Upper West Side
Considered the place du jour amongst many of New York’s young professionals, the Upper West Side is one of the hottest rental areas in the city. Competition for apartments is fierce and rents are on the rise. The UWS is bounded by Morningside Heights/110th Street to the north and Hells Kitchen/60th Street to the south: Central Park is on its east side and the Hudson River on the west.
Walking down certain streets of this neighborhood you could easily think you’ve been transported to Paris. Developed around the turn of the century, the West Side was filled with beautiful brownstones, grand apartment buildings and charming tree-lined streets. Wanting to create a certain majesty and refinement, many of the area’s architects borrowed elements of design from respected European structures. Although they were built hoping to attract the upper class, many of these buildings and homes were actually occupied by middle and working class families when developers became desperate during the Depression. Because of its demographics, the neighborhood gained a reputation for being a hotbed of political activism and a stronghold for social tolerance. Today, however, you’re more likely to see the crowd the original developers were hoping to attract. A favorite amongst the young Wall Street banking croud and other well-paid professionals, the Upper West Side is now home to many of the city’s wealthy and famous individuals. With its proximity to Lincoln Center and other performing arts venues, it is also a neighborhood of actors, musicians and artists.
Those with downtown tastes but little desire to venture south are finding more and more bars and restaurants with that feel conveniently located on their own turf. It’s not uncommon to wait in line for the latest bars here, where people pack inside velvet draped spaces and wait and hope to see Leonardo Di Caprio and Cameron Diaz. Just about everyone here looks like they are waiting for something important to happen.
Speaking of the entertainment industry, there’s no lack of movie choices or venues here. Whether it’s a mainstream mega hit or a limited release independent flick, most likely it’ll be one of in Sony’s theaters or an artsy cinema in the area. The Upper West Side is also a great place to shop for food. While Zabar’s is good for tracking down exotic or hard to find ingredients and cooking utensils, Fairway has a huge variety of quality produce at bargain prices and a large selection of staples.
On a more controversial note, while there still are lots of fun boutiques throughout the neighborhood, certain types of local institutions like Shakespeare & Co Bookstore are getting squelched by superstores like Barnes and Noble. Death of the small fry is causing some to wonder if bigger is really better and if the neighborhood will lose its charm if local businesses don’t survive.
The Upper West Side is a good place to work up a sweat. Whether its rock climbing in one the area’s ultra-modern gyms or blazing trails in a neighborhood park, there are loads of exercise options. Primarily used by locals, Riverside Park runs from 72nd Street uptown and has paths that wind through grassy bluffs above the Hudson River. Central Park, also nearby, is New York’s oasis for nature-starved natives and tourists. Thousands pilgrimage to the park to wiggle their toes in the grass, explore wooded sanctuaries, and rollerblade past ponds and pickup games of soccer, baseball, and various other sports.
 

Flatiron District
Named after the famous triangle-shaped structure located on the small plot of land where Broadway, Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street converge, it was once believed that the unusual form of the Flatiron building caused skirt-lifting ground currents which would take unsuspecting female pedestrians by surprise. As a result, the term “23 skidoo!!” was barked by policemen stationed in the area to keep traffic moving and the less subtle from staring. Today, the Flatiron District lies in the crux of all things downtown. Just about any taste or fetish can be fed by taking a 5 minute cab ride from the area to the various surrounding neighborhoods. Midtown is to the North, Gramercy Park to the East, The Village to the South and Chelsea to the West.
Once park of Ladies’ Mile, a stretch of glorious department stores and hotels at the turn of the last century, today Flatiron is primarily comprised of old warehouses, factories and former fashion venues. First turned residential in the 1960’s when artists and photographers such as Andy Warhol moved in and created livable working spaces, many of the industrial buildings in this area are actually full of loft apartments. High ceilings, huge windows and deep spaces force tenants to get creative with furniture and space allocation in non-traditional settings. Fortunately there’s a wealth of stores in the area specializing in everything from rare imported Portuguese tiles and Turkish carpets to cheesy “Blue Plate Special” tableware and lamps you’d see at Liberace’s. All provide residents with a variety of resources interior designers around the world would die for.
Being in the center of the city, the Flatiron District is as urban as urban gets. Aside from Madison Square at its northern edge and Union Square to the south, there are no parks, few trees and the streets lie in perpetual shadows from the industrial buildings above. Those wanting to work up a sweat are best directed to one of the area’s many gyms or to grab a subway elsewhere. Speaking of elsewhere, Penn Station is conveniently close for those wanting to escape from the city and take trains to places like Pennsylvania. Poor souls unable to leave their concrete confines can always wander down to the outdoor farmers market at 16th Street and Union Square, where up-state New Yorkers come to sell their city cousins fresh produce and homemade goodies. It’s a great place for starving artists to grab free snacks by noshing on all of the samples. Just don’t bring your wallet unless you have cash to spare…most likely you’ll get tempted to buy something that would be cheaper at a less charming neighborhood store. Meanwhile, those able to really bust out the cash will be well fed in the Flatiron District. Home to some of the city’s most renowned restaurants, the neighborhood also attracts proprietors ready to try the latest hip twists in dining and dancing, constantly providing residents with new and exciting things to do.
 

Gramercy Park
Located in the area running from 34th to 14th Streets and from Park to First Avenues, Gramercy Park is easily accessible to both midtown and downtown. The area is surrounded by Murray Hill on the North, Stuyvesant to the East, the East Village to the South and the Flatiron District to the West.
Swamp no more, the area which was once a soggy bog was drained; the park which gives the neighborhood its name was designed and parcels of land were sold for residential development. Accessible only to those who have a key, (a select few who live in the immediate vicinity) Gramercy Park itself is a small square of highly manicured green where visitors walk on gravel paths or sit on benches amongst sculptures and lush plants. A number of the buildings constructed around the square were designed by some of the city’s best architects at the time, some of which have since been replaced by high-rise apartment buildings. Rather ornate in nature, many of the original buildings with their cast iron fences, large paned windows and front porches are reminiscent of homes you might see in New Orleans. By no means does this describe the architecture of the neighborhood as a whole however. While the immediate area around the park can be described as above, the majority of the housing stock is the same as in any other part of the city: a mixture of pre- and post-war buildings and brownstones.
Host to a number of good restaurants and cozy local bars, Gramercy Park is not generally the destination for those wanting to spend a wild and crazy night out on the town. It is, however, a great place for a tranquil brunch the morning after. Those wanting to cook for themselves will find Lexington Avenue from 26th to 30th Streets a wonderful source of exotic spices and hard to find ingredients, especially those used in Indian food. Stuck in the middle of Manhattan, the neighborhood is not exactly an outdoorsman’s dream. On the contrary, there are very few atches of green and Central Park or the running paths along the banks of the island are not close by. As a result, most exercise oriented residents belong to gyms, become apt street runners or learn how to take public transport to more open spaces.
 

Murray Hill
Hills? In Manhattan?
Actually, there was a time when the island was quite hilly (which is more evident uptown) but as the city grew and areas were developed the figurative steamroller that ran rampant in lower Manhattan somehow missed Murray Hill. In the neighborhood which runs from 42nd Street to 34th Street and from Fifth Avenue to the East River you’ll notice a grade change albeit it’s not the foothills of Mount Everest. Nearby neighborhoods include residential Midtown to the north, Gramercy Park to the South and Commercial Midtown to the West.
Using the Art Deco peaks of the Chrysler Building to the North and Empire State Building to the South residents can easily navigate their way home. And the Midtown and Grand Central a few steps away just about everything else in the city is accessible via train or transfer including buses to the airport leaving from a stop right outside of Grand Central.
Gone are the mansions of the Morgans, Tiffanys and Delanos so forget about renting one of those. Instead you can choose from one of the neighborhoods typical brownstones, apartments with canopied fronts or converted carriage houses. All make for interesting spaces. One of the few remnants from the neighborhoods more spectacular days is The Morgan Library. JP Morgan himself ordered his house torn down to make way for the building which is now home to his enormous art and rare book collection and a famous public museum.
One of the best things about living in New York City in the summertime is right around the corner from Murray Hill. Every Monday night after sundown a feature film from the nineteen fifties or sixties along with a few Looney Tunes Cartoon clips are projected on a huge outdoor screen in Bryant Park. It’s free and New Yorkers by the thousands flock there early in the evening to stake out spots on the grass and enjoy picnic dinners before the projector kicks in.
 

Midtown
When most people think of Midtown they think of the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Station, the United Nations, corporate headquarters, Fifth Avenue shopping and Smith and Wollensky’s. Few think “neighborhood”.
It’s true that Midtown at night and on the weekends can look like a ghost town. People do live here, however, especially in the area from the East River to Third Avenue and from 59th to 34th Street. Unknown to many New Yorkers, this neighborhood might possibly host the largest population of small dogs on the island of Manhattan. Just about everywhere you look you’ll see doggie salons, biscuit bakeries, and older ladies walking well groomed poodles. Not the most happening part of town. On that note, besides hanging out at a few established after work bars or catching dinner and a movie most residents either go inside to relax or elsewhere to revive.
Because the United Nations is located here several consulates and many UN employees live in the neighborhood. As a result a wide range of international cuisines and ingredients are available either in local restaurants or neighborhood grocery stores. And just as its name suggests midtown is truly in the middle of “everything”. Several bus and subway lines traverse the neighborhood and attractions such as the Museum of Modern Art, Bloomingdales and Central Park are within walking distance. Plus living in midtown means the amount of time it takes for getting to various locations in Manhattan is shorter than for those living in extreme areas of the island like Battery Park City or the Upper West Side.
Residential units in this neighborhood range from small pre/post war buildings or brownstones to large modern high-rises. With some of New York’s most exclusive apartments located in the Sutton Place and Beekman Place areas you can also find tiny enclave parks where people hang out and watch boats on the East River or read in the sun.
 

Tribeca
Tribeca’s name is derived from its location, Triangle Below Canal Street. It’s bounded by Canal Street on the north, Chambers Street on the south, Broadway on the east and the Hudson River on the west. Situated on the lower West Side of Manhattan, it’s sandwiched between SoHo and the Financial District.
When one thinks of Tribeca, one thinks of warehouses and well worn loading docks…JFK Jr. being chased by photographers while attempting to sneak out of his loft…haphazardly paved streets, trash bag tumbleweeds and little triangle shaped parks. It’s also home to Robert DeNiro’s many restaurant ventures, a top-rated grade school (PS 234) and old grocery stores with tall tin ceilings. Actually, some New Yorkers don’t ever think of Tribeca…they simply don’t know where it is and haven’t been there.
And that’s much of the charm of the place. It’s quiet and unassuming, yet brimming with creative types and media bigwigs who don’t bang their drums. It’s the sort place where if you didn’t make a point of going there, you might never get off at its subway stop or experience it firsthand. The big red tourist buses and the Hard Rock Café-ers don’t have Greenwich Street or North Moore on their maps, which is exactly why residents like it.
Wandering through the area, it’s hard to believe that Tribeca was once a neighborhood of elegant homes with a large private park accessible only to the wealthy living on Hudson Square. Instead, today you’ll find the Holland Tunnel exit encompassed by cast iron and sandstone industrial facades where the luxurious enclave of St. John’s Park once stood. Old warehouses, factories and the scarred storefronts that remain were a part the commercial boom that occurred in Lower Manhattan in the mid-1800s and continued well into the 20th Century. Situated on both on the Hudson River and the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad lines, Tribeca became a hub for shipping, manufacturing and produce.
While residents still might wake to the rumble of an occasional delivery truck, most manufacturers and warehouse based businesses have left the area for cheaper spaces outside of the city. With increased demand for residential lofts and its wealth of vacant industrial space, developers are taking a close look at the neighborhood. Tribeca’s residents aren’t about to let outsiders run amok here as they did in SoHo, however. Many residents from “the triangle” remember how SoHo fell victim to the commercialization and overdevelopment of its community…and want to make sure that Tribeca doesn’t suffer the same fate. There is a history of outspokenness here: from demands for increased workplace safety after Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in 1911, to its inhabitants’ ongoing battle to preserve residential loft laws. While local opinions can be heard The Tribeca Trib, a neighborhood newspaper, the best source is from the residents themselves. Walk into any store on one of Tribeca’s side streets and ask what people think of the latest controversy. You’ll get an earful.
Outdoor enthusiasts who want to get out of the docking bay shadows can wander to nearby Battery Park City, where they can grab a piece of grass and sit in the sun or jog along Hudson River Park.
 

Stuyvesant
If you feel most secure when you have a slew of good hospitals within walking distance from your home, then this is the place for you. Stuyvesant is located between 23rd and 14th Street from 1st Avenue to the East River and is home to five of Manhattan’s best medical facilities, including Beth Israel and NYU Hospitals. It’s not a place people generally go unless they have a specific reason to, but its close in proximity to downtown and midtown. Stuyvesant allows residents to enjoy the benefits of being in the “middle of things” without dealing with the hassles of being a destination point. Tourists and hipsters seeking cool places aren’t going to swamp favorite neighborhood restaurants or clog the sidewalks here, but if you want a little excitement the East Village to the South and Gramercy Park to the West is just a short walk away.
Once part of Peter Stuyvesant’s farm (the first Dutch governor of Manhattan), the neighborhood occupies a patch of land which was sold to the city by his descendents for $5. No longer is the pastoral place it once was, Stuyvesant home to two enormous middle class housing projects and a scattering of luxury buildings, renovated tenements and brownstones. As the result of a law that was passed encouraging corporations to take part in the clearing of slums and building of housing, Metropolitan Life built over 18 middle-class apartment buildings which make up Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town. Occupied primarily by veterans and their families after World War II, candidates for apartments had to meet strict lifestyle and income requirements in order to become tenants. For a short period of time there was a philosophy that non-married couples and non-whites need not apply. Today that is not the case. The apartments and waiting lists (some say eight years long) of Copper Village and Stuyvesant are filled with a diverse group of people. Much like college campuses constructed during or after the last world war, the area consists of modest utilitarian buildings, landscaped greens and large trees.
Education and learning is highly valued in this neighborhood, which is home to some of the best schools in the city such as PS 40. Stuyvesant is host to some non traditional schools as well including the High School of Health Professions and Human Services and Institute for Collaborative Education. At the same time, Stuyvesant Adult Center provides a wide range of inexpensive evening courses for those wanting to further their education.
 

SoHo
Named after its location, South of Houston, SoHo is bordered by Houston to the North, Crosby Street to the East, Canal to the South and 6th Avenue to the West. Few would believe this area was a slum called Hell’s Hundred Acres in the 1950s. Fewer still would have guessed SoHo was a free black community made up of Former Dutch West India Company slaves. Today models walk these streets eating in the hippest restaurants, browsing through the latest gallery shows and shopping at the various gourmet stores and clothing boutiques. Buildings with refurbished cast-iron facades of renaissance columns and palatial porticos as well as retail spaces with experimental interiors testing new design techniques abound. The atmosphere is distinctly SoHo. It is all about the latest fashions and trends.
Gentrification began with the influx of artists and activists who moved to the area in the 1960s seeking solstice from rent increases in the Village. It was these pioneers who pushed to have SoHo declared a Historic District by the New York City Landmarks Commission and the zoning laws changed to allow tenants to legally move into spaces that had been previously restricted to industrial use. Wanting to get in on the new art scene many established galleries moved from venues uptown, and with them came the appreciative. The influx of money and the moneyed not only spruced up the neighborhood but it drove out the natives. In the end, few of experimental gallery spaces or artists that moved to SoHo stayed in the area. Many have moved to Chelsea or Williamsburg in Brooklyn, once again seeking cheaper rents.
The word loft for some conjures up ideas of huge open spaces with floor to ceiling windows. Beware; the term can be used liberally. Where some lofts in SoHo are enormous others are ridiculously small. In attempts to cash in on the demand for rental apartments many landlords have carved up once larger spaces into several very small ones. Ask about the size of a place before you bother to see it.
Given some of the sweat shops that originally encompassed the area still remains near Canal Street, the majority of the non residential buildings are galleries, record companies and graphic shops. While residents need only walk out their doors and across the street to find the hippest boutiques and trendiest eateries, finding a grocery running specials on Charmin is tough. Got a thing for trees? You won’t find any, or parks either. And if you like to kick back with an occasional Pabst Blue Ribbon and bust out the cheese whiz, you’ll have to compromise. Microbrew and Vermont Cheddar might be all SoHo has to offer.
 

Battery Park City & the Financial District
Seldom has the view from a landfill turned out as beautiful as that from Battery Park City. Developed in the seventies from the dredging of the World Trade Center, this southwestern most area of Manhattan overlooks the Statue of Liberty and is a prime example of modern urban planning. According to the Encyclopedia of New York City, plans for Battery Park allocated 42% of the land for housing, 30% for open space, 19% for streets and avenues and 9% for commercial and office space. Essentially, it’s Yuppieville USA. The streets, crowned with funky arches and public art are quiet and lined with well-polished cars. On weekends middle aged couples jog behind aerodynamic super strollers and play with toddlers on lawns along side the Hudson. Residents and tourists alike wander the esplanade enjoying the view, and trying to grab glimpses of the super rich on their yachts in the marina. At the same time, the terrain flat and undaunting attracts rollerbladers while adjacent Winter Garden draws art enthusiasts and super shoppers alike for public performances and retail distractions.
Due to the relatively recent construction of the area and its proximity to Wall Street, most buildings are modern luxury high rises, with all the bells and whistles. Doormen greet visitors, health clubs abound and elevators whisk tenants off to amazing views above.
Battery Park isn’t the only residential area downtown. Sandwiched between the above mentioned neighborhood and the South Street Seaport is the Financial District. Interestingly enough, as old office buildings are being vacated by businesses for more modern spaces elsewhere, owners of buildings in the area are redesigning some of these old corporate strongholds for residential use. Because this region of Manhattan was highly populated before New York’s nineteenth century city planning went into effect, buildings in this neighborhood are crammed into small spaces and tower over narrow streets where little sunlight trickles through below. As a result the challenges of converting spaces in these buildings will be immense but the creativity necessary to do so could result in really unique apartments.
Fortunately, now there are certain parts of the financial district you could walk through at night and wonder if you are the only human being on the planet. The mass exodus of 9 to 5ers leaves streets empty and most restaurants and businesses sealed tight after hours. Developers are hoping that as the area becomes more residential, a greater variety of stores, supermarkets and movie theaters will pop up making the neighborhood more conductive to everyday living.
The South Street Seaport is located on the lowest east side of Manhattan’s southern tip. Once teeming with sailors carousing in saloons and brothels the closest you’ll get to the old days is finding some guy named Skip drinking old world beer at a neon trimmed bar. Actually, that’s not entirely true. In the late 1970s the same people who rebuilt Boston’s historic Quincy market came in and cleaned up the South Street Seaport restoring two blocks of old buildings and making way for one of the world’s biggest collections of historic ships – located at the South Street Seaport museum. Residentially speaking, the neighborhood is also an interesting mix of old and new. Here you’ll find a scattering of prewar walk ups amongst huge modern apartment complexes with addresses so cryptic that visitors wish they had tracking devices to find their way around. Seafood lovers will especially appreciate the proximity of the Fulton Fish Market famous for its early morning seafood selections and supplier to some of the best restaurants in New York.
Venturing out into the other parts of the city and its surroundings from any of these downtown neighborhoods is relatively easy via public transportation. Almost every major subway line in the city runs through downtown, ferries go to Staten Island and New Jersey as well as the Upper East Side and buses cover most areas in between, making the average resident’s weekday commute easy to navigate.
 

Chelsea
Chelsea was the destination of the Titanic before it sank. But that shouldn’t discourage you from checking out the neighborhood. Encompassing the area from 14th to 30th Streets from the Hudson River to 6th Avenue, sandwiched between Hells Kitchen ( to the north) and Greenwich Village (to the south), Chelsea is home to a wide range of people and activities and has recently undergone a transformation that has made it one of New York’s most “happening” neighborhoods.
While some of the neighborhood’s inhabitants are excited that Chelsea is poised to dethrone SoHo as King of New York City’s favorite gallery venue (over forty galleries relocated to the western edge of the neighborhood by Spring 1997), some could care less. Community housing organizations like The Chelsea Residence and Robert Fulton Houses and the International Ladies’ Garment Worker’s Union’s Penn Houses will help keep the neighborhood down-to-earth.
Old warehouses which were once factories and breweries are being converted into gallery spaces, nightclubs, and residential lofts. (Many of New York’s hottest nightclubs, including Twilo, Roxy and the Tunnel can be found in the far western side of the neighborhood). Other cultural attractions include the Joyce Theater (NYC’s premier dance venue, aside from Lincoln Center), the Chelsea Hotel, and the DIA Center for the Arts…culture runs rampant on this edge of the city!
On the eastern edge of the neighborhood, large department stores dominate the historic “Ladies Mile” (14th to 23rd Streets along Sixth Avenue), making it that much easier to pick up that zebra striped bathmat and other useful things you’ve been looking for. Housing options differ depending on what part of the neighborhood you’re in. Currently, the majority of lofts exist between Sixth and Seventh Avenues but as demand for this type of space increase it’s likely that the far west warehouse district will also be developed (with this location in close proximity to the art scene, housing prices are bound to be astronomical). If you are looking for space in a brownstone, you should concentrate primarily on streets between Seventh and Tenth Avenues. Rents tend to increase the further west you go.
Resident rollerbladers and outdoor enthusiasts don’t have to schlep up to Central Park to play around. The newly paved Hudson River Park (which will stretch from Battery Park all the way to 42nd Street) runs right through Chelsea, and comes equipped with cool breezes from the Hudson as well as a great view of New Jersey on the other side. It’s a wonderful place to people watch as its proximity to downtown makes this drag a popular venue for the area’s unique athletes.
Chelsea’s inhabitants take their gyms seriously. The behemoth Chelsea Piers Sports and Recreation complex, located at the end of 23rd Street on the nearby Hudson River, has facilities for just about any sport you could possibly imagine, including rock climbing, a golf driving range and ice skating rink.
Eighth Avenue is Chelsea’s main see-and-be-seen strip, full of good restaurants, coffee houses, and stores. It’s also the nucleus for Chelsea’s very visible gay and lesbian community, and although jokes about the “gay ghetto” abound, the neighborhood is notable for its colorful and mutually tolerant mix of family types, gym boys, mom-and-pop stores and a vibrant Latino community.
 

Greenwich Village (West Village)
The Village is all about discovery. Every time you walk down the street there seems to be something new you notice – even if it’s been there a hundred years and you’ve walked past it a dozen times. A nineteen fifties style bakery. A bookstore with nothing but biographies. A dominatrix den for the daring. Walking through the neighborhood bounded by 14th Street to the North, Broadway to the East, Houston to the South and the Hudson River to the West, you never know what you’ll run into next.
The Yellow Fever of 1822 changed the Village forever. Previously a community of freed African slaves, produce farmers and rich weekenders from the city, the Village became the escape destination of choice for those fleeing the deadly fever outbreak downtown. There was even a point when the city considered moving City Hall to the Village to protect the government from viral collapse. Village residents protested the proposed move and won. City Hall remained downtown, the Village stayed residential and Villagers learned to voice their dissent. (A skill they used often in sixties protests lead by Alan Ginsburg and various other village vocalist). As the city continued to grow and the rich left their beautifully built homes in the area for more desirable digs uptown artists and other creative types moved in – attracted by cheap rents.
Once a hot bed for everything challenging and new, communists, gays, activists and strays lived next to each other making the neighborhood a diverse place indeed. Artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Edward Hopper and Jackson Pollock painted here. Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix jammed here. Edgar Allen Poe, E.E. Cummings and Edna St. Vincent Milay wrote here. And Dustin Hoffman, Cary Grant and John Barrymore slept here. Most took full advantage of the Village’s various artistic venues such as off Broadway theaters, jazz clubs and literary coffee houses helping to legitimize the spaces and draw other creatives to the area. The radical side of the Village is just as much a part of its history: Alan Ginsberg and Abbie Hoffman led rallies in Washington Square Park in the 1960’s, and the drag-queen led Stonewall riot (considered the birth of the modern gay and lesbian rights movements) took place in June 1969 at the site of the bar which still exists on Christopher Street off of Seventh Avenue South.
With its low lying historically interesting buildings, the Village could easily be mistaken for a European neighborhood when wandering its more secluded streets. Gated doorways conceal private courtyards between unassuming buildings, hiding virtual wildlife preserves. Dim, brick, green ivy lined alleys lie unobserved as people pass by. Small flower boxes garnish windows of buildings with beautifully worn architectural details. There is a wide mix of housing options here. Prewar, postwar, brownstones and tenements are all found in various states of repair, but as demand for apartment’s rises and landlords seek higher rents, many of these spaces are being renovated to justify rent increase.
And they are beautiful. While many buildings comply with height restrictions keeping them at 6 stories or less, some luxury buildings break those barriers and tower above the rest. Souls searching for lofts should venture West where converted warehouses are close to the river. Beware. When trying to find addresses here you might have some trouble. Streets lie haphazardly and meet at impossible angles (where else in the city would West 12th Street and West 4th Street suddenly intersect?), thoroughly confusing pedestrians and taxi drivers. If you are looking for an apartment and are unfamiliar with the area, make sure you print out a map with directions specific to the address you are trying to find before logging off and hitting the streets. A tip. The sun rises in the East, sets in the West while the Empire State Building is North of the Village.
A wonderful place to stretch your legs and take a stroll, the Village has many outdoor areas where people congregate and watch those around them. While Washington Square park has a strict 11pm curfew kids with skateboards, mothers with strollers, chess players, street performers, drug dealers, tourists and students from NYU all flock to the area when the space isn’t sealed off. Those wanting to raise their heartbeat can run, rollerblade or bike along the piers along the Hudson while others may opt for getting some local color at one of the area’s many fabulous gyms. Exceptional basketball players or those who appreciate a good game should head over to the corner of West Fourth and West Third on Sixth Avenue where some of the city’s best players go for pickup games. You’ll know you’re there when you see the crowds.
Once a place for the artistic poor, very few writers or artists can afford to live in the Village anymore. Unless of course, they’ve made it, are independently wealthy or work high paying day jobs. While many of the old theaters and cafes remain, the majority of their business comes from curious tourists and well fed corporate rather than starving artists. Generally, the further West you go, the more you find the out-of-the-way places that are frequented by Villagers and the peaceful side streets that are characteristic of the neighborhood.
 

East Village – Alphabet City
Alive with an intense “I dare, therefore I am” vibe, the East Village extends from 14th Street to Houston Street and Bowery (or Third Avenue) to Avenue D. Sometimes called Alphabet City after the A through D lettered avenues on its east perimeter, this neighborhood is a hotbed for squatter politics, Brady Bunch fashion and classic New York “what are YOU lookin’ at?” attitude. It’s not easily mistaken for any other part of Manhattan.
Considered part of the Lower East Side until the 1960s when various artists from the West Village moved eastward seeking cheaper housing, this area is home to an eclectic group. Picture this: Kids hanging out on building steps and old men playing dominos on makeshift tables outdoors. Liquor stores where customers yell requests to clerks encased in bullet proof glass. Huge graffiti murals. Stunted trees struggling on street islands of packed dirt and crab grass. Mumbling wanderers pushing shopping carts full of street finds. Tattooed and pierced bodies making various statements or none at all. Hell’s Angels. Cyber cafés full of the intelligensia sipping overpriced coffees and talking technology. Fancy lingerie shops and boutiques full of items you’d see at Barney’s. Random languages spoken by old, young, legal, illegal, rich and poor. Unassuming bars, dim and smoky with pool tables and incredible juke boxes.
Rents are going up in the East Village. Grit is glorious and those with money will pay to experience it (knowing they can get a quick fix of refinement in SoHo when the urge arises). As a result, artists are finding it difficult to compete for places and are turning to boroughs like Brooklyn for cheaper housing or more space for the dollar. For the most part, apartment buildings in the East Village are tenements and prewar units with a considerable number of low income housing projects on Avenue D. Luxury buildings exist but are not widespread. As a rule, it’s hard to predict how dilapidated or divine apartments might be inside from the outside. Some apartments within buildings are quite older or newly renovated which won't be noticable or predictable from the outsider looking in, however they may have units with skylights and ISDN lines, while others have bathtubs in their kitchens and toilettes in the stairways. Likewise it’s hard to tell who lives there. Yuppies, artists, squatters, immigrants and long-time residents often live in close proximity.
The gym thing does not seem to have caught on in the East Village and Thompson Square Park is no runner’s paradise, (though the park was cleaned up recently and is a good place to sit and people watch). The public space is small and crowded with strollers and other slow moving types. Those wanting to work up a sweat should sign up for a gym in a nearby neighborhood or get a good pair of pavement-pounding shoes and hit the streets. Baseball diamonds and tennis courts are found at the East River Park which is located between the East River and FDR Drive between 12th Street and Montgomery Street on the Lower East Side. While it doesn’t rival Central Park in the hearts of New Yorkers those wanting scenic views of the city’s bridges and the Statue of Liberty while they work out should not pass it by.
Although prices often go up with the “discovery” of certain neighborhoods, good food still seems to be pretty cheap and plentiful in the East Village. Whether you prefer Indian eats and live sitar music or potato latkes and stories of the old neighborhood you’ve got options. Because the area also has a slew of night clubs, music venues and bars, the number of 24 hour kitchens is higher than in most neighborhoods around the city…dangerous for dieters who get late night cravings.
 

Lower East Side/Little Italy/Chinatown
Warnings against drinking water from lead pipes in old buildings are posted in Chinese, Spanish, Hebrew and English on the Lower East Side revealing its diverse populace and potential poor living conditions. Home to one of the largest immigrant populations in New York City the neighborhood spreads from Houston in the North, the East River in the East, Brooklyn Bridge to the South and Broadway to the West. Essentially the Lower East Side encompasses three areas: Little Italy, Chinatown and the Jewish/Hispanic section.
Chinatown is Manhattan’s largest and most successful ethnic neighborhood and home to the largest Chinese population in the Western Hemisphere. With the highest number of inhabitants employed, lowest crime rate and near absence of juvenile delinquency outsiders wonder how it can be done. Two words: Self Sufficiency. The Chinese here need little from outside their community. Banks cater to Chinese customers, movie theatres and video rental stores feature Chinese movies, stores carry Chinese foods and newsstands carry Chinese newspapers. It’s possible to live here and never learn to speak English. Although there is a Mayor of New York City, the elders of various factions among the Chinese population rule their neighborhood. The Chinatown police chief also is extremely powerful, maintaining a balance between city law enforcement and the local powers that be. The two most significant “political” groups in the community are the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (pro-Taiwanese) of Chinatown and the United Chinese Associations of New York (pro-mainland China). Allegiance to either one usually depends on the region of China you are from. Although sweatshops, gangs and extortion still exist, the Chinese keep to themselves and put few demands on the city for interference. Where the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 kept Chinese from becoming American Citizens and their presence in the US to a minimum, the act’s repeal in 1943 allowed Chinese to immigrate as easily as the Irish. Chinatown is a sensory experience. People pushing past stalls of fresh produce on crowded streets. Exotic looking vegetables and fruits accompany Florida oranges. Fresh fish. Live lobsters. Tiny turtles. Herb stores filled from ceiling to floor with mysterious mélanges. Reasonable prices make it hard to walk away without carrying 5 pounds of produce. Those looking for counterfeit Gucci’s and $10 Rolex watches can find them here too.
Little Italy, or what’s left of it, is primarily centered around Mulberry Street and clustered in the blocks just south of Houston, East of Crosby and North or Kenmare (though it dips all the way down to Canal on Mulberry Street) and West of Bowery. If you sit at a café across from the Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral on the corner of Mott and Prince you might be able to convince yourself that you’re in the old country, for a moment. Once a densely populated enclave of Italian folk, few of this group remains. While signs posted in Chinese are more and more prevalent those desperately trying to preserve an Italian presence sometimes seem to go overboard. Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin music is played over Mulberry Street where tourists are tempted to buy plastic trinkets and postcards. In milder months outdoor diners and strolling out-of-towners vie for limited sidewalk space. A wonderful place to grab desert and coffee, better meals can be found elsewhere. Many of the Italian families moved to the suburbs years ago and trek back to the neighborhood to man family run businesses or show grandchildren old stomping grounds. A converted police station and several warehouses on Bowery add luxury condos to the housing stock. Overall the neighborhood looks pretty schnazzy. The streets are clean and many tenements having been refurbished to justify higher rents. When looking at an apartment here you should find out if it’s in the path of the San Genarro Festival. If it is, factor the cost of buying an annual ticket out of town into the cost of acquiring and maintaining the apartment. Otherwise every year from the 2nd Thursday in September and the ten days following you’ll find yourself struggling against huge crowds, pushing past overflowing trash cans and through unctuous clouds of sausage smoke trying to get into your place.
While there are some Jewish residents who still live in the Lower East Side most tend to be older people who grew up in the neighborhood and never moved out. Once the largest Jewish population in the United States the area is now mostly Puerto Rican. Despite today’s sizable Hispanic population the streets are quiet and many buildings are boarded up making it hard to believe people actually live here. Walking through the neighborhood you see old Synagogues converted to churches or sealed off. Home of the Bargain District, Sundays on the Lower East Side are still spent by some haggling with shopkeepers on everything from pantyhose to kitchen utensils and eyeglasses. Still a good source of buying must haves for the Jewish holidays, beautiful menorahs and items used in religious ceremony are also found here.
Regardless of which ethnic enclave, most housing stock on the Lower East Side consists of old tenements with a few prewar buildings and a sprinkling of new high-rises. On the outside, many older buildings were constructed with intricate architectural details and elaborate stone workings to impress immigrants looking for apartments. Newcomers would see the first floor entryway where the ceilings were painted with frescos and chandeliers sparkled. Impressed, the visitors would sign a lease and hand over the rent without seeing their personal space first. Opening the door to their place immigrants would find a few poorly kept rooms with little light and ventilation. Today many of these buildings will remain vacant. With the immense demand for apartments in Manhattan, abandoned spaces here and everywhere are being refurbished.
There are many resources on the Lower East Side. Essentially everything under the sum is down here if you know where to find it. Pickles sold out of brine filled vats, roasted duck hanging in shop windows, fresh crusty Italian bread, etc. Those that speak the native language of certain shop keepers can often get the proprietor to lower prices after the little haggling or hanging out. Recreation wise, the East River Park provides many options for the athlete. Tennis courts, baseball diamonds and a running path along the river are for some, while full grown trees provide shade for those who just want to sit and enjoy the river breeze.
 

Morningside
Academia rules. Or at least it has a huge effect on the dynamics of Morningside Heights. Home to Columbia University, Barnard College, The Jewish Theological Seminary, Manhattan School of Music and Teachers College the area has a large student and academic population. But scholarly folk aren’t the only ones walking the streets. The area bounded to the North by 125th Street, Morningside Park to the East, 110th Street to the South and the Hudson River to the West is also culturally rich and home to non-affiliated Latinos and Blacks.
Formerly farmland, the area was first developed with the creation of Riverside Drive and its accompanying park. Morningside Heights, however, didn’t really get swinging until construction of St. John the Divine, Teachers College and Columbia University started near the turn of the Twentieth Century. Grant’s Tomb and St. Luke’s Hospital were also going up around that same time. Sparing no expense on the architects, Columbia University ripped down Bloomingdale Asylum and hired McKim, Mead and White to design the school’s new campus. Riverside Church’s observation deck is a great place to spot all of the neighborhood landmarks and take in the other Upper Manhattan views.
Housing is difficult to find up here. Consisting mostly of prewar apartment buildings there are also some brownstones along tree lined streets near Riverside Park. Columbia University owns a significant percentage of the neighborhood’s rentals and much of it is allocated to students and affiliates. If you are interested in living in the area check bulletin boards at local schools for apartment availabilities. Few openings will appear in the paper.
Riverside Park is loved by all. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the same guy who designed Central Park (along with Calvert Vaux) this wooded piece of land stands high above the Hudson and provides exercise enthusiasts with paved paths to walk, jog or rollerblade on. Just don’t go there at night, especially if you are a woman. Past incidents have proved midnight runs unwise. Morningside Park is another public space which lies in the shadow of St. John the Divine. Not a favorite amongst students in the area, many avoid the space all together. Reason: Rumors of muggings. For those just wanting to let the kids run in the grass or read a book on the lawn, Columbia’s campus is ideal. It’s good for people watching too.
Broadway is Morningside’s main drag, the source of all sorts of college like stores and boutiques. Surprisingly enough, the area is lacking really good bookstores. Restaurants also come with so-so reviews but Samad Deli is said to be a good source for Middle Eastern Food, Columbia Bagels challenges Zagats best NYC bagel award and Westside Market seems to be a favorite for those cooking at home. One huge bonus about living close to so many schools is the wealth of affordable entertainment and educational options available to locals. Theater productions, music concerts and student film debuts all happen in a variety of venues from area churches to university lecture rooms. Area jazz clubs also keep locals from having to schlep to the village in search of good music.
Roosevelt Island
Once a destination for the crazed, contagious or criminal, this island in the East River was home to several hospitals and a prison. “Welfare Island” (as it used to be called), in name and circumstance, was not exactly the place families wanted to move and raise their children. In attempts to clean up the island’s image, the city moved the prison to Rikers Island upstream, sealed off some of the old hospitals and gave the space a new name:

Roosevelt Island.
Seemingly quiet and tranquil, there has been a slight uproar regarding the island’s finances. Anticipating the eventual arrival of 20,000 multi-racial, mixed-income residents, developers created a civic plan based on the best of modern conveniences. Jogging paths, playgrounds and high-rises were all built with hopes of expanding upon them later. Residents were lured by relatively cheap rents and a promise of solitude with spectacular views of Manhattan (to the west) and Queens (to the east). This was before the State Legislature cut the neighborhood’s funds in half and closed its capital budget account. Unable to complete its original civic plan, with its population resting at 8190, the island had grown dependent on state assistance to maintain its standard of living. Today Roosevelt Island residents may have to learn to cope with rising prices, fewer services – or both. The $.25 minibus, parking rates and tram prices may be the first cost increases, while services such as the public safety force and grounds maintenance may be decreased. With seawalls needing to be repaired, and special parts for the tram having to be shipped in from Switzerland, this neighborhood finds itself facing issues that others in the area do not.
Because the island was only developed recently, the buildings here are all modern high-rises: there are no brownstones or tenements. Regardless, a small-town feel has evolved, and everything is family oriented. Because of its tiny population, tenants have difficulties tracking down much outside of life’s sustaining staples…dry cleaners and pharmacies, yes, but exotic spice shops and hip clothing boutique, no.
Seemingly void of human life on weekdays, Roosevelt Island comes alive on sunny Saturdays in the spring when residents take full advantage of their landscaped public spaces and the paved paths around the island. It’s a perfect place for a kid to learn how to ride a bike. Car traffic is limited to the area between the garage and the bridge to Queens, and there’s only an occasional minibus or grounds truck that comes rumbling down the streets otherwise. Equally intriguing is the island’s history. At the southern most end of the island, ruins from the lunatic asylum and other indiscernible buildings remain, sealed off behind tall fences warning against trespassing and threatening huge fines. Is the jail that held Mae West for 8 days after her “lewd” performance in 1927 still back there somewhere? Its fun to peek through the fence planks at the shadowy shapes overgrown in tall grass and wonder…

Hell’s Kitchen/Clinton
Hell’s Kitchen or Clinton, as it is less commonly known, is located from 59th to 30th Street and 8th Avenue to the Hudson River. Amazingly enough, there really isn’t a good story of how the area got its inferno inspired name but until recently it was easy to see how the label stuck. Once overrun with gangsters, drug dealers, prostitutes and thieves the neighborhood is now in the midst of a massive clean up effort. Many of the people who live here enjoy a certain camaraderie which has made residents want to stay and improve their neighborhood. It’s not uncommon to see locals hanging out talking on sidewalks, greeting shop keepers or kicking around in vacant-lot-turned-community-gardens. DeWitt Clinton Park, located between 10th and 11th Avenues in the low fifties has also been known to hold a softball game or two.
Still a magnet for the city’s immigrant populations from Central and South America many young professionals are also attracted to Hell’s Kitchen because of its proximity to midtown and reasonably priced rents. Residents tend to work in the performing arts, fashion, advertising, media and recording professions.
Because the area was once supported by breweries, slaughter houses, outdoor markets and the wharf, neighborhood shops and restaurants have a tradition of offering a wide variety of fresh and exotic food options. Ninth Avenue is one of the city’s great resources of good and inexpensive ethnic restaurants. Always a good fix for pre-theater meals or weekend brunches.
Creation of the 1973 Special Preservation District has put restrictions on building heights and changes to building exteriors making the majority of living spaces prewar buildings, brownstone walk-ups or old tenements. Manhattan Plaza, one of the only high-rise buildings in the area, is primarily filled with subsidized apartments for performing artists.
Given Disney’s arrival and the recent advances made in cleaning up the neighborhood, you still have to be cautious when walking around Hell’s Kitchen. The area south of 42nd Street and Port Authority is especially sketchy. Because the buildings are primarily industrial there’s still a bit of grit and a few people seen walking the streets, especially at night.

Brooklyn Real Estate Information
Brooklyn is a borough of many neighborhoods, each with its own strong ethnic flavor. It's very rare to find a New Yorker whose family has been living in America for more than one generation who didn't have an ancestor that lived in Brooklyn at some point in their life. Brooklyn is across the East River on the southwestern tip of Long Island. It is accessible via bridge or tunnel. This borough is nearly four times as large as Manhattan Island and has a population of about four million. It is one of the primary bedroom communities for New York City. Unlike Manhattan, there are few tall buildings in Brooklyn. Typically, the tree-lined streets are filled with brownstone townhouses and small apartment buildings. There are very few hotels in Brooklyn, but those few offer a quiet alternative to the noisy hectic streets of Manhattan. Coney Island Beach and Amusement park are located along the southern shore and John F. Kennedy Airport lies just east of Brooklyn.

Boerum Hill Real Estate
Bordered by Schermerhorn Street to the north and Warren Street to the south, Boerum Hill shares Court Street with Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights; as well as 4th Avenue with Park Slope. By the turn of the century this simple plot of Dutch farmland had become the theater center of Brooklyn, the nearby Brooklyn Academy of Music surrounded by playhouses of all description. Boerum Hill was now considered home by traveling vaudeville actors and by the 1920's, the area's afordable rooming houses began to attract the legendary Mohawk Indian steelworkers as well.
Since the 1970's, Boerum Hill 's beautiful brownstones have attracted wave upon wave of young urban homeowners. Decorators and renovators alike will have to look no further than Boerum Hill's Atlantic Avenue, now the antiques capitol of Brooklyn. And after a heavy day's shopping at the Nearby Fulton and Atlantic Malls, the neighborhood's Mideastern food and gourmet coffee shops will more soothe the weary soul.
A couple of years ago, a stroll down Smith Street meant contending with caving sidewalks, dusty bodegas, and a lot of empty storefronts. These days, expect stroller gridlock, restaurants that serve tart tatin, and haute hippie boutiques. Smith Street has become the standard by which other recovering commercial streets (Fifth Avenue, De Kalb) are judged. The speed of its revival has entrepreneurs imagining buried treasure behind every rolled-down storefront. Boerum Hill, which has a large public-housing presence, has been slower in remaking itself, though development is rapidly displacing the old-timers.

Brooklyn Heights Real Estate
Bordered by Atlantic Avenue to the south, Cadman Park and Court Street to the east, Brooklyn Heights commands a spectacular view of lower Manhattan. History abounds at every turn. It was here that George Washington slipped his troops across the East River while the English slept. Columbia Heights was the residence of the Roebling family while they constructed the Brooklyn Bridge. A casual stroll in the proximity of the Heights Promenade will turn up quaint two story carriage houses as well as wood frame residences dating from the 19th century.
The Heights has never really been an outer-borough neighborhood. But since the Court Street and Atlantic Avenue commercial nexus went from urban no-man’s-land to mini-mall (replete with deep-pocketed chains like Barnes & Noble, Ben & Jerry's, CVS, and a Regal multiplex), families are even less inclined to move away from the neighborhood. While most are thrilled with the commercial facelift, skyrocketing rents have edged out a few neighborhood institutions — like Peter's Ice Cream, which closed last year after a 77 percent rent increase. Farther down in Cobble Hill, old men still keep watch from their lawn chairs over a vibrant mix of fish stores, butchers, bakeries, and delis. Still, scarcity of product has fed the sellers' market, and prices are approaching uptown Manhattan levels. Atlantic Avenue boasts Mideastern delights galore while Montague Street is where the young at heart can be found at all hours. Brooklyn's Borough Hall is located just off Court Street, so named because of the Federal, City and State Courts nearby. For those who commute to the city, Brooklyn Heights is a mere ten minute subway ride to Manhattan.

Carroll Gardens Real Estate
Named for Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Carroll Gardens shares its northern boundary with Cobble Hill at Degraw and Boerum Hill at Warren, while extending south to Hamilton Avenue and Red Hook. This long standing Italian neighborhood of family-run stores is now sprinkled with chic cafes, boutiques and antique shops. Here you'll find old timers hovering over a game of bocci in Carroll Park, while pre-schoolers as well as teenagers take advantage of the ample playground equipment and newly renovated basketball courts. Especially attractive are Carroll Garden's great schools, both public and private. Look for those magnificent brownstones on 1st Place and beyond, with their generous streetside front gardens which give the neighborhood its name. Only a short subway ride from Manhattan, Carroll Gardens is one of Brooklyn's finest residential treasures. And not to forget the distinct neighborhood of Columbia Street Water Front District which extends from Atlantic Avenue to Hamilton Avenue, a block or so west of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Once a bustling district of waterfront establishments, Columbia Street is rapidly undergoing a revival, a pocket of restaurants, bakeries and bistros doing quite nicely just off Degraw Street. Around the corner on Union Street you'll find a vibrant Brooklyn - where it's been, and where it's heading - newer shops side by side with century old businesses, many run by second and third generation family members.

Cobble Hill Real Estate
Bordered by Atlantic Avenue on the north and Degraw Street to the south, Cobble Hill sits adjacent to Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights -only a ten minute subway ride to Manhattan. Family-run shops are Cobble Hill's biggest attraction, Italian meat markets and old time barber shops mixing with trendy new restaurants. Back out on Atlantic Avenue you'll discover a Middle East bazaar of specialty stores and restaurants! Cobble Hill is renowned for its private brownstone residences and brick row houses. Great schools (both public and private) make Cobble Hill the ideal choice for young families. And not to forget the distinct neighborhood of Columbia Street Water Front District which extends from Atlantic Avenue to Hamilton Avenue, a block or so west of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Once a bustling district of waterfront establishments, Columbia Street is currently undergoing a revival, a pocket of restaurants, bakeries and bistros doing quite nicely just off Degraw Street. Around the corner on Union Street you'll find a vibrant Brooklyn - where it's been, and where it's heading - newer shops side by side with century old businesses, many run by second and third generation family members.

Park Slope
Bounded by Flatbush Ave to the north and the Prospect Expressway to the south, this old time Irish & Italian neighborhood of family-run stores is now sprinkled with chic cafes, boutiques and antique shops. Restaurants abound as well as numerous watering holes frequented by the singles set. Victorian brownstones give Park Slope its character, and great schools (both public and private) are especially attractive to young families.
Most will agree that Prospect Park, Park Slope's eastern boundary, is the neighborhood's greatest asset. Once a Revolutionary War battleground, Prospect Park is a haven for cyclists, hikers, and birdwatchers alike. Dogwalkers will appreciate the park's dog level drinking fountains, as well as the most liberal off-leash hours in the entire city.

Gowanus Real Estate
They used to say: "if it don't slope, it ain't the Slope!" These days the borders of Gowanus are a bit nebulas, though long time residents are quick to defend the integrity of their neighborhood. Any street, a block or two North or East of the Gowanus Canal, might well qualify as Gowanus - the character basically industrial, sprinkled with quaint residences. However, there are big plans for the Canal's future development under consideration, including riverwalks and restaurants.