"Pleasant East East Harlem"
This is a nice little avenue that only exists for a few blocks in East Harlem (so east it's almost in the river). It's relatively quiet here, the rent isn't outrageous (by NYC standards), and there's enough food and retail stores (not to mention the nice, quaint Jefferson Park) on neighboring streets to make it a pretty good bet in terms of where to live. The main downside is that it's a bit of a hike to the Green Line on Lexington Ave, but if you don't mind a bit of exercise to start / end your day, this avenue could be a great way to live in Manhattan without mind-blowing prices.