Financial institutions, law firms, high-end fashion, and luxurious hotels define Midtown Manhattan, located between the West Side Highway and Third Avenue and roughly between 40th and 60th Streets. Since Midtown is primarily a business district, during regular working hours it is one of the busiest parts of the City. Among the many attractions here are the famous Rockefeller Center, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral and the fabulous, renovated Grand Central Terminal.
Midtown is a very desirable residential area as well. On the eastern side of Midtown there are a number of magnificent luxury towers offering breathtaking park views, the most impressive of these is Trump Tower. Located directly on Fifth Avenue, this building is the office and home of real estate magnate Donald Trump, who himself resides in its top floors.
The residential stars of Midtown's western front are Hell’s Kitchen and Clinton. What was once a run-down district has become a vibrant, lively residential community. Both neighborhoods are home to an eclectic mix of young professionals and longtime residents. Ninth Avenue is lined with a new crop of chic bars, restaurants, shops and galleries.
Area residents love the convenience of walking to work, as well as some of the city's best-known restaurants—including The Russian Tea Room and Trattoria—exclusive shopping on Fifth Avenue, and the major bonus of having several different subway lines and Grand Central Terminal nearby. Many residents are public figures, celebrities, and other wealthy individuals, and some of the rents and sales prices here are among the City's steepest.
With all that Midtown has to offer, it is also the City’s most tourist-filled zone. Seemingly the entire world celebrates New Year’s Eve watching a globe drop from a flagpole atop the former Times Tower in Times Square. Though a few spins around Rockefeller Center’s skating rink might be enough to get you to forgive the crowds and understand the sense of awe that this part of the city inspires.
Central Park South
The residential area of Central Park South is small, but it offers what may be the City's most unrivaled views of Central Park, framed by the uptown city skyline. The apartments here are prewar residences, condos and co-ops, including a few available within classic hotels like the Plaza and the Ritz-Carlton. The cultural offerings of Lincoln Center, fine dining of Columbus Circle and the shops at Time Warner Center are all nearby. The proximity of the corporate canyons of Midtown and nearby access to most of the City's subway lines makes almost all of Manhattan accessible in minutes. You'll find a collection of classic dining and gathering spots here as well, with Sarabeth's Restaurant and the Oak Room among the favorites.
Of course, there's the distinction of having Central Park for a backyard (or a front yard as the case may be). A perfect foil for the busy city, the park's 800+ acres offer any activity you can imagine—including miles of jogging and bike trails, playgrounds, ponds, athletic fields, a boathouse, zoo, wildlife conservatory, skating rink and much more—and plenty of fields, gardens and open spaces perfect for doing nothing at all. Central Park hosts concerts, theater performances, movie screenings, and countless other cultural events year-round as well.
Clinton (also called Hell's Kitchen to reflect its colorful past), located in Midtown West, runs from 34th to 57th Street, from Eighth Avenue to the Hudson, and is the area's residential jewel. Midtown is the city's main business hub—a powerful magnet for shopping, entertainment and tourism.
What was once a run-down district has become a truly vibrant residential community. Valued for its proximity to Midtown, Clinton is home to a mix of young professionals, longtime residents, actors, artists and other entertainers who treasure the proximity to the nearby Times Square Theater District (the Clinton Community Garden was created here by actors living in the area). Ninth Avenue is lined with low-key bars, restaurants—the avenue is known for its varied eateries—and shops. Galleries have opened, leading some residents to boast that the neighborhood may be "the next SoHo, without the attitude."
Southern neighbor Chelsea provides cultural, shopping and nightlife options as well. Worldwide Plaza at Eighth Avenue and 49th Street brought professionals to the area with attractive outdoor plazas as well as top-notch office space. The "green" Hearst Tower at 56th Street and Eighth Avenue is the newest headline-stealing architectural addition. Rockefeller Center and two of the city's three most important transportation gateways, the Pennsylvania/Long Island Rail Road station and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Bus Terminal, are located within blocks, making travel to just about anywhere convenient.
Garment District
Bordered by Fifth and Ninth Avenues from 34th to 42nd Street, the Fashion District (also called the Garment District) welcomed the 20th century as the center for fashion design and manufacturing and still retains its status as the fashion capital of the United States. While most actual clothing manufacturing has left Manhattan, there are still dozens of fabric shops in the Fashion Center—most can be found on 39th and 40th Streets between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. These cater mainly to the apparel industry, but dedicated retail shoppers can still drive a hard bargain.
The neighborhood has undergone tremendous change over the last decade, and the dynamic hub is now becoming its own diverse residential community. A still-growing neighborhood, the district has recently seen the arrival of a number of new residential towers and low-rise condos. The biggest draw is a convenient location in the heart of Midtown West, near office towers, lunch spots, restaurants and retail stores amid the bustling hive of Times Square.
Add to this an international influx of shoppers looking for bargains at Macy's in Herald Square—and F.I.T. students hoping to join the next wave of fashion superstars—for a big dose of being where the action is. The Fashion Center is in easy walking distance to many of the City’s major transportation hubs like Pennsylvania and Grand Central Station as well as Madison Square Garden, making it easy to find both entertainment and escape.
Murray Hill
The Murray Hill section of Manhattan's East Side is located between Fifth Avenue and the FDR Drive and 34th and 40th Streets. It is considered by some to be the most ideal residential area nearest to the Midtown business district. The neighborhood combines elegant townhouses on side streets, attractive apartment buildings, plenty of restaurants and cafes and excellent transportation right in the middle—literally—of Manhattan. Neighborhood residents are a mix, including longtime residents who love the area's convenience and recent college grads.
Homes in Murray Hill represent a wide range of choices, from condos to co-ops and to brownstone apartments. One neighborhood highlight among an impressive collection of schools, libraries and cultural centers is the Morgan Library on the northeast corner of 36th Street and Madison Avenue, and the northeast corner at 37th Street and Madison Avenue is home to one of the City’s most romantic mansions, the Beaux Arts building. Both lend elegance and style to the neighborhood. The venerable department store, Lord & Taylor, continues to have one of the City’s most popular Christmas season window displays drawing crowds during the holidays. Other nearby landmarks are also the most useful: Grand Central Terminal and the MetLife building on Park Avenue and the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue.
Turtle Bay
When you step onto the grounds of the United Nations, you've not only left Manhattan, but you've exited the United States as well. The UN is considered to be International Territory owned by all of its member nations.
Fortunately, surrounding neighborhoods don't require a visa. Comprised of Sutton and Beekman Place and Turtle Bay, the area is a diplomatic playground and business center as well an enclave of East Side elegance. A highlight of Turtle Bay—between 41st and 53rd Streets, and eastward from Lexington Avenue to the East River—is the UN Plaza and park. Entry is free, and it boasts a beautifully-tended rose garden. An East River stroll is also an easy addition to life here.
Two of the City's most sought-after residential addresses, Sutton Place and Beekman Place comprise the neighboring enclaves of elegant buildings along the East River offering two public parks and a quiet residential setting. With dramatic views of the Queensboro Bridge and Roosevelt Island and easy access to the F.D.R. Drive, these neighborhoods are tiny oases of calm and community amid hectic Midtown commerce.
Though the area is a bit far from the nearest subway on Lexington and Third Avenues, the neighborhood boasts plenty of retail activity, including the vast Bridgemarket Food Emporium just below the Queensboro Bridge. Sutton East Tennis Club, an enclosed winter tennis facility, is another convenient amenity for neighborhood residents.
Sutton & Beekman
Two of the city's most sought-after residential addresses, Sutton Place and Beekman Place comprise the neighboring enclaves of elegant—though not overwhelmingly so—buildings along the East River, east of First Avenue with Midtown to the west. With dramatic views of the Queensboro Bridge and Roosevelt Island and easy access to the F.D.R. Drive, these neighborhoods are tiny oases of calm and community amid hectic Midtown commerce.
Sutton Place benefits from two public parks. One Sutton Place South—a neo-Georgian style mansion—is one of the city's grandest addresses. Two townhouse rows—between 57th and 58th Streets—share a large communal garden overlooking the East River.
Beekman Place runs from 49th to 51st Streets, consisting of two blocks of ivy-covered townhomes and co-op buildings. The neighborhood was named for the Beekman family, which built its mansion, Mount Pleasant, there in 1764. The grand apartment house at One Beekman Place was built in 1929, setting the tone for the little street. One Beekman Place opens directly to the river, and its south facade overlooks the United Nations and its gardens.
Though the area is a bit far from the nearest subway on Lexington and Third Avenues, an upside is that housing prices tend to be below those of the Upper East Side. The neighborhood boasts plenty of retail activity, including the vast Bridgemarket Food Emporium just below the Queensboro Bridge. Sutton East Tennis Club, an enclosed winter tennis facility, is another convenient amenity for neighborhood residents.