New York City, NY

Nearby areas in New York City, NY

New York City is made up of 5 boroughs

Manhattan (which many people mistake as being synonymous with New York City), Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and The Bronx. Most visitors, however, spend the great majority of their time in Manhattan, so we will concentrate primarily on that. The 4 main sections of Manhattan are outlined below, but keep in mind that there are many overlapping neighborhoods within each.

1) Uptown

North of 59th Street, up to about 125th Street on the West Side and 100th Street on the East is the area known as Uptown, but it has two very distinct neighborhoods separated by the green expanse of Central Park. A walk along the Upper East Side is impressive, but a bit like walking through a mausoleum, with as much polished quiet as you can find in the biggest city in the world. Except for world-class shopping on Madison Avenue, Museum Mile, and local art displays along the border of Central Park, there isn't much activity. The buildings are grandiose and well-kept, and very little comparative traffic mills through the streets. It is the most expensive real estate in the city, and quite probably in the world, where old money, socialite charity patrons live and shop. Defining Example Jackie O lived here. Crossing to the West is like entering another world and finding an amiable bustle of daily city life and the sophisticated clutter that comes with it. The Upper West Side is an energetic neighborhood of mostly affluent 30-and-above-somethings, as well as many celebrities. The sidewalks stream with people, outdoor cafés are full of chatting friends, and lots of shops, theaters, and points of interest keep you occupied. Defining Example This is where John Lennon lived. North of Uptown are Harlem to the east and west, and Spanish Harlem (El Barrio) in an east side enclave between 100th and 120th Streets.

2) Midtown

Generally known as the area encompassing the well-known Theater District, Times Square, the New York Public Library/Bryant Park, Macy's Herald Square, and the central business district, it also technically covers neighborhoods further south but still north of the Village that are less-known to visitors, like Union Square, Chelsea, the Flatiron District, and Gramercy Park.

Union Square is rapidly advancing on the greater midtown scene, since businesses joined forced with the city to clean up the area's act. Now in-line skaters flock to the once unapproachable but newly gentrified park, the Greenmarket is the city's best, and musical acts often play in the park pavilion.

Chelsea was once farmland outside of the city, if you can imagine that, but is now one of the trendiest neighborhoods joining in the city's renaissance. It's a tree-filled, mostly residential community of low-rise townhouses, lofts, and factories, with a river front sports complex, chic bistros, and thriving bars lining the main strip. Arthur Miller and Bob Dylan, among many other, penned their verses here and it has the dubious distinction of being the place where Sid finally did away with Nancy. .

The Flatiron District centers around 23rd Street (location of the narrow, historic Flatiron Building named for its triangular shape) and Park Avenue South. It is now known as Silicon Alley for its abundance of high-tech computer companies. Recently rediscovered by New Yorkers and visitors for its updated shopping and restaurant scene, this is an increasingly popular area.

Gramercy Park, largely residential, is one of the loveliest and leafiest sections of the city, rightfully proud of its pretty little park. Unfortunately, it is a private park (the only one in the city) and only residents with windows overlooking it can get a key to pass through its locked gates. If you know someone with the magic "Open Sesame," be sure to drop by for a visit, or stay at the hotel on the square, which gives access to its guests.

3) The Village

Three sections make up this infamous funky town, which escaped the sobering grid pattern of the city above 14th Street largely because it was isolated due to a virus at the time of the linear reorganization in the 19th century. Greenwich Village, west of Broadway to 6th Avenue between 14th Street and Houston, the West Village, west of 6th Avenue to the Hudson, and the East Village, east of Broadway to First Avenue and into Alphabet City, also between 14th Street and Houston, together house the city's wild bunch.

Greenwich Village

Tree-lined streets follow meandering patterns that might seem arbitrary today, but originally followed streams, cow paths, and the shore of the Hudson before much of the wetlands were filled in. Greek revivals, Federal houses, and peaceful courtyards appear around every corner, though the defining image of the village is a maze of streets abuzz with activity and a charismatic, extroverted populace. Jazz halls, dance clubs and lots of live music fill the area, particularly around MacDougal Street. Ultra-cool shops and hip eateries are everywhere, and NYU surrounds Washington Square Park. Jack Kerouac and Edgar Allen Poe (among countless other famous creative types) thought it was a great place to live and hang out. Fuhgettabout trying to figure out the lay out, just bring a map because you'll definitely need it! .

The West Village

This predominantly gay neighborhood doesn't differ much from Greenwich, though it is quieter and more residential, known for having some of the loveliest brownstones in the city. Boutiques, bistros, and jazz clubs are popular and abundant throughout the maze of quaint, well-kept streets.

The East Village

This has become the new haunt of the city's Bohemians, as Greenwich has become more and more mainstream, albeit in its quirky way. Trendy yet affordable ethnic restaurants, kitschy boutiques, die-hard punk-rock clubs, and folksy cafés add to the neighborhood's youthful spirit.

4) Downtown

Though it spent hundreds of years as the entirety of the City of New York, today this area is just a tiny section of the greater city and yet it is the monetary life support of the planet. A financial tremor here, or even just the fear of one, sends shock waves through every continent (well, possibly not Antarctica). Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange call its streets home though Wall Street, for the record, now refers to a much larger set of financiers than just those who occupy the tiny street itself. The history in this area is tremendous, requiring volumes to cover, and it is still very much in evidence. Washington was inaugurated President here and the Fraunces Tavern, which is still open daily for business, was the site of many great moments in the city's colonial and early Independence days. Just off-shore are the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, with ferries running throughout the day that transport you back in time and place to the first sight many of our ancestors had of their new lives.

And still more!.

The neighborhoods seem to go on forever don't they? Following are a few more interesting sections of the city tucked between The Village and Downtown:.

SoHo and the newer NoHo

Named for their northern and southern locations relative to Houston Street, they are characterized by their art galleries, antique shops, stylish pubs and eateries.

Little Italy

See it while you can - this is one of the city's most ingrained and culturally rich neighborhoods but, sadly, the encroachment of the ever-sprawling Chinatown is rapidly gobbling it up. Mulberry Street is its lifeline and you'll find a multitude of authentic Italian-American restaurants, parades, and festivals commemorating patron saints of the Old Country.

Chinatown

This area below Canal from Broadway to the Bowery is a bargain hunter's playground and a smorgasbord of budget Asian eats (from Szechuan to Vietnamese). Lots of shops sell strange foods and herbs, not to mention souvenirs by the barrelfull, and lots of clothing and jewelry on the cheap. It isn't anything like the quaint neighborhood of San Francisco, however, so don't expect that sort of ambiance. It is more like a very big and crowded flea market.

TriBeCa

The Triangle Below Canal is bordered by the Hudson to the West, Broadway to the East, and Chambers Street to the South. This former warehouse district has been quietly turning into one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the city, as the SoHo chic spills over into its more spacious and peaceful streets. Long forgotten by City Hall, many of its lanes are still paved in the original cobblestones, setting a scene that has attracted antique dealers, retro-furnishers, and low-key celebrities to restore abandoned warehouses into spacious lofts and fashionable business. Defining Examples John F. Kennedy, Jr. lived here, just a block from where Robert DeNiro oversees his TriBeCa Grill restaurant and TriBeCa Films production company, later joined by Miramax. Nonetheless, the neighborhood has not lost its character of a bygone era to the invasion of the new. Quite the contrary, it has, in large part, retained its 19th-century charm and graciously incorporated the new into itself.

For more information about New York City, NY

New York Convention and Visitors Bureau

810 Seventh Avenue (between 52nd and 53rd Streets), New York, New York 10019, phone toll-free 1-800-NYC-VISIT 24-hour hotline or 212-397-8222.