Neighborhoods Guide
Greenwich Village
Also known as “The Village”, home to quaint tree-lined streets, historic brick townhouses, brownstones—the old New York charm—and hip cafés and restaurants, this beloved neighborhood is always lively and vibrant, where its residents contribute diverse, social energy and dynamism in this centrally located part of Manhattan.
Bounded by 14th Street and Houston Street, from north to south, and Broadway and Hudson River, from east to west, with the iconic Washington Square Park at the heart and soul of this neighborhood, Greenwich Village has, and still is, been defined by influential figures that launched the great counterculture movements of the 20th century, and continue to loom large in many of its landmarks over the years.
A popular meet-up spot for get-togethers among friends, and the presence of several esteemed institutions of higher learning, such as New York University, Parsons School of Design, and Cooper Union, add a collegiate atmosphere to the neighborhood. Neither too heavily congested nor too quiet, as foot traffic in this neighborhood moves briskly and dynamically, Greenwich Village is a vibrant and organic area that epitomizes down-to-earth, communal culture, trendy shops, and dining, making this neighborhood intriguing to explore.
Upper West Side
While the first mansions were built on the Upper East Side a few years after the opening of Central Park in 1858, it took the Upper West Side longer to get going. A construction boom finally arrived by the late 19th/early 20th century, hastened in part by the 1904 debut of the city’s first subway line, with numerous stops throughout the area. Then came the townhouses and large apartment buildings, which have remained ever since and helped the UWS retain its inherent character — even as other things within it change. Lincoln Center and the American Museum of Natural History would be enough for any neighborhood to leave a serious footprint, but one mustn’t ignore venues like the Beacon Theatre or museums like the New-York Historical Society, among many others. Central Park is a no-brainer but put Riverside Park’s name up in lights too for its glorious — as the name implies — waterfront landscapes.
Given that the neighborhood is roughly 50 blocks long and four blocks wide, you’ll be able to find almost any culinary or shopping experience you may want. At the neighborhood’s southern end, the Shops at Columbus Circle contains several restaurants (including some legendary ones), grocery options, and three dozen other stores — mostly luxury brands. Broadway is the main commercial strip, cutting its way diagonally across the Upper West Side. Along its length, you’ll find stores selling all the necessities of daily life. Are you interested in local, independent alternatives? Head to Columbus and Amsterdam avenues. If you still happen to have disposable income that needs disposing of, those are the spots where you can shop for things like books, clothing, or handcrafted and sustainable gifts. However, say you need a pause from all the purchasing, plenty of neighborhood restaurants also await.
Upper East Side
An upscale neighborhood famous for its affluent roots, and once home to America’s wealthiest families, such as the Carnegie’s, the Rockefeller’s, the Kennedy’s, the Roosevelt’s, the Vanderbilt’s, the Whitney’s, and other New York City’s elites that transformed the Upper East Side from a farmland and market garden in the mid-1800’s to the beautiful, quiet, and lush neighborhood it is today.
Bounded by 96th Street and 59th Street, from north to south, and East River and Central Park/Fifth Avenue, from east to west, this expansive neighborhood comprises three smaller sub-neighborhoods: Lenox Hill, Yorkville, and Carnegie Hill. For lovers of outdoors, Central Park becomes a garden and playground for walking, jogging, running, or to enjoy a picnic with friends on a sunny day. The Museum Mile is home to a row of some of the most famous art museums in the country, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
Upper East Side moves at a slower, relaxed pace than other neighborhoods, but their storied reputation, along its main avenues—Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Fifth Avenue—are lined with luxury condominiums, coupled with Renaissance-style townhouses, brownstones, and classic mansions dating back to the 19th century, but also offers a diverse set of fine dining and casual restaurants, high-end designer shops and boutiques, all of which, makes this neighborhood a perfect residential area to live in.
Chelsea
Diverse and eclectic, upscale and artsy, with a mix of old and new New York: the antique shops and contemporary designs, historic and luxury high-rise buildings, and, on top of that, with their world-class art galleries and thriving entertainment scene—truly, a cultivated cultural haven—Chelsea is the only neighborhood in New York City to keep its name.
Located between 7th Avenue and Hudson River, east to west, and 30th Street and 14th Street, north to south, Chelsea has a distinct fashionable aspect to its character which residents and people from all over the country, and the world, immediately fall in love with.
The celebrated High Line, an elevated outdoor attraction with spectacular, unobstructed views of the Hudson, winds through Chelsea all the way up to 34th Street, engaging today’s visitors with the surrounding neighborhood and urban landscape. Contemporary art galleries abound on the west side of Chelsea, and its wealth of bars and restaurants, Chelsea Market vendors, and its proximity to the West Village and Meatpacking District, have turned the area into logical brunch spots and a sophisticated gastronome paradise. Chelsea Piers, a waterfront sports village, which sits on the Hudson River, includes arenas for every type of sports, from driving range for golf and skate parks to bowling lanes and ice rinks.
Its vibrant art scene and rich history of social activism, Chelsea represents a charming, residential mix where you can find plenty of historic brick townhouses, brownstones, and renovated rowhouses within the quaint, quiet, tree-lined streets, as well as luxury condos, classic walk-up tenements, and large apartments.
Tribeca
A syllabic abbreviation of Triangle Below Canal Street—TriBeCa is a chic neighborhood located in Downtown Manhattan, between Broadway to West Street, from east to west, and Canal Street to Chambers Street, from north to south, and its prominent loft-style architecture, upscale restaurants, shops and cafés, and thriving art galleries make this slice of the island a perfect destination for those looking to find some peace and quiet in the city.
Formerly an industrial area filled with warehouses and factories for produce, textiles, and dry goods, by the 1960s, TriBeCa’s industrial base had all but vanished. In the 1970s, as some of the warehouses were converted to residential use, and lofts began to be utilized by artists, who lived and worked in their spaces, TriBeCa transformed and emerged as a haven for New York’s artistic community.
With a primary focus on elegance and beauty, TriBeCa developed into a vibrant neighborhood where you will hardly encounter congested streets and crowds of people. The entirety of TriBeCa has a quaint, mellow vibe against the cast-iron architecture flair, always lush greeneries and outdoor space, and with stunning waterfront views of the Hudson River, as well as the Freedom Tower at the heart of this neighborhood. Residents also enjoy the neighborhood’s close proximity to other neighborhoods, such as SoHo, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, and the Financial District, making TriBeCa attractive to home-buyers.
Many celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Robert De Niro, George Clooney, Justin Timberlake, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey, and J. Cole have called TriBeCa home.
Long Island City
Long Island City was a prime base of operations for giants in audio equipment, chewing gum, soft drinks, and many more industries in its past life. That history has not been entirely discarded, even as the area is now primarily residential. The most evident preserved piece of history is the neon Pepsi-Cola sign in Gantry Plaza State Park — formerly atop the company’s LIC bottling factory — a city landmark near-synonymous with the neighborhood. Another repurposed LIC icon is Silvercup Studios, a substantially-sized film and television production facility housed in a former bakery. MoMA PS1, a leader in experimental contemporary art, lives inside an unmistakable Romanesque Revival building that was previously a public school. In addition to its exhibitions and installations, MoMA PS1 screens films and annually hosts the popular Warm Up outdoor concert series. For older architecture retaining its original function, check out the stellar 19th-century townhouses of the Hunters Point Historic District.
LIC is undeniably spread out, but its unending series of standout stores, eateries, and bars are distributed far and wide throughout its bounds. You’ll find the highest concentration of options clustered along Vernon and Jackson avenues and along 21st Street by Court Square and Queensboro Plaza — however, there isn’t a singular main drag or dining district. In some regards, the restaurant scene spills over from neighboring Greenpoint, with countless dynamic offerings ranging from Michelin-starred stalwarts to casual sidewalk cafes that are sure to please even the most finicky foodies. Venture into warehouse territory and uncover a sacred string of craft breweries to hit after sweating it up at a nearby rock climbing gym. In terms of shopping, a mix of newer Haute boutiques and quirky neighborhood holdouts stitch together a vibrant fabric one can spend an entire day exploring.
Williamsburg
Minutes from Manhattan and a gateway to the best of the rest northern Brooklyn offers, Williamsburg is trendy in all senses of the word. Boutique thrift shopping, waterfront food markets, exorbitant brunch cocktails — the works. Sitting along the East River, just over the bridge it shares a name with, Williamsburg is the image that first comes to mind for many when they think “Brooklyn.” Yet, while most probably only think of all there is to do off the Bedford Avenue L as “Williamsburg,” the area encompasses so much. Williamsburg is huge. Not even mentioning the multiple other eastward L stations, there’s an entire other section of Williamsburg near Broadway (and beyond) under the JMZ tracks, plus more along the G train’s Union Avenue path. Because it spreads out so, the neighborhood is a lively and diverse one that genuinely transcends any one label that may pigeonhole it.
From Village to Town to City of Williamsburg(h), the neighborhood we know has passed through several incarnations, all felt in some way today. After being annexed by the City of Brooklyn in 1855, many familiar manufacturers set up shop along Broadway, and names like Cornelius Vanderbilt constructed mansions along the river. Decades later, Brooklyn’s incorporation into New York City and the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge facilitated a more diverse and densely populated part of the borough. From the 1970s into the 2000s, artists and musicians flocked; the area became a breeding ground for rising independent performers. As Williamsburg has achieved name-brand recognition, its evolution has only continued. Recent developments along the water include Domino Park, greenery located on former Domino Sugar Refinery ground. McCarren Park sits at the extreme northern edge of the neighborhood, so much so that it may be in Greenpoint, depending on who you ask.