Inwood

Overall, it's a cute neighborhood - to me, it still feels like the city because there are a lot of eateries and restaurants that charge way too much for everything. The fact that the neighborhood is lined by two large parks is wonderful. Most of the streets are clean, and if you don't live near main strips (i.e. where the bars are on Broadway or Dyckman), it's probably quiet (I do live near both Broadway and Dyckman, and hear drunk singers and cars with loud music until late in the a.m. nearly every night when the temperature is above 60 degrees). There are a handful of grocery stores, and they're all expensive (downtown Brooklyn and even grocery stores in FiDi are cheaper). If you head just over the Manhattan/Bronx border, there's a large shopping mall which is a big plus.

It's a convenient neighborhood if you use public transportation: the A train will get you almost anywhere and you'll always have a seat. I commute all the way to Fulton Center (last A-train stop before Brooklyn) and it takes 40 minutes (if all is kosher with the MTA). VERY inconvenient if you own a vehicle: paying to park in a garage is as expensive as places in Midtown, and 9 out of 10 cars you see driving around are looking for parking (just like you). Many times, if I am trying to park in the evening after 7pm, it may take an hour of circling around to find a parking spot. DO NOT park only 15 feet away from hydrants, without a meter receipt for even one minute, or during street cleaning hours after the street has been cleaned - you WILL be ticketed and if the violation is for a hydrant, you WILL be towed. I have parked 15+ feet from a hydrant twice in the last 5 months - and my vehicle was towed, both times.

Overall, I think I would enjoy living in this neighborhood more if I lived east of Broadway, and did not own a vehicle.

There are many "Inwoods" so do your research carefully. There is the majority of the area which lies east of Broadway, very affordable and convenient but has significant noise and litter issues. There is the southern part of western Inwood, from Dyckman to 207th, between the park and Broadway, and this can be a nice area at times though it too has noise, litter and traffic problems whenever the raucous nightclub scene on Dyckman gets busy (read: You Was in La Marina All Summer). The northwestern part of Inwood (north of 207th, west of Broadway) is much more expensive than the rest, for obvious reasons (lush parkscapes, almost no litter, traffic, graffiti or noise - except for Columbia's stadium and the baseball fields in the park). Then there is the part below Dyckman that thinks it is in Inwood, though some sources dispute this (it's a long story). It's a mix of the other three, with parts that are clean and not clean, quiet and not quiet, etc. So check the blocks you are interested in carefully.

That said, if you can figure out all the parameters you may find Mayberry in Manhattan, with terrific neighbors, tons of kids, plenty to do nearby, and all super-convenient by either car or subway or train to wherever else you need to go.

I went to the Cloisters once in Inwood and that was a wonderful experience. It's funny for a New Yorker to take a train, and venture into upper Manhattan and find that the world doesn't end at Harlem but continues on. I have rarely taken the train up that way although I assumed the land continued on. The Cloisters is an old Monastery which has been preserved and actually is quite an oasis to visit. You should visit if you can. Friends who live in Inwood love it for the convenience in terms of apartment size. Apartments are bigger and affordable but you do have to take the train everyday (if you commute south) through Harlem. Not my favorite scenery.

Transportation is easy and convenient though, nevermind fast, and you are near one of the best universities in the world (Columbia University) so that can't be all bad. In terms of shopping and nightlife, Inwood offers great shopping but if you are looking for nightlife or anything more Manhattan like it's best to come downtown. Inwood has its benefits but nothing rivals lower Manhattan.

For places to eat, my friends like the Caribbean Hut and the Inwood Buffet. Look hard enough though and you can find culinary treats for all in this quaint part of Manhattan that offers great buys.

If you are taking the train north and get out at Inwood you might think you've left the city. Located north of just about everything, Inwood is a great residential community but is far from everything.

There is a joke among New Yorkers that the higher up in Manhattan you go the worse it gets. Well Inwood is so far north that it is perfectly safe and the rents are great. At the same time, its a bit of a ride from Midtown and definitely from Downtown or other boroughs. The shopping and food options do not quite stack up to the rest of the city but the area is a quaint hidden gem that many residents overlook.

Tourists may not have much to do but it is an interesting look at a part of Manhattan that few locals, much less tourists, venture up to. Unlike the rest of the city, it is very quiet at night, there are a few very nice parks, and the streets are seldom ever crowded. At the same time, this means less traffic, less crowds, and more money in your pocket after you have paid the rent.

Overall, this is a great neighborhood to find a great deal on an apartment in the city but it is so far from everything you might be better off finding a place in Brooklyn or Queens.

The only reason most people go to Inwood is to visit the Cloisters. This is a mistake. Inwood is moving from a sleepy low-income neighborhood to a vibrant one full of young people.

Though Inwood is really far from many of the main centers of Manhattan, it’s easy to get to and from by train. Either the 1 or the A train will get you almost anywhere you want to go. And on weekdays, the A runs express for a huge portion of upper Manhattan, bypassing a lot of little stops and bringing you right to where you need to be. Really, a trip on the A from the Cloisters to Times Square only takes about 15 minutes. And the 181st Transit Center is close by, which can get you out of the city in a flash.

With the influx of younger residents drawn uptown by the cheap rents, the neighborhood is changing but still has some of its character. You can get a $1.15 café con leche and a $5 latte from Starbucks on the same block. The amazing hills that used to characterize Manhattan can still be seen on the streets and the parks of the area. It’s a gorgeous section of Manhattan and well worth a look.

Though it’s not as cheap as it used to be, Inwood is still a great bargain for a lovely neighborhood.

I like this neighborhood - I mean, s'alright - even if I have no real reason to ever go here. There are pretty views of the Hudson, and some little parks - Fort Tyron Park and Inwood Hill Park - which are relatively cool. Fort Tyron Park is the location of the infamous Cloisters, where a bunch of Medieval art pieces are exhibited.

Like some other people mentioned, being in this neighborhood is sort of like leaving the city - and so if you've come to experience the gritty, fast paced version of the city you may not find it so much in Inwood. However, I can understand why such a neighborhood would be appealing to so many people, especially those who need a bit of a break from the chaos of the city. Inwood is very far (in Manhattan distance) from the rest of the city, and I could never live here as such a long train ride would discourage me from every going anywhere else in NYC.

Inwood is the northern most art of Manhattan island proper. And, boy, is it far. It's largely Latin in demographic (I think maybe it's even it bit too far for the Columbia kids), it's a little run down, and it's not super convenient. It's also not the safest place in the world, I think largely due to the fact that it's in no man's land so it doesn't get enough traffic.
But, the place is a nice respite from the city without actually leaving the city. It has a lot of green and the streets are quiet. Most of the buildings are pre-war so the architecture is nothing to scoff at. It's really not gentrified at all so there's pretty much nothing to do there. But, that can be nice too.
The most notable thing about Inwood, in my opinion, is the Cloisters. It's a part of the Met and it's incredible. It's one of my favorite things in New York city; and, I always think that if I were willing to live this far, then I could come here every day. I guess, I'll have to settle for once in a while, though.
Inwood Hill Park is also worth noting: it has forests and cliffs and a nature center. It's just about as close as you can get to nature without leaving the city.
It takes a really long time to get to Inwood -- so much so that most people don't really consider it part of the city -- but, if you've got time and just want to unwind, it's really peaceful to visit . . .maybe too much of a pain / too boring to live.

Far up north at the very tip of Manhattan, Inwood can seem worlds away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. More reminiscent of fifties-era Queens, with its leafy streets and quiet suburbia, Inwood hardly feels like Manhattan at all. Home to a largely Dominican population, Inwood is notable for its Art Deco buildings and many parks, such as Fort Tryon and Inwood Hill.

But all is not ideal there, either. Unlike the dreamy suburbia Inwood sometimes seems to aspire to be, violent crime and gang violence can be a problem, although not to the degree one associates with, say, the South Bronx. Still, with a bit of common sense, it can be a charming, if not ideal, neighborhood to live in.

Another thing to take into account is how far away Inwood is from the rest of Manhattan: despite being "on" Manhattan Island, it probably feels much further away from the action than the vast part of Brooklyn or Queens. So if you're drawn to Inwood purely as an affordable way to stay in Manhattan, rather than on its own merits, it might be worth thinking again.

On a Saturday night in Inwood, I was once told that I would have to go into Manhattan if I wanted to purchase liquor. That sort of sums up how cloistered the neighborhood is. It really is quieter than the rest of the island, capped by the wonderful parks on three sides (Fort Tryon and Inwood Hill Park). It's certainly not the most happening place in New York, but the people are friendly and the commute, if you're on the A train, is quick. Grandpa's pizza is the thinnest slice I've ever had, and delicious. Good parking, easy access to Fairway if you have a car.