Manhattan Neighborhoods

Written by Smith Jones    Monday, 18 February 2008

Beyond the midtown area, Manhattan is full of diverse neighborhoods offering a wide array of sights and experiences. Here are some that visitors might want to explore: Upper West Side. Home to Lincoln Center, the American Museum of Natural History, Hayden Planetarium---and Zabar’s gourmet deli. Central Park. Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux designed this 840-acre masterpiece in 1858; the world has yet to discover a better urban oasis, with concerts, softball, rowing, skating, and theater. Yorkville. The city’s German enclave, where you can still buy bratwurst or enjoy pastry at a konditorie along East 86th Street. Upper East Side. Madison Avenue houses many of Manhattan’s best dhop, galleries, and museums. Luxurious apartment building line Fifth and Park. West Side. There never were any singing and dancing street gangs, but the theater district is here---not to mention excellent ethnic shops, restaurants, and bakeries along Ninth Avenue. Chelsea. Generations of writers and artists from Twain to Warhol have taken up residence in this neighborhood at the famous and eccentric Chelsea Hotel on West 23rd Street. Greenwich Village. Has meandering side streets and some of the city’s oldest buildings. Sidewalk cafés provide oases; garish streets like Bleecker and 8th are packed solid with music clubs and souvenir shops. SoHo and TriBeCa. The acronyms mean “South of Houston Street” and “Triangle Below Canal Street”; home to art galleries, trendy restaurants, and boutiques. Little Italy. The exuberant 10-day Feast of San Gennaro begins September 13, but festivity is in the air every night along Mulberry Street, where sidewalk café  offer cannoli and cappuccino. Chinatown. More Chinese restaurants than exist in most countries. This tightly packed neighborhood features a labyrinth of small shops selling everything from exotic food to mysterious Oriental remedies. The Lower East Side. The traditional gateway for New York’s immigrants. Discount shopping on Orchard, weekdays and Sundays. Wall Street. Now more a state of mind than an address. Still, the spirit of J. P. Morgan continues to reign in the financial district. Battery Park City. Manhattan’s newest neighborhood, built on a landfill from the World Trade Center construction. Best for the views from its riverfront; free cultural events in the Winter Garden pavilion.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 February 2008 )