newlyminted

Wall Street money and the hip and trendy have driven major retailers into the area and designers are a dime a dozen in the area. It's nice, but it's not necessary, and it's created a massive amount of foot traffic through an area that was largely underdeveloped in the past. It's got a great atmosphere, though, and the food is wonderful. Galicia was a great spot for some amazing food, but the good restaurants are plentiful in the area and a resident or visitor won't have a hard time finding something great to eat.

The area is going through some revitalization, however there is a lot left to be done. It's crowded and busy and many of the residential buildings look run down. It is close to Yankee Stadium and many people use it as a way to get to the stadium adding to the already troubling traffic. Overall it is a decent enough area and offers some convenience although it doesn't offer much in the way of major shopping. The food is good, but that's about it and I wouldn't consider settling there.

Vermilyea Avenue is far from the ideal place to settle. The buildings are run down and there isn't much in the neighborhood besides a few convenience stores. It has long been known to be a haven for marijuana dealer and thus cops spend a good amount of time patrolling the area, completely suspicious of anyone driving in or out of the area. It's only saving grace is that it's close to major transportation and highways, however it's not enough to drag me back.

Bell Blvd is a great street that I fell in love with some years ago. It is mostly commercial with tons and tons of stores all along the strip. You can duck into any shop on the strip and find something interesting which is always nice. Jackson Hole is an amazing diner that has well known burgers. The food is phenomenal and it's hard to decide if breakfast or lunch is better. It's a must stop for anyone in the area.

Grand Avenue is just an average street but it's location and the smell that permeates the air in certain spots makes it exceptional.It is close to the park and the L.I.E. making it both beautiful and convenient and a Bakery makes the entire street smell of pastries and sweets. It's an amazing place to stop by and a rather convenient area to call home.

East 34th Street was intended to be a residential block but over the years it has become a busy business district. It crosses with Park Avenue and brings in a ton of professional foot traffic. The NYU medical center keeps things lively, in a bad way, at all time sand the FDR and Tunnel Approach creates a great deal of traffic. While it's a great location central to all residents really have to be willing to give up peace to live in the area.

107th streets offers so much and yet it's almost never talked about. Lined by lovely buildings 107th street on the west side offers residents Central Park to the east and Riverside park to the west. It's close to Columbia University and is only a quick ride to downtown by way of conveniently located subway stations. Residents will find everything they could want or need at the cross streets. Visitors should consider the Morningside Inn for great accommodations.

A beautiful little street in Greenwich Village offers wary bar hoppers a nice place to call home. It's small, to say the least, only stretching one block, but that one block is packed with nice residential buildings. Because it is in the heart of Greenwich Village nightlife is easy to come by and for a party lover it is the absolute best place to call home.

Rockaway Blvd has a lot to offer for residents and visitor alike. It's a busy street in the area and it thus houses a great number of consumer shops and eateries to service all the foot traffic. There is a great Roti shop in South Ozone Park on Rockaway Blvd for those interested in some off beat cuisine. Some sections are a bit run down but overall it's not a terrible area.

The A train leaves and enters on Rockaway Blvd and there are a number of public buses that service the area so public transportation is not a problem, which is nice, but it's not going to save some of the more unsavory parts of the street.

Woodhaven Blvd is often used primarily as a main street to get from point A to point B but depending on where you happen upon the street there are some great food finds. It's one of the longer roads takes those driving through a number of different neighborhoods. The street gets congested during the summer as many people use the road as a way to get to the beach. Woodhaven House is a great stop for a good drink though and there are many other great potential spots for food and nightlife in the area. It's not just a way to get to the beach.

There isn't much on Alderton Avenue that will draw a large crowd but it's a nice area and the entire neighborhood has a lot to offer. Alderton has a good deal of small office along the strip mixed with small homes that are well taken care of. It's convenient to major highways for those with cars and public transportation is not hard to come by either. Real Estate office, construction offices and the like are very common finds on the street so potential residents should keep the commercialism in mind.

Slocum Crescent is a true nod to what a planned community should look like. As a product of suburbia myself it's always nice to feel like even in a place like Queens a true paradise is not far off. The homes on Slocum Crescent are well maintained and the streets are extremely quiet. You could walk for probably 30 minutes without ever seeing a car drive by. The LIRR services the area, although many will find it is easier to trek to the 7 train to get into the city as the LIRR's service is far more limited. Overall it's a beautiful place to live but it probably out of the league of most on an average income.

Metropolitan Avenue in the Forest Hills section of Queens has a number of varied stores with a sprinkling of Unique offers such as comic book shops, antique furniture shops and small consignment and thrift stores. It's a nice area but the traffic can get rather heavy. Moving away from Forest Hills the street maintains a true commercial feel with a great deal of small stores lining the strip. Everything can be found from Pet shops to gaming stores and computer repair storefronts. Overall it's a nice place to walk along as you can find everything you need.

32nd avenue has a lot of flavor to it and what you find all depends on where on the large street you settle on. Cloe to the Van Wyck and Whitestone Expressway the area feels more commercial and industrialized, but as you move across the street into the more residential parts of Flushing it's lovely and tree-lined with small businesses and service oriented shops sitting next to well-kept homes. It's convenient as it's a major road but those who are considering living in the area will want to have a car as it's not the most convenient area in the borough but I would trade public transportation for the solice of a quiet street that still offers great shopping.

I've had a mild love affair with Crosby Street for some time now and my love for it doesn't seem to be dying anytime soon. Entering Crosby Street is like taking a turn into a completely different part of the city. It's sweet and almost homey at times, but it's only a few steps from great nightlife. It's one of those streets that allow residents and visitors to truly have it all. Great restaurants are nearby and Balthazar is one that comes to mind. Overall the area offers a nice mix of the quieter city life and the hustle of a great nightlife.

Vandam Street is one of few lower Manhattan streets that was forgotten about during the huge influx of nightlife and eateries over the last decade. It remains a largely residential and commercial street with buildings, parking garages and a few other service oriented stops. It is not a street to find great food or anything else for that matter but it remains relatively quiet during the night and offers residents who spend most of their time downtown a great spot to call home. One notable exception though is the Soho Playhouse, located at 15 Vandam Street. The playhouse offers great off-Broadway shows. Tickets are much cheaper than one would find for a Broadway play. While they are far from the ostentatious musicals that Broadway is famous for the plays are quirky and unique to say the least.

West End Avenue has been largely overlooked for decades by city dwellers. It's Western location make some cringe because they fear the subway is a long walk, but West End Avenue is so close to so many major streets that subway stations are not hard to come by. It also offers a great deal of luxury buildings to potential residents and wonderful businesses and service shops to stop in on a leisurely day. Riverside Park is only a short walk away, offering residents a great mix of convenience and serenity.

Coming out of Eastchester into New Rochelle by way of North Avenue offers up a quaint community feel with a few small shopping centers lining the street for convenience. Starbucks is a popular stop for many of the under 21 crowd. As you travel further towards the center of New Rochelle the appearance of the street changes a bit to a more commercial area. New Rochelle High School can be seen from the street, although it is set far back. Iona College and it's dorms are also located on the street and thus bars, pubs and quick food stops are numerous and plentiful. North Avenue has had a reputation in he past for getting a bit rowdy at night and it's reputation sticks as bars and other establishments continue to fuel the nightlife.

Serving Queens as one of the many major roads in the area Kissena Blvd is a loud and commercial area offering residents of the side streets great shopping and food. Just shy of the LIE and the Horace Harding Expressway sits Queens College, a part of the CUNY system. The campus is lovely, but it gives residents one major problem, parking. During the semesters parking is all but impossible to find in the area and students pack all streets around the college with cars. The college vibe has brought in some solid businesses and Gino's of Kissena is a great stop to get a slice.

The LIE starts in Queens and Runs clear through Long Island offering residents and visitors and easy route to follow out onto the island. While it's a convenient route everyone knows it and it gets heavily congested during rush hours and on the weekends. If you can deal with the congestion it's a great way to get where you need to go and if you are a truly patient soul and ride it till the end you will be greatly rewarded with the Tanger Outlet Mall in Riverheard, NY.

While many people are willing to trade gorgeous natural settings for the hustle of a big city it's not necessary on Riverside Drive. The area is home to some of the most beautiful buildings in the entire cty and it offers residents the feeling of a smaller town within the big city. Running right along Riverside Park the streets offers residents great small businesses and service oriented shops, solid transportation options and a great park to spend the weekends with. The views are not to shabby either with the park and river right at residents fingertips.

While the area has a rich history and once house historic homes and the elite of the city it is largely industrialized and surrounded by some troubled areas. The Hudson River Museum is a worthy stop and the view can not be beat. It is conveniently located and public transportation is not a problem, but it's far from my favorite stop.

Crowded and busy is an easy way to describe this area. While the street offers an amazing energy on game days Roosevelt Avenue is home to Shea Stadium (and the new stadium as well). Arthur Ashe Stadium is also nearby and average commuters will likely feel serious pain when the U.S Open roles into town. It does offer a great vibe and a wonderful experience for those visiting the area for games, but overall it's not an area I would visit otherwise, especially when the Mets are in town. The 7 train stops a short distance away which is great for a commuter, but getting on the train during game days can be a true test of patience and restraint.

Francis Lewis Boulevard is a major street in Queens and home to many great establishments. On the corner of Francis Lewis and 26th Avenue a pastry shop offers amazing sweets and coffee. Powerhouse Gym is also located nearby amid a number of other businesses and smaller shops. Major chains also reside on the Boulevard including McDonalds, Subway and Dunkin Donuts. While those in the area find it extremely convenient there is no major tourist pull. It's simply an extremely busy street that leads to both bridges out of Queens and a number of stores and shops.

Fresh Meadow Lane, between 68th and 69th streets in Queens, is a nice area that offers both a residential feel and a business presence. A block from Utopia, the street is convenient to bus routes. There are great residential areas along the street just north and south of the mentioned cross streets. Between the cross streets a small grouping of stores and businesses offer residents everything they could need. It is home to a movie theater that offers Bollywood films and Bakhtar, an Afghan restaurant, that serves up authentic kebabs and tika seven days a week. A small pizzeria, a dance studio and a cleaners round out the area. While visitors won't be too impressed it's a worthy place to settle. Convenience in a nice neighborhood is not always easy to come by in Queens, but Fresh Meadow Lane has that and more.

Allerton Avenue has probably seen better days, but it still offers residents a great deal of convenience and a decent atmosphere. The street is packed with businesses and small alleys off the street offer residents parking options. Roma Pizzeria, on Allerton is a great stop for an amazing slice of pizza. There are a number of great eating options in the area that will appeal to all different tastes. It is no longer the greatest neighborhood in the Bronx, but i've never felt unsafe either. It has several transportation options for commuters including the 2 train and several buses including the 8, 60 and 28.

Marble Hill Avenue like many streets in the neighborhood is bleak and dirty. There is a good deal of garbage, a good deal of traffic and noise and less than splendid surroundings. It is convenient to the subway with a subway station located very close on W. 225th street but other than that there is not much going on. The Marble Hill Playground offers a nice retreat, however there are much better parks in the area and it does not rate high on my own list of places to settle.

There is nothing on Bayside Avenue to write home about but it's a nice enough place and it serves as a connection for many people to their homes on the smaller streets. The buses run regularly across the avenue and there are some small shops and businesses that are aimed at residents, rather than tourists. The street also runs along side Memorial Park which is a nice stop if you have the time. I wouldn't suggest it's a "must see" but it's a nice stop after a long day. It's very much part of a residential area so tourists should not expect much from it.

While tourists may be disappointed by the "average" feeling of this neighborhood those who are looking to move in will likely be impressed. The street between 33rd and 28th avenues is highly convenient for residents and Bowne Park is within walking distance. Bowne Park is not a big park by any means but it offers residents a nice place to sit and relax. It's also close to the buses that take residents to the subway station. Overall it's a win-win situation.

Larkin Plaza is home to the DMV in Yonkers, NY and while most people wouldn't jump all over the opportunity to head to the DMV there are some great finds in the area, if you happen to be there. The Tyrone House is good for a quick afternoon bite. The new library, located nearby, is also a great place to stop and relax. The views from the top floor are gorgeous and the floor to ceiling windows allow the entire area to fill with natural light. The Board of Education building is also located in the general vicinity.