this review is for 6th's run from 40th to 47 which is the much more midtown part of midtown.
6th starts its run through the neighborhood at 40th street with Bryant Park. It's not the most eventful park throughout the year now that fashion week moved. But, I thoroughly enjoy this park during the summer. It's my favorite place to watch the summer outdoor movies in the park -- watching Rosemary's Baby here is one of my favorite New York memories of all time. It also has great shows, outdoor readings and all kinds of summer activities for kids. Bryant Park has been for public use since the 17th century and was a graveyard in the 19th century. Like most former cemeteries in this city, I highly doubt any of the actual bodies were moved which makes watching a scary movie here extra creepy. The park is surrounded by big buildings all around and is in the middle of very high traffic part of town so the park can be quite loud, but it's still a much need, lovely spot of green.
The block at 43rd is taken up by (you guessed it) big commercial spaces. The International Center for Photography is on this block as well as a big business high rise where the Hippodrome used to be. It was a massive auditorium that had side shows and freak acts which, allegedly, prompted the round table at the Algonquin to form so the big wigs in the area could eat lunch without running into the performers.
Going all the way up to 48th, it's just more skyscrapers without really any noteworthy companies in them. You just find a lot of suits, lost tourists, cabs and trash on this run so it's not a great place to be, let alone live. There's no neighborhood vibe and nothing to eat or drink in the area. Outside of the park in the summer, it's really not a part of town I frequent because of the noise and people during the day. But, once you cross 48th, the Avenue starts to take on much more of an uptown feel.
Pros
  • Bryant Park
Cons
  • No neighborhood feel
  • No bar or restaurant scene
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Government and Green"

Centre streets run through Civic Center starts just below Foley Square in Thomas Paine park. The square is actually pretty cool if you can ignore all of the surrounding noise. It was named for a Tammany Hall big wig whose saloon was located right in the square. Directly across the street, Thurgood Marshall Courthouse dominates the block. We have a lot of courthouses in this area, but I believe this is the one that most people go to (or at least, this is the one I had to go to when I had a jury summons). It's a pretty building but it doesn't really stand up to the courthouses in the neighborhood, aesthetically. And, it's kind of depressing on because of all the shabbily dressed government appointed attorneys and their clients.
A little further down Centre, and you run into the Surrogate Courthouse which is the most beautiful courthouse I think I have ever seen. It's stunning. The exterior is gothic feeling with a ton of statues lining it and the interior was designed after the Paris Opera House so it's very opulent but very pretty. I feel like if I have to go to court again, can't I get summonsed to this one? Across from the courthouse is the Muncipal Building which is also very pretty and neo-gothic. It has a very large tower that makes it easy to spot. . . not that it's hard to . . it holds a million square feet of space. Most of the mayoral offices are in this building.
City Hall Park is just down from the Surrogate Courthouse. It has always been a park, even before New York was New York. And, it's a pretty big space where a lot of riots like the Draft Riots, Slavery Riots, Revolutionary riots have been started or ended. . . or both. And, yet another green space is just a bit further down at Printing House Square which ends the street. The square has a big Ben Franklin statue so it's hard to miss but the real history is that this square was the site of the execution of a British militia leader whom refused to step down from his post when New York was part of the colonies. He was hanged, burned and disemboweled not far from where the statue is now. It's always in the most peaceful looking places, that the most violence happens in this city it seems.
There are a lot of green spaces here and a lot of beautiful buildings, but unfortunately, not a whole lot of living areas. It's largely for government offices which also makes the energy and feel of the neighborhood such that you wouldn't really want to live on Centre even if you could find a place. There's just nothing to do outside of a visit or work.
Pros
  • Gorgeous buildings
  • Lots of green
Cons
  • No neighborhood feel
  • Not really residential
  • No bar or restaurant scene
Recommended for
  • Tourists
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Connects much finer roads"

Avenue of the Finest has an interesting name considering there isn't much that's "fine" about it. It's the street that I think most people only know about because they happen to stumble across it while trying to find the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. It's basically just a little stretch of road that leads to the courthouse or to the Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian Entrance. There are few trees, no restaurants and no bars, theatres, etc. There's really nothing on this street at all. I'm guessing that at one point it was quite fine, but it's definitely far from it now. It would almost be like living on FDR . . .
Pros
  • only here if you have official business with the courts
Cons
  • impersonal
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Pretty street but way too many people"

58th in midtown starts with quite the bang at 5th Avenue with Bergdorf Goodman and the Pulitzer Fountain. The Pulitzer is kind of part of Central Park but it does make for a fancy entrance to an extremely fancy store. I don't shop at Bergdorf because I'm not a millionaire, but I do like to people watch the patrons of the store. It's a very interesting set and reminds you about just how much money people in this city have. The block stays pretty grand with The Plaza Hotel next to Grand Army Plaza (cute, huh?) and the Kobe Club across the street. The Plaza Hotel is one of the more famous hotels in the city and the place that the uppity New York girls all try to have their wedding at . . though I believe it is now being reconfigured. The Kobe Club is only famous for serving ridiculously expensive differentiations of kobe beef. I've never been there because it sounds ridiculously, but the garrish seem to like it.
The intersection of 58th and 6th is the famous intersection in Midnight Cowboy where Dustin Hoffman hits the cab and says, "I'm walking here!" The funny thing about that scene is that it was a total accident. A cab drove through the set and almost hit both of the actors but Hoffman stayed in character and they used that take. The rest of the block isn't so exciting. It's a lot of Hotels which is understandable because this street is almost right on Central Park. Oh, and a New York Athletic Club. I feel like most people who live right here don't go the the New York Athletic Club but what do I know?
It's an ok street and the apartments are really nice but this is just crazy town as far as the tourists are concerned. Between the shopping, tourist attractions and Central Park, it's kind of the porthole touristville which I would not want to pay that kind of money to deal with. And, the restaurant and bar scene is really lacking. Put the two together and you get a nice neighborhood street with zero neighborhood feel.
Pros
  • A lot to do
  • Pretty buildings
Cons
  • Way too crowded and loud
  • No neighborhood vibe
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Big names and big buildings"

East 50th starts off with a bang as it enters Midtown (few Midtown streets can say the same) with The Waldorf Astoria and St. Barthelomew's Church. The Waldorf is one of the most famous hotels in the world and it really is lovely. The only issue I have with it is the fact that it has been completely taken over by the business set so it doesn't feel as old timey and grand in energy as it used to. If you happen to catch it during a slow run, though, it's beautiful and the upstairs home to the Waldorf salad does make you feel like an aristocrat from another time which I enjoyed very much. St. Bart's Church is one of the prettier ones in the city and I like that it's in the midst of this big building, commercial area. The two buildings remind you of what this area used to look like.
The next block is a strange mix of big commercial buildings with the Villard Houses sandwiched in there. It used to be six private brownstone residences for the elite but now these houses serve as the entrance for a grand hotel. I'm glad they kept the buildings and the courtyard because they really are stunning. I just wish they were still residences though it would be hard to pay that kind of money to live in this part of town. It's so commercial and loud.
The block between Madison and 5th showcases more famous buildings with Saks, New York Magazine and St. Patrick's Cathedral. Saks Fifth Avenue is about as elite of New York shopping that you can get and people watching the old uptown ladies that shop there is really fun. It's definitely snooty but I enjoy it. St. Pat's Cathedral is gorgeous and gothic. It has been the spot for many famous funerals from General Sherman to Bobby Kennedy. It's visually stunning and a welcome break from things the Palmolive Skyscraper.
I wouldn't want to live on 50th in this part of town because of the noise and lack of green or restaurants. And, there are too many tourists. But, it's a spot you have visit because there are so many famous places on one little stretch.
Pros
  • Sightseeing
Cons
  • Loud
  • Tourists
  • No neighborhood feel
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Some noteworthy places"

49th is one of the prettier streets in Turtle Bay and the aesthetic takes a pretty swift departure once you enter the midtown section at 3rd Ave. There are a lot of hotels right at the start of 49th's run through midtown and it's pretty much just all business patrons. I know because I had to stay in the W on this block. It's a nice hotel but walking out is really depressing for a downtown person like myself. There were suits everywhere. And, no good restaurants. Across from the W is the Marriott which is an okay hotel that has some great history from when it was the Shelton. Georgia O'Keefe lived here as did Penny Guggenheim. Harry Houdini used the basement for his under water coffin trick. I wish the Marriott would have kept up the grandeur of this place but I don't know that Marriott's are capable of that.
The next block houses the Barclay Hotel which is pretty nice but it gets really overshadowed by it's across the street neighbor, The Waldorf Astoria. My parents stayed here the first time they came to visit and it is a really beautiful hotel. Unfortunately, it has been taken over by the business set so it doesn't have that kind of swagger it became famous for these days. It's still an institution, though (even though it's now owned by Hilton). The salad really is great and the restaurant is named for the Alley (Peacock Alley) where all the society figures paraded in the hotel. Many presidents, Kissinger, and Eisenhower have all lived here at some point. It's worth taking a look and trying the salad, that's for sure.
The block between Park and Madison loses all of its timey grandness with commercial buildings that house banks and big business. You walk out of the old timey Waldorf and right into depressing block USA. But, it sort of turns around again just before 5th with the famous Saks Fifth Avenue, the headquarters for New York Magazine and shops such as American Girl Place. Sidenote: I find American Girl Place to be one of the creepiest stores in existence but I guess kids like it. I went in there once and upon seeing that they have a doll hospital, immediately walked out.
East 49th has some great historical and noteworthy places to see but it's definitely not a great place to live. It's too commercial and filled with suits, tourists and traffic. There's no neighborhood feel and no great restaurants, bars, etc.
Pros
  • The Waldorf
  • Shopping
Cons
  • Crowded
  • No neighborhood feel
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Commercial street"

If you like buildings, then you've come to the right place in regards to 48th or really any street in Midtown for that matter. It's run through this neighborhood (if you can call it a neighborhood) starts at 3rd Ave and runs through all the more famous avenues though there's not a whole lot of noteworthy things happening around here. There are a lot of hotels between 3rd and Lex with one big apartment high rise and a commercial space called the Wang Building which I find hilarious because I'm five years old. There's nothing really to do on this block and minimal things to eat. Plus, none of the hotels are particularly nice so it's a passover block to me.
The next block follows suit in the boring category though the Barclay Hotel is pretty nice, old and has an enormous birdcage in the foyer which is pretty interesting. The rest of the buildings are all commercial spaces so you really only see suits around these parts. The following block headed west is a big banking block and actually holds the building for the Chase Headquarters. I've been tempted to walk in there and demand to know why it takes them so long to process things in my account but always found something more interesting to do instead.
The block heading up to 5th is just as uninteresting as the previous though there is a 19th century townhouse smack in the middle of all these big buildings which I'm pretty happy about. I almost can't believe no one has tried to demolish it yet.
48th is really boring in aesthetic and activities. Not only would I not live here, I don't really go here much. There's no reason to . . . .
Pros
  • One pretty townhouse
Cons
  • No energy or aesthetic
  • Nothing to do
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
Just now

"Basically, a ramp / bridge"

There's not much to say about the Ped crossing other than it's a way across FDR by foot. FDR is an incredibly busy, highway of a street so you can't get across it safely by foot. So this bridge sort of crossing makes it easy to get from the East River bank over to the park and into the rest of Manhattan without getting run over by the whizzing cars of FDR. It's not exactly a scenic walk because of all the traffic noise, but if you need to get to the water, it's a good thing this is here. You can't live here, obviously. It's just for walking convenience.
Pros
  • Easy access to the water
Cons
  • Loud
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Tons of theatres"

45th starts off its run through Times Square at 8th Avenue to the West and right away it's pretty Broadway heavy. The corner at 45th and 8th houses the Golden Theatre on the south side and Frankie and Johnny's on the north side. Frankie and Johnnie's used to be a really popular speakeasy kind of restaurant but now it's just popular with the tourist set. The restaurant next door, Sam's, is now more of a local Broadway performer hangout than Frankie and Johnnies. Next door to that is the Imperial Theatre which is beautiful and has seen the debuts of power houses like Les Miserables. This kicks a pretty impressive row of theatres that include the Jacobs, Schoenfeld, Music Box and Booth. These are some of the Broadway big guns and have been for a very long time. The Booth theatre was a big Shakespeare theatre named for Edwin Booth, a famous actor whose brother killed President Lincoln. There's one chain hotel at the end of the block, but other than that, this block is gloriously theatre dominated. Yeah, it has a ton of tourists like the rest of the neighborhood. But, it's so exciting to watch everyone pile in for theatre at 7:45. It keeps an old timey feel to this block and it's lovely that art is so alive right here.
The block at Broadway starts the big lights, tourists, ads situation that we all have come to know about Times Square. The swatch building right on the corner at Broadway is particularly known for its ads: they're covering the building. The oldest theatre on Broadway, the Lyceum is in the midst of all of this chaos and that's kind of sad because it's so beautiful. There used to be speakeasies and local restaurants all over this block but now it's taken over by tourist shops and chain restaurants which is really a shame. It's kind of a mess right here, and exhausting to navigate. I wouldn't recommend even walking through this block let alone living on it. It's utter mayhem right here 24 hours a day. But, the block with the theatres is so lovely to hang out on (and even see a show (but not a musical). As far as Times Square streets go, 45th isn't half bad because the block at 8th saves it. But, it's just too crowded, loud and dirty on the whole. And, because it's such a tourist trap, there's no local feel or neighborhood hang.
Pros
  • The great old theatres
  • Broadway energy
Cons
  • Loud
  • Crowded
  • Dirty
Recommended for
  • Tourists
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Big Theatre Row"

West 44th is a big Broadway street and from what I understand, it has been since this started being the big Broadway area. John's Pizza, the offshoot of the famous Greenwich pizza, is right on the corner at 8th. I, personally, don't like Johns but if you want to try tourist famous pizza in a really touristy area, then maybe this is the place. Next door to John's is a big Broadway hang called Angus McIndoe. Investors include Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane and Mel Brooks so there are always theatre big wigs at this spot. Next to Angus is the St James theatre where Hello Dolly and The Producers both enjoyed very long runs. Across from the St James is the Majestic Theatre where Phantom ran for many moons. This is the street where all the big Broadway shows are. Most of them are very commercial and you're not going to see anything ground breaking, but it's great for old fashioned Broadway going, that's for sure. The Helen Hayes Theatre and the Broadhurst are also right here. They have both been around for about 100 years and have seen such gems as Grease, Amadeus and Cabaret. They're grand old theatres that I'm glad are still around even if the crowds on the street drive me bonkers. The famous Broadway restaurant Sardi's is next to the Helen Hayes. I think the food here is sub par and kind of pricey considering but the history is great. Greta Garbo, James Cagney and Robert De NIro were all frequent patrons. Another famous Broadway restaurant called Carmines is a few doors down though that's more for the Broadway going tourists nowadays. The Shubert Theatre (one of the more famous ones) is on the corner of the block right at Shubert alley. Spamalot is here now but this is where A Chorus Line debuted and ran for about an eternity.
After Shubert Alley, the block becomes home to massive commercial buildings like the MTV headquarters and the Paramount building. The back entrance to the New York Times is next to the Paramount. There are disturbingly tourist driven, crappy restaurants on the ground floors of these buildings like Bubba Gump Shrimp but one cool thing that happens here is the Paramount plays a chime at 7:45 every night to let everyone know there's 15 minutes til curtain call for all of the shows. I like that.
I wouldn't live on this block because of the crowds, trash, noise, Times Square-ness, but it is really magical to walk down because of all the theatre history.
Pros
  • Lovely old theatres
  • The theatre set
Cons
  • Tourists
  • Noise
  • Trash and noise
Recommended for
  • Tourists
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"Too many people and nothing cool to do"

West 43rd's run through Times Square starts off at 8th Ave in the west and showcases mainly hotels and commercial buildings throughout. The corner of 43rd and 8th holds the Westin (a decent hotel) and the Times Square Hotel (a not so great hotel where Lee Harvey Oswald has stayed). Next to the Times Square Hotel is the current New York Times building. The New York Times moved to Times Square in the early 20th century which gave the neighborhood its name. It has been in this building since 1913 though the New Years Eve extravaganza that they started is still at their old building at 42nd and Broadway. Across from the Times building is the site where P Diddy and J Lo got into their infamous shoot out. The corner of the block holds more commercial space with tourist based shops on the ground floors. If you're into Quicksilver and a way too crowded Sephora, then this is your block.
The entire block leading up to Broadway and the end of the street's run through Times Square is taken up by 1 Times Square (the former New York Times building). I'm not sure what's in there now but I do know that the ball drop is still here every year much to the chagrin, I imagine, of all the building's employees. The other side of the block is an open street space with an army recruiting station, so I tend to avoid this block all together if I find myself having to be in this neighborhood.
I don't like this part of town. In fact, I wish it would just go away. There are too many tourists, no neighborhood bars or restaurants and nothing to do unless you just love musicals and people from out of town. It's loud, bright and filled with trash, cabs and solicitors. It's pretty awful so I would live here unless my apartment was huge and nearly free.
Cons
  • Loud
  • Crowded
  • No neighborhood feel
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"People everywhere"

42nd starts its run in Times Square at 8th Ave on the west. This particular intersection was quite the to do back around the early 20th century for picking up males of the night, if you will. Tennessee Williams used to pick people up right here and Montgomery Clift was arrested for doing as such. The corner at 42nd and 8th is taken over by big commercial buildings with lights all over them. It's kind of exhausting how many lights, cars and people there are right here at any given time of day. There are two movie theatres on this block: Loews and AMC. I'm sure they're both just fine as far as theatres go, but I don't go to either of them because this area I have an anxiety attack just thinking about 42nd street. There's also a Hilton Hotel and a bunch of chain restaurants catered to tourists. It's a really tourist street aside, I guess, from the cinemas (who would go on a trip to New York and go to the movies?) The west end of the block used to be sort of glorious and sometimes scary artsy kind of area that is now completely usurped by the grossest of all tourism mechanisms. The American Airlines theatre is a gorgeous old theatre that used to be the Selwyn. The interior is still the same and it's beautiful but the plays are very vanilla nowadays. The Pax food place used to be a seedy bar where Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg were all the time. Across the street used to be a restaurant where the likes of Diane Arbus and co and it is now a Wax Museum and Ripleys Believe it or Not. There are three more Broadway theatres on this block all of which have undergone massive renovations by big corporate owners. Where ground breaking plays used to premiere, we now have the long running Lion King at the Disney owned theatre. It's kind of sad but I guess it's less sad than letting these great, old theatres fall into shambles.
The next block over is very corporate. The 42nd street subway stop is right here and it is an absolute cluster bomb. Nearly every train line connects at this station so it is always mobbed with people whizzing every which direction. 1 Times Square is across the street and The Times are no longer there (which gave the area its name) but this is where they still have the big New Years Eve Celebration every year. Times Square Tower takes up the rest of the other side of the block and it's basically just a massive commercial building. The tower is on the site of the building where Harry Houdini was suspended in a straitjacket. But, I think the current building is a bit to high for anything to rival that stunt. There's really no reason to go to this block unless you work in either of the buildings or you really want to be surrounded by a mob of tourists at the end of the year.
I wouldn't under any circumstance live on 42nd street and especially not in this neighborhood. It's always a madhouse, there's no neighborhood feel and it's dirty and loud. I'm glad the theatres are here but you can always just hop on a train to get to the theatre which I would highly recommend: catching a cab around here is a nightmare.
Pros
  • the old theatres
Cons
  • Trash
  • People
  • Noise
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"A fire alley you can walk down"

Shubert Alley is a little pedestrian alley that runs along the back of Shubert Theatre. It used to be a fire lane for the Shubert and Booth theatres and Astor Hotel around the turn of the 20th century as law dictated they had one. Then, the Shuberts rented it from the Astors to use as their personal alley. It became a public alley a few decades later and boasted a lot of little shops and a waiting place for actors waiting to audition for a show in the theatre. Nowadays, it's a little alley that's not particularly crowded considering its location. It has a gift shop that used to be a Booth theatre dressing room. It is still a fire alley for the Shubert, but you can walk down it to gain access to the theatre. You can't live here and there's not much to see but it's a fun little stretch of history.
Pros
  • Historical
Cons
  • Not much to see
Recommended for
  • Tourists
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"The lights! Dear, god the lights!"

Broadway in Times Square is kicked off exactly how one would imagine it to be: with lights and people everywhere. The Times Square subway stop is right here and nearly every subway that runs through Manhattan connects at this stop. It is utter insanity at this station with people whizzing in every direction to make train connections. It can really overwhelming for even a New Yorker because of all the people so I can't imagine what it must be like for tourists. Across from the subway is the old Knickerbocker Hotel which used to be the finest hotel in the city. The building is gorgeous and definitely worth a look even though you won't see an Astor walking out of it anymore.
The next block is where you enter Times Square proper. 1 Times Square gave Times Square its name because the New York Times moved here in the early 20th century. They celebrated their move on New Years Eve which has made this area stick as the big jubilee for New Years Eve. The ticker they put up on the building has been there since 1928 and was the first in the world. It still ticks news even though the Times is no longer located here. This building is now pretty much just a place to put big showy advertisements with a lot of hullaballoo but it's this building that made Times Square what it is today. Across the street is the Conde Nast building which is the headquarters for Vogue magazine. This is where the immortal Anna Wintour reeks havoc on young fashionistas' lives.
The next block of Times Square is the one that scares me the most. There are enough lights here to induce a stroke and the culinary fare ranges from Bubba Gump Shrimp to Hard Rock Cafe to . . you get the idea. It's just a bunch of awful tourist hellholes on this block and it's almost impossible to get through the masses of people with backpacks on in this area. It is the bane of every New Yorker's existence. Good Morning America is filmed on this block and I feel sorry for all the people who work there because they have to see this block every single day.
The next block used to have a bevy of lovely old theatres and the Astor Hotel which was quite grand. Now, it features such gems as MTV Studios, a Billabong store, a way too crowded Sephora and a Toys R Us. This particular block, however, is the one that's famous for its outrageous ad signs, so if you need to see those, 45th is the place to be on Broadway.
The New York Marriott, Virgin Records, and the Astor Theatre take up the block leading up to 46th but it's hard to tell what is what because of all the electronic ads. The Astor Theatre premiered movies such as Gone with the Wind but I don't know if it actually still shows movies. My guess is no because I've never been there.
The rest of Broadway leading up to 50th is predominantly chain hotels with a few commercial buildings in the mix and some very bizarre tourist-driven shops on the ground floor. I would never stay in a hotel around here, but I suppose if you had to, I would go the W route. All of the others just seem so cheesy. I also wouldn't recommend dining or going to a bar around here. You won't see a single local unless they're there on a dare or because they had no other options. Most New Yorkers avoid this part of town like the plague as far as hanging out goes so you won't see any real New York. And, I wouldn't recommend living here at all unless you have industrial strength ear plugs and nightblinders. It's just too loud, bright and irritating.
Pros
  • Some historical buildings
  • Interesting looking if you don't have a seizure
Cons
  • Too many lights
  • Too many people
  • tourist driven commercial areas
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Times Square crowded"

West 48th at 7th is exactly what you would expect a Times Square area block to be: big buildings with a lot of lights and advertisements. The north corner holds a massive luxury high rise apartment building with big electric ads covering the top. It used to be the Studebaker which was one of the most notable buildings in the area but it was torn down in 2005. Why anyone would want to live right here is beyond me, but apparently enough people did to warrant the construction of the high rise. Across the street is the Ramada which is an odd-wedge looking hotel. The site used to be the Cotton Club which was a big jazz hang. What a shame that it's a Ramada now. And, it's not even an affordable hotel considering that it's a Ramada. Go figure, New York.
The block at Broadway holds another big, but not nice hotel with the Hershey shop on the ground floor. This amount of lights and clutter ought to be illegal. And, I have no idea how a kitschy chocolate store does well but I suppose the tourists just eat this up (pun intended). Across the street is a Morgan Stanley building which is terribly out of place and the Longacre theatre. I've never been to this theatre because they never have shows that are of any interest to me, but it has been around since the early 20th century. There are a few more hotels that cater to tourists on this block as well as the Walter Kerr theatre. The Walter Kerr usually has some of the best Broadway shows so you can almost bank that you'll see a good one here. They are responsible for debuting Angels in America, a number of August Wilson's work and Proof. It's a standout theatre that I highly recommend. Hurley's Saloon is also on this block. It has been around since the 19th century but moved here around the early 2000's after a long fight to not be taken over by Rockefeller Center in its old spot. As far as Times Square bars go, this one isn't too bad and I think it's because it has been around for so long.
This area is really annoying to me because of all the people, trash, lights and noise, but tourists love it. I think it's because it looks so different from any other part of New York, let alone the country. It's definitely a tourist trap so you won't find many locals just hanging around here, but it's less crowded than 42nd and it, at least, has a good theatre and a decent bar.
Pros
  • The Kerr
  • Hurleys
Cons
  • Loud
  • Crowded
  • Dirty
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"Very tourist heavy"

The start of 41st's run through Times Square really indicates just exactly what Times Square is meant for: there's a massive Red Lobster right at the corner of 41st and 7th. Why anyone would want to come all the way to New York City to eat at Red Lobster is beyond me, but it manages to remain, so I suppose an awful lot of people seem to think that's acceptable. The New Amsterdam Stage Door is just next to the Red Lobster where the Lion King is enjoying its insanely long run. Zeigfield Follies debuted at this theatre in 1913. Across the street from the New Amsterdam is the Nederlander Theatre which saw Broadway premieres for plays such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? It's a big theatre that looks very Times Square to me. But, it often does have some great plays which I often don't say about Broadway theatre. There are also two hotels on this block: a cute, boutique hotel and a massive, ugly, Hilton (I'm presuming for all of the Red Lobster patrons).
The street at from 8th and 9th is taken up by the Port Authority Bus Terminal so that's pretty much the end of 41st street through Times Square. It's a little run but it's exactly what you would expect from any street in Times Square: catered to people that don't live in New York.
Pros
  • Nederlander
Cons
  • Loud
  • Crowded
  • Catered to visitors
Recommended for
  • Tourists
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Depressing run of the street"

There are an awful lot of car dealerships on the Hudson in this area, and 51st is no exception. There's a Jeep Chrysler dealership right at 12th which I think is just such an eyesore for a neighborhood. And, this neighborhood needs all the help it can get so another auto dealer does not help. The area surrounding the dealership looks like a wasteland and it's pretty scary at night because no one is around. There's a public high school and a few apartment buildings at 11th but nothing noteworthy as far as architecture. I think it would be extra creepy to go to high school right here. What if you got out of study hall after dark? There are people out in this part of town at night but because there aren't any bars or restaurants, there's just no sort of energy on the street. The next block is just a church and a few more depressing apartment buildings. And, at 9th there's really nothing but a Howard Johnson. Why do people want to live on this street? They had better have gotten a sweet deal on their apartment because that's the only reason I can see for moving here.
Cons
  • Boring
  • Ugly
  • No neighborhood energy
Recommended for
  • Tourists
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Theatre, Dance and Cool Buildings"

Depsite the fact that I don't like this neighborhood, I kind of enjoy West 45th. It has a lively energy, some beautiful townhouses and a lot of art culture which makes it, aside from one sore around 8th, a pretty cool block to live on if you have to live in the neighborhood.
The block at 10th houses the IMG headquarters which used to be the Tootsie Roll Headquarters where the Tootsie Pop was invented. It's funny that such a big business situation is housed in a building that still has a Tootsie Roll logo on the side. I like that they didn't remove it, though. There's a playground across the street, but that's pretty much it for the block. The block at 9th has a little more going on with the Film Center (a building that houses several production companies) and a residential hotel on the corner. Next door to the hotel there's an apartment building called the Whitby where Doris Day and Joe Dimaggio have both lived. There's another nice apartment building and a sushi restaurant on the same side of the block which makes the fact that Private Eyes Strip Club across the street seems a little misplaced. Next door to Private Eyes is a big Broadway theatre that was playing The Lion King last time I checked. Broadway Dance Center is on the other side of the Strip Club which, again, just adds to the creep factor of Private Eyes' location. Broadway Dance Center is one of the more renowned dance schools in the country and I take classes there every summer. It's a fantastic school on a great block but all these foreign kids are always hanging around outside in between classes and I get worried that they're going to be creeped on. I wish that club would move but I'm not the block boss.
Pros
  • Lovely buildings
  • Art culture
Cons
  • Loud
  • traffic
  • The strip club
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Not too eventful as far as Central Park goes."

Frawley Circle is on the northeast corner of Central Park. Of all the "circles" around Central Park, this one isn't even close to the most aesthetically pleasing one. There's too much of a cross section of 110th in the circle and the neighborhood right here isn't exactly what you'd want in a coffee table book, visually. I've only been here once because I'm just not a huge fan of Harlem and I live in the West Village so this is quite a hike. There's a cool statue of Duke Ellington in the circle but other than that, there's really not much to see or do. You have to go further into the park, in my opinion, for the really beautiful parts. Park is better than no park, but this is kind of a road that's attached to some green, in my opinion. And, the surrounding streets are so loud that you can't really enjoy Central Park from right here.
Pros
  • The park
Cons
  • Next to a loud and dirty neighborhood
  • Not much to see or do
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Crazy busy all the time"

Grand Army Plaza is a really decorative little chunk of the south part of Central Park. There's a massive statue of Civil War General Sherman being led by a woman that is supposed to symbolize peace. It's a really pretty statue and it is very . . . gold. Thank god it's brushed gold, or this would be blinding when the sun is out.
There's a split design to Grand Army that is modeled after a Parisian landmark (the name I can't recall). And, the south end of the Plaza holds Pulitzer Fountain. I swam in this fountain with a friend after a lot of cocktails. We totally could have been arrested but the photos and laughs we have from this night made it well worth any recourse we could have gotten.
Grand Army is definitely a grand entrance to the park but it is often completely overrun with people. There are people everywhere around here. It's mostly tourists trying to figure out where to go in the park and about an equal amount of solicitors trying to get the tourists to buy something so it can be a bit of a nightmare. But, if you catch it at the right time, it's a very dazzling way to enter the park.
Pros
  • The fountain
  • The park
Cons
  • Tourists Everywhere!
  • Solicitors
  • Really loud
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"A mall with a fountain and a lot of traffic"

Columbus Circle is a crazy circle on the west side of Central Park. It is always packed to the gills with people, cars, noise, trash . . you name it. It can also be quite perilous to cross due to all of the traffic, so this area can definitely raise your heart rate. There are also a lot of people catering to tourists around here so I always have to mentally prepare myself to be bombarded when I go to Columbus Circle. Oh, and the horses. Lots of those too.
There's a lovely fountain right at Columbus Circle that my friend and I jumped into one night after drinking a little too much. We probably could have been arrested but I'll count it as one of my favorite nights in New York.
There's a weird shopping center called the Time Warner Center on the west side of the circle. It also has businesses in it, which I presume include Time Warner. There are a bunch of stores (like a Sephora) and some of the most famous foodie restaurants in the city are also here. I find this equally bizarre. Masa and Per Se are counted as the most expensive restaurants in the city and they are in a shopping center? Weird. But, it doesn't seem to hurt the restaurants at all so I don't presume they plan on moving. There's also an Equinox gym (one of my least favorite ones), a Starbucks and a bunch of medical buildings surrounding the circle -- as well, as the southwest corner of Central Park. There are some terribly expensive apartments on Columbus Circle but I don't know that you could pay me to live right here. There are just way too many people and no energy feel. It's really just crawling with tourists and people trying to either get to the park or to work.
Pros
  • Transportation
  • High end dining
  • The park
Cons
  • Traffic
  • Tourists
  • No neighborhood feel
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 1/5
Just now

"Home to Witches festival"

It's not exactly a "great" hill, but Central Park Great Hill is definitely a hill. It's a little far north for my blood, so I don't come here a lot. It's right next to the 103rd street stop on the west side so access to the Hill is pretty easy. The only thing I can think of as far as things to do on Great Hill (outside of normal park things) is the yearly Wiccan festival. Yep, that's right, witches. They have a big celebration in the summer. I went one year because I enjoy watching weird things and it was pretty awesome. They do a maypole, and chant and jump over cauldrons and stuff. I was surprised at how many witches live in New York . . but, I don't know why I was surprised, it is New York, afterall. It was actually pretty cool and made for an interesting afternoon involving things I don't do in a part of town I rarely visit. All of Central Park is beautiful, but if you have a reason to trek over here, or live in Morningside, the Great Hill is a cool thing to see.
Pros
  • The witch festival
  • Beautiful scenery
Cons
  • Pretty far north for downtowners
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
Just now

"All the kids are doing it"

Central Park Driveway is a beautiful and convenient way into two of my favorite parts of the park. It's on the east side of the park just of the 79th street transverse and it takes you to both the Sheep's Meadow and the concert stage. I have been to at least two shows every summer at the Central Park Summer Stage and it never gets old. Some of the shows are free and some are not free but pretty cheap. The lines are pretty long but it's not too shabby of scenery for a long wait in the afternoon so you can't complain much. I highly recommend everyone see a show here (the Philharmonic at least) and Central Park Driveway is the easiest way to get there.
The Sheep's Meadow used to be an actual sheep's meadow and now it's just for grazing people. It's unadulterated by trees so people come here to soak up the sun, play hand ball, and people watch. It's like a massive picnic with a bunch of people you don't know every weekend and it's pretty fun.
You can use a lot of roads through the park to get around, and, you don't even need one if you're on foot. But, Central Park Driveway makes getting to the goods quick and easy -- I've gotten lost a lot from veering off this road and it's a really big park to find yourself lost in.
Pros
  • Access to Summerstage
  • Sheep's Meadow
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
Just now

"Top end of the Resevoir"

The 97th Street Transverse is way too far north for my liking, seeing as I'm a downtown kinda gal. But, I have a friend that lived in Harlem and when he did, he used it all the time. This transverse marks the top end of the resevoir which is pretty popular for joggers. I think it's just over 1.5 miles around the water so if you like that kind of run and you live uptown, then this is your road to get there. There's not a whole lot else around here, but you can get to great north Central Park attractions like the Pool (awesome for a picnic), the Hill (highest point in the park with great trees) and the Conservatory garden. Those are all in the 100's, street-wise, but a few blocks in this city is nothing and you may as well do them in a gorgeous park with sweeping views, no?
Like all transverse roads, the actual road isn't much for a leisurely stroll as cars shoot through the road and traffic can get backed up. But, it's a great access point and makes getting across the northern part fast and easy.
Pros
  • Great for Runners
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
Just now

"Another way in"

86th seems a little redundant to me seeing as there is also a transverse road at 85th, but I guess it doesn't seem that way to the rest of the New Yorkers because there are always people on it. This transverse road is the best for getting to the resevoir and the Old Croton Aqueduct trail. Before the park was a park, it used to be a massive resevoir with an aqueduct wall leading to it. A lot of this wall still remains around 86th and it's a pretty cool little trail. It looks old timey like castle / moat old timey which I like. And, this far north in the park tends to be much quieter than the southern parts, so if you want a peaceful day with as little city noise as possible, this is a good road to take to get into the park and branch out.
Pros
  • Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
Just now

"The route to all the goodies"

72nd St Transverse is the park entrance that I use to get to all the things I do in Central Park. I enter on the east side to get to Philharmonic in the Park, Summer Stage, the movies in the park, etc. I use the west entrance to get to Shakespeare in the park. It's basically a direct line to all the free summer fun there is to be had in the park. It's also the best entrance to use to get the famous Boathouse. The boathouse really does deserve all the notoriety it has as far as a great lunch place. The food if pretty good, and it's just beautiful. I highly recommend having a lunch here. It took me two years of living here before I finally did it and I can't believe I waited that long.
The transverse is open to cars so it's not the most scenic park walk as it can be pretty full of traffic that either goes way too fast or doesn't move at all. But, supposedly, they're putting in more bike lanes which is supposed to make that better -- seems to me it'lll make it worse but who knows. All in all, this is the best road to use for navigating your way into all the goods but not ideal for a leisurely stroll
Pros
  • Direct access to the fun stuff
Cons
  • Traffic
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
Just now

"Quick cut through the park"

The 65th Street Transverse is a road that connects the east side to the west side through the park. It is open to cars, so it's not exactly the most scenic pass through the park. And, cars tend to drive pretty quickly through here so it makes it a bit dangerous for a runner. It can be quite loud, too, so it's not ideal. But, it's nice if you need a quick cut from one side to the other. It also makes entrance into the park easy and allows for a vantage park as the park can be really confusing if you don't know it well. The east side of 65th transverse is where the opening to the zoo and petting zoo is so it's pretty popular with little kids.
Pros
  • Easy access from east to west
Cons
  • Traffic
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
Just now

"Cut through the park"

Center Drive is what 6th Avenue turns into once you enter Central Park. You can't live here (or anywhere in the park for that matter), but it's an easy drive street if you need to get through the park by car for some reason. Center Drive takes you through the Bolivar Plaza entrance to the park. There are a lot of statues Latin American liberators right around here. I don't know who any of these people are, but the statues are pretty. There's also a little treehouse looking thing on the east side of center drive. There really all kinds of surprises in this park, so driving through it isn't the best way to see it. But, if, for example, you have to get to the north side of the park, this is probably the best way to go to get into the meat of the park. However, on a nice day, traffic can be a nightmare on this street. There are so many pedestrians and bikers, etc and there are only two lanes so there's no way around all the people. And, cabs whizz down this street so if you are a biker or walker, be careful.
Pros
  • Easy way to cut into the park
  • Cool statues etc
Cons
  • Traffic jams
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
3/5 rating details
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
Just now

"A traffic tunnel"

If the picture didn't indicate enough . . .you can't live here. It's a tunnel for traffic that connects Brooklyn and Governor's Island to Manhattan. I wouldn't even recommend hanging out close to it because it's loud, filled with traffic and you could be maimed here. The cars whizz through and honk and it's just a drab tunnel anyway so there's nothing really to see here. It's a nice way of getting to Brooklyn, though not exactly the most scenic.
Pros
  • Quick access to other burroughs
Cons
  • Not much to look at
  • Traffic
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Two much commerce"

West, as it starts in Battery Park City, is surrounded by school so it's not much to look at. There's a business college on the east side that's a bit of an eye sore and Stuyvesant High on the west side that is the best public school in Manhattan. Stuy High is actually pretty cool looking and has quite the reputation, so if you have to send your kid to public school, this is the place. The block ends with a small but lovely park called Washington Market. So, basically, this is a student mecca kind of block.
Across Chambers you have two more public schools but these are for the little kiddies that are going to go to Stuy High one day. There's also one apartment high rise but there's not much to look at or do here unless you are eight years old or the parent of an eight year old. There's a ballpark and more apartment buildings at Warren and then the street becomes abruptly commercial and very Fidi in feel.
At Vesey you have such boredom curing and aesthetically pleasing as the Goldman Sachs building and the Verizon headquarters. Across, Vesey, you run into the World Trade Center and that's the end of West's run through Battery Park City. Not so much, huh? It's really boring, not much to look at and there is absolutely zero neighborhood feel outside of the schools. It's a hike from any sort of good restaurant, theatre, anything. So, I would not ever want to live on West this far down.
Pros
  • Close to the park
Cons
  • Commercial buildings
  • No energy
  • No bar or restaurant scene
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Office buildings on the water"

Liberty starts at the park which makes this little run of street pretty prime property. The particular part of the park that Liberty runs into has a yacht harbor (nice view, huh) and Pumphouse Park. There's a little playground, a chunk of the Berlin wall and plenty of grass in this stretch of the park. And, grass is quite the commodity in Manhattan.
The shame about all of this prime real estate with a gorgeous view is that it's pretty much just commercial high rises that line Liberty. The block at South End leading up to West (where the neighborhood changes) is taken up by 1 and 2 World Financial Center. 1 houses Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal and 2 houses Merril Lynch and Deloitte Touche. I mean, yeah, when you work 12 hours a day banking, it's nice to have a gorgeous view, but they probably have one at home. So, I kind of feel like it's a waste of a view on bankers. But, that's just me.
After West, another neighborhood begins, so you can't live on the street as it runs through this neighborhood.
Pros
  • Nice view
Cons
  • Only commercial high rises
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Fun run of a park"

This stretch of Madison Avenue is one of the only parts of the street that takes even a tiny break from its almost entirely commercial run. Maybe that's why I like Madison Square Park: it's a nice breath of fresh air in a crazy part of town. Granted, that kind of crazy takes away from the park sort of vibe, but the park is still pretty cool. And, its being surrounded by behemoth buildings is a very New York picture to me.
Madison at 26th has the Merchandise Mart on the northeast corner. It's a really ugly building with china and silver showrooms inside, but luckily, buildings like this aren't abundant in this part of town. There used to be a mansion on this site and it's such a shame that this is what replaced it. The south side of the block houses a courthouse -- really weird place for a courthouse, I know. But, I guess it was here first so what can anyone do? Nothing like a burger and a petty crime, right?
The Credit Suisse building is at 25th. It's a massive business building with nothing noteworthy in it aside from Danny Meyer's two big time restaurants 11 Madison Park and Tabla. 11 Madison won the James Beard award last year but I think it's too pretentious. I prefer Tabla of the two though it's not nearly as exalted by foodies. They are both insanely expensive, though, so be warned. Just down at 24th, in the park, is the way cheaper Danny Meyer shoot, the Shake Shack. It's a perpetually crowded but delicious hamburger stand that every New Yorker has to try at least once. Finding a seat on a nice day, though, is like finding Xanadu. That's how popular this place is.
As far as the park goes, the Madison Oak tree is on the Madison Avenue side. This tree was taken from Madison's actual estate and planted here to commemorate him. And, there are a lot of lovely sitting areas. This park has a lot of wonderful history to it though it doesn't look particularly historical anymore. Herman Melville used to walk here every day and it is the site of many O. Henry stories. It's a pretty cool park and apparently used to be really cool.
Pros
  • History
  • Greenery
Cons
  • Loud and crowded during the day
  • Dead at night
  • Can't really live here
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"One of the nicer bits of Broadway"

This stretch of Broadway seems a little wonky because it crosses over 5th Avenue which it normally runs parallel to. It's weird and a little confusing at first but I guess that's part of this city's charm, no? Because of the cross, the first block of Broadway in Madison Square runs past the exact same things as the first block of 5th in this area. This block holds the International Toy Center which is in a really cool building, though I don't quite understand why a toy center has to take up an entire block of a city. But, then again, they have managed to stay there so what do I know. This block on the park side is lovely. It has a fair number of seating, or, at least, I don't often have trouble finding a seat, it has a dog run and a little playground. It's a beautifully designed park.
The block at 24th has the north building of the toy center (more toys!) with a cool looking skywalk. I think I'd be terrified actually walking on it, but it's fun to look up at. The north corner holds Jay-Z's horrible 40/40 club which I can't say lesser things about except for don't go there. It used to be a place called the Hoffman House (hotel) where William Randolph Hearst lived when he first came to New York. They had a bar famous for shock value because of naked nymph paintings -- quite the outrage back then.
The street's run through this neighborhood ends at 25th but it is a lovely little stretch. The downside to living here is that it's a very busy street so it's really loud and there are people / tourists everywhere. And, it's a really city kind of vibe around here so the local kind of energy isn't apparent. It's not a bad place to live by any stretch. I just prefer a little more neighborhood to my neighborhood. And, the prices are sky high here because of the park proximity.
Pros
  • Lovely buildings
  • The park
Cons
  • Loud
  • A lot of traffic
  • Not much of a neighborhood feel
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Cool buildings and a lot of green"

The area around Madison Square Park is pretty cool. And, 5th is one of the better streets here because not only is there a park view, but the buildings are not too hard on the eyes either. There's a massive old building that takes up the entire block between 23rd and 24th that houses the International Toy Center (weird, I know). It used to be a bank but the site has held many things including the Madison Cottage (a suburban lounge) and the Fifth Avenue Hotel which was one of the grandest in its time (1858-1908). There's a gorgeous clock right on the corner that is a relic of the time before wrist watches. I feel like wrist watches are going to be a relic in the not so distant future which will make the clock even more interesting. This side of the park has a William Seward statue ( I think statues of humans are equal parts scary and beautiful so I like this guy) and a WWI Memorial.
The next block up houses the park on the east and a green square on the west. It's really unusual for a city block to have green on both sides so this stretch is quite the commodity. There are memorials on both sides of Generals that I've never heard of but the real draw is just the green. You forget how much you miss a little grass until you live in a place where there barely is any grass.
There are some beautiful buildings on the next block leading up to 27th that mostly have businesses. The corner at 27th used to house Delmonico's which was the most fashionable restaurant in New York history. I'm sad I missed out on it because it seems to be mentioned in just about every historical city book. The building next door has a great current restaurant called Dewey's. Flatiron isn't known for its restaurant scene but they're really starting to make headway and this is a staple. It doesn't hurt that its building is incredibly dramatic looking. It even has bay windows which happen almost never around these parts.
The park is one of my favorites in the city though it's too small to feel like you're removed from all of the hustle bustle. Still, it has a great energy and the people watching on a nice day is hard to beat here.
Pros
  • the park
  • architecture
  • central location
Cons
  • loud
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Commercial street"

29th is just another boring Murray Hill / way too close to Midtown street. It's mostly high rises and commercial spaces with no energy, restaurants . . .nothing but people walking to work or away from the neighborhood. This has got to be one of my least favorite areas that isn't scary. It's just nothing.
There are actually two sights to see on 29th between Lexington and Park which is sort of a rarity in Murray Hill. There's a great Belgium restaurant called Resto (it's better than Markt but not as fun). And, there's the seedy Deauville Hotel -- a seedy hotel where Sid Vicious was living when he died. Having even one thing to see in this neighborhood is major so two is practically Christmas.
The block between Park and Madison is just as boring as you would imagine so you can't get too excited after the first block of the neighborhood. There are a bunch of high rises -- a lot of them have UN offices in them. There are a few vacant spaces where boring high rises haven't gone up yet. And, there is a bizarre hotel with an interesting past. It used to be a women's only residence (Jacqueline Susann wrote Valley of the Dolls here) and then was a massive dance club where Madonna was discovered and Sade once worked. I bet it was pretty cool as a club, but as a hotel, it looks kind of sketchy.
Like I said, there's nothing to do or see here. And, there's just no neighborhood vibe. So, unless you were willed a massive apartment, I wouldn't live here.
Pros
  • Central location
Cons
  • Boring
  • No energy
  • No bars or restaurants around
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Nothing to do or see. Seriously."

2nd Ave in Murray Hill starts off with an ok looking Cathedral and equally as boring luxury high rises. I mean, Murray Hill, you've really outdone yourself when even your Cathedrals are architecturally boring. There's a sad, little one block park across 36th that highlights the pass through kind of vibe that the neighborhood has, but it's some of the only green in Murray Hill, so if you live here, you'll probably know this park well.
At 38th, you'll find one of the few neighborhood bars in this neighborhood. It's a pretty good bar for Murray Hill but I wouldn't go out of my way to get there by any stretch of the imagination. There used to be another bar across 2nd but that's now a pet store. I even have pets and I think I would prefer that space to have stayed a bar. This area needs a little dazzle to it and I would suffer walking a few more blocks for kibble in order to attain that.
2nd stays just as boring as it started all the way through until 42nd where you have the Daily News building. I still don't find this building remarkable but some people do: it's used as the Daily Planet building in Superman.
Murray Hill has got to be one of the most lackluster neighborhoods in Manhattan and 2nd Ave doesn't do anything to help that out. There's nothing to do or see and there's no neighborhood vibe. But, you get a little more space for your dollar (not enough in my opinion). I don't get it, but enough people live here so maybe I'm missing something.
Cons
  • No energy or aesthetic
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Really boring"

1st Avenue in Murray Hill starts off exactly how you would expect an Avenue in Murray Hill to start off: just a bunch of big boring buildings. The buildings from 34th-36th are all just massive luxury apartment buildings that are hard to tell apart. The nice thing about them, however, is that for luxury buildings, they're not nearly as expensive as other neighborhoods would be for the exact same apartment. The not so nice thing is that the neighborhood is boring as all get out. And, there is a tiny park right at 36th, but it's just about the only green in the neighborhood and it's surrounded by noise and traffic so it's hardly idyllic. There's also a nice little public square across 36th with a cool fountain . . . that is less than idyllic because it's directly across the Avenue from the Queens Midtown Tunnel. The tunnel is hardly aesthetically pleasing and there is always so much traffic right around so you can't exactly enjoy a nice spring day.
The block at 38th is (surprise) big buildings! One side of the block is luxury apartment towers and the other side is taken up by office towers. It's this way pretty much all through the neighborhood. But, the blocks from 39th-41st are taken up by old, abandoned power buildings which actually helps out the cool of the neighborhood however creepy they may be. I'm pretty sure once they are torn down, the high rise, luxury buildings won't have nearly the charm that the rotting old power plant has, sadly.
The block at 41st is the only good block aside from the power plant, and it's equally as creepy. There's a small playground on the east side of the street and playgrounds always creep me out but that just may be my problem. And, across the street from the playground is a bizarre apartment complex called Tudor City. The area used to be called Dutch Hill (where all the drunkards lived) and when Tudor City went up in the 20's, the complex was meant to raise the neighborhood and even took into account that all of the factories and slaughterhouses were on the east side, so there are very few windows on any of the buildings that face east. How nice of them, huh? It kind of looks like an old timey door and it's equal parts scary, interesting, and depressing. I'm not sure what the units look like, and I can't decide if I want to know. But, I'm glad it's there. This neighborhood can use a little more color like Tudor City.
There's nothing to do pretty much in this entire neighborhood and 1st is no exception. There are no restaurants, bars, activities; there's no shopping and no energy. And, the traffic and noise aren't ideal. I would pass on this street unless you found a deal you just can't pass up . . . like free.
Pros
  • Tudor City is cool in a creepy way
Cons
  • No energy or aesthetic
  • Isolated from the rest of NYC
  • Little nightlife
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 5/5
Just now

"Little walk street"

Named for a church that is no longer there, Mount Carmel Place is a walk-only street that runs nearly two blocks between a little park and Bellevue Hospital. It's nice because there are no cars so it's much quieter than other Kips Bay streets, and the view of the park is nice. But, because the surrounding area is dominated by big apartment buildings and big hospital buildings, it's not exactly an idyllic walk. It's just ok in my opinion but cool because there are so few streets in New York where cars can't go. Another cool fact about this street is that it's so obscure that most maps don't even actually list it -- so you can tell all your New York buddies about it to one-up their knowledge . . .if you're into that sort of thing.
Pros
  • Short block
Cons
  • Nothing going on
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"The bridge street"

York is only a block long before turning into Sutton Place. It's funny because it's an Avenue but not a very impressive one being so tiny and uneventful. There's really nothing to talk about in regards to York. The Queensboro Bridge dominates York and you can't really live on the street until it becomes Sutton.
The Queensboro bridge, however, really is lovely so the street isn't entirely a loss (how else would you get on the bridge). And, as far as streets go with a bridge opening, York is by far the prettiest and cleanest. Another cool thing about York is that there's a little park with a baseball diamond right underneath the bridge on this street which is a nice, unexpected bit of green in a very city-like neighborhood. There's also a nice stretch of sitting area on the street that looks out onto the bridge and the East River. No matter what time of year it is, it's an unreal view. It's exactly what you would think it would look like when it's described in the Great Gatsby.
Pros
  • Nice for a bridge street
  • Little park
Cons
  • Can't really live on it
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Beautiful homes in a posh neighborhood"

Sutton Place at 59th isn't quite as grand as one would expect of a neighborhood with this kind of cache. The block is taken up by apartment buildings. Most of New York is taken up by apartment buildings so this is nowhere near a crime, but we just come to expect a certain amount of gorgeous house and trees from Sutton Place and this block is a little lacking. It doesn't help that the building on the northwest corner is really ugly. But, these apartments are all the really nice, doorman kind so they're not bad to live in at all. It just looks like a regular, nice New York block instead of a Sutton block.
The block at 58th has some nice, beaux-arts kind of apartment buildings on the west side and gorgeous tree-lined townhouses on the east side. It must be kind of unfortunate to look out of your insanely expensive apartment and see insanely beautiful townhouses that you can't afford on the opposite side of the street, but that's first world problems for you, I guess. The townhouses on the east side are from the turn of the 20th century. They're all gorgeous and expensive and one of them has a really cool Medusa kind of head stone on the front door arch. I wonder if that keeps petty thieves away . . .
These homes have some pretty prominent former residents, with Elizabeth Marbury (Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw's agent) dying in 1933 in 13, JP Morgan's daughter living in 3, and the Vanderbilts living in 1. 3 is now the official residence of the UN Secretary General. And, 1, the Vanderbilt house is absolutely massive. It's not every day that you see an actual mansion in Manhattan, and it's an actual mansion. A quick jaunt down this block and you feel like you're in 1920's high society. It's pretty cool.
Sutton Place turns into another street at 57th so it has a pretty short run. There aren't any conveniences around like great local restaurants, cafes or grocery stores; and, public transportation is quite a hike from here. But, the architecture is gorgeous and the neighborhood is beautiful and pretty quiet for New York. The only downer is that it takes a pretty penny to buy that kind of house / tranquil environment so the people that live here are a little stuffy.
Pros
  • Gorgeous townhouses
  • Trees
  • Quieter than other Manhattan streets
Cons
  • Expensive
  • No bars or restaurants
  • Far from transportation
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"The uptown bridge"

There's not a lot to say about the Queensboro Bridge other than the fact that it's a bridge. It's quite a lovely sight at night, and I think it's the second prettiest Manhattan Bridge after the Brooklyn. It was completed in 1909 and about 50 lives and $18 million dollars were the cost of its construction. It's a massive bridge with 10 lanes and two levels and it's the only bridge uptown. It is referenced in a few Woody Allen pics and The Great Gatsby so I guess it has always made a sort of romantic impression. It doesn't hurt that this bridge is the only bridge that enters the city in a nice neighborhood and that neighborhood happens to be one of the nicest in Manhattan. You can see the Mayor's Mansion and all of these beautiful homes as you're descending and none of the other guys present that sort of aesthetic.
There's also a really nice market below the bridge which I can hardly say about the others.
You can't, obviously, live on the bridge but this the only bridge you can live right next to without being in a sketchy stretch of street.
Pros
  • Gorgeous view
  • Starts in a nice neighborhood
Cons
  • Bridges are kind of scary
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Nothing much to report here"

59th in Sutton Place is pretty uneventful especially compared to the few streets just below it in this neighborhood. There isn't nearly the pizazz of other Sutton Place blocks on 59th but I'm guessing that's because it's the furthest street north in the neighborhood before it changes.
Right at 2nd Avenue, there's nothing but a big apartment building from the '70's and the Queensboro Bridge. Granted, the apartments are very nice and expensive and the bridge is really lovely, but there's nothing else going on around this block. There's nothing to do and no sprawling mansions to see which is what this neighborhood is kind of known for.
Across 1st Avenue, there's a really cool market that is in the vaulted space under the bridge. It's a lovely market and I think the idea of putting it here is really cool. Plus, it's an added convenience that this neighborhood has a lot of. Conveniences are not a selling point in this neighborhood by any stretch especially that public transportation is so minimal around here. I guess that's because a lot of people in this neighborhood have cars and drivers and the like.
There are some cool things on 59th like fantastic shopping (the massive Bloomingdales is just up at 3rd Ave) but there isn't really anything going on at all in Sutton Place proper but apartment buildings and the bridge. It's not a bad neighborhood to live in at all. It's actually one of the nicest and most expensive, but to move here just to live in an uppity apartment isn't really my thing. I feel like I wouldn't move to a neighborhood like this until I actually could buy one of those glorious houses on Sutton Place.
Pros
  • Nice apartments
  • Cool bridge view
  • Close to neighborhoods with things happening
Cons
  • Nothing to do
  • No conveniences
  • Transportation is bad
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"A very south Soho street"

I consider Howard to be more in the Soho / Chinatown area than Little Italy and that's reflected in the energy of the street. There are a lot of big cast-iron buildings that dominate the Soho neighborhood and there is also a lot of shopping and a lot of tourists. But, outside of that, there's not a lot to do and there is absolutely no neighborhood vibe to this street.
There's a really pretty Romanesque kind of building right at Mercer that holds a Citibank now. It used to be a massive department store where fancy people like Mary Todd Lincoln shopped back in the mid 19th century. Apparently, this area has been a big shopping destination for many moons. The building across the street used to house Civil War soldiers coming in on leave.
Across Broadway there's a mix of high end shops like Opening Ceremony and Jil Sander and then little wanky stores that sell I don't even know what. There's also a Holiday on the opposite corner which I think is pretty funny not only for Manhattan but in this area in particular.
Howard has a really short run and there isn't really a lot going on for the mass amount of people that are on this street every day. It is absolute mayhem in this area 24 hours a day. And, that makes it not the most desirable place to live in my opinion. It doesn't help that Howard only intersects with major streets like Broadway and Lafayette. There aren't any good bars or restaurants (or really any at all) and the energy has a very tourist kind of feel. And, because of the people there's a lot of noise and trash. As far as shopping, this area is great. As far as everything else, I'd pass.
Pros
  • Easy access to other neighborhoods
  • Shopping
Cons
  • Loud
  • Crowded
  • No neighborhood feel
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Nothing noteworthy"

There's really not much to report as far as Centre is concerned. There are some really cool, old buildings. But, there's not much to do or see. And, the street isn't exactly charming to look it. It's a little run down and there's not a lot of green around. Of all streets in Little Italy, I wouldn't recommend this one. It just doesn't have the charm.
The intersection of Grand and Centre used to be called Bayard's Mount. It was the home of a wealthy merchant by the name of Bayard and the Revolutionary Army fortified it to launch the Revolution. Makes me wonder how many people died at this intersection . . . not that there was an intersection here back then. Right at the corner is a really cool looking, massive building called Odd Fellow's Hall. It was made as a guild for people that didn't belong to any other guild and I find that to be hilarious. Next door to the Odd Fellow's is another area where there were actually a lot of deaths (instead of the presumed deaths at the intersection). 217 Hester is the address where a man stabbed a police officer in the neck in the '20's, an 8 year old boy stabbed a little girl in 1904 and a man was stabbed in 1896 in a mob attack. Pretty crazy but maybe I wouldn't live in this building if you didn't want to suddenly become a stabber or be stabbed.
Once you get across Hester, the street really starts to take on the Chinatown aesthetic and energy. There's even a Pagoda shaped building that used to be a bank right on the corner.
Pros
  • A few pretty buildings
Cons
  • Dead at night
  • No bar or restaurant scene
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Most convenient part of Stuy Town"

Of all of the Stuy Town loops, the West one is probably the most convenient. It faces out to first avenue, so the L train is right at 14th and the green line is just an avenue over. None of the other loops have quite that access to the trains. It's also within a few blocks of a Trader Joes, Whole Foods, a number of pharmacies and a ton of deli's so food is a non issue. It's also perfectly centrally located between Gramercy, Flatiron and the East Village. You are a few blocks away from the serenity of Gramercy, the hullaballoo of the East Village and all of the commerce of Gramercy which makes your social and errand life kind of a breeze. Most parts of town don't have that kind of axis of fun.
The downers of living in the West loop come with the convenience, though. It can be quite loud and dirty here though definitely less sketchy than, say, the east loop. The units are a bit more expensive here than the east or north loops because of the popularity. But, all in all, if you want to live in Stuy Town, this isn't a bad loop to start looking around.
Pros
  • Convenience
  • Bars and restaurants
Cons
  • Loud
  • Crowded
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Down by the River . . ."

Stuyvesant Loop East is the furthest loop over in the housing complex, Stuyvesant Town. This complex is so massive, it actually got its own neighborhood name. There are thousands of people living here in buildings that look like tenements from the outside but are massive, recently remodeled units on the inside. They're really nice apartments, and yes, they are pretty pricey, but the size is pretty amazing for Manhattan. This particular loop leading to the eastern block of buildings is the least desirable so the cheapest apartments in the complex are here. The reason it's the least desirable is because it's pretty far away from everything . . aka no man's land. Transportation is quite a hike from this far over and the closest train to you is the L three avenues away (and the L only goes east to west). It's also really quiet over here so it's pretty spooky at night. And, getting to a bar or restaurant isn't exactly 20 steps and a lot of New Yorkers find that to be a massive pain. It's not a bad part of Stuy Town, but it definitely has the least attractive features. But, then again, it's quieter than the other loops so it really just depends on what you're looking for if you want to live in Stuy Town at all.
Pros
  • Quieter
  • Cheaper
Cons
  • No bars or restaurants in sight
  • Far from transportation
  • Kinda scary at night
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Just a bunch of walkways through a housing complex"

I'm kind of at a loss for what to say about the Stuy Walks . . because they're just walkways extending from the center of the residential complex out to the different buildings. This is a massive housing development. Thousands of people live in Stuy Town and I find it so bizarre that the few times I've walked down Stuyvesant Walk, I haven't really seen that many people. These walks are basically like walkways through a park, but instead of a park, it's a housing complex that kind of looks like a park with dorms in it. It's really green and there are all of squirrels and the like, but it's very quiet as far as activity goes. The complex offers outdoor activities such as movie nights, bbq's etc., but I don't know how great the attendance is. It's an alright complex, though, as far as massive housing goes. And, the units are really nice. There's just neighborhood feel at all. It's a bunch walking in and out of their apartments. No one's really hanging out on the walks and there's nothing like a cafe or anything on them. It really is exactly like being in a dorm area.
Pros
  • Very green
  • Quiet
Cons
  • No energy
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"The center of the center"

Stuyvesant Oval is a walkable oval at the center of the Stuy Town housing complex. There are apartment buildings surrounding the oval and though there's a lot more foot traffic milling about outside those buildings, there's also no street traffic and it's, obviously, more centrally located and protected I guess. And, it's very green right here so the buildings surrounding the oval would probably be my first choice if I were looking for a place here.
The oval also holds a rec center with a pool table, wifi, a tv and couches. They have wine tastings there and residents can use it to have parties. The Stuy Town gym is also at the oval as is, I believe, the parking structure and the rental office. There's a lot going on right here but it's definitely quieter than being street side.
The apartments are really nice and a one bedroom around the oval is about $3300 / month. It's steep but there are a lot of amenities and these are some of the biggest apartments I've seen in apartment remotely close to this price range.
Pros
  • Huge apartments
  • Quiet
  • Green
Cons
  • No neighborhood vibe
  • like living in a dorm
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Really busy street with little to offer"

FDR Drive is not a street I would recommend living on. FDR is a major thoroughfare on the outside of the city. People fly down up and down this thing like it's a freeway. And the buildings on the west side of the street kind of all look like they're on the side of a freeway. The view is nice, but it's kind of dangerous in a number of ways. For one, if you have kids, you live on an extremely busy street. And, two because there are no bars, cafes, restaurants . . anything, it's pretty sketchy at night because there are no people walking around. I'm not a fan.
There are a few little things FDR that are nice. One of them is the East River view. It's not as pretty as the Hudson but a water view is a water view. And, there's actually a little beach right at 23rd where Swim the Apple sponsors day and night swims in the East River. I think the East River is way too disgusting to swim in, but some people seem to really like it. There's also a park running quite a ways down the East River that has all kinds of activities like movies, art shows and a little league baseball diamond. I prefer the West Side and I wouldn't live on this street but living around it isn't so bad.
Pros
  • The view
  • The park
Cons
  • Traffic
  • Noise
  • Sketchy at night
Recommended for
  • Beach Lovers
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Not a lot of street with not a lot on it."

16th gets a little squirrely just before Stuy Town so there isn't really much to say about it . . . because there isn't much street. It stops at Stuyvesant Square which is a little park that doesn't have near the energy and crowd that Tompkins or Washington Square Park have and then picks up again only to be broken up yet again by the Stuy Town housing complex. Between the park and Stuy Town is a high school and Beth Israel Medical Center. So, the good news is that if something should happen to you, you are literally across the street from an ER. The bad news is that it makes this area really boring, unattractive and kind of sketchy late at night. The only people really around the square are people involved with the hospital and a few other stragglers because Stuy Town complex has it's own mini park for the residents.
When 16th is cut off again, it's literally cut off by the buildings. It's not the kind of cutoff that you can still walk through. And, the Stuy Town complex isn't exactly a hang out kind of place. The other side of Stuy Town where 16th picks back up just has FDR drive (which is basically a freeway) and the Hudson. So, if you're looking for something . . anything to do over here, you're going to be SOL. There isn't a single bar, restaurant, theatre . . . nothing. It's just housing and the end of the road. I think it makes the street scary at night and even kind of depressing during the day, so I wouldn't live here unless I was really attached to the Stuy Town units.
Pros
  • Lots of green
  • Huge apartments
Cons
  • sketchy at night
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Loud, by weirdly green here."

Houston is actually the cutoff between the Bowery and the Lower East Side, so the North side of Houston is actually the only part the hits the Bowery. Right at Bowery, the north side of Houston has a pretty community garden. I cannot begin to describe how rare it is to see a garden on a street as busy and commercial as Houston. It was the first of its kind in Manhattan and it's pretty impressive. Sort of an homage to the fact that this corner was the southern most boundary of the old Stuyvesant farm back when New York was New Amsterdam.
Just across Chrystie on the north side, there is a vacant spot which used to hold a building that saved artifacts and then sold them. The building was demolished in a fire, but they still put the artifacts out in the lot every day to sell them. That's some out of the box thinking. . . The whole rest of the block is taken up by a park (again, super weird for a street like this). It's kind of a depressing park though because you see people trying to enjoy themselves in the midst of madness: crazy people yelling, tourists, honking cabs, trash, dirt, construction. It's not even my 15th choice for a park, but I guess it's nice to know it's there should anything ever happen to the first 14.
The particular strand of Houston that runs through the Bowery isn't a stretch where you can live. Pretty much the whole chunk of it is taken up by public things. But, that's a saving grace because I can't imagine living on a street as filthy and loud as Houston and managing to maintain some sort of sanity.
Pros
  • The Garden
Cons
  • Loud
  • Dirty
  • Packed with hipsters and punk kids
Recommended for
  • Tourists
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Cool to look at but you can't really live here"

Cooper Square only runs through one tiny block of the Bowery (from 4th to 5th) and the neighborhood definitely starts to take on a new tone at Cooper. There are some really beautiful old buildings right here. But, you can't really live in Cooper Square. It's taken over by school and commerce. But, you can definitely enjoy walking through. Right at 4th and Bowery / Cooper is where 14,000 homeless people were counted living in the late 1940's. That's just to an idea of what this area was like for a very long time. The book The Alienist does a great job of painting the horrific back drop that was this neighborhood up until fairly recently. In line with the Alienist, there's a building at 32 Cooper that used to be a big hall where trannies would congregate in the 19th century. One of them was murdered in the opening of that fantastic New York book. People nicknamed the building Paresis Hall after the final stage of Syphilis. This was not a neighborhood for a gentleman, that's for sure. And, now rich people live all around it. Just to stamp in the new rich vibe, The Cooper Union Hotel went up a few years ago right at 5th. It's modern, sleek, trendy and very shi shi. My dad has stayed here a few times and it carries along the vibe of the new Bowery very well.
Pros
  • Cool builidngs
  • A lot of history
Cons
  • Loud
  • Crowded
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"A lot packed into a few blocks"

18th starts off at the Hudson with the massive Chelsea Piers. It used to be a major port but then was revamped in the 80's to be a sort of fun complex / commercial space. The Law and Order Casting office is here along with some other businesses. But, the majority of the complex is dedicated to rock climbing, golf, batting, trapeze and a kids gym. It's a weird spot but if you're into outdoor kinds of fun in the city, this is the spot. The next block down is the Highline, so this is a really outdoorsy few blocks which is very rare in Manhattan.
Once you get around 8th, there's a mix of apartment buildings, restaurants and retail like Barney's Co-op (a favorite amongst my friends). But, once you cross 7th, the street is crazy commercial. The block between 7th and 6th is filled with cute, little restaurants, a few consignment shops, a weird poster shop, you name it. It still manages a bit of a neighborhood feel too so it's a great block to live on. There's a lot of bustle, but it's not overly packed with people / tourists. There are some great old buildings too.
While there's not a lot that's a must see spot in New York on 18th, there is a lot to do. It's a pretty cool street that packs a lot of activity into a few blocks. If I were going to live on 18th, I'd want to live somewhere around 8th as it gets a little busier around 6th-7th, but overall, it's a fun street.
Pros
  • Lots of outdoor activities
Cons
  • Traffic
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Too busy and commercial"

15th is a little too busy for my taste in streets. It gets more and more busy as it travels east and it doesn't even start off all that quiet. Furthermore, the architecture isn't all that impressive. And, the blocks are largely commercial with nothing noteworthy within the commerce. I can't think of one bar or restaurant I like on 15th, so it's just nothing to write home about. As far as convenience, though, 15th is pretty great. That's one of its only saviors, though, for the price point.
15th starts off with the park on the Hudson and the Highline which is quite a lot of outdoor space and view for a street in Manhattan. The Highline is a bizarre thing to me and it's crawling with tourists. But, the view really is lovely and we'll take what we can get. The history of the Highline is pretty cool. It used to be an above ground train that had been abandoned for years. The Highline walk just opened a few years ago so the old abandoned guy was there for some time. I kind of liked it when it was all creepy and overgrown. Just down from the Highline is Chelsea Market (a massive gourmet market, eatery collection and mall thingy) and Milk Studios. Milk is in a massive old factory and it's a really cool space. The bottom floor is a gallery that always has fantastic exhibits.
There are some cool art-deco buildings around 8th but nothing really there in the way of something to do. It's sort of a walk by block rather than a stop in block, if you catch my drift. Once you cross 7th, 15th gets really commercial and really busy. The traffic and people is insane around here as you get closer to Union Square. I would highly recommend not living east of 7th avenue. It's just too loud and crazy and there is no neighborhood feel.
Pros
  • Convenient
  • A lot of shops
Cons
  • No bar or restaurants
  • Loud
  • Commercial
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"Utter madness"

Union Square West only runs the duration of Union Square. It's Broadway to the north and University to the south. So, there's not a lot to Union Square West but there is a lot going on in this little chunk of land. Union Square West is the busiest part of Union Square. It's where the entrance to the subway is and there are multiple trains that congregate at Union Square so there are always a jillion people moving through this station. There's also a Green market that runs almost year round on the west side of Union Square so trying to navigate this side is kind of a nightmare because of all the market meanderers.
There are some pretty cool buildings on Union Square West but all of the businesses are pretty much catered toward tourists: and there are a lot of them around here.
The building on the corner of 17th and USW used to be a very popular massage parlor in the 19th century. There's now a very popular Starbucks on the ground floor . . . and, I'm sure you can get a massage in there if you ask nicely. There's a place called Republic next door that is actually really good for a Union Square place. It's not too expensive either. Most of the buildings on this street are from the 19th century and they're really beautiful. It's kind of jarring when you see things like a Puma and American Eagle store on the bottoms of them. But, that's New York for ya. There's a horrible place called Coffee Shop that has way too loud of music for a diner right at 16th. A lot of models and faux trendy people hang out here. I hate to admit it, but I've been here a number of times for brunch and I'm always sad that I went. It's just cheesy but a lot of people seem to like it. I prefer Heartland Brewery just up the block. And, yes, Heartland is a chain that is completely catered to tourists. But, if I have to go somewhere in Union Square, I'll pick this place over any of the others.
The apartments on Union Square West are insanely expensive and I wouldn't want to shell out that kind of money to live here. It's always really crowded, loud and dirty. And, there are just way too many tourists and sidewalk lurkers for walking out of this area to ever be pleasant. You can find a lot of cool apartments in much cooler areas for this price tag so I would pass on living here. Walking here, though, is pretty unavoidable.
Pros
  • Transportation
  • Shopping
Cons
  • Loud
  • Insanely crowded
  • Dirty
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Gorgeous buildings but not much to do."

There are some lovely old relics on Lex in Gramercy Park, but like most major avenues, the street is pretty boring. It's a nice walk into Gramercy but it's not really a hang out kind of street. There are some lovely apartments on this street, but I feel that if you can afford them, you can probably find a better street to live on.
There are some really cool, old buildings right at Lexington and 24th but they have less than cool usages these days. The George Washington building used to be one of the grandest hotels in the city. WH Auden stayed here in the 30's a lot. It's now a . . . .dorm. Across the street used to be another hotel that's now a co-op with bizarre little eateries next to it. I imagine that this block used to be very en vogue and now it's kind of boring. The buildings are pretty, though.
There are some really old, gothic looking buildins at 23rd and Lex. One of them is Baruch College. The building is stunning so I recommend everyone go in and take a peek if at all possible. The other is a high school so I would recommend just admiring it from afar unless you want to be arrested for being a creepy trespasser. The block at 22nd has some of the most beautiful big buildings in the neighborhood: Sage House and the Gramercy Park Hotel. Sage House is now apartments (lucky tenants!) and the Gramercy Park Hotel is not to be missed. It has had a slew of famous tenants such as the Kennedy's, Deborah Harry, and Babe Ruth. It's sort of seedy nowadays on the inside but it's still really old timey and very cool. I love this building.
Just after the Gramercy Park Hotel, you run into Gramercy Park and Lexington ends. Gramercy Park is a gorgeous park that is only accessible to the residents of the streets surrounding it, so the park doesn't have a New York energy, but it's very charming and sort of an elitist perk. I believe it's open on Christmas day, but you can't go in any other time unless you are a resident (i.e. rich).
Pros
  • Cool buildings
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Not much to do
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Too busy for how little there is to do"

Eh . . . Varick. I consider it one of the major Tribeca streets even though it's actually pretty small. I guess that's because it's awfully busy for a street with such unattractive buildings and absolutely no art or nightlife to speak of. There are some nice things on this street . . but not enough.
There's a little park right at Varick and Laight called Hudson Square. It has been a park since the mid-19th century under different owners and it's a nice little patch of mellow green in the midst of massive buildings, traffic and people. It's one of the few quiet spots in the area so I recommend people take advantage of it if they're in the area. There's a darling little cinema across the street that is really only used for art house screenings and the Tribeca Film Festival nowadays. It's a shame because the place is so cute, I wish it would just be a legitimate theatre. But, then again, I wish a lot of things were different in this neighborhood. I also wish the Equinox in the West Village would have just stayed a movie theatre, but I digress . . . .
Varick down at Beach has a bunch of ugly buildings and one of them while still ugly is kind of cool looking when you know it's a police station. It's right on the corner and it's actually NYPD Precinct 1. I don't know what kind of honor actually comes from being number 1, but I feel like there must be some. The guys here handle everything south of the Brooklyn Bridge -- that's a pretty big chunk of land for such a little island.
The block after Moore is really cool, in my opinion. All of the buildings are old, brick guys and the block takes on an old timey feel right here. The NYFD has a unit right on the corner and this is the actual building that was used for the exterior shots for Ghostbusters. So, now people call it the Ghostbusters Fire Department. I feel like if I were a firefighter, I would totally want to be a Ghostbuster one. The end of the block has two really cool, brick condo buildings from the end of the 19th century. I love the look of the outside of the buildings but I have a feeling that the units have a Tribeca price tag but a tenement looking inside so I don't think I'd want to actually live in either one.
There's another park on the opposite corner of the street which is great because there aren't a ton of green areas in the neighborhood. Having said that, two parks aren't enough to make me want to live on Varick. It's kind of ugly and uneventful. And, there's a lot of traffic and trash as far as this neighborhood goes. Varick is ok, but I wouldn't live here.
Pros
  • Some cool, old buildings
  • A few parks
Cons
  • Traffic
  • Noise
  • trash and noise
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Tiny Street. Serious Real Estate"

Tribeca doesn't have a lot of little alley-way kind of streets, so the neighborhood is really taking advantage of the one they have in Collister Street. Every alley or tiny, cobble stoned road in Manhattan is ridiculously expensive, so the price tag guffaw goes without saying on a street like this. But, these homes are seriously expensive. There are only a few little buildings on this little road, but the buildings don't hold a lot of units. So, the units are pretty big and pretty much all of the apartments on this street have been remarkably redone. I haven't seen a listing for a home on Collister that is under $8 million. You can't really rent on this street (but you could afford to rent with that price tag why wouldn't you just buy?) They are ridiculous homes and yeah, they're big . . but, they're not that big. I guess it's the privacy of the street combined with the fact that the street is so old and charming. And, not a lot of people know about it so there isn't a lot of foot traffic. It's a beautiful street and one of the few in the neighborhood that has a real neighborhood feel as well as an old timey New York kind of feel. If I were really rich, I would look at places on this street. But, the unit would have to knock my socks off to get me to pass up a West Village row house if I'm being frank, here.
Pros
  • Beautiful view
  • Old timey
  • Ridiculous apartments
Cons
  • Mega expensive
Recommended for
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Tiny bit of stuff that runs through the park"

There's not much to say about Watts St Extension as the majority of the extension crosses through the park on the Hudson. It's not a street you can drive on, but the park is lovely. I live in the West Village just off of this park and I run down past Watt's in the park all the time. The view is fantastic and there are always a lot of people out and about here -- especially in the spring. The only buildings on the extension are two luxury condo buildings right at West. They are both fantastically expensive but the units are amazing.
The only thing I wouldn't recommend about the extension is that I would beware of the traffic on West (it's very busy and very fast) and the park is a little sketchy at night. So, I wouldn't hang out West of West after midnight at all.
Pros
  • Beautiful view
Cons
  • Sketchy at night
  • Can't really live here
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
  • Beach Lovers
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Commercial, ugly street"

Worth street is a big building street all the way through and its run through Tribeca is no exception. Even at Hudson where big buildings don't tend to be the norm, there's a massive Western Union Building. The building is actually really cool -- 1930's art deco. The other buildings on this block aren't nearly as interesting. Once you cross West Broadway, the street gets even less exciting with a sad little theatre completely overshadowed by the New York Law School. The building is incredibly ugly and very imposing. If there were any charm on this block (there isn't) it would have been wiped clean away by this structure anyway.
Across Church street, there's a great little coffee shop called RBC. There used to be a hospital across from the coffee shop, but it closed at the end of the 19th century. Pity. Now that St Vincents is gone, there aren't any hospitals to speak of in this area. There is now a god awful looking AT&T building on the site.
Worth's run through Tribeca ends at Broadway with very impressive things like a deli and a bank. Basically, Worth is a kinda crappy street that I wouldn't live on. It's too commercial, too loud and too busy. And, there is nothing to do and no energy here at all.
Cons
  • No energy
  • No bars or restaurants around
  • Ugly
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Great street with cool apartments"

The corner of Greenwich and Canal has some really cool buildings. One is a new, condo building with stunning units, one is a federal row house, and the other is a cast iron commercial space. It's a really interesting showcase of the evolution of New York architecture. Across Watts, there are more historical buildings, but they have always been commercial spaces. Commercial spots as historical landmarks aren't all that common in this area, so they're definitely worth a look.
As you go further down Greenwich, a definite theme is established with commercial buildings on the west side and apartment building with little bars and restaurants on the ground floor on the east side. The must-do of this stretch is at Moore. The Tribeca Film center is right on the corner with a few restaurants surrounding it that are all fantastic. This is a very trendy little corner and I always recommend that people take a peek.
This street, around Moore, is a great street to live on because the apartment buildings are fantastic (though very expensive), the restaurant scene is great, and Greenwich is far enough west that there isn't a lot in the way of traffic, tourists and lurkers. So, it's a bit quieter than a lot of other streets in the neighborhood. I like Greenwich street in its entirety, and the Tribeca stretch is no exception. It's a really cool street.
Pros
  • Cool apartments
  • Restaurants
Cons
  • Not a ton to do
Recommended for
  • Trendy & Stylish
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Battery Park boring."

I think this part of Pearl as outlined on the map is, technically, Battery Park City, but they sort of blend into each other anyway. This used to be big time farmland when New York was New Amsterdam, and Pearl, in general, is a very heavy governmental street and always has been. The first produce market was on Pearl in the 1650's and I can't imagine any kind of community gathering like that in this area anymore. I think I would pass out from shock.
The corner of Broad and Pearl houses a really cool apartment building and a not cool office building that used to be the New York State Capital Building. The building that was there has long since been torn down which is sad because what a cool monument that could have been. The rest of the buildings on Pearl as it runs through this neighborhood are all apartment buildings which are crazy expensive because of the park view. It's a good mix of old and new buildings but there's not a lot happening around here, energy or nightlife wise. It's really chaotic during the day and absolutely dead at night. And, there's just no neighborhood feel.
Cons
  • Bad restaurant scene
  • Charmless
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Great Bridge with an ugly entrance area"

The Brooklyn Bridge is the most famous bridge in New York and it is certainly the most attractive. One of the first things I did when I moved to the city was walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. It's a gorgeous view and you have plenty of company on your walk. I made the mistake of doing the walk in December but the weather still didn't destroy the charm of the walk. The bridge began construction in 1870 and it took 13 years and 16 mortalities to complete. The architect of the bridge actually died of tetanus during its construction. His son took over and also died. So, the bridge was helmed to completion by the son's wife which was very interesting in the 19th century. Just after the opening of the bridge, a panic took over the crowd and several people were trampled to death. So, this bridge has seen some things.
The entrance to the bridge in the Fidi is pretty lackluster, though. It's crowded and kind of ugly and there's nothing really to do immediately around the bridge (going into Brooklyn is a lot more eventful). But, there is a plaque at the bottom of the bridge marking George Washington's first residence and there's a really popular skateboarding area just under the bridge in the Fidi. I think the skateboarding thing is pretty funny since I don't tend to associate Fidi with skateboarders. But, that's the great thing about neighborhoods here. I wouldn't live around the Brooklyn Bridge just because it's so boring and unpleasing to the eye. But, you have to walk across it and this is the only way on.
Pros
  • Gorgeous walk
  • Charming once you're on it
Cons
  • Ugly entrance area
  • Crowded around the entrance
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
Just now

"A tunnel entrance (exactly how it sounds)"

The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel entrance in the Fidi is just what Trinity Place turns into as you enter the tunnel. The tunnel connects Manhattan and Brooklyn by going through the east river almost right under Governor's Island. It has been open since 1950 and it is a toll road. It's basically another way of getting to Brooklyn by going under the river instead of using the Manhattan or Williamsburg Bridges. It's not a street you can live on and it's hard to recommend living anywhere near it because traffic is so jammed here all the time. Being that it's a tunnel entrance, there's nothing to do here but drive. It's nice to know there are other options, though, for the people that are scared of bridges.
Pros
  • Access to Brooklyn
Cons
  • Traffic jams
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Used to be wild; now its wearing a business suit"

Ann Street is another one of those fun New York streets that changes names for no real apparent reason. Ann Street turns from Vesey to Ann after Broadway. I have really no idea why but there you go. The first block of Ann has had quite a colorful history. The land used to be the farm of some guy by the last name of Jansen. His wife was the first prostitute in New York when it was called New Amsterdam in the 1630's. That's crazy to me because I thought the whole reason for becoming a prostitute back then was because you weren't married. But, those Dutch people are crazy. The site was then turned into the first public garden in New York and then became Scudder's Museum where they had exhibits such as boa constrictor feedings. Soon after, the Scudder housed PT Barnum's sideshow acts such as Tom Thumb. It burned down in the mid 19th century which released a tiger onto Broadway. It is, currently, an office building that was used as the trader building in the movie Wall Street. Next door to that building is a fantastic cast iron building that is also used for boring office jobs. Across the street is J and R computer store. If you need computer supplies of any kind, this place is long renowned as the cheapest and most efficient place to go. You're welcome.
There's not a whole heck of a lot going on in the Ann arena. It's predominantly office buildings with a few co ops mingled in. There's nothing in the way of art, restaurants or nightlife and it's a pretty busy area during the day which makes it kind of annoying. There's a part of me that wishes it were still a freak show even though that's mean . . . at least it wouldn't be boring. I wouldn't live on Ann. It's too noisy and there's just nothing happening here outside of work.
Pros
  • Couple of cool buildings
Cons
  • Loud and crowded during the day
  • Dead at night
Recommended for
  • Tourists
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"World Trade Meyley"

Washington Street is right in the middle of all of the World Trade Center hullaballoo. Washington is a small street that only runs through the Fidi for about a block. And, unfortunately for Washington Street it is completely engulfed in construction. The west side of Washington holds the Barclay - Vesey building. It's a really cool building that looks like it's made out of stone legos. It's from the 1920's and though it was very damaged during the 9/11 attacks, it still stands. Across the street is the only thus far completed building in the new World Trade Center. It's a 52 story glass building that looks like a big blue mirror. But, I like it. The building that was destroyed in the attacks housed the IRS, the CIA and the INS though none of them have returned to the new guy.
Washington dead ends at Ground Zero and this particular chunk of it will someday be the Freedom Tower and a performing arts center. The Freedom tower will replace both of the Twin Towers and will be a massive 1776 feet tall which, apparently, was done on purpose to commemorate our date of independence. I'm actually really happy that a performing arts center is going next door as this area is completely bereft of arts at all. It'll add, hopefully, somewhat of a neighborhood feel at night.
This street is under massive construction every which way so even you can live on it at this point, I really wouldn't.
Pros
  • Historical importance
Cons
  • Loud and crowded
  • Construction
  • Nothing to do
Recommended for
  • Tourists
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Street under construction"

West Broadway only runs for about two blocks through the Financial District; it's pretty lackluster through this part of the city and there's not a lot going on. There's nothing in the way of bars or restaurants and there's basically nothing to do at all. This street is incredibly busy during the day due to tourists and the banking set but it's completely dead at night because of the lack of a nightlife scene. The apartments are really expensive too. I kind of don't understand that because while most of the buildings in the area are luxury apartments, this street is pretty far away from any / all social activities. On the plus side, public transportation is great on this chunk of West Broadway. On the minus side, it's great because it's right off of Ground Zero. And, there are people everywhere trying to get a look at the hole. It's hard to get around them during the day.
There's a really sad story of a building on the corner of Park and West Broadway. There was a massive building that was donated to the Community College right here. It was the largest donation ever given to a Community College and it was irrevocably damaged in the 9/11 attacks. The rest of the street is under construction because of the attacks aside from the Federal Office Building which is a really pretty building but serves as a mail sorting office. The street ends at the future site of 2 World Trade at Ground Zero. It's just a depressing part of West Broadway to live on and there are way too many tourists.
Cons
  • Tourists
  • Dead at night
Recommended for
  • Tourists
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Best tourist haunt ever"

I don't go to South Street Seaport for how much I love this place. The Seaport is a historic district in Manhattan that kind of reminds me of San Francisco. I remember the first time I went there and there was actual sunshine that broke through from all of the surrounding buildings as I walked onto the cobblestone. It still looks like an actual seaport and even though a lot of the buildings are newer, it still has a great, old-timey feel. There are even ships from the 1800's docked there as part of the museum.
The best part is that aside from the historical element of the area, there are tons of restaurants, bars and shops. It's kind of like a time capsule and a mall of sorts wrapped into one. You can go to J Crew and then hit up Heartland Brewery with a view of the boats. There is no way to have a bad time . . even though all of the businesses are chains.
Yes, it's a major tourist enclave. And, yes, it's a little far out of the way from actual nightlife and local haunts. But, it's really charming, in my opinion. I wouldn't even mind living there. I have a friend that lives in the seaport and she says every time she walks out of her place, she feels like she just entered the 19th century. It's my favorite tourist spot in the city. And, I highly recommend it.
Pros
  • Old timey
  • Chain shops and restaurants
Cons
  • Lots of tourists
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Kind of a driveway"

Pitt Street turns into Dickstein Plaza right at Grand and I think it's so bizarre when streets do this. I also think the rename is kind of funny in this particular instance (and I don't just mean because "Dickstein" is funny). Samuel Dickstein beat three time incumbent Congressman Meyer London in 1922 and had London's house paved over shortly thereafter. Dickstein Plaza is where London's house used to be. Talk about a grudge, huh?
The street is pretty lackluster, though, so I guess the joke is on ole Dickstein. It starts with a massive, ugly coop building directly across from a massive, ugly bank that no one uses. I have never understood the Emigrant Savings Bank. There's an Immigrant bank further downtown so I guess there's one for the comers and one for the goers in this part of Manhattan.
The street gets even more boring as you head south, however. The entire rest of Dickstein plaza until it ends is a traffic island with one sad two story building. And, then it's finished. No bars, no restaurants . . there's not even a deli on this street. Pitt street has a thing or two going on and once it turns into Dickstein, it's all over. I think this street is essentially a massive driveway for the Coop. So, I wouldn't live on it. For one, there's nothing to do here. And, two, you'd have to live in aforementioned ugly coop.
Cons
  • Nothing to do
  • Desolate looking
3/5
Just now

"The lackluster bridge"

The Manhattan Bridge was the last of the suspension bridges built across the East River. And, not that there's a popularity contest going on between the bridges, but if there were a contest, this bridge would come in last place. It's the furthest south of the bridges and it is the only of the three I haven't ever walked across. Then again, that could be because the pedestrian lane was closed until 2011 for construction. And, weirdly, most of my friends haven't either. I guess it's because it's so far south, doesn't connect to a cool part of Brooklyn, and isn't particularly pretty. It was opened in 1909. It cost $31 million which is crazy for that time . . even for a bridge.
The bridge is pretty standard. It has a lower deck for pedestrians, bikes and the subway and an upper deck for cars. The bridge is mostly utilized for people commuting from lower parts of Brooklyn like Park Slope, Cobble Hill etc. There's really not much that's noteworthy about the thing to be honest.
Pros
  • Convenience for Brooklyn dwellers
Cons
  • Not the prettiest
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Yes and no"

Suffolk is a pretty mixed bag as far as LES streets go. There's not a ton of stuff to see or do but there are a few nice surprises on the street. The good news about that is that it makes the street quieter and a little lower in rent while still being more than close enough to the life of the party streets. The bad news is that there's a lot of useless space on the street and that always make me think that there are creatures of the night lurking about in them. I'd rather not walk through a parking lot at 2 am but that's just me.
The west side of Suffolk at Houston is all residential and like most of the Lower East Side, the apartment buildings all look like old tenements but have non-tenement rent prices. The opposite corner houses a pretty decent bar (I can't remember the name (there are so many in this neighborhood) and a garden which is kind of weird match but great if you live in one of the apartments across the street. You have a local haunt and some green which is a hard combo to find in the LES. The opposite corner of the street, at Stanton, offers an Argentinean restaurant called Azul and an art gallery. So, this block is pretty well rounded but not crazy with the hustle and bustle of things to do.
The next block . . . not so well-rounded. There's a prep school for troubled youth and a matzo shop.. . .and that's it. Both have been around forever though so that must be a testament to something. It's just not a testament to fun or cool living spaces.
Once you cross Rivington, the street gets much more in tune with the neighborhood. There's a crazy, out of place Gothic building that's not an art center. I wish it were apartments because I would so want to live in the one gothic structure in the middle of the Lower East Side. It probably will be eventually but for now, it's just a dream. Across the street, there's a pretty cool juice place called Organic Avenue. Yes, I'm a nerd for pushing a juice place, but it's surprising how hard those are to come by when you're not near a Juice Generation. The same side of the block also houses a French restaurant that's pretty good and has live jazz and a vegetarian Japanese place that's also pretty good but doesn't have live jazz. Shocking, I know.
The block across Rivington is entirely a parking lot. On both sides. I'm not kidding. And, now the next block is pretty much entirely parking lot except for the relic of a building that used to have Two Boots Pizza. I think Two Boots closing here is one of the saddest things ever. It's my favorite pizza in the city and it's hard when your favorite closes but all of the disgusting Ray's Pizzas are still open. Go figure.
Across Grand, there's nothing but the Seward Co-op buildings. They're monstrous looking things. It kind of looks like a hospital and for all of the trouble you have to go to in order to live in a co-op, why here? I don't understand the people that live in these things.
Pros
  • Quieter than other LES streets
  • Some bars and restaurants
Cons
  • A lot of dead spaces
  • Kind of ugly
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Jam Packed street of food and fun"

Ludlow really starts off with a bang with Katz' Deli right on the corner. Katz is one of the two best deli's in the city and it's quite famous. It's the deli with the famous scene from When Harry Met Sally. The pastrami is pretty killer. I recommend it to any visitors that want a downtown deli. There are a ton of bars on this block as well. Max Fish is across the street and it's probably the most popular one. It has been around since the 80's and it's very Lower East Side. There's a grilled cheese spot a few doors down that's perfect after a few too many hours at the Max Fish if you catch my drift.
The block between Stanton and Rivington is where the LES really gets ahold of the street. Pianos is right on the corner. And, it's a great dive bar with live acts ranging from music to comedy. Cakeshop, the creepiest but most awesome coffee shop is right next door to that. And, down the street is 'inoteca which is a fantastic restaurant that has a jammin brunch. There are also a lot of funky shops on this block so you could actually never leave this block for an entire day and have things to do.
But, you don't have to stay on that block because the good times keep going after you cross Rivington. Spitzer's, on the corner, is another lovely little restaurant with a long beer list. There's also a crazy, Bulgarian bar called Mehanata that's pretty fun if you're into crazy. But, my personal favorite spot on this block is Motor City. It is one of the scariest of dive bars of all time and I love it. Some of my favorite memories in New York have occurred in that disgusting bar. The rest of the street is all schools and apartment buildings until you get down to Canal where you hit yet another fantastic restaurant: Les Enfants Terribles. The food is great, the restaurant is lovely and it always has a great energy.
Ludlow is one of the most Lower East Side streets of the Lower East Side. It's fun and lively and loud. It's too loud at times and sometimes dirty but there's so much going on, it's kind of hard to care. I really enjoy Ludlow. It's one of my favorite streets in the neighborhood.
Pros
  • music venues
  • nightlife scene
Cons
  • grimy
  • traffic
Recommended for
  • Tourists
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Nothing to offer but traffic"

Houston is one of the biggest streets in Manhattan but it's really busy, traffic is always atrocious and I wouldn't ever recommend living on it. And, if you had to, I definitely wouldn't recommend East Houston. It's ugly and loud and offers nothing in the way of neighborhood or entertainment.
The block of East Houston at Essex looks very Lower East Side in the non-hipster way. There's a deli, a playground and an apartment building with Soviet Union accoutrements on it. It's a very kitschy block. The entire south side of the street as you go down to Clinton is filled with little bars and restaurants though none of them are particularly noteworthy. At least it's nice to have a few neighborhood spots to pop into to . . .a lot of streets don't have that. Though it's hard to consider anything on a street as busy as Houston "neighborhoody." There's just too much traffic, noise, people and trash for any part of this street to be quaint. And, it seems to get worse the further east you go on Houston.
The street is pretty filled with apartment buildings until you get up to around Pitt. But, I really wouldn't recommend living in any of these. As I said, it's really loud on this street and there is much to be desired in the realm of privacy. Once you get to Pitt, there's the Hamilton Fish Park and Hamilton Library. But, both of these are completely surrounded by housing projects so they're not exactly the safest public areas in the city. There's a public school at FDR but public schools are pretty scary in New York so I don't know that that's helpful information. And, at the end of the street is the East River Park. The section of it that abuts with Houston is the ball park and one of the pedestrian entrances for the Williamsburg bridge. The nicest thing I have to say about this area is that at least you can get out quickly via the bridge.
Cons
  • Loud
  • Dirty
  • No bar or restaurant scene
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Crowded and dirty"

Pike Street is like a lot of other lower Lower East Side / Chinatown streets: depressing despite being crowded. The streets are packed for a number of the blocks on Pike. And, it's dirty, smelly and hard to navigate because of the traffic. I'm not a fan of this part of town. I think it's really overwhelming. And, I don't cook so Chinatown areas don't have a lot to offer me. I wouldn't want to live on Pike. I think it's too far from the majority of public transport and there's nothing to do at night. Plus, the buildings are really depressing.
Once Allen turns into to Pike, it's all over for me. The view of the bridge is nice, but you can see it once and be fine with not seeing it again for a while. There are some shops but they're not my kind of thing. If you do find yourself on Pike, there are a lot of banks and delis so you're in luck if you like both of those. Honestly, that's about it.
Pros
  • Rent is cheaper
Cons
  • Dirty
  • Loud
  • No nightlife
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Projects street"

Baruch Street isn't so much a street as a drive into Baruch Housing. Baruch Houses is a massive (the largest in Manhattan) public housing complex. The buildings hold about 2,200 apartments over quite a huge chunk of land. Because it's the lead in street to a housing project, there's nothing to really note on the street except for the projects. That's legitimately all there is to it. There are a number of trees on the street which is really rare in the Lower East Side. But, it's not exactly the kind of place you would want to hang out unless you had to. It can be really sketchy at night because there are no restaurants, bars or traffic . . and, it's just a quiet and sketchy street in general. I wouldn't recommend living on it . . or really even going on it unless you have to.
Pros
  • Trees
Cons
  • Projects
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Quiet . . . like scary quiet"

Attorney's not a great street. My sister used to have an apartment on Attorney and though I loved her apartment and her neighborhood, the street is a little too dark and quiet. Yes, the Lower East Side is stupidly loud so it's nice to have a little quiet, but this street is quiet in a kind of scary way at night. There aren't any restaurants on the street and there isn't a lot going on. But, if you find a great deal on Attorney, it's not awful. It's really close to so much to do. . . just be careful at night on your walk home.
There's a cool dive bar on the corner of Attorney and Houston. It's really divey but the good news is that there aren't nearly as many hipsters and punk kids. And, there's a liquor store right next door to it in case you're a big lush and want more for the road! There's a school that stops the street at Rivington which is lovely for the kids but a major pain for the rest of us. The gates are often closed and we have had to walk around the block and back onto Attorney on the way home from a night out. Seeing as Attorney isn't the most lively street in the neighborhood, it's kind of a sketchy walk to get around the school. The street does it again at Seward "Park" but at least you can actually walk through the park and it's not really park so it's not nearly big enough to be scary late at night.
Once you get past Broome, there's just a few big apartment buildings that don't have much character, a Church that I don't think has much character considering how old it is and a deli. It's really no man's land after the bridge though I think Attorney is a bit of a no man's land in its entirety.
Pros
  • Quieter than the rest of the neighborhood
  • Cool apartments
Cons
  • Sketchy at night
  • No restaurants
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Soho street with nowhere to eat"

Wooster has some cool, old buildings, but they all start to blend into each other and into the sea of people so it's hard to separate and enjoy them from the madness that is this neighborhood. There's some shopping on the street much like the rest of Soho, but there aren't a ton of restaurants and there are no neighborhood bars or local haunts. It's a typical Soho street to me: made for tourists and shoppers.
Wooster around Prince is very Soho to me. There's a mix of cast-iron buildings and lofts with storefronts and restaurants that range from mid to high range price points. Camper shoes, Comme des Garcons and Chanel share the block with places like a bakery, a BBQ joint and a deli. The buildings on the west side of the street on this block are a great mix of late 19th and late 20th century. The architecture is so diverse that the block looks a bit like a quilt. And, it makes sense that the commercial spaces are so diverse. Unfortunately, the people in Soho don't follow suit with the buildings. . . it's pretty much just tourists and snooty Euros.
There's a great brownstone at Wooster and Broome that used to be a warehouse and is now a chocolate shop. There are so few brownstones in Soho and this one is really cool. It's a shame it's not residential, but then again, I wouldn't want to fork over the kind of money you have to pay to live in an actual house in Manhattan if I had to live on this block. It's too busy and commercial. There isn't much of a neighborhood feel to Soho because of the enormous amounts of people and traffic. There's a great wine shop across the street from the chocolate shop that sells only wines from New York. There's not much past Grand in the way of shopping (there usually isn't no matter the street), but the buildings are really cool. I wouldn't want to live in them because any street around Grand is a nightmare, but they're fun to look at. There's something about cast iron buildings that always makes me think of the old-timey, Industrial New York. It's like you can almost see clothes hanging out the windows on lines and kids with holes their holes running around the stoops.
Wooster ends at Canal which makes it a solely Soho street. I wouldn't live anywhere in Soho and Wooster is no exception. I would go mad from all of the noise, visitors, and garbage.
Pros
  • high end shopping
Cons
  • dead at night
  • expensive apartments
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"No thank you"

There's really nothing to say about Washington Street in Soho. Washington is a really quiet street, in general, and it gets almost to ghost town territory in Soho. The nice thing about that is that it's quiet. The thing that isn't so nice is that there's not a lot to do around here. Things pick up again in Tribeca but it's pretty bleak in the Soho area. And, it's not exactly quaint though it's quiet. There are a lot of big buildings and a wasteland sort of feel. The Holland Tunnel traverses Washington in Soho, as well, so that just really adds to the crappy dynamic this part of the street has. The nicest thing I can say about Washington in Soho is that there is a massive UPS center, so if you lived on it, you would never have to worry about getting packages out. But, I wouldn't live here. It looks like a warehouse graveyard and there is nothing to do anywhere near this part of the street.
Cons
  • Desolate
  • no bar or restaurant scene
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
Just now

"Too pricey for this kind of ugly"

7th Avenue turns into Varick at the block just before the village becomes Soho so it's a very downtown street. Varick was actually there before 7th Avenue which explains why they share a name. And, right when 7th becomes Varick is the exact intersection that a man was lynched during the Civl War Draft Riots. No one was ever convicted of the crime. The block below Houston houses a music club called SOB's and the INS Detention Center (where you can also get your passport). It's a pretty odd mix for one block but it definitely makes the street international. The next block south seems very Tribeca to me though it isn't. In fact, most of Varick as it runs through Soho looks like Tribeca. It's a very commercial street with a lot of big buildings and little green. This particular block holds a massive building with about a dozen architectural and design firms and a self-storage building across the street . . . and, that's it.
The corner of Charlton and Varick used to be a gorgeous mansion that George Washington, Aaron Burr and the Astors all lived in. It was torn down to make room for a 17 story commercial building. Varick at Vandam holds a cute little place called City Winery where you can make your own wine. It's one of the few neighborhood joys on the street. And, you would think there would be more to please the myriad of people that live in the Trump Soho building just across Spring. This thing is massive and ugly and built on a cemetery (human bones were continually dug up during its construction).
The rest of Varick as it runs through Soho is a collection of big, ugly buildings, traffic for the Holland Tunnel entrance and little to do. There is no neighborhood feel here at all. There aren't any restaurants or bars and there are no trees. There's too much traffic and noise and the street is especially depressing in the winter.
Cons
  • Expensive
  • No neighborhood vibe
  • Relatively monotonous
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Sleepy part of the street"

Hudson is a pretty cool street around the West Village but it's really sleepy is it enters Soho. The sleepy is kind of nice because it's definitely quiet, but there aren't any bars or restaurants and it's pretty far from transportation. Also, this part of Hudson is a little sketchy at night because of the lack of people. But, if you're more interested in quiet and lack of traffic than nightlife and the like, Hudson isn't a bad place to live. It's just pretty pricey considering what the area has to offer.
The corner of Hudson and Clarkson is home to the radio state Hot 97 that wouldn't be noteworthy aside from the fact that this seems to be the spot where rappers like to settle rivalries with gunfire. Lil Kim got into her notorious kerfuffle that led to prison here and 50 cent and the Game got into a gun war in front of the radio station a few years later. I find this location so bizarre because it's right on the precipice of the West Village which is one of the more expensive - less rappy areas in the city.
Another bizarre building for the neighborhood is on the corner of Hudson and Houston. Across the street from Saatchi and Saatchi is a massive pile built around 1930 that used to be a warehouse for all of the goods seized at customs. Now it just seizes people from customs. Kidding. Sort of. It's now the INS detention center where they have a lot of "special guests" or political prisoners. Interestingly, this is also the building where I renewed my passport last year. I guess that kind of makes sense in a sad way.
Across King Street is the famous Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven. You can get the most amazing hot chocolate here that you've ever had in your life once you've been released from the INS. You can also get the most amazing hot chocolate you've ever had in your life if you haven't been detained. And, this is the spot. It's famous for a well-deserved reason.
As Hudson continues south, the majority of the street is big apartment buildings. There aren't really any bars or restaurants and there are only a few businesses. Skylight Studio -- a massive gallery and performance hall -- is on Hudson and Spring and Edelman PR is directly across the street. Other than that, there is pretty much nothing on the street but residential buildings. . . and the entrance to the Holland Tunnel.
Pros
  • Quiet
  • Some green
Cons
  • No bar or restaurant scene
  • Transportation isn't ideal
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"A bunch of big buildings and people"

Howard only runs through Soho for a block, so there's not really much to say. It's a very commercial block and there are no trees because, apparently, the person that owned the building where the trees were decided he hated them and tore them out some time ago. Howard is busy in the way that most of Soho is so there are people and cars and trash everywhere. It's too loud and busy to want to live on. And, there aren't any restaurants or bars on the street -- and, none that are of any note even in the surrounding area. The buildings are cool, though . . .
The Citibank building on the corner of Howard and Mercer used to be home to Arnold Constable, a massive department store where the likes of Mary Todd Lincoln shopped. All of the buildings on this block are cast-iron, massive buildings built around the mid-19th century. For some bizarre reason, this corner was heavy in the Civil War (i.e. Arnold was boycotted by southerners and the building across the street was a soldier depot during the war.
Pros
  • Near public transportation
Cons
  • loud
  • dirty
  • limited dining on street
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Too packed and dirty"

Grand is a little too far down for my liking. And, the street is packed to the gills all the time and there's trash all over the place. It's just too turn of the century with cars for me. I wouldn't want to live here, but I wouldn't want to live in Soho, in general. Just too many people and down around Grand is kind of sketchy at night.
Grand at 6th has a bunch of little restaurants on the block but none are particularly noteworthy. The Moonstruck Diner used to be on this block. Mary Jane from Superman and Monica in Friends both worked here on celluloid and the writer of rent worked there in real life. It had been open since the '30's and closed, sadly, a few years ago. I have no idea what's there now but it's such a shame that the place was driven out of the neighborhood. The block around West Broadway is a mix of giant, cast-iron buildings and little bistros and delis. I don't really hang around Grand all that much because I think it's a little loud, dirty and far south, but these buildings are cool and the restaurants seem very quaint.
Once you get around to the Greene and Mercer part of Grand, the Soho effect starts to settle in though not as much as areas around Prince and Spring. There are some great cast iron buildings from the late 19th century and a lot of the street level businesses are high level boutiques like Yohji Yamamoto and Ingo Maurer.
The buildings are gorgeous on Grand but the southern part of Soho just isn't up to speed with development. It's also insanely crowded on Grand and doesn't have any green like Prince and Spring do. It's a high traffic area and it's really loud and dirty around here. Plus, the shopping isn't up to par with other streets in the neighborhood.
Pros
  • Cast iron buildings
Cons
  • Loud
  • Crowded
  • Dirty
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"A bit of a no mans land"

Dominick is a tiny street with pretty much nothing going on. It is mostly apartment buildings and commercial spaces. There's nowhere to eat and there aren't any bars. And, I think it's a little bit of a hike from either of those things. It's quieter than most of Soho because it's a bit removed. But, there's no charm, no cool buildings and really nothing to do.
There's a massive gallery / event space at Dominick and Hudson that seems really out of place. This isn't what I would call the most commercial area in the city and this building is just a monster. The block between Hudson and Varick is interesting looking because the buildings all look like apartment buildings or dorms but they're actually all office buildings. It's really bizarre because the block looks really residential. The tenement looking building on the corner was the Blues Bar where Dan Akroyd and John Belushi started working their Blues Brothers routine. This block is a pretty sharp contrast to the next block where the commercial properties are so obvious, you would think you were in Flatiron. The Trump Soho is right on the corner of Dominick and Varick and it is massive and really . . . glassy. It's ugly and was built on a cemetery -- human bones were dug up during the entirety of its construction. Across the street from the Trump is a parking lot and a school. And, next door to it is a theatre that I have never been to.
Dominick ends at a little sliver of a "park" which is really more of a square that's not shaped like a square. It's nice to have some green in the area, but the really small ones like this can be a bit depressing.
Cons
  • not a lot to do
  • traffic from Holland Tunnel
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Gorgeous residential block"

The corner of Charlton and Hudson is, strangely, still owned by Trinity Church. The land was given to the church by the Queen in the early 18th century and Trinity has torn down old apartment buildings and put up commercial spaces somewhat recently. Nothing like a church making a killing, eh? In fact, Trinity property takes up Charlton until east of Varick. And, what a remarkable difference Varick makes. The final block of Charlton (between Varick and 6th) is one of the most beautiful blocks in the city. Richmond Hill used to be right on the south side of the street and there's now a commercial building -- which is such a shame -- but, that's pretty much the only house that has been demolished on this block. The rest of the block is entirely Federal and Greek style row houses from the mid 19th century. They are gorgeous and ridiculously expensive. This block is really special because it looks almost exactly like it did nearly 200 years ago. Many members of Tammany Hall lived in these houses around the late 19th century. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker used to live at 17, Edna St Vincent Millay lived at 25 and Fred Gwynne lived at 9. Apparently, one of the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire lived at 11 when she died which is odd because those women were all working class. I'm guessing there must have been loads of people living in these around the time because the neighborhood wasn't great for a period of time. This block is really worth walking down because of the history and beauty . . .let alone the celebrity residents.
Charlton ends at 6th Ave and becomes Prince street but the short stretch that is Charlton is a really desirable street. If you can afford it, this is one of the better streets to live on.
Pros
  • great location in the village
  • quiet generally
  • some good residential buildings
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 1/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 1/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Parking 5/5
Just now

"A parking alley"

Shinbone Alley, or Jones Alley, used to be one of the many Mews in Manhattan. Or, rather, a place where the horses were kept with servants quarters built above. It wasn't deemed proper for a lady or gentleman to have a home entrance not facing the street so the servants were shoved behind with the horses so that the actual homes could be streetside. A few of these "alleys" remain but the nicer ones that are prime real estate now are predominantly in the West Village. This area was, at one point, where the term "jonesing" came from because so many heroin addicts hung out around here. Now, there aren't any heroin addicts because the surrounding area is pretty nice. But, you can't live on Shinbone Alley because it is, essentially, a locked parking drive for the abutting buildings.
Pros
  • cool name
Cons
  • not really a street
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"Very commercial part of town"

There are some great places to hit on 13th but it's not a street I would want to live on. It's too close to Union Square and way too busy. There are people everywhere and it just doesn't feel like a neighborhood. The buildings are generally massive and the commercial spaces runneth over. It's loud and kind of dirty too. It's a great area for stuff to do. It's just not great if you want to avoid tourists and students.
There's a little Vietnamese joint on the corner of 13th and Uni that is pretty good but definitely caters to the student set. There's also an awful bar on the floor above that. The rest of the block is taken up with business like a gym, a day spa, a few shops and two of my most frequented places in the city: the Union Square Chase and Cosi. This Chase bank is surprisingly uncrowded considering the location and the building is lovely. Across the street is a Cosi in the Roosevelt building. The building is from 1893 and it is really gorgeous. It stands out on a block of already pleasing architecture. And, this Cosi is massive. There's always a table, they have free wifi and the foods pretty good / good for you for fast food. They even have a bar in this branch which I think is hilarious. I can never imagine going to a Cosi to get a beer, but apparently, some people do.
Across the street from Cosi is the big Union Square movie theatre. This is the one that I (along with everyone else downtown) usually go to to catch a flick. I just went there for Underworld last week (don't judge). It's massive and always packed but the location and number of movies they play is really hard to beat when you are a last minute movie goer like myself. It's built on the side of Wallach's Theatre which was an equally popular live theatre space around the Wharton era. I believe this is where they had the riots due to two MacBeth's going on. I wish people would still get that crazy over theatre.
The next block is a mix of arty and commercial spaces. Everyman Coffee is one of my favorite coffee spots in the city and the Classic Stage Company behind it is one of the best theatres in the city. Venus in Fur just played there for several weeks before going to Broadway. And, there is usually some sort of celebrity actor in all of their plays. Next door to Everyman is Peridance dance center. This is the best dance studio in the city for ballet and contemporary jazz but it is really catered to the professional dancer. There are an awful lot of gyms on this street so it's interesting to sit in Everyman (with the actors) and watch the dancers pass the meatheads. I've spent a lot of afternoons doing just that.
Pros
  • A lot to do
Cons
  • Tourists
  • No neighborhood vibe
  • Loud and crowded
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Not charming or fun but not horrible"

This part of 12th isn't bad but I'm not a huge fan. It's very commercial and the buildings are all giant (few with character). It's really oppressive and not noteworthy in any way. It has a central location but no charm.
The corner building on 4th and 12th is an apartment building called the Petersfield (named for the Stuyvesants). It doesn't look like much from the outside but the apartments are awesome -- and ridiculously expensive. There's a Crunch Gym in on the ground floor of the building which takes a little away from the old world aesthetics but if a gym is more than 3 blocks from where you live, you'll never go. There's nothing less motivating than trying to make yourself get up at 6 am to work out when there's a blizzard you have to endure for more than five minutes. Utrecht, the art store of all art stores, is across the street from the Petersfield. This place has everything (and a lot of hipsters to boot). There's also a lot of students at this store thanks to the NYU dorm that went up over what used to be an old rectory. Ok, yes, there would still be art students at the art store -- I just wanted to complain about NYU again. The entrance to this dorm is actually the only thing that remains of a crumbly, old church. It's a cool way to enter a building. It's just sad that NYU demolished the majority of what was clearly a gorgeous building.
The rest of the block is what seems to be a dorm war between NYU and the New School. They kept the majority of the old buildings, and I'm sure the insides are very cool, you just can't see them unless you're a student which is a shame.
Because so much of 12th in Noho is taken up by NYU, it's hard for me to not consider this part of town as Greenwich. It's just Greenwich without the charming, small buildings and restaurants.
Pros
  • Central location
  • Pretty safe
Cons
  • No charm
  • No green
  • No bar or restaurant scene
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Not bad but not fantastic either"

11th isn't a bad street to live on in Noho by any means. But, there are an awful lot of people and trash for an area that doesn't have that much going on. I wouldn't say no to living here but it's not my first choice either.
East 11th and University is marked by the Albert Apartments and a Wholesale Antique Shop on the corners. The antiques shop building is nothing to write home about but the Albert is a really cool building. It used to be a hotel where a lot of big writers stayed. The Dean and Deluca where Felicity worked in the show Felicity is on the ground floor of this building. There's another really cool hotel turned apartment building across the street but the majority of the block is taken up by Antique shops. I wish I could say whether or not they are good shops but being that they're wholesale, you can't go in without a license. I think this is a really weird spot for this sort of district. It's such prime real estate that I would have expected that they would have been driven uptown by now. The end of the block where there is now a Eastern Antique shop used to be the most popular high end hotel in the city -- we sensing a theme with this street? It was called the St Denis: President Lincoln, Buffalo Bill, Alexander Graham Bell and Ulysess Grant all stayed here.
The next block is entirely taken up by Grace Church and I'm not complaining about that. The building is so beautiful it's impossible to ignore. It makes you imagine what this street looked like before it was so commercial. It's a Gothic Church that was designed in the 1840's by a completely unknown architect -- whose grandfather owned the land. I think he lived up to his nepotism in this case, though. The church is unreal.
The block at 4th Ave has a cool looking post office that used to be a school with a really not cool looking billiards hall across the street. Next door to the post office is my favorite concert hall in the city: Webster Hall. It was built in 1863 and was nicknamed The Devil's Playground because they used to have such wild parties. It's a really cool, old building that isn't glamorous in any way. But, the place is so small that every concert seems intimate. I saw Owen Palett here last year and it was magical. The corner of the block is marked by a place a go to all the time and wish I didn't and a place I never go to an wish I did. Village Pourhouse on the south corner is a massive sports bar that gets out of control and there are a lot of turds that hang out there. But, it's our go to spot (so, I guess we're turds too) for football season and I never have a bad time -- and, I never leave even knowing where my face is. Across 10th is a little movie theatre that I've only been to twice and always wonder why I don't see more movies there. It's little and cute and rarely crowded.
11th has a good mix of things to do, things to see and things to pass over. But, it is a little lacking in neighborhood feel, trees and restaurants. It's not a bad block and it's central to everything, but this far north in Noho lacks a little charm, in my opinion.
Pros
  • Central location
Cons
  • No bar or restaurants
  • No neighborhood feel
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Tiny and almost no longer"

Shevchenko Place is a one block street that traverses Cooper Union School. The Ukrainian population in New York fought to have this name given to what was formerly Hall Place and they won in the '70's. Well, they sort of won: both street names are up on the sign. This street is a pedestrian walkway from 6th to 7th that runs in between Cooper Union's main building and their residence hall. The place is still surrounded by Ukrainian businesses and a Ukrainian Church but Cooper Union has had plans in the works for a decade to terminate this street and it looks like the bill is about to be passed. As far as things to do, McSorley's is right at the end of the walkway on 7th, so it's spitting distance from one of the oldest and most popular bars in the city. But, you can't live on this street and there's really nothing to do on it. It's in a great area and there are infinite things to enjoy surrounding Shevchenko Place but it is really just a means of getting through the school (which is gorgeous, by the way).
Pros
  • Beautiful buildings
Cons
  • You can't live on this street
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"Well, it used to be an alley anyway . . ."

Stuyvesant Alley was an "s" shaped street that straddled 11th and 12th streets. Almost the entirety of the East Village and the Bowery was the Stuyvesant Farm back when New York was becoming New York. Peter Stuyvesant was the first governor of New York, and, clearly, had a lot of money and land. Sadly, what could have been another great alley to live on (like Patchen Place) has been taken over by the bully of Manhattan: NYU. The alley has been covered by their behemoth of a dorm. So, there's nothing to see here because the alley is gone and you can't live here unless you go to NYU. If you do happen to go to NYU then I'm sure it's a great dorm to live in due to its proximity to everything great.
Cons
  • No longer there
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Housing Project Entrance Street"

There's not a ton to say about Lillian Wald Dr because it's a tiny street off of Ave D that serves as the entrance to Lillian Wald Houses. Lillian Wald was a nurse and activist for low income groups around the turn of the 20th century. She helped the fight to abolish child labor, start the Red Cross and organize proper health care for tenement residents in New York City. Lillian Wald Houses was established in 1949 as a housing project / tenement and remains that today. Lillian Wald Drive leads to a housing project with 16 buildings that houses around 1800 low income apartments. They're not awful looking buildings but they definitely look like tenements. To me, all tenement buildings look the same -- even the ones that have been converted into luxury buildings (like Stuy Town). There aren't any restaurants, bars or activities around and I don't expect that any are going to pop up on a housing project drive any time soon. So, unless you need low income housing assistance, there's really no reason to come here.
Pros
  • Mahattan living for low income
Cons
  • Nothing to do
  • Scary at night
3/5
Just now

"A freeway more than a drive"

FDR Drive is basically the east side equivalent of the West Side Highway. But, unlike the West Side Highway, you can't live on this street because it isn't a street: it's a freeway. It's great because you can get from the bottom of Manhattan to the top very quickly, but there's really not much else to say about it. Being that it's a highway, there are no restaurants, bars, homes or things to look at. It's simply a quick way to get from downtown to uptown and beyond. An interesting fact about FDR Drive is that no commercial vehicles can drive on it. This lends itself to the speed of using the highway, but it makes a little moving a little difficult. Moving vans, trucks and buses are prohibited because there is a weight limit which I believe is due to the fact that the section between 23rd and 34th is built entirely upon rubble -- so think about that next time you're stuck in gridlock with 100 other cars in this area. Kinda scary.
Pros
  • Getting from uptown to downtown
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Country Lovers
  • Trendy & Stylish
  • Beach Lovers
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 5/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Why come here . . ."

The nicest thing I have to say about East 5th Walk is that it's not the hub of heroin dealing for New York City anymore . . . that I'm aware of. It still looks like it though. Like East 4th Walk, East 5th Walk is comprised of housing projects in its entirety. Though the East Village is starting to get a lot hipper east of 1st Avenue, once you get past Avenue C, it's still really sketchy. All you really find around Ave D are housing projects and places like Con Ed and Bellevue. There are no bars and no restaurants and really no people out -- at least not, generally, the kind of people you want to run into when you're alone at night. I'll give them credit for trying make the housing project look nice so it has quite a lot of green which is rare for this part of town. But, the building is just so obviously a project that it really takes away any tranquil feeling a pedestrian might have while walking through it. There's really no reason to be here if you don't have to, so I would suggest steering clear of this block.
Cons
  • Scary
1/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Public Transport 1/5
Just now

"Scary town"

There's not really much to say about this little stretch of land except for that it creeps me out. I don't often go east of Ave C and this is pretty much why. There aren't any bars and restaurants so there aren't a lot of people walking around at night. This makes me think east of C is a crime waiting to happen. And, East 4th Walk is east of D if that gives any indication of the wasteland we're talking about here. For one, the East River isn't exactly a gorgeous view. Brooklyn doesn't quite have the skyline that Manhattan does and the East River might as well be just a massive sewer.
As far as housing, this block is taken up by Lillian Wald Houses. It's a housing project that looks exactly like a housing project. Every time I see this building I can't help but think of the horror film Candyman. There's nothing to do and nothing to see unless you're a big fan of watching Meth heads chase each other. I would advise against hanging out or living here if you can at all help it.
Cons
  • Sketchy at night
  • No bars or restaurants
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
Just now

"Cool street with a lot to do"

There's a weird convenience store called M2M right on the corner of 11th and 3rd. I always want to go in there and see what they sell, but every time I walk past it, I think, "ehhhh, next time." I still have no idea if it's a deli, a grocery store, a health food store . . . .I just don't know. There's a really pretty garden just behind the M2M and the rest of the block is taken up by St Marks in the Bowery Church which I talk about in the E 10th street writeup. It's my favorite church. It's one of the oldest buildings in the city and it is really beautiful. They often have poetry readings, dance events and classical music concerts on the weekends which I highly recommend.
The next block has some great old, sort of run down buildings that are pretty unique to the East Village and the Lower East Side. There's a garage at 310 that used to be a garage for horses which I find amusing. Across the street from that is a great little dumpling spot. If you can't make it to Chinatown, this one is the place to be for dumplings. Most of the buildings on this street have great little boutiques and consignment stores on the ground floor. But, there is an actual restaurant on the block called Veneiro's though they are most well known for their dessert. So, it's more of an after - dinner restaurant. The block between 1st and A is a bizarre mish mosh of shops, a school, a garden, apartments . .. you name it. And, all the shops are the mom and pop kind that are specialty stores. One of them only sells tiles. . . that sort of thing. The end of the block does have Westville East, however. Westville in the West Village is one of my favorite lunch spots. This one is exactly the same just with more hipsters in it.
The block between A and B has a ton of small, great bars. Bar on A, Angels and Kings and 11th street bar are all within 50 feet of each other and they're all really fun. There's a building on the other side of 11th that used to be a bath house and is now apartments. I feel like it would so weird to live in a building like that but it's probably really cool inside. It's gorgeous on the outside and it definitely looks like a bath house.
East 11th is a really hip street (weirdly, it's where all the cocaine dealers in the city used to live but definitely don't anymore). It's not great as far as transportation but it's a very walkable street and there's tons to do. I would live on 11th and a lot of my friends live quite close by.
Pros
  • Cool bars
  • Some good restaurants
  • Great vibe
Cons
  • A little loud
  • A little dirty
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Great street but not a lot of neighborhood to it"

11th has a ton of historical residents and great old buildings but there isn't much of a neighborhood feel to the street as it traverses Greenwich. I think it's a little too close to Union Square, or maybe it's the fact that there are so many businesses and schools in the area. It's pretty but most people don't notice that because it seems like more of a pass through street than many village streets.
French Roast Cafe on the corner of 11th and 6th is one of the few 24 hour spots in the city that isn't god awful. The food is actually decent enough that I've eaten there at a decent hour. A lot of comedians hang out there and I have never understood why. I like the place as far as a quick breakfast is concerned. The smallest cemetery in New York is next door to the Roast and it is seriously small. I don't know that I would want that right outside my window but plenty of people don't seem to mind. The New School's undergraduate campus is directly across the street from the cemetery because, you know, it's not a school without an old creepy bunch of graves. I feel kind of sorry for the freshman that come in from Idaho and realize their school is practically on top of dead people. That must be a horrifying introduction to the big city. Once you get about halfway down the block from 6th, things really get cooking, history-wise. Those old and beautiful buildings have been home to a lot of prominent people. Harold Ross lived at 56, Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft lived at 52, Oscar Wilde lived at 48, Jane Curtin lived at 35, and Dustin Hoffman lived at 16. 32 was where Vincent Pepe hung himself off the bannister in 1935. Don't get me wrong, if I had a chance to live in this house, I still would, but I would definitely sleep with a flashlight. And, I would probably replace the stairs. 18 West 11th is a monstrous house both in size and ugliness. It used to be the home of Charles Merrill and then was a radical hideout in the '60's. They were building bombs and blew up most of the house in the '60's. This thing is what was rebuilt. You can't buy taste, I suppose. Dustin Hoffman lived at 16 and the time and witnessed the explosion. What a cool life that dude has had. I mean, cool from what I have ever read.
The Judge Crater House on the corner is famous because Judge Crater was living here at the time he went missing in 1930. Five months later, cash, insurance policies and his will turned up in his bedroom out of nowhere but he never did. The building kind of looks like a building where people get murdered to be honest. It has always creeped me out. Across the street is an equally creepy but incredibly beautiful gothic revival church from the mid-19th century. There used to be so much going on here but now it's a bit slower. This is the only block of West 11th that runs through Greenwich. And, there is so much history and a lot of beautiful buildings. But, now, it's not as jamming. It's a fantastic street. It's just not a great neighborhood street.
Pros
  • Architecture
  • History
Cons
  • Expensive
  • no restaurant or bar scene
Recommended for
  • Tourists
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 1/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"People are, literally, everywhere"

Union Square is one of those necessary but annoying places that every New Yorker and tourist has to deal with multiple times. The south part of Union Square is particularly crowded -- more so than any other part of the area. The subway entrance is right here and it's one of the biggest stops in Manhattan. Nearly every train system in the city joins up at Union Square so this area is a perpetual zoo. Add that to the fact that there's a market nearly every day of the year right here, and good luck being in a hurry and having to navigate through Union Square south.
There's nowhere to sit in the entirety of the square and Union Square South is no different. I have never once found an empty bench in the entire time I've lived in New York. And, the people that hang out on the benches here freak me out a little so I guess that's probably a good thing. Union Square South is where all of the punk kids hang out. It's not unsafe but let's just say it reeks of patchouli and there are a lot of skateboards zinging around. The area gets particularly crazy around the holidays because more booths go up on the south side. So, I try to steer clear of it.
Union Square isn't a real street, per se. You can't live on it and you can't drive on it. There are just about a million people on it every single day. It's this sort of vortex of people trying to get to other places even if that other place is just the north side of the Square.
Pros
  • The subway
Cons
  • Too many people
  • Loud
  • Dirty
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
2/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 1/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"A necessary evil"

Union Sq West is kind of a nightmare. There are a lot of shops and a lot of restaurants but none of them are particularly noteworthy. It's a tourist haven but it has more than that. Union Square is one of the busiest subway stops because of all the train connections and there's a pretty big market that goes on nearly every day of the week that draws a lot of people. It's just a madhouse but a necessary evil. There aren't many days that go by where I can honestly manage to avoid Union Square West.
There's a great old building on the corner of Union Square West and 17th where, apparently, there used to be quite a famous massage parlor around the turn of the 20th century. It's an awfully big building to have been able to keep that a secret but I guess stranger things have happened in this city. Sidenote: this Starbucks is always ridiculously packed so I would avoid it at all costs. Next door to that is a place called Republic which is a weird name for a noodle place but it's actually really good and pretty cheap -- two things I can't say about most things around Union Square. Next door to that is Heartland Brewery. They do have good beer and this is definitely the best location of all the Heartlands but I don't go here much. They have a pretty big front patio so it's great to sit here and people watch in the spring but it's very touristy and the food is catered toward that kind of crowd. The old building next to that which has the Puma store (I believe (or maybe it's American Eagle)) used to be one of Andy Warhol's factories. He was shot at this location. The next building over has Blue Water Grill which is supposed to have fantastic seafood but I've never tried it because I just don't think of Union Square as the place to go for amazing food.
The next block has Coffee Shop which is a place where all of the models go and I have no idea why. I actually can't stand this place. I feel like they need to pick a theme and go with it. Is it trendy? Is it a diner? Is a brunch place? Is it a bar? I don't get this place at all. The rest of Union Square West is shopping but none of the really good stuff is on this block. I don't even know how Miss Sixty is still in business and that's the sort of stores that take up the rest of the street. It's a very touristy area and Union Sq West reflects that.
Pros
  • Transportation
Cons
  • Crowded
  • Loud
  • Dirty
Recommended for
  • Tourists
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
Just now

"Gorgeous alley"

Macdougal Alley is one of those lovely little alleys that are so charming and private that you can't help but be jealous of the people that live there. It's a tiny little alley and I'm not sure of its specific history but I imagine it was, like of the most of the alleys in the Village, meant to be servants' living quarters. And now, like the other Village alleys, those living quarters are some of the most coveted in the city. This particular alley is a little different from the rest in that most of the residences are taken up for NYU professors (NYU taking over historical landmarks? What a shocker). But, there are a few private residences left and they are magnificent. One sold somewhat recently for about $8 million and it came with a wine cellar, backyard, roof patio, etc. That house had basically everything that you can't find anywhere in Manhattan and all of the good stuff as well (i.e. massive fireplaces and grand stairs). $8 million is ridiculously expensive, of course, but it actually didn't seem all that high of a price considering how fantastic the house is. Most of the other alleys have apartment homes so MacDougal is a rare find. It's a tiny whisp of a block so there isn't much in the way of entertainment on the actual street but it's right next to Washington Square Park in a pretty stellar, central location -- aside from all the NYU business. It must be nice to live on MacDougal Alley
Pros
  • Gorgeous homes
  • Historic Buildings
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Mostly for NYU
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 1/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
Just now

"Just too crowded and commercial"

14th in Greenwich begins right at the site of the commencement of the Draft Riots of 1863 and I dare say the intersection doesn't seem much more peaceful today. This area is an absolute zoo between students, commuters, tourists, etc. 14th street, in general, is always ridiculously crowded but the part of the street that runs through Greenwich is the worst.
The corner building that is now some nearly unknown dance studio used to be the Living Theatre. Eliot and Auden debuted plays at this theatre and Martin Sheen had his first acting job here. It's such a shame that places like that are gone but Walmart is alive and thriving. Across the street is a gorgeous building that used to be a high end department store and is now Urban Outfitters. I'm not gonna lie, I go here all the time when I've got time to kill. That Urban is massive. 56 W 14th is the only remaining part of the original Macy's and the architecture is stunning. It was built at the end of the 19th century and it's too bad that the rest of the building no longer remains. The entire street leading up to 5th Avenue is full of grand old buildings with disappointing businesses in them. I often wonder how on earth most of these stay in business but I suppose it's because the street is always so packed.
The block between 5th and Uni is also pretty blah aside from the architecture. Although this block does have Garden of Eden which is a great alternative to nearby Whole Foods. It's like Whole Foods but not corporate and not packed. And, 7 E 14th is not only a lovely building but it has an interesting history.
Unit 11 was Biograph Studios where the likes of Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore got their start. And, 17 is where Florence Maybeck lived after being released from prison in England. She was accused of poisoning her husband and she had two Presidents intercede on her behalf. They came to find he was addicted to arsenic so they released her. He is, to date, still one of the main suspects thought to have been Jack the Ripper.
The next block is the dreaded Union Square. It's fantastic as far as public transportation and the outdoor market but it is so unbelievably crowded it's almost insufferable at times. There are just way too many people and it ruins the street. Things like a 24 hour Best Buy don't help either.
Pros
  • Convenience
  • Union Square Market
Cons
  • Crowded
  • loud
  • Dirty
Recommended for
  • Tourists
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"A lot of history but no charm"

Like my review title notes, there is so much history on this street but really no neighborhood feel. It's mostly large buildings and there aren't really any bars or restaurants so there just isn't a vibe to this part of 11th. I guess there used to be, however, because a lot of famous people have lived here.
The corner of 5th and 11th houses a collection of really beautiful apartment buildings that were all built around the turn of the 20th century. They are incredibly grand but definitely take the charm away from the street that the rowhouses provided just a block west. It definitely feels like a city once you cross 5th. The building on the northwest corner has been in a ton of movies so a lot of people recognize it. It was supposedly the grandest apartment building downtown and it really is beautiful. Marlon Brando lived here at one point. I believe it's call the Beauart or something like that. And, directly across the street is the building where Eleanor Roosevelt kept an apartment from the 1930's -1940's. Just down the block at 21 is where Edith Wharton's sister used to have artist salons. John Singer Sargent, Theodore Roosevelt and Henry James were among some of the guests. I wish people still did that; or, if they do, I wish I were invited. That must have been incredible to be in a room with that many prominent figures in the arts discussing your work.
Across University, 11th looks really similar to the previous block but it houses a pretty noteworthy building. The Albert (now apartments) was a hotel when it was built where both Robert Louis Stevenson and Thomas Wolfe lived. Frank Zappa and John Phillips also both lived here -- this is where California Dreamin' was written. At the opposite end of the block (at Broadway) another former famous hotel sits. It's now some storefront with apartments but it used to be the luxury hotel of New York City. Abraham Lincoln, PT Barnum, Alexander Graham Bell and Buffalo Bill were all guests at the St. Denis. The building is quite extraordinary so it's a shame that people barely even look at it now while passing through the street. In between the two former hotels there are about a hundred antique stores. I don't quite know how this became antique row, but apparently, this is the place to be if you like old things. Across the street from the antique bonanza is a Bahai center. You gotta love New York and its geographic placement, right? I once saw a classmate of mine walking into this center pretty late at night. He is an Australian guy that drank a lot so I never understood his connection here, but it was definitely him. I think about that every time I walk down this street.
Pros
  • Historical landmarks
Cons
  • No neighborhood vibe
Recommended for
  • Tourists
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 5/5
  • Eating Out 1/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 5/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Secluded, gated and expensive"

Grove Ct is a an actually gated court off of Grove Street. It's a private, gated court with six identical rowhouses that were built in 1854. Their construction is interesting because they were built by a grocery store owner with the intended use of providing back houses for tradesmen to increase his profits. During this time, alleys and courts were not ideal places to live. They were always for the lower class and the help. Now, living in an alley or court in the West Village is considered the optimal situation. Living in an actual house in a gated courtyard in Manhattan is pretty unheard of so these homes are wildly expensive. The last time a house in Grove Court was on the market, it fetched just under $5 million for just over 1,000 square feet. This is some prime real estate. But, it is gorgeous. And, it is secluded, safe and quiet which is like the trinity of things that are impossible to find in New York City. Obviously, most people can't afford to live on Grove Ct, but I would highly recommend walking by and taking a peek at the homes.
Pros
  • Beautiful homes
  • Private
Cons
  • Very expensive
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Great street - great restaurants"

Downing is very quaint and in the hustle and bustle of the West Village. Granted, the West Village doesn't a lot of hustle and bustle to speak of; but, any that it does boast is right around Downing. The buildings are pretty much entirely from the 19th century so there's a old time New York feel to the street. There are a fair amount of trees and flowers and it's very picturesque. The real estate is incredibly expensive but one walk through the area and you can understand why. I, personally, wouldn't want to live on Downing because if you live in the West Village you do so to avoid traffic. And, there is quite a lot in this area. It's mostly foot traffic, but it's traffic nevertheless. And, it can be quite loud and crowded on the weekends relative to the rest of the neighborhood. It's much quieter than nearly every neighborhood downtown but it's also much more expensive.
Downing is noticeably clean and green considering how many popular restaurants are on it and I think that's a testament to the neighborhood in general. There are some places on the street that are musts for a New York dining experience. It's pretty rare to find more than one restaurant to recommend to someone on a particular street and Downing has three. Blue Ribbon on the corner of Downing and Bedford is the first restaurant I ever ate at in New York City -- I didn't even live here yet. And, I still love it. The food isn't to die over, but everything else is and the food is good enough. It is tiny and lively and cozy and that is hard to pull off. My first Halloween in New York found me at Blue Ribbon having oysters and champagne at 2 am and it that is one of my favorite New York memories. The place was packed, everyone was in a good mood, and there's really nothing like having a late night meal in a real restaurant sitting next to people dressed as a nun and a panda bear.
10 Downing is right on the corner of 6th and it doesn't have the ambience and snuggly feeling of Blue Ribbon, but the food is outstanding. There are a lot of great lobster rolls in New York, and this one is one of my favorites. And, there's something really lovely about sitting outside on 6th Avenue watching the street traffic in the spring with a glass of wine. It's just a lovely place.
Ditch Plains is right across the street from Blue Ribbon and it's a fantastic place too. They have a great menu and I quite like the aesthetic. If you can only pick one, I say Blue Ribbon, but if you've got time, you have to try all three.
Downing is really well rounded street in my favorite neighborhood in the city. It's centrally located, beautiful and there's something to do or eat within fifty steps. The street is really a no brainer for tourists and locals alike.
Pros
  • Restaurants
  • Beautiful buildings
Cons
  • Foot traffic
  • Loud for the West Village
Recommended for
  • Tourists
  • Trendy & Stylish
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 1/5
  • Lack of Traffic 1/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
Just now

"Cool little garden"

Sheridan Square is about a block of turf that turns into Washington Place just before Washington Square Park. The actually square of Sheridan Square is more of a garden but New Yorkers take green anywhere they can get it. And, I think it's pretty cool that the area residents are what keep the garden going. It's not much to look at when you compare it to the nearby park, but it used to be an ugly traffic island, so I don't think anyone is complaining. Directly across the street used to be a popular bar called The Pirate's Den. It had been around forever and was torn down by the devil otherwise known as NYU. I swear, that school is going to be the death of New York. Where there used to be cool places that Keats hung out, there are now and will continue to be ugly, tenement looking buildings as long as NYU keeps getting permits. It's a really good school, and I think I still wouldn't let my kid go there just out of spite. But, I digress . . . .
This is a high traffic area because of the conjunction of 7th, West 4th and Christopher just west of the garden, so it's not the most peaceful setting. But, the neighborhood is so pretty on it's own that you just kind of deal with the traffic. And, on a nice day, it's a great place to sit and people watch. You can't live on Sheridan Square, obviously, but as far as a stop by kind of block on your way to the park, it's lovely.
Pros
  • Green
Cons
  • Traffic
  • Not much to see or do
Recommended for
  • Tourists
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 2/5
  • Gym & Fitness 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 1/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
Just now

"Lovely, old world street"

West Washington Place was the place to be in the Edith Wharton era, and the block or so of street is still quite lovely. Most of this area is completely overtaken by NYU but it is still beautiful and the majority of the old buildings on this stretch haven't yet been destroyed by the university. The corner of Washington Place and Barrow houses a building that has had quite a liberal history. It was an off Broadway theatre company known for being on the cutting edge at the turn of the 20th century, a Liberal Society where the likes of Lena Horne and Billie Holiday performed and then another boundary pushing theatre company. It closed in the 50's and now it's, you guessed it, NYU territory. But, the building is still there, at least. Directly across the street used to be a "tea room" that was quite famous for a woman that read palms and tea leaves for the rich, bohemain set. It's a shame that that kind of thing isn't around in the neighborhood any longer; but, unfortunately, the area is so expensive that there's no room for the boho set.
Across 6th Avenue is a condo building that used to be the home of a speakeasy where people like Edna St. Vincent Millay hung out. The owners opened 21 Club uptown which is one of the coolest old timey places in the city and I imagine this place was quite similar in aesthetic. Next door, at 82 Washington Place, was the home to both Willa Cather and Richard Wright -- at separate times, naturally. Across the street from that was a speakeasy that ee Cummings used to have dinner with his cheater wife all the time. And, next door to that is the Stoned Crow -- a great little bar where other writers probably go with their cheater wives. . . . kidding . . . maybe.
There's not a ton to do on West Washington Place outside of enjoy the architecture, avoid NYU punks and stroll to the park, but it's a beautiful street that is definitely worth visiting.
Pros
  • Beautiful
Cons
  • NYU
Recommended for
  • Tourists

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