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Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village jointly make a private residential area on the lower east side of Manhattan. This is quite a historical area, especially with regard to the early days of New York City when the Dutch settled. (Peter Cooper founded Cooper Union where Abraham Lincoln gave a key speech.) The development runs from East 14th to East 23rd Streets and is far on the eastern part of Manhattan from First Avenue to Avenue C in Alphabet City. Stuyvesant Square and Stuyvesant High School are very well-known, and Beth Israel Medical Center is in this area.

They started constructing the current apartment buildings in the 1940s, and they were reasonably priced in the past. There are some larger apartments here, but they're decidedly pricey now thanks to a recent sale of the real estate. One-bedroom units go for about $3,000 and up a month. There's controversy here, too. Lawsuits have been filed because the new landlord is trying to charge higher rents of the current tenants.

Personally, I'm not all that fond of this area and wouldn't want to live here, especially since the controversy really rubs me the wrong way. And now that the rents have become so high, I couldn't consider it if I wanted to.

NoHo stands for north of Houston Street (just like SoHo stands for south of Houston Street). It's a neighborhood in southern Manhattan that runs up to Astor Place (8th Street) and west to east from Broadway to the Bowery. More or less, it's between Greenwich Village and the East Village. Like SoHo, it's filled with lofts, so apartments here are very much in demand. Good luck if you snag one (especially if you can actually afford it!)

This area used to be a bit seedy, but that hasn't been the case for a long time. It's a very nice area now, although I still prefer SoHo, even if SoHo is a bit more hoity-toity. For years, I considered this area to be part of SoHo, and I don't think I was alone. Suddenly, people started calling it NoHo. Joseph Papp's Public Theater is in this neighborhood, as well as the Astor Place Theater, where Blue Man Group has been running for years. These theaters are on the lovely stretch of Lafayette Street south of Astor Place (which has a great deal of history, by the way, and is named after John Jacob Astor.)

I'd love to live in this area, but I don't have delusions of being able to afford it, even if a loft became available. If you have the bucks, though, go for it! It's a great place to live, filled with students, professionals, and people in the arts. And it's right next door to SoHo, Nolita, the East Village, and Greenwich Village.

Morningside Heights is a neighborhood that some say is part of the Upper West Side and others say is north of the Upper West Side. It runs from about 110th Street to 125th Street from Morningside Drive (which becomes Columbus Avenue farther south) to Riverside Drive. This was once a questionable neighborhood, but gentrification has made it much more favorable in recent years.

There are lots of colleges in this neighborhood, the most famous of which, of course, is Columbia University. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine – the most beautiful church in New York City, in my opinion – is also in this neighborhood. If you live there, you'll have the lovely Riverside Park, and the 'hood is just northwest of the northernmost border of Central Park near the Harlem Meer. Not bad! I live pretty far from this neighborhood now and almost never get up there, but when I do, I always appreciate it.

If you're a tourist, you'll definitely want to check out the Cathedral and Tom's Restaurant at Broadway and West 112th Street, the famous restaurant featured in Seinfeld (well, the outside of the restaurant, anyway.) The 'hood has a pedigree, too: George Gershwin and F. Scott Fitzgerald lived there back in the day, and George Carlin grew up there.

While no apartments in Manhattan are what you'd call cheap by standards elsewhere, you can still find some deals in this neighborhood because it's slightly off the beaten track. It's just a few subway stops from midtown or downtown, but if you work on the east side, you might feel like you're commuting from the outer boroughs by the time you get to your business via subway or bus.

Yorkville is a neighborhood within the Upper East Side. While I've never lived there, I feel as though I have because I used to sit a friend's dog in this neighborhood, staying at their apartment for extended periods. I'm not entirely sure of the boundaries of this neighborhood, and I doubt they're official. I consider it to run from Third Avenue to the East River from 86th Street to 96th Street. Some people say it runs as far south as 72nd Street, though.

While I'm not that fond of most of the Upper East Side (having lived for 13 years considerably farther south than Yorkville on the UES), I like this area. 86th Street is a main shopping stretch, and there are some great groceries and shops around here. I love Carl Schurz Park on the river. There's a terrific running and biking path, and the mayor's home, Gracie Mansion, is in this park. So, I always felt safe there, even if I walked the dog after dark because there are cops outside the mansion at all times. It's a very pretty area, and there are lots of people walking their dogs. Most people are fairly friendly, too. It's a real neighborhood within the "Yupper" East Side.

It isn't youthful or trendy, though. It's definitely a little bit on the stuffy side, but I found it pretty comfortable and felt safe there. Rents are definitely high but not the absolute highest in the city. There are many very nice buildings with doormen, and you might be able to find a deal if you look hard enough.

Sutton Place is a small midtown/Upper East Side neighborhood that stretches only a matter of a few blocks from 53rd to 59th Streets in the far eastern portion of the east side from about Second Avenue to the East River. It has long been known as a very upscale, posh area. If you have a Sutton Place address, there's a certain amount of prestige that goes along with it. Michael Jackson once had a place in this neighborhood, and one of the buildings was built by the Vanderbilts. It has been featured in books and movies for many years, so it has been a symbol of wealth for decades. You'll read about it in "Catcher in the Rye" and hear about it in the movie from the 50s with Marilyn Monroe, "How to Marry a Millionaire." In fact, Marilyn lived in this neighborhood back in the day. It's also used as a symbol of having "made it" in the original "Wall Street" movie. Today, actors, socialites, and designers live here.

Finding an apartment in this area isn't easy. People don't let them go frequently and move elsewhere, and if you do find a place, you can expect to pay plenty. You might be able to find a more affordable place not far from Sutton Place, so you can pretend you actually live there. If you're a tourist, though, it's fun to walk around the neighborhood. It's quite pretty, residential, and located fairly near a lot of other areas you'll be visiting.

I lived on the Upper East Side for 13 years. It starts at 59th Street and goes all the way up to 96th Street from Fifth Avenue all the way east. I lived on the very southern end of the neighborhood which was on the border with midtown. It's a very old school, yuppie-laden, posh neighborhood with expensive restaurants. In fact, 10022, which is one of the "Yupper" East Side's zip codes is the wealthiest in the city and one of the wealthiest in the country.

It's a relatively friendly neighborhood in the less commercial, more residential areas. The rents had gone down in the 90s when I moved in. Because it isn't trendy like the Upper West Side, the rents have not skyrocketed as much as other neighborhoods. That said, you'll have to search for deals because this is still in the middle of Manhattan where there's no such thing as cheap.

The shopping is great in this neighborhood, and if you live off the park, of course, you're lucky and probably not reading this right now. Restaurants tend to be expensive, but the shops aren't all posh because other people do travel to shop here. You'll find Bloomingdale's in this neighborhood, for example. My feeling about a lot of the Upper East Side is that it's largely without character, but there are some less sterile areas, especially in the East 70s.

Madison Square is "sort of" a neighborhood in midtown Manhattan, but I've never really thought of it as a neighborhood. Still, from what I understand, it's a very small area surrounding Madison Square Park, which is a public park at 23rd Street where Fifth Avenue and Broadway meet. It isn't a very pretty park, nor is it very big or all that green. But it's historical, as it was built in the 1800s, and it was refurbished in 2001. What I can say about this area is that it's very busy, very noisy, and not a place I'd want to live. I think of it as totally commercial and not remotely residential.

That said, the shopping is great around Madison Square, and I often find myself in the area to buy things. The architecture in the vicinity is pretty interesting as well. You might think that Madison Square Garden is in this neighborhood, but not anymore. It used to be, but now, it's farther north in the West 30s.

There are some good restaurants in Madison Square. Everybody mentions Shake Shack, so if you're a burger lover, go stand in line. Of course, Shake Shack isn't really a restaurant; it's a food stand. If you do choose to live in this neighborhood, count on paying a lot for your apartment, but it's certainly convenient to all areas of Manhattan – just a few steps or subway stops from anything and everything.

Lenox Hill is an Upper East Side neighborhood from about 60th Street to 77th Street. It isn't considered to go farther east than Lexington Avenue, and it runs west to about Fifth Avenue. The area is famous for Lenox Hill Hospital, which has catered to some stars. Miranda Richardson was treated there before her death. Don't think this means it's a fabulous hospital, though. It's average at best. Still, this neighborhood is decidedly upscale and caters to the wealthy, especially in the areas closer to Central Park. In other words, a Fifth Avenue or Park Avenue address will cost you big time. As you move east outside of Lenox Hill, you will find slightly more affordable rents.

It's a beautiful area containing some great museums, and it can even be quiet in parts considering that it's very much in the middle of everything. As you would expect, the stores and restaurants tend to be a bit more expensive and upscale as well in order to cater to the neighborhood inhabitants. For groceries, you might have to travel to at least Lexington Avenue. From what I understand, there aren't a lot of apartments available in Lenox Hill, as it isn't the kind of neighborhood where people let their apartments go. If you have one, believe me, you keep it!

Kips Bay is a Manhattan neighborhood on the east side from about 23rd Street to 34th Street. Generally, it runs east from Lexington Avenue, although I don't think these neighborhood markers are official. This is a nice neighborhood that is far enough east to actually feel residential. (As you go toward the center of Manhattan, it becomes more commercial.) It can even be relatively quiet in Kips Bay compared to a lot of areas in Manhattan. Yet, there's plenty of shopping and things to do (although not a great deal of nightlife.) The grocery stores are pretty good in most of this neighborhood, and there are movie theatres and bars.

This isn't a cheap neighborhood. After all, it's pretty much right in the center of everything in Manhattan, and that location comes at a price. But if you can afford it or share a place with others, it can be a great place to live, especially if you work in midtown on the east side, as many people do. There are tons of office buildings in this part of town, some of them even on Lexington Avenue or Third Avenue. The majority, however, are on Park Avenue South, Madison Avenue, and Fifth Avenue. If you work there, you'll only have a few blocks to walk or one or two subway stops to get to work.

This is also a great neighborhood for restaurants. As one of the other reviews said, it isn't a trendy neighborhood, and the apartments tend to be small. But it's still a nice area. I'd live in Kips Bay in a heartbeat.

The Flatiron District is a Manhattan neighborhood in the 20s that is named after the Flatiron Building. I'm in this area on almost a weekly basis, and I like it a lot. It's a fairly busy neighborhood, but I'm told the apartments are quite nice. And if you're a tourist, stroll around for the shopping and the architecture. I love the clock at 200 Fifth Avenue and the famous golden pyramid at the top of the Met Life Tower.

I do quite a lot of shopping on Sixth Avenue in this area. There's a mall that includes Bed Bath & Beyond and T.J. Maxx. You'll also find a Burlington Coat Factory, Old Navy, and Staples on Sixth Avenue, among many other stores. Fifth Avenue also has a wealth of great stores, although they tend to be pricier than the ones on Sixth Avenue. There are plenty of restaurants and other service businesses, too, like shoe repair places and nail salons.

The Flatiron District borders Gramercy Park and Chelsea, and it's just a few blocks from Union Square, which is a major hub in the southern part of Manhattan. The nightlife is a bit limited, but you're so close to Greenwich Village and other areas with happening nightlife that you don't need it right in the Flatiron District itself.

The Financial District of Manhattan is an exciting neighborhood. Of course, it's where the World Trade Center existed prior to the attacks on 9/11, but there's much more to the area than that. It's where Wall Street is located, the New York Stock Exchange, and the famous bull sculpture. What a lot of people don't know is that this is where the Dutch first settled New York. It's so rich with history that it deserves a lot of attention from both tourists and locals. I ignored this history for years, and when I discovered it, I became totally fascinated.

Check out the Fraunces Tavern and Museum. Washington spent time there, and the museum has some of his artifacts. My favorite street in the Financial District is Stone Street off Coenties Ally – the first paved street in New York City. Today, it's lined with restaurants and is an old world pedestrian block. Delmonico's on Beaver Street is purportedly the first restaurant in America. George Washington was inaugurated as our first president where today's Federal Hall National Monument stands at 26 Wall Street. And that's just the beginning. Don't miss Trinity Church and St. Paul's Chapel either.

This area is a must-see for tourists and history buffs, and it isn't bad for living either, although it isn't the most affordable neighborhood in Manhattan. More people are moving into the area, and there are more grocery stores in what used to be an almost exclusively commercial 'hood.

The Civic Center neighborhood of Manhattan isn't really what I'd call a neighborhood. It's more of a district filled with court buildings. If you work for the city or the courts, it's a great place to live because you have no commute. But there aren't a lot of apartment possibilities in this small area other than a handful of high rises.

Primarily, this area is for going to court, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, or visiting Pace University. Pace is where "Inside the Actors Studio" is filmed, and there are frequent events there worth attending even if you aren't a student. Of course, the Civic Center is also a prime tourist area. You can have someone take your picture on the famous court steps and pretend you're Sam Waterston in "Law and Order."

The buildings here are stately and infinitely photogenic, and as long as I've lived in NYC, I never tire of seeing the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge. In summer, it's a lovely walk over the water. The Civic Center area borders the Financial District, and the South Street Seaport is sometimes considered to be a part of the neighborhood. The Seaport is a must-see for tourists and a lot of fun in general. It can be crowded, but it's right on the water. Locals even brave the crowds to go there.

Tribeca (which stands for the triangle below Canal Street) is a beautiful part of Manhattan that Robert DeNiro has made famous by naming his restaurant after it and starting a film festival in the neighborhood after 9/11. Tribeca is just north of the Financial District on the west side, so it suffered a bit after the attacks on the nearby World Trade Center.

The neighborhood was primarily industrial until the 1960s. Then, like SoHo, artists started to move into the area, using the empty commercial spaces. As a result, it slowly gentrified and became a hip, upscale neighborhood. It isn't as youthful as SoHo, Greenwich Village, or the East Village, but it has great restaurants and shops. Its proximity to the Hudson River can make it windy, though. A good friend of mine lives there, and whenever I visit her, I get pummeled by the wind as I walk toward the river.

A lot of famous people have lived or live in Tribeca. The most visible famous resident was John F. Kennedy, Jr. He may even be partially responsible for its resurgence, as his presence gave the neighborhood even more allure. Rents are not inexpensive in Tribeca, but you might be able to find something within your price range. It's certainly a great neighborhood to live in for just about anyone.

SoHo (which stands for south of Houston Street) is an artsy neighborhood in the southern part of Manhattan. It's hard to imagine that it was once full of brothels and factories. As long as I can remember, it has been upscale and hip, known for its huge loft apartments, narrow streets, and historic cast iron architecture. If someone says they have a "loft in Soho," Manhattanites will inevitably "ooh" and "ahh". In the 1960s and 70s, these lofts were cheap because they were converted industrial spaces. In the 80s, that began to change, and SoHo slowly became the upscale, expensive neighborhood that it is today.

Soho in 2010 is a prime shopping area with lots of small boutiques and art galleries. It's expensive, but even if you don't buy, you'll love strolling these beautiful streets filled with character and history. You can find great food and original clothing that you won't find anywhere else. It's worth it just for the window shopping. The nightlife in SoHo is pretty good, too, and the neighborhood is conveniently located near both Greenwich Village and the East Village.

As far as living here, it isn't an easy proposition, but if you have the bucks, you can probably find something fabulous. For most people, however, living in SoHo is a pipe dream.

Midtown Manhattan is not so much a neighborhood as a force of nature – or a force of mankind, I should say. There's very little natural about it. Don't get me wrong; I love midtown. It's the pulse of New York City, and it's great for tourists. It's also great if you need to shop or do business. But it certainly isn't for living.

Some other neighborhoods are technically considered to be in midtown (as opposed to uptown or downtown), but they are west or east of the central avenues of Fifth Avenue, Broadway, Madison Avenue, Park Avenue, and much of Sixth Avenue (aka Avenue of the Americas). There are some residences in this central midtown area, but for the most part, it's a commercial neighborhood with office buildings, stores, and landmarks. This is where tourists go – and should go. It's where you'll find Times Square, the theater district, the giant Toys R Us store, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Radio City Music Hall, and Rockefeller Center.

But I can't imagine living in this area. It's entirely too expensive, crowded, and noisy. The truth is that locals only go into midtown proper to see a show, go to work, or shop. We steer clear of touristy areas otherwise because we're trying to get from point A to point B, not stroll and look around. Whenever I have to go near Times Square, I cringe because I know I'll have to fight crowds of tourists to get where I'm going. But as I said, this is the life blood of New York, so you've gotta love it.

The East Village remains the funkiest neighborhood in Manhattan, even though it has gentrified a great deal over the years (much to the dismay of many long-time residents.) This is where the musicals "Hair" and "Rent" were born and set. This is where Andy Warhol, Quentin Crisp, the Velvet Underground, and my friend, Penny Arcade, walked and developed a lot of their artistry. This is where poor artists lived and took care of each other.

Even now, you can't ask for more character than you'll get in the East Village, but this is changing. The block of St. Mark's Place (which is actually East 8th Street) between Second and Third Avenues is one of my favorite blocks in the city. It has always been home to offbeat shops like Trash & Vaudeville and tons of tattoo and piercing parlors. Today, chain stores are starting to infiltrate and rob the area of its individuality. I hope that they don't take over entirely because it would be heartbreaking for those of us who appreciate the rich 20th century history of this neighborhood.

The area has a history before the 20th century, though. Abraham Lincoln gave an important address at the Great Hall of the Cooper Union. McSorley's Old Ale House on East 7th Street is purported to be the oldest saloon in Manhattan, and on East 2nd Street is the New York Marble Cemetery, the oldest non-sectarian public cemetery in the city.

While all of Manhattan is expensive by the standards in other parts of the country, the East Village still has a few apartments that are more affordable than in other areas of the city. This will continue to change as the neighborhood gentrifies further, so grab your apartment while you can. Of course, this 'hood is not for everyone. It's youthful and better suited for the non-conformist.

Greenwich Village is one of my favorite areas of New York City. If I could live wherever I wanted, this neighborhood would be in my top 3 choices. Located in southern Manhattan on the west side and just called "the village" by locals (even though the East Village is a separate neighborhood), a lot of the area is very European looking – hence, it's "villagey" look. This look differs from midtown Manhattan in that the streets are not laid out in a straightforward grid. Many of the streets are narrow and curved. I went Christmas caroling in the neighborhood this year and pretended I was in England. Bedford Street is one of my favorite streets in the area, and the oldest building in the neighborhood is on that street.

Greenwich Village is also where the 60s counterculture really took off in New York, so it has a lot of rich 20th century history. And it's where the famed Halloween parade takes place every year.

While I've never lived in the area, it used to be my main hangout, and I have always loved it. There are so many great stores and restaurants, including terrific small boutiques and gourmet groceries. While the neighborhood was once very Bohemian, it's now primarily inhabited by hip yuppies. Today, it's a very expensive area for apartments, and a lot of celebs call it home like Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Mickey Rourke, and Uma Thurman.

Gramercy Park is a very popular area of Manhattan, so popular in fact that few people ever give up their apartments in the neighborhood. It's just too pretty, especially if they live near Gramercy Park itself, which is a small but lovely, quiet, and gated oasis in Manhattan. Whenever I walk in the area surrounding the park, I feel like I've left Manhattan entirely. There are so many trees, and the architecture is beautiful. The park is privately owned and was built in the 1800s, and the Gramercy neighborhood was named a historic district in the 1960s.

The neighborhood is on the east side and borders Union Square in the south. It goes up to 23rd Street in the north. So, while not all parts of the neighborhood are as quaint as the area right around the park, it's still a nice 'hood and quieter in most areas than many others in Manhattan.

Union Square is one of my favorite areas for shopping, eating out, and meeting people. Park Avenue South has loads of restaurants and shopping as well, including a few excellent grocery stores and some great thrift shops. Unlike some parts of Manhattan, this area manages to be both commercial and residential.

The area surrounding Central Park is the dream of every New Yorker. Everyone wants to live there, but it's a pipe dream for most of us. This is where some of the wealthiest people in the world live – people like Woody Allen and Mary Tyler Moore, for example. The buildings that line Central Park West and Central Park South are gorgeous, and you can't beat the views of the park.

Central Park is a marvel of landscaping, and I still find it amazing that it ever got built (I understand that it almost didn't.) Today, it probably wouldn't because greed would prevail, and the real estate developers would take it over. I'm sure they'd still love to get their hands on it, but New Yorkers would never stand for it. We love our beautiful park, which is huge and filled with animals (even raccoons), a skating rink, a theatre, a zoo, gardens, and all sorts of other things. It's truly an oasis right in the center of Manhattan, and to live right next to it would be wonderful.

If you can afford to live here, I doubt that I need to sell you on it. The restaurants and shopping are a block or two off the park, but with an address like that, who cares? Besides, if you can afford to live here, you don't have to shop for yourself.

The Bowery is a funky neighborhood that borders the East Village and Chinatown. At one time, it was really run down and full of homeless people and prostitutes. In other words, it wasn't a safe area after dark. That has all changed, and it's an up and coming area, even if parts of it still look a bit … well, industrial. Personally, I love the area because it's hip and youthful, and on top of that, it's filled with history from the early settlers of New York to the incredible music scene of the 1960s through the 1980s.

The neighborhood and the street called the Bowery are both named after a derivation of the Dutch word for farm, and the street is supposedly the oldest one in Manhattan. George Washington reportedly led his troops in this area after visiting the Bull's Head Tavern.

Today, it's really a happening area with the Bowery Poetry Club and the Bowery Ballroom nearby, quite a lot of restaurants and nightlife. Unfortunately, CBGBs is no longer around. It isn't cheap to live here, but then, nowhere in Manhattan is cheap. It's fashionable and conveniently located to so many other great areas like the west village, east village, Chinatown, and Little Italy. I would live in the Bowery in a heartbeat.