Manhattan
Neighborhoods Map
In
what section of Manhattan would you like to live?
One
very important step to a successful relocation is finding
the right neighborhood. Each neighborhood in Manhattan
has its own unique style and independence. Take into consideration:
safety, community, type of residents etc.
Harlem
Both
East and West Harlem are being refurbished and are enjoying
a rediscovery.
East
Harlem, known as El Barrio or Spanish Harlem, is bustling
as well on Third and First Avenues. New families are restoring
some of Harlem's historical brownstones.
West
Harlem, from Mount Morris Park at 199th to 124th Streets
to Sugar Mill in the 140s and 150s, is peppered with interesting
brownstones and high-rises.
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Upper
East Side
From
59th Street to 96th St. and from Fifth Avenue to East End
Avenue.
Many
of the city's most stately co-ops, luxurious rentals and
elegant townhouses are located in this area, as are the
most fashionable boutiques. The coveted public schools and
private schools as well as the playgrounds, recreational
activities, museums, libraries, colleges, cultural activities
and cinemas make this section very popular with the wealthy,
well established family set. Each avenue offers a distinct
neighborhood atmosphere of its own: Fifth Avenue imbues
a sense of opulence and elegance. Madison Avenue reflects
the international side: its boutiques and art galleries
could just as easily be in Paris or London. Park Avenue,
with its long strip of year-round flowers and plantings,
offers stature and dignity. Eastward on Lexington, Third,
Second and First Avenues, the ambiance changes to a kinetic,
eclectic New York.
The
prices in the Upper East Side are expensive. One of the
reason for the high costs is that the two best public elementary
schools in Manhattan are located in these neighborhoods.
Public School #6 is located at Madison Avenue and 82nd Street,
and Public School #158 is located at York Avenue and 77th
Street. If your child is aged five to eleven years old and
you live in one of these school districts (at the specific
zones), your child has the option of attending one of these
free, public schools. The Upper East Side is also very safe,
which is good for everyone and perfect for families.
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Upper
West Side, Lincoln Center & Columbia University
Upper
West Side:
Between 59th street and the high 90's from Central Park
West to Riverside Drive. This neighborhood has perhaps the
most beautiful townhouses in New York City. The rents vary,
depending on the specific street and building. Riverside
Drive has superb views of the Hudson River and Central Park
West of Central Park. Many of the older buildings are co-operatives,
but not all. The side streets have rows of brownstones that
are usually inhabited by their owners, but there are some
garden apartments and studios available for rent. West End
Avenue and Riverside Drive are mostly co-ops and condos,
but some rental units may be available. Central Park West
has become as expensive and sought-after as Fifth Avenue.
Lincoln
Center: Lincoln Center is the largest performing arts
complex in the United State and perhaps the most active
community in NYC. Extending from Central Park West to Broadway,
from 59th Street to 72th Street, this area knows no curfew.
The New York State Theater within Lincoln Center has housed
both the New York City Ballet and the New York City Opera.
In the evenings, with it's varied cafes on Broadway and
its cosmopolitan restaurants on Columbus Avenue, one has
the feeling that this neighborhood is Lincoln Center's "encore":
the continuation of an exciting evening "on the town".
The older section, which includes the stately co-operative
buildings of Central Park West and the historical brownstones
between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, is an architect's
delight for a rich man's taste. Many of these residents
are the successful musicians and artists involved with Lincoln
Center or just those so enamored with the area's artistic
life that they can't stand to live elsewhere. Many young
singles have also been attracted to this area for its comparatively
reasonable rents on Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway and the
exciting nightlife on Columbus Avenue. Most of the high
rise apartment buildings near Lincoln Center are expensive.
There are some excellent private schools, as well as recreational
opportunities , in this community. Central Park is the city's
recreational center, and it is this neighborhood's extended
backyard for joggers, children, dog walkers and even romantics.
Columbia
University: At 116th Street and Broadway. Many students
and professors live in this community, and one has the feeling
that in this neighborhood books and learning are more important
than fancy apartments. The rents are very reasonable. Many
apartments are owned or managed by Columbia University and
renting priority goes first to their students and facility.
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East
Midtown: Murray Hill & Gramercy Park
Murray
Hill:
Mainly the east 30's to 40's from the East River to Fifth
Avenue. This section of Manhattan is a lovely area to live
and not, which is not as "discovered" as other
sections of Manhattan. It is centrally located and provides
good access to most areas of Manhattan. Many people choose
to live here so they can "walk" to work, and therefore
the neighborhood is rife with professionals (although not
necessarily young ones). On Third Avenue there's a varied
number and styles of restaurants, cafes and after-work meeting
spots. They're all popular with the young professionals
in the area, especially those working at New York University
Hospital and Bellevue. On Second Avenue there are new high-rise
buildings like Kips Bay Plaza (30th to 33rd Streets on First
and Second Avenues). On First Avenue there's New York University
Medical Center. The side streets have some beautiful townhouses
and small landmarked residential buildings that offer an
old world elegance.
Gramercy
Park : Gramercy Park is bounded by 18th and 23rd streets,
between Third Avenue and Park Avenue South, on the east
side of Manhattan. It is centered around a beautiful private
park (the only one in Manhattan) open only to residents
of buildings in the neighborhood. It is a quiet neighborhood
because the park cuts up the streets and prevents most through-traffic.
The park is surrounded by nineteenth-century townhouses,
and there are many attractive small buildings nearby. Prices
are very high as you get close to the park. New condos and
pricey rentals have emerged on Second and Third Avenues,
but it still seems like there are not enough units for the
demand.
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West
Midtown: Clinton & Chelsea
Clinton:
Clinton, which until 1959 was known as "Hell's Kitchen"-a
notoriously dangerous area , is bounded by 59th Street and
30th Street, and by Ninth Avenue to the Hudson River. Due
to the Revitalization of several off-Broadway theaters on
42nd Street, and the Manhattan Plaza units on 43rd Street
for artists, there are many more rentals, condos and co-ops
available, especially on Eight and Ninth Avenues in the
30s and 40s. There has been some high-rise condo construction,
but most of the housing is in smaller prewar buildings and
lofts. Although Clinton is not as safer as Chelsea or the
Upper West Side, it is a fine neighborhood and continues
to improve each year.
Chelsea:
Chelsea is found within 14th and 30th Streets, and stretches
from Seventh Avenue to the Hudson River. Eight Avenue, between
23rd and 15th streets, is the heart of Chelsea, bubbling
with trendy restaurants and refurbished co-ops and condos.
Chelsea Piers at the Hudson River (17th to 23rd Street)
offers a gamut of spot facilities including an ice-skating
rink, golf driving range and climbing walls. Restaurants
and shops now line Eight Avenue and the western part of
Chelsea contains several up-and-coming art galleries. You'll
see attractive couples out for just walking hand in hand
down the street. There are many attractive walk-up buildings
and brownstones, plus a few loft buildings. This is a rapidly
improving neighborhood and there may not be at all that
many housing bargains left, but it's worth the try.
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Union
Square
The
Union Square neighborhood runs approximately from 14th to
21st Street and from Third to Sixth Avenues. This neighborhood
is one of the finest residential areas in the city. Union
Square Park is well maintained and stands as a beautiful
asset to the area. From spring through fall, the park has
renowned farmers' markets, where chefs from New York City's
finest restaurants shop for highest quality produce. Revitalized
by Internet start-up companies (dot-coms) in "Silicon
Alley" on Park Avenue, housing is at the prime. Rentals,
co-ops and condos are available, though, as well as converted
living lofts.
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East
Village
14th
Street in the north, East Houston Street on the south, Broadway
on the west and the East River on the east. East Village
is one of the most promising areas for newcomers on limited
budgets. The neighborhood is steadily improving and even
the dreaded "Alphabet City" (the area jutting
out into the river, where the extra avenues are designated
by letters) has been cleaned up dramatically by recent police
action. Housing is mostly old and small, but there are bargains
to be had. The area is especially popular with the young,
anti-establishment crowd. Astor Place is replete with student
life from Cooper Union and New York University. The Joseph
Papp Public Theater and St. Mark's Place fill the area with
theater-goers and uptowners who enjoy the trendy restaurants
and clubs. NoHo (North Of Houston) is characterized by lofts
in cast-iron manufacturing buildings, but many of the units
are reserved for certified artists.
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West
(Greenwich) Village
The
West Village runs from Houston Street to 14th Street, then
from Broadway to the Hudson River. The West Village is one
of the most sought after and expensive neighborhood in the
City right now. The West Village includes the small winding
streets west of Seventh Avenue such as Barrow Street, Christopher
Street, Charles Street, Petty Street and Bank Street. The
center of the neighborhood, physically and spiritually,
is New York University. Many artists and intellectuals enjoy
this area because of its proximity to New York University
and the New School, as well as the unending choices of foreign
films, lectures, conferences, the darkly lit jazz hangouts
and the European-style cafes. The residential streets in
the center of the village are elegant and full of attractive
old brick townhouses, plus some apartment buildings. If
you're thinking funky and unusual, you've got the wrong
image - many of the streets in the West Village are as dignified
as they come. The neighborhood is also popular with students
and alternative types, but they have been pushed farther
farther west, where funkiness is more of a possibility.
The brownstones and townhouses have all been redone in exceptional
taste, and in Manhattan one usually have to pay dearly for
tree-lined streets, old-fashioned gaslights and charming
historical buildings.
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Lower
East Side, Little Italy & China Town
Lower
East Side:
It runs from South to Canal Street and from the East River
to the Bowery. The Lower East Side is one of Manhattan's
last bastions of bargain housing, and the supply is rapidly
dwindling as people catch on and the neighborhood becomes
safer and more desirable. The neighborhood includes both
the old Jewish Section near Hester, Orchard, Rivington and
Delancey Streets that have now become Puerto Rican and China
town in the vicinity of Canal Street. With a large immigration
from Hong Kong, this neighborhood has become predominantly
Chinese. Housing is crowded and expensive for what is available.
Little
Italy: Little Italy is bounded on the north by Houston
Street, the east by Mulberry Street, the south by Canal
Street and the west by Broadway. Little Italy, the Italian
section of New York, is very colorful and very well known.
It reminds us of a small community in Southern Italy. The
Italian colony, began in the 1880s around Mulberry Street,
has spread itself to Houston Street, Broadway, the Bowery
and even as south as Canal Street. Real Estate is expensive,
for there is very little available, and in recent years
Hong Kong immigrants have bought up most of it.
Chinatown:
Chinatown currently covers about 35 blocks and stretches
from Kenmare and Delancey Streets on the north and Worth
Streets on the south. Chinatown contains nearly 100,000
residents, several Chinese newspapers, hundreds of Chinese
restaurants, garment factories and a huge volume of produce
and seafood business. It is truly New York's largest and
fastest growing ethnic enclave. Unlike many other groups,
the Chinese in this area have preserved traditional customs
and culture. In fact, it is the only ethnic neighborhood
in the city possessing an internal economy. Chinatown, which
dates as far back as the mid-1800's, was originally Mott
Street and Pell Street, but has now extended its boundaries
as far as north of Little Italy. Pagodas on telephone booths,
signs in Mandarin and an abundance of Chinese restaurants
and outdoor fish or produce markets will make you wonder
if you are indeed in New York. As in Little Italy, there
are very little real estate available on these overcrowded,
overpopulated streets. Canal Street is now inhabited predominantly
by Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong. Many non-Chinese are
finding good and cheap housing in Chinatown.
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SoHo
On
the east is Lafayette Street, on the north West Houston
Street, on the west Avenue of the Americas and on the south
Canal St.
SoHo,
Which means "South of Houston Street",
is one of the most sought-after and expensive neighborhood
in Manhattan. SoHo developed when West Greenwich Village
became too commercial and far too expensive for its original
inhabitants. Painters and sculptors needed more space and
room to develop their expressions: renovated factories,
old buildings and forgotten warehouses seemed to be the
right answer. Today, SoHo is characterized by large pre-war
factories and warehouses that include on their upper floors
some very imaginatively renovated lofts where artists can
live and work, and on the ground floor some very interesting
art galleries and cafes where they can meet and talk. When
the tourists aren't there, SoHo is what Greenwich Village
was thirty years ago but not as "inexpensive".
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TriBeCa
TriBeCa,
Which means "Triangle Below Canal
Street", used to be strictly a commercial district.
But, over the past few years, the dominos have fallen, first
in TriBeCa and then with the construction of Battery Park
and Wall Street. TriBeCa, with its large-windowed cast-iron
buildings, now looks more like SoHo than like the industrial
neighborhood it once was. The warehouses and small factories
are being reborn as residential apartments-expensive ones.
The restaurants situation is excellent, spurred by low rents
in the 1980s and now sustained by desirable clientele despite
climbing rents. Not as artsy as SoHo, TriBeCa nonetheless
has an exceptionally active nightlife, an attractive park
(Duane Park), A bike path along the Hudson River, a fair
number of clothing and design shops, plus some galleries.
Access to basic services has improved greatly over the past
few years, such that this is now a fully functioning and
very popular residential neighborhood. A good public elementary
school (P.S. 234) offers an attractive and friendly atmosphere.
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Lower
Manhattan: Battery Park & Wall Street
Battery
Park :
Battery Park, created from landfill is the southern tip
of Manhattan. Battery Park City is a a beautiful example
of a mini-city: half commercial and half residential bounded
by Chambers Street to the north, West Street to the east,
Pier A to the south and the Hudson River to the west. Battery
Park City is a carefully planned development of apartment
complexes, with private security, bronze sculptures, a 1.2-mile
esplanade, Hudson River view and breezes and a beautiful
marina. Shops and restaurants are still somewhat rudimentary
compared with the rest of the City, but residents find them
sufficient given the neighborhood's other benefits. Some
apartments have incredible views of the harbor or of Downtown.
Rollerbladers, cyclists and parents with baby strollers
give this architecturally designed area a neighborhood feeling.
Wall
Street : No longer a place people only go to for work.
New apartment complexes (some renovated former office buildings)
are springing up in the Financial District, and the investment
bankers and traders - who arguably live there already -
are starting to move in. Unlike some emerging neighborhoods,
this area is not characterized by low prices. Expect to
pay top dollar for newly renovated apartments in fully-service
buildings. Neighborhood services are still rudimentary,
but the video stores, twenty-four-hour markets and dry cleaners
are slowly gaining a foothold. With the renovated seaport,
shops and markets , you can roll out of bed and go to work.
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