3 Ave, Murray Hill

Of all the Avenues in Murray Hill, 3rd is by far and away the most jamming. It's like all of the life of the neighborhood went onto 3rd, leaving 1st and 2nd to just be sad and boring. 3rd is basically the big show off Avenue of Murray Hill -- this neighborhood could use a little more 3rd.
My favorite pizza restaurant in the city, Patsy's, has an outpost right at 3rd and 34th. It's just good pizza and a good time no matter which location you happen to stuff your face in. I highly recommend it. There's another pizza joint on the same block but this one is a by the slice kind of joint so there's no competition there. There's also a burger joint, a sushi place, a cheesesteak place and a couple of bars all on one block! In Murray Hill no less! This block has a pretty good neighborhood vibe for an Avenue.
The next block is pretty lovely too. There are a couple of good little restaurants and cute shops and there's a d'Agostino's market which I consider to be one of the best grocery chains in the city. They're a little pricey but nowhere near Whole Foods pricey.
The next block has some Deco buildings mixed in with little guys and a fantastic (though not the best) Jewish Deli right on the corner. And, the next few blocks have that same great mix of big apartment buildings and little neighborhood restaurants. If it weren't for the traffic and noise, this stretch of 3rd would be pretty good. And, there's a lot of convenience in this stretch. There's just about any kind of food: mexican, bagels, pizza, burgers . . you name it. And, little local cleaners, a pet grooming shop, and a couple of little bars. This is all the way up until 42nd where you run into Grand Central Station which is one of my favorite spots in the city: I don't care how many tourists are there. Grand Central is beautiful and charming.