Jailei

Mercer Street is in the heart of Soho, and you can find some great shopping and really interesting boutiques. It's a great little side street to visit if you choose to venture off Broadway when walking downtown, and get lost in the smaller streets cutting up Soho. It's a very chic and trendy area. I would really suggest it for anyone who's fashion-inclined.

When thinking of the FDR, usually cars and traffic are brought to mind. But if living in the area, you can find some excellent recreational parks right along the FDR. All the way from Houston street to the 80's, there are great running tracks, playgrounds, and soccer fields. Up in the 70's there are lovely dog runs, and plenty of benches. For someone who is very active, living near to the FDR is a great idea. It's a really great place to run or relax.

The higher up you go on 8th Avenue, the worse it gets. From about 14th Street and into the 20's it's a really great avenue to visit. Between these streets, you're in Chelsea, and you find some really great restaurants and shopping. The prices in this area tend to be reasonable too, so that's a plus. But venture into the 30's and 40's, it tends to get a little tacky and unsafe at times.

The more west you go on Houston, pretty much the cooler it gets. You'll find some of the best film houses in Manhattan along Houston, as well as some of the trendiest shops and eateries. If you keep going further, you'll find your share of some really good (and interesting) clubs. If you can swing the rent on the street, you're in for some of the hippest living you can find.

Clinton Street is a great street and area to live in if you're looking to get the best of the Lower East Side. There are so many great bars and restaurants in the area; it's hard to get enough of it all. Some may call it hipster-central, but overall it's loads of fun. The area is lively, but not overly noisy. So it's great for someone who wants to be a part of the lively social life outside.

I really love East Houston right around the Bowery and Broadway. It's gone through such a transformation within the past few years. There are a lot of new trendy apartments, art galleries, coffee shops, and great restaurants. There's even a new museum, the New Museum which shows some of the most cutting edge contemporary art in New York City. It's a great area to live in. There's a new Whole Foods Market too, so it's really convenient now to go food shopping in the area. It's very lively and hip.

I've lived on 14th Street in the East Village for the past three years and I really loved it. It's such a hip and down-to-earth area. The apartment that I lived in was perfect, it was small but charming, and the building that I lived in was very safe and quiet. The apartment was pricey, but it was really worth it. There were so many bars, great cafes, and restaurants in the area there was always so much to do at night. Plus, there were grocery stores, health food and vitamin stores, as well as fitness gyms in the area. I felt really at home living there because so many great stores and services were right within reach. The only complaint about the street was that there was a lot of new construction going on, so it could be very noisy for months at a time. But overall, the area was very safe. I loved it a lot!

During the fall I usually go to Canal Street a lot. I do a lot of fabrication for work, so it's the best place to go in Manhattan to get discounted plastic, rubber, and art materials. It's pretty much one-stop shopping if you're looking to buy those kinds of supplies. If you want DVD deals and knock-off bags, clothing, and jewelry, it's also a really great place to go. But just for strolling around or living, I really wouldn't suggest it too much. I try my best to avoid Canal Street during the summer! It's jam-packed with tourists looking for deals on cheap bags and clothing, and to be honest, it can smell pretty bad too. I would only suggest going to Canal Street if you're up for adventure- dodging dvd-ladies, heckling with jewelry salesmen, and avoiding being pick-pocketed. It's an incredibly busy street and very very loud. For all the commotion, I don't think the rent prices in the area are as low as they should be.