Lexington Ave, Murray Hill

Commercial and bustling, Lexington Avenue seems to stand in contrast to much of the staid,

elegant Upper East Side. Whereas on Madison Avenue, the storefronts will inevitably be erfectly

color-coded and subdued, Lexington Avenue's glitz and glare is chaotic, often gleefully so.

From chain stores like Best Buy and Gap to smaller venues like 88th Street's bike store - a

city standby - Lexington Avenue is where you go to get errands done cheaply and conveniently.

That's not to say it doesn't have its charms. Head a bit further south, and in the 70's and

60's you'll get a more charming atmosphere than the cluttered area around 86th Street, complete

with Orsay, one of the city's best low-key French brasseires, at 76th Street, and the New York

branch of artsy bookstore Shakespeare and Company. By and large, the further south you go, the

more "liveable" this area is - but proximity to the Lex-and-86th area can be a great boon to

shoppers.

The area on Lexington near 27th St is one place that you will find a number of businesses. There are little delis and other small stores on the block. The only problem I have found is that the streets and sidewalks are usually dirty. The patrons or owners of the stores leave their trash on the sidewalk and they fail to click the sidewalk when the trashcans break, or when sanitation does not dump all the trash correctly.

From around Union Square up to 125th St, Lexington is the home of the Green Line. If you live along the 4, 5 or 6 trains and you need to get to a train, you'll find yourself continually coming back to this avenue between Park and 3rd. In midtown Lexington is home to many attractions such as Bloomingdale's, but it's also the surest bet for something affordable to eat in the avenues just below Central Park.

Lexington Avenue which is popularly referred to by New Yorkers as ‘Lex’ is one of main arteries of New York City. This east side avenue extends from east 21st street until east 131st street and is home to several shops, restaurants and various other commercial establishments.
Lexington Avenue hosts one of the most crowded and busy subway lines of the city, the green line which has the local no 6 train and the express 4 and 5 trains. Additionally this one way avenue on which traffic moves from north to south also hosts the M98, M101, M102 and M103 buses which link uptown to downtown.
All along its 5.5 mile length, Lexington Avenue plays host to numerous New York City institutions like the famous community center of the Upper East Side, the 92nd Street Y, the Lenox Hill Hospital, The Bloomingdales department store(59th and Lex), Hunter College ( 68th and Lex ), Hunter College School of Social Work(79th and Lex) and several business hotels like the W New York( 46th and Lex, popular for its Whiskey bar), the Roger Smith and the Radisson Lexington Hotel New York.
Lexington Avenue can be described as a commercial nerve center of New York City and though it also hosts residential buildings it is primarily favored by those folk who value the convenience that it offers over the constant traffic din.

Lexington in the Central Park area is a lot of what you’d expect – expensive apartments, shopping, and hotels. There is also the obscure and unexpected hostel for international student visitors on this street.
The vibe is enough to make you feel like you have enough money to be there, though – the street is beautiful, and worth a look if you’re just in town but don’t have too much money to spend.

Lexington Avenue offers great shopping and great convenience for people who can afford it. Closer to Harlem residential buildings become more affordable and the area is going through a revitalization with new stores moving in all the time. It's a great street to settle on further north,but further south and towards midtown it's an amazing place to visit. Couture and posh restaurants are common place and visitors can always find something of interest.

Grand Central Station is the hallmark of this street as well as many other buildings known for their great architecture. This is the best street to get to the Chrysler Building, a beautiful piece of the New York Skyline. If you go early, you'll be right in the crux of the midtown rush to the office, as this area is filled with offices, various business, and people on a 9-5. I like being amongst the hustle and bustle in the morning, so I go early and try to get a picture of the Chrysler Building as the sun was still in it's morning position. Then, after many mornings of my walk to work, the sun reflects beautifully off of the decadent top. This street also has GREAT restaurants to pick up a casual lunch, and would also be a wonderful street to live on.