Park Ave, East Harlem

The corner of Park Ave and 28th St, has an interesting array of business and residential area. You will find there are plenty of businesses around. There are banks on two corners. There is also the subway or 4,5, and 6 line.

There is a McDonalds on one side of the road.

If you like visiting stores and work in the area, you won't mind visiting this area. Also, if you are hungry, you have a place to stop and eat.

Up by Central Park, this area of Park Ave caters not only to fancy residents, but to those tourists willing to shell out a few extra bucks to stay in what we shall call the typical New York neighborhood (or what movies and television has portrayed as the norm anyway). There are plenty of grand hotels to check into on Park, and there are plenty of condos to buy up if you happen to be a celebrity. Park Avenue itself stays pretty busy – it’s one of those streets that allows traffic to travel in both directions, and acts as a major artery on the Upper East Side.

Park Avenue is one of the nicest streets to walk. If you head from the mid-30's up through the mid-50's office buildings and suited business men and women are common place, but further uptown it gives way to the high society vibe that Park Avenue is known for. Park Avenue Winter is a restaurant that transforms itself with the seasons to present new decor and menus as the colors, sights and sounds change. The Clarion Hotel and several other nice offerings line the streets and there is no shortage of great and interesting places to stop.

Park Avenue in the 30's and 40's is home to many office buildings and specialty services. It's a busy and hectic area during the working day. It also offers some great, quick food finds for the working crowd. As you head further uptown the street changes a bit and offers up expensive high-end shopping for the men and women with Amex cards to burn. While it's a nice feeling to walk along the road it becomes obvious that it's a rather pretentious area. Park Avenue has always been famous for it's shops and luxury living and it does live up to it's reputation. That can be both a good and bad thing though.

The name brings up visions of upscale apartments and bejeweled women walking little dogs. Well, that is fairly accurate. This is a beautiful street with lots of flowers in the median strip. For the tourist, however, it really doesn’t offer much. It is nice to walk there, taking in how the other half lives, but there are hundreds of more interesting things to do. However, if you find yourself on Park, take a stroll through Grand Central Terminal. It is a stunningly beautiful space with tiled vaulted ceilings and Art Deco touches. Splurge for lunch at the Oyster Bar. It’s an institution and the oyster stew is the best you will ever have.

Park Avenue. The sight of the wealthiest people in New York City. It means something if you can even get a parking spot on this street. The real estate: prime. The people: prime. The views: prime. This is where people who've lived in New York City their entire lives aspire to live.

And for good reason.

Firstly, you must take a trip to the fabulous Hilton-owned Waldorf Astoria. It is gorgeous, and the most important visitors to the city stay here. At the top end of Park, you'll the Met Life building, enclosed by what seems like never-ending high rises on this pictareque stretch of concrete. The Asia Society is also of note for some wonderful shows and exhibits. For high end shopping, go to Gucci! And for something more affordable, you can also find the Nine West Outlet/ my favorite place on Earth!


Park Avenue is close to several metro stations and is close to many buses. Foot traffic is heavy and I recommend the street to EVERYONE!

I gotta say, when I first saw it I thought Grand Central station on a Monday morning may well be the busiest place on earth. That was until I reached the street. Carrying luggage through that was simply impossible so I decided to stop at one of the trillion or so little eat places right there (I don't remember which now, it may have been Oren's as I do remember pastries) to wait it out.

Pretty much what you would expect from all the movies and sitcoms that take place here. It's hoity-toity and it is quite far from cheap. Proximity to Central Park is a plus but unless you can spring $5+ million for an apartment I suggest you look at something a little closer to the River.

Neighbors are nice if not a little snooty but the avenue itself is unique among New York boulevards.