Neighborhoods
Battery Park City
The urban suburbia of Battery Park marks the point where Giovanni da Verrazano is said to have landed in 1524. This neighborhood’s signature attraction is the Castle Clinton National Monument —built as a fort before the War of 1812, but never used as such. Built in late seventies as a planned community—you won’t find any prewar stunners here. What you will find is plenty of spanking-new high- and low-rise living with a handful of new townhouse options—which come with photo-op views and outdoor living. Because this tiny city is dotted with lots of open space and well cared for greenery—it a great residential pick for those with kids and pets. Owning a home here includes a yacht basin, a 1.2 mile-long Esplanade lined with sweet-smelling linden trees and several public parks. The most popular park is Rockefeller Park —mostly because of the whimsical sculptures strewn about. The park also leads to the World Financial Center ’s Venetian-style plaza where, in good weather, crowds spill out of the great glass atrium seeking sun and waterside views. Truth be told, it’s hard to realize you’re smack dab in the middle of the busiest city in the world.
In keeping with the “green” theme—the nation's first environmentally responsible high-rise residential building—Solaire—opened recently at 20 River Terrace, offering units as rentals. Condominiums like Hudson Tower , Hudson View East & West, the Regatta and Soundings come with plenty of wow amenities beyond the amazing views, concierge service, private gardens and balconies galore. Stores on South End Avenue —this city’s Main Street —are the essential kind: supermarkets, dry cleaners, pharmacy, liquor store, hair salon and a deli. On Thursdays, a farmer's market sets up shop on Liberty Street nearby for produce straight from the local farms. But before you despair over the lack of more substantial shopping—don’t. Retail treats like Century 21, J & R Music and Brooks Brothers are but steps away. Furthermore, the Downtown Alliance recently launched Downtown Connection - a free hop-on/hop-off bus service that runs between South Street Seaport and northern Battery Park. For those of you who don’t think you’re shopping unless you’re uptown—not to worry. Uptown is fully accessible by train and the New York Water Taxi has service stops at 23rd and 42nd Streets.
Carnegie Hill
This landmark neighborhood acquired its name, and its cachet, when Andrew Carnegie built what he called 'the most modest, plainest and most roomy house in New York ' at the corner of 91st Street and Fifth Avenue in 1902. Back then, this 64-room mansion had what was the latest in indoor plumbing, heating and cooling. Residents here like to think of this district as their own urban village with Central Park their village green. High-priced, high-profile and close-knit (neighbors gather in front of Brick Church and sing carols at Christmas), it’s famous for its genteel, tree-lined streets lined with 19th century townhouses and prestigious residential-only stretch along Fifth Avenue. In recent times, its community non-profit group—Carnegie Hill Neighbors—was nearly as famous. Undeniably devoted to preserving the village environment, members like Woody Allen and Kevin Kline opposed the construction of an apartment house on 91st Street . They won. Strict board scrutiny and non-liberal financing exists here to the nth degree even for those lucky Masters of the Universe with a $100 million in liquid assets. The housing landscape is a mix of rarified townhouses and tony apartment buildings, a handful of walk-ups, a short list of exquisite mansions—plus a collection of 19th century clapboard houses along 92nd and 93rd Street.
Walk stroller-strewn Madison Avenue before the sun goes down and you’ve walked into a prime cell phone zone. The good news is that Madison has staved off the flood of chain stores that prevail in most city neighborhoods—and it’s still possible to wander into independent shops like the Corner Bookstore where the owner greets you by name. It goes without saying that wealthy parents like the slew of high-ticket private schools that are close to home, like Convent of the Sacred Heart, Dalton, Nightingale-Bamford, Spence, St. Bernard's and St. David's.
Central Park South / Columbus Circle
From 42nd to 59th Streets and Fifth Avenue to the East River, East Side Midtown is a walk-to-work neighborhood that includes Sutton Place and Beekman Place - two of the city's most sought-after residential enclaves - and the historical district of Tudor City - bounded by First and Second Avenues, from East 40th to 44th Streets. A hectic street life by day or night, looming office towers and easy access to the Island on weekends, this neighborhood is full of life 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Primary Colors: The United Nations, the Roosevelt Island Tram, Sutton Place Park and antique shopping along First Avenue. You may simply be shopping in the 'neighborhood' except here it means classic stores like Saks, Tiffany's, Bergdorf's and Bloomingdale's. Second Avenue has all the pharmacies, cleaners and usual necessary accoutrements for everyday life.
Chelsea - Flatiron
Named for London ’s Chelsea Royal Hospital , Chelsea and its new sibling— Chelsea Heights —is positioned between the Village/Meatpacking District and Midtown West/Clinton. Once the country estate of Clemente Clarke Moore, the area was divided into street upon street of row houses back in the 1800s. The motion picture business began here, too – remaining until it moved west during WWI. Another creative-industry trend in recent years is the “relocation” of the city’s blue chip art galleries (and its requisite people-watching) from SoHo to “SoHo North” west of Ninth Avenue where Kasey Kaplan, Andrea Rosen, Gracie Mansion and the Dia Center are joined by on-the-rise galleries like John Connelly Presents and Daniel Reich. Today, Chelsea ’s population is a high-energy urban mix of artists, a sizable gay community and plenty from the downtown cool fellowship proud to admit they’ve wandered north of 14th.
The popular 26th Street flea market has gone the way of the original Barneys – albeit Barney’s gets kudos for appeasing the locals with Barneys Co-op – but hip retail newcomers make everyone feel all is right again. The porthole-punctuated Maritime Hotel brought along its signature restaurant Masuri – headed up by Tadashi Ono of La Caravelle – and other finger-on-the-culinary-pulse neighborhood chefs seem to have local foodies purring. The Chelsea Market, though not very new, is still enjoying its honeymoon with locals – and why not? It’s an awesome collection of shops under one roof selling everything from the I-can’t-believe-I finally-found-the-right-size stockpot to lobsters so fresh it’s liked they jumped up from the ocean. Whole Foods is still the all-out winner when it comes to grocery shopping greatness.
Residential living in Chelsea is a potent mix of up-to-the-minute luxury and old-guard grandeur like the historic Cushman Row – ranging from lofts and 19th century brownstones to luxury towers like the Campiello Collection and La Grande Dame, and London Terrace who still wears her cachet well.
Chinatown / Little Italy
Chinatown, home to the largest community of Asians in the U.S., is mostly a frenetic blend of tiny winding cobblestone backstreets where restaurants serve up silky stuffed dumplings, Peking duck and crispy shrimp anything any time of the day. More Shanghai bazaar than city streetscape along Pell and Mott Streets, funky herbal-medicine shops and kitschy novelty stores sell everything from silk pajamas to Chinese board games and strange-smelling fish products. Come weekends it’s hard to break through the five-deep crowd scrambling and rummaging for the hard-to-tell-from-the-real-thing Vuitton and Prada along Canal Street’s street stalls – but you might consider waiting out the crowds by getting your fortune read at the Buddhist Temple.
The trend-setting downtown types and hipsters filtered in a few short years ago drawn to the newly converted lofts and deluxe doorman-equipped digs along streets like Madison and Rutgers . And, naturally, with them a mix of up-to-the-minute boutiques, eateries and late-nights spots like Lolita began popping up. Though certainly cheaper to buy here than anywhere north of the neighborhood, plan on $500,000-plus for a decent two-bedroom home.
Lined in 19th century tenements and long-held traditions, Mulberry Street is considered Little Italy’s heart. Roughly 5,000 Italian-Americans remain here, but the heavenly aromas still lure you in. Community life is active through the Little Italy Neighbors Association (LINA) whose main focus is an enduring quality of life that remains faithful to its multicultural identity and historical character – particularly at a time when development is on the rise. To those who’ve lived here for innumerable years, continuity is a good thing. The old-timers still look out for one another and the streets stay safe. Don’t think it’s got enough of a hip vibe for you? Fuggidaboudit! It does.
Dozens of long-time family-owned shops endure like Alleva’s Dairy (Mr. Alleva still makes the mozzarella fresh daily then wraps them in snow white parchment paper for you to take home) and Di Palo’s for fresh cheeses and sausage. There are more than 50 restaurants in and around Mulberry Street today – though many are newcomers who joined in with cool bars and fashionable boutiques to set up shop in old vacant storefronts.
East Village
Below 14th to Houston Streets to the east and west is an amazing fusion of bohemia, celebrity, artistry and family. Nineteenth century townhouses line landmarked streets and stylish restaurants and clubs surround them along the avenues. It's a colony of artists and free-thinkers, political radicals and those who consider themselves on the cutting edge of culture and the counter-culture. At its heart is Washington Square where many of the most beautiful townhouses can be found. Christopher Street also boasts great townhouses and pre-war apartments - and neighborhood housing prices are correspondingly high. Because of the fervent cultural activity and quiet charm of the Village, demand is high and opportunities are fleeting.
Primary Colors: Washington Square Park with plenty of benches and plenty of action. The Federal and Georgian style townhouses and brownstones everywhere, the historic Jefferson Market Library and Garden on Sixth Ave and 9th Street, the Greenmarket at 14th, year-round art fairs and Gay Pride Week. Murray's Cheese Shop, Zito's Bakery and John's Pizzeria on Bleecker, omelets at Elephant & Castle on Greenwich Avenue and a late supper at Minetta Tavern right on Minetta Lane.
Financial District
At the southern tip of Manhattan , north of Battery Park is the Financial District – a name associated with high finance, power breakfasts on the 31st Floor at 14 Wall Street (once the private home J.P. Morgan) and most of Manhattan ’s actual history. In fact, head up the big steps to the Federal Hall National Monument (it’s across from the Stock Exchange) to see where George Washington accepted the Presidency. There are also two old (read 18th and 19th Century) eateries, Fraunces Tavern and Delmonico’s, that were once frequented by the likes of George Washington and Mark Twain.
Defined by skyscraper towers over narrow cobblestone streets, standout icons are the New York Stock Exchange, the Federal Reserve Bank, Trinity Church and St. Paul ’s Cathedral. It goes without saying that perhaps one of the nation’s greatest icons was the World Trade Center and though we wait for the rebuilding, there is no question that its spirit is still the neighborhood’s most important icon.
Local housing around Wall Street combines Old World with newly renovated apartments, many in converted office buildings with spectacular views. Find luxe living at 3 Hanover Square , 55 Liberty and 150 Nassau . In addition, it was recently announced that the Regent Hotel will close at 55 Wall Street and reincarnate as haute deluxe condominiums.
Recently, the Downtown Alliance launched the Downtown Connection - a free bus service for getting around. The route will run between South Street Seaport and northern Battery Park City and riders will be able to hop on and off the bus at conveniently designated stops. And just FYI: Downtown is fully accessible - including the 1 and 9 subway lines to South Ferry and the N and R to Cortlandt Street – with PATH Service expected to reopen in December. New York Water Taxi now has service between West 42nd Street, West 23rd Street and Battery Park City as well as a connection between the South Street Seaport, Wall Street and Fulton Landing in Brooklyn .
Gramercy
The city’s oldest residential neighborhood, Gramercy Park is all at once historic, genteel and eclectic with a rather wide brushstroke of cool downtown atmosphere with its brownstone-lined streets, the last of Manhattan ’s private parks and self-promises to read Jack Findley’s “Time and Again” again.
Night-lifers love Third Avenue ’s restaurants and bars and long-time locals love a stroll down Irving Place and 19th Street . Housing is versatile, too. From prewar walk-ups and 60s-era white-brick high-rises to the new luxe tower structures like the Bullmoose condos, renovated loft spaces and, of course, the landmark townhouses.
It would be difficult to find anyone who would disagree that the gated park doesn’t define the neighborhood. Locked year round but one afternoon (the first Saturday in May), only those living in dwellings that surround the park have access. But this neighborhood is also famous for Teddy Roosevelt (he was born at 28 E. 20th), Gramercy Park Hotel (11-year old JFK lived here) and a handful of by-invitation-only establishments like the Players Club and National Arts Club, which also happens to be inside the city’s largest Victorian mansion and the first to admit woman in 1898. Pete’s Tavern also holds a place of honor as the city’s oldest bar. A favorite spot to imbibe, O. Henry is said to have written Gift of the Magi here.
The retail windfall begins with ABC Carpet & Home and from there, the impressive list just goes on and on. Dining options are equally wonderful given that some of the city’s best are here like Gramercy Tavern, Verbona, Friend of a Farmer, Artisanal, Blue Water Grill and Craft. The bar scene has always been famous here and that includes the rather new High Bar atop the Gramercy Park Hotel. Bar Demi, Push Café, Bull’s Head and standing anywhere inside the W Union Square are also considered hot.
Greenwich Village
For over a century, this historic neighborhood has been irresistible to artists, bohemians and families alike. Distinguished for the Stanford White-designed arch in Washington Square , the Jefferson Market clock tower, and narrow streets lined with 19th century brick Federal, Greek Revival and Italianate buildings make it more small town than big city – and that translates to high demand for housing. Neighborhood streets like Bleecker are dotted with antique shops and cozy restaurants, and there’s still no sign in front of Chumley’s on Bedford Street – a “sign” of its Prohibition speakeasy days. Also on Bedford is the city’s narrowest house (No. 75), the oldest house in the Village (No. 77) and an off-kilter chalet (No. 102). Exclusive enclaves like gated Grove’s Court is where O. Henry wrote The Last Leaf and Patchin Place on West 10th Street has the city’s last functioning gas lamp. Highly-prized homes inside the Washington Square Mews come with free parking along its narrow, historic cobblestone road and stunning old-guard buildings like One Fifth Avenue .
Recently designated as a national historic landmark, Christopher Street ’s Stonewall Bar is the site of the Stonewall Inn uprising of June 1969, which is considered the beginning of the modern gay rights movement. Little India, Little Japan, and Little Ukraine rub up against one another in the East Village where pirogues are offered at breakfast, curry anything whenever and probably the freshest sushi around—all within a three-block radius. Off-Broadway theaters and legendary jazz spots like the Blue Note and Village Vanguard still draw fans from all over the globe and cupcakes baked by Amy Sedaris at Joe on Waverly is the latest fashion food.
Homebuyers were like cowboys headin’ out West to the tiny stone-covered four-block Meatpacking District long before the 150-year old marketplace got Landmark Designation in September 2003. A style-setting neighborhood, the pre-dawn streets are jam-packed with refrigeration trucks from the meatpacking companies and post-sunset streets overflow with “Sex in the City” types drawn like magnets to the latest and coolest places to shop, dine or drink among more than 60 establishments that now call the district home.
Harlem
What was once the first stop for southern blacks on the Great Migration north, the neighborhood is now the latest stop for a new wave of well-heeled buyers from everywhere – particularly between 135th and 145th Streets, Sugar Hill, Striver’s Row and Hamilton Heights . Likewise, though not really a part of the aforementioned prestigious locations, Hamilton Grange (adjacent to Hamilton Heights ) is also hot. A bit less expensive, but no less wonderful. A move-over-Soho neighborhood, Harlem is mostly a housing fusion of palatial 19th century brownstones, spacious pre-wars and dingy tenement walk-ups. Bottom line? Coulda, woulda, shoulda townhouse prices are more the norm these days.
Amidst street vendors selling CDs and boiled peanuts, cell-phoned mommy and me-types are three deep at Sade Skincare and M.A.C. The list for cool grocery shopping includes Fairway, Pathmark, Settepani Bakery and Young Springs Farm – and the more familiar range of retail options like Disney, Old Navy, HMV, Marshall’s, Circuit City and the huge Hamilton Palace have been joined with a growing number of shops like iXukuma, Harlemade.
Most famous for the Apollo Theater, the other huge draw is the Abyssinian Baptist Church . More? Riverbank State Park (with two swimming pools, a skating rink, a gym, and a theater), dozens of historic churches like Salem United Methodist and Metropolitan Baptist, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, home of the Harlem literary renaissance.
Dining out, casual or not-so-casual, is a no-brainer these days. From Caridad on 145th for fab Dominican and Kitchenette Uptown for the most incredible baking powder biscuits and perfectly poached eggs to the is-that-Bill-Clinton-over-there Baou and the swanky Sugar Hill Bistro. It’s still impossible to get a table at Rao’s and Copeland’s Sunday jazz brunches are still the big draw for the older church crowd and the younger, artsy set.
Lower East Side
Once the first stop for immigrants, these days it’s the latest stop for dot.commer’s, freelance anythings and the youthful we’ve-seen-the-future movement. It’s a smart hipster-haunt nab that rocks for the slummin’-in-style Prada-clad crowd – a kind of Keith McNally and Carrie Bradshaw meets Crossing Delancey, if you will. Translation? If you’re thinking of living here, you’d better talk the talk.
This is a who-woulda-thought neighborhood, mostly sans elevator and doorman, of tenement cum duplexes and new condo housing where prices go boom in the night, particularly along Eldridge, Clinton , Rivington, Ludlow and Orchard Streets. A locale that’s experiencing a speedy gentrification would be an understatement, but there’re still good housing buys, notably in Seward Park and East River Houses.
Albeit positively not your Grandmother’s Lower East Side, the send-a-salami-to-your son-in-the-Army Katz’s Deli anchors the neighborhood to its roots with plenty of help from Economy Candy, Kossar’s, Yonah Schimmel, Russ & Daughters, Harris Levy and Fine & Klein. And despite that by the time you read this they may no longer be hot, chi-chi shops and eateries like Red Threads, Jodamo, 71 Clinton, Aka Café, DDC Lab, Schiller’s and Suba sit side-by-side the golden-agers. Naturally, there’s more than a handful of velvet-rope meet-cute bars…er…lounge venues to while away the hours until daylight
Midtown East / Sutton Place
From 42nd to 59th Streets and Fifth Avenue to the East River, East Side Midtown is a walk-to-work neighborhood that includes Sutton Place and Beekman Place - two of the city's most sought-after residential enclaves - and the historical district of Tudor City - bounded by First and Second Avenues, from East 40th to 44th Streets. A hectic street life by day or night, looming office towers and easy access to the Island on weekends, this neighborhood is full of life 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Primary Colors: The United Nations, the Roosevelt Island Tram, Sutton Place Park and antique shopping along First Avenue. You may simply be shopping in the 'neighborhood' except here it means classic stores like Saks, Tiffany's, Bergdorf's and Bloomingdale's. Second Avenue has all the pharmacies, cleaners and usual necessary accoutrements for everyday life.
Midtown West / Clinton
With its canyons made of sky-high towers and neon, Midtown West/Clinton is the heart of Manhattan – and that translates to convenience and constant activity. More affordable than many think, there are plenty of high-rise homes and brownstones to choose from, and if you’re coming with the kids, they’ll tell their friends its cool to live near the MTV Studios and the newly arrived American Girl. On the flip side, if you’ve got lots of out-of-town friends and family, count on more requests than Letterman gets for seats in the audience for stopovers due to your proximity to well, everything. All roads do lead to Times Square – particularly on New Year’s Eve – but this part of town includes other just-as-famous enclaves and must-see sights. The short list includes the Garment District, Theater District, Diamond District, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Radio City Music Hall , Rockefeller Center , Madison Square Garden , Pennsylvania Station and the I.M. Pei-designed Javits Center .
High-rise residential development, especially along the Eighth Avenue corridor, has been on the scene now for some time – but housing runs the gamut from walk-ups to haute-luxury living in residential towers like CitySpire and Metropolitan Tower . The two-tower Manhattan Plaza between 42nd and 43rd Streets is federally subsidized and 70% of the coveted apartments are reserved for tenants involved in the performing arts, 15 percent for the elderly and 15 percent for people who already lived in the neighborhood. Unless you’re on the already long and closed waiting list, don’t even waste your time.
A multi-national and multi-generational neighborhood, it’s also one of the city’s most politically active, as evidenced by the amount of block associations and community groups.
Murray Hill - Kips Bay
A small sub-section of Midtown East under the shadow of the Empire State Building , Murray Hill is a lovely mostly residential enclave nestled just south of Grand Central Terminal. Once the stomping ground of JP Morgan and his ultra-rich cohorts’ carriage houses and stables, many of those carriage houses remain today.
The neighborhood takes its name from Robert Murray, a Quaker merchant who moved here from Pennsylvania in 1753 and built a farmhouse at what is now the corner of 37th Street and Park Avenue . There is a small historic district in the neighborhood, Sniffen Court , a dead-end alley of 10 handsome houses behind a locked gate on 36th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues. The architect, John Sniffen built them in the 1850's as stables and they were converted to townhouses in the 1920s. Today, the neighborhood streets are lined with 19th century townhouses (of the 100 listed in the 1892 Social Register, more than 60 remain intact) and luxe high-rise towers like the Corinthian dot the avenues. Still, the district remains pretty peaceful and quintessentially homey. Not surprising that younger types are taking advantage of what some say is still a place to find good value, mostly east of Third Avenue . A tight-knit community, the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association works hard at guarding the character and history of the neighborhood
Nightlife and shopping options seem to be keeping pace, especially along Third Avenue . Its most enduring attractions are the Empire State Building , Grand Central Terminal and the Chrysler Building . Traffic in this part of town can be a sore spot, particularly during rush hour when motorists are navigating their way in and out of the streets that funnel east and west of the Midtown Tunnel between 35th and 38th Street at Second Avenue .
SoHo
SoHo A.K.A. South of Houston Street is hip, happening and expensive. It’s also home to the largest collection of cast-iron fronted buildings in Manhattan and was designated a historic landmark district in 1973. Much sought after when it comes to buying a home that’s huge and often lined with stunning arched windows, what was bleak industrial (read little greenery) is now a magnet for any fashionista, gallerina and art aficionado.
Given the fact that there’re more than 200 restaurants, nearly a matching number of art galleries, a few world-class museums and a mall-full of one-of-a-kind shops, it’s not hard to figure out its appeal. Who doesn’t love checking out swank shops like Anna Sui, Philosophy de Alberta Ferretti and kitchy bookshops like Untitled? Creative types go nuts inside the Compleat Sculptor and glamour-industry business travelers prefer the SoHo Grand, 60 Thompson and the Mercer Hotel to the more traditional uptown variety. Come weekends the cobblestone streets are chock-a-block with locals doing chores among the out-of-neighborhooders and authentic tourists (yes, those red double-deckers do drive through here) and foodies checking out the latest and greatest.
A great place to live if you’re punching the clock down on Wall Street or anyplace nearby, though in reality, SoHo is conveniently located and easy access to anywhere you need to be.
TriBeCa
TriBeCa (acronym of Triangle Below Canal) is a loft-saturated neighborhood filled with diverse layouts with tons of space in cast iron buildings that fetch mostly sky-high prices. The cobblestone streets are lined with smart shops, galleries for art sampling galore and some of the city’s prime and highest priced eateries like Danube and Nobu. The nightlife is just about nonstop and recently TriBeCa got its own world-class film festival.
Unquestionably one of the city’s trendiest and toniest residential spots, live here and you’ll live among more than a handful of painters, movie stars, and captains of industry. But for all of its cool chic, it’s a good choice for families in need of commodious housing (not to mention the undisputed top in elementary schools, p.s. 234). And for the record…you don’t have to be a “cool downtown dude or babe” to live here…you just have to be able to afford it.
Highly touted newcomer conversions include the Sugar Warehouse on Laight Street , 80 Chambers and the soon-to-open Hubert and Grabler Buidling
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side mostly exemplifies serious status enclaves in landmark bonfire-of-the-vanities-type housing, but remains a neighborhood where there’s something for everyone, save bargain hunters. Strict board scrutiny and non-liberal financing continues to prevail from Fifth to Park Avenues, even for those lucky Masters of the Universe with a $100 million in liquid assets. Apartments with o’-say-can-you-see Central Park views are scarce, but studios, one- and two-bedrooms abound for upper-crust casuals, young families and glamour-tanned Ashton and Demi wannabes.
Upper East Side word association evokes images of the mayor-doesn’t-live-there-anymore Gracie Mansion , Bloomberg heading down into the subway at 68th, Bloomingdales, Dalton , Carl Shultz Park and swimming lessons at Asphalt Green. Shopping opportunities have never been scarce and newer additions seem more like old friends now (i.e., Dylan’s Candy, Shanghai Tang, Conran and Bed, Bath and Beyond.
Grocery shopping falls into two distinct classifications. First, yuppiedom outlets like Grace’s, Eli’s Manhattan Warehouse, Canard & Co., even Schaller & Weber. The second, send-the-housekeeper breed like Lobels, Mitchel London and Sherry-Lehmann.
Dining options for nourishment and social assemblages still include the high profile Elaine’s, expensive-account destinations like Daniel, Park Avenue Café, breakfast at Gardena Café and the ladies who still lunch at Sara Beth and E.A.T.
Upper West Side
Clearly, the biggest enticement is the collection of prewar family-sized homes and classic brownstones along tree-lined streets. Notwithstanding, developments like Time Warner, The Century, The Alfred, Bromley, Trump Place, Grand Millenium, Alexandria, 200 Central Park South, New West, and the Coronado are also hot properties.
Distinguished for its liberal, intellectual and artistic activity, this culturally and income-diverse neighborhood continues to be a must-live-here neighborhood. The big shift since 2001, perhaps in an attempt to catch up to its big real estate swell, is the food scene which took an abrupt turn when Tom Valenti opened Ouest and, shall we say, Upper West Side foodies never looked back? Morningside Heights, more college town than uptown, seems to be bursting with more than the usual university hoopla and the newest kid on the block, the Time Warner Center, has not only changed the landscape but will no doubt shift shopping, dining and leisure-time rituals in this part of town. Enduring prewars like the Ansonia, Beresford, Dakota, Eldorado, Langham, Kenilworth, Gainsborough Studios and San Remo still have their huge wow factor and the Upper West Side is still what comes to mind when one pictures Lincoln Center, the Museum of Natural History, St. John the Divine, Grant’s Tomb and Columbia University.
There’s an awesome list of great eateries like Aix, Alain Ducasse, Cesca, Compass, Jean-George, SQC, and the newly arrived Nice Matin, but family-friendly favorites are still plentiful. The ongoing retail boom has brought Coach, Door Store, Gracious Home, and a handful of double dippers like Victoria ’s Secret and Pinky Nail. Additionally, there have been fairly large expansions from local favorites like Laytner’s, Town Shop and Rose’s Carpet. Unfortunately that same retail boom has brought a gazillion new banks to practically every corner with no end in sight. Once the Shops at Columbus Circle open inside the Time-Warner Center the neighborhood gets its first Cartier, Williams-Sonoma and Tuorneau. Community retail traditions endure like Zabars, Fairway, Citerella, Murray ’s Sturgeon, Morris Bros., Barney Greengrass, and the immortalized-by-Seinfeld Tom’s Restaurant, but new ones are gaining in popularity quicker than you can say “delivery” – like the always jammed packed Kosher Marketplace and Silver Mood Bakery for chocolate eclairs.
Washington Heights
Really one of Manhattan’s last “secret” neighborhoods, the nearly 100% residential diversely-cultural Washington Heights has long been a working-class one occupied mostly by Latin American and Russian immigrants. Once a place where wealthy New Yorkers seeking country estates came in the late 18th and early 19th century, only one mansion remains. The Morris-Jumel mansion at 160th Street and Edgecombe Avenue .
Apartments, mostly low-rise prewars but many art Deco and Tudor-style, are large and there’s a good selection of somewhat-stately brownstones (check out Edgecombe Avenue ) and while the secret is out, prices are still lower than anything found further south. The much sought-after, more-elegant co-op housing is below Fort Tryon Park , north of 155th Street along Riverside Drive .
As word spreads that crime is down and housing is spacious, young professionals are buying here with dizzying speed. Buyers who would never have even considered driving through, let alone checking out the real estate, have brought a perceptively different feel to the area. Sprawling Hudson River views, the George Washington Bridge dressed brightly in lights each evening and the large expanses of greenery certainly make it worth the trip up, though not as far as one might think. Hop on the A train and you’ll be downtown in about 20 minutes flat! Car owners can zip right over the GWB for shopping at mega-markets and malls in New Jersey .
New York Presbyterian Hospital , its largest neighbor, has been here since the late 1920s as Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center . Other neighborhood icons include the Cloisters, Yeshiva University , the American Numismatic Society and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the nation's honorary society for artists and writers. It’s also home the tulip-treed Inwood Hill Park . To get there, head for 215th Street , cross to Broadway, walk up the steps and straight ahead for a forest that has remained pretty much untouched by human landscaping since colonial days. Then cross over to Indian Road , which also happens to be Manhattan ’s only “road”, and you’re in the park.
Shopping and dining is usually done along Broadway, St. Nicholas Avenue and 181st Street —offering an eclectic mix of bodegas, bakeries and butchers and cool restaurants and bars.
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