Clinton / Hells Kitchen

Hell's Kitchen is a wonderful neighborhood-- I lived here for quite a while, and visit often. It's a little less wonderful below 42nd St, but still pretty awesome. 9th Avenue is perhaps the best, most diverse restaurant row in the city. There's a great bar scene. For Manhattan, it's still somewhat neighborhoody (especially after you go west). As you go West, transportation gets a bit suckier, but taxis are always easy to find around here, even at 4am. And, if you're close to 8th avenue, options are absolutely great-- best in the city.

The downside to this neighborhood is one of its benefits-- Times Square. Being close to all the entertainment is great, especially when you're a theater lover. BUT, it can be very frustrating to have to wade through the throngs of tourists, especially from November through the end of the year. Having to cross Times Square in a hurry can be very maddening!

That to me is a small price to pay for living in such an awesome neighborhood...

“If I wanted to see birds and trees, I’d move to Kansas,” is how a lot of people in Hell’s Kitchen describe their decision to reside in one of Manhattan’s most urban and gritty neighborhoods. And despite the lack of natural wonders, there is plenty to recommend this neighborhood that runs from

Hell’s Kitchen is also referred to as Clinton and ‘Midtown West’...the polar opposite to Midtown East. While Midtown East is almost exclusively inhabited by people of means, Midtown West is an eclectic mix of ethnic groups, Broadway stars and wannabes, and hard-working middle income families. Because of its urban, dirty exterior, you may be tempted to dismiss Hell’s Kitchen as a ‘poor neighborhood,’ but that would be a mistake.

Although many people who live here are blue collar people trying to get by, increasingly, residents are becoming more affluent. The Census Bureau reports that over the past 10 years, the average income of people who live in the neighborhood has grown from $48,000 to $66,000. As with most up-and-coming neighborhoods, Clinton’s rents are rising rapidly, but are still affordable. You can get a 900-square-foot apartment -- generous by New York standards -- for under $3,000.

The diverse tastes and financial status of residents are reflected in the area’s commercial profile which includes businesses catering to people on both ends of the wealth scale.

Major avenues cut through Hell’s Kitchen and traffic is often congested, wrapping the neighborhood in a blanket of noise and air pollution. Since it is west of New York’s iconic theatre district, it can get packed with sightseers who are Broadway-bound as audience members. That makes it tough to get a taxi or even a piece of sidewalk to stroll on at peak theatre hours.

On the other hand, it makes going out to dinner a lot of fun. There are an increasing number of trendy restaurants opening here, especially along 9th and 10th Avenues, once a no man’s land of crime and prostitution. And while there is still crime in the area, most of it centered around the beleaguered Port Authority Bus Terminal, the presence of the Midtown North Police Precinct on West 54th Street helps keep the rest of the neighborhood safe.

Having lived in Hell's Kitchen for a few years, I can tell you it's a great place to live, if you love urban areas. Browstones abound on the west side toward 10th and 11th avenues. Parking lots abound along these avenues as well often offering very affordable parking rates compared to those more centrally located. Apartments are small in the areas but large for NY. They are typically more affordable because of the area but revitalization has driven up rents and costs as units convert to condos. Lovely little restaurants abound on 8th and 9th avenues, as well as Restaurant Row along 46th Street, my favorite place for a great bargain right before heading to the theaters nearby. Where else can you live and walk a few blocks to see the ball drop on New Year's Eve!! I loved it. As with anywhere you have to be wary of crime, but I found it very safe and energizing to live here. If you bore easily, you will stay busy!

If you are looking for fun things to do in the area, consider Caroline's on Broadway (comedy club), shopping along Broadway, drinking along 9th avenue, grabbing some great baked goods from Amy's Bread, or walking over to Times Square to catch a movie, show or band at BB King's. Trains and buses nearby give you the flexibility to dart up, down, or across town.

Hell's Kitchen is either a great place to live at an affordable price or the worst crime and tourist ridden place on earth, all depends who you ask.

For residents, Hell's Kitchen is not a lot different from many areas of Brooklyn and Queens except that it is right next to Times Square and (depending on which part you live in) either Herald Square or Rockefeller Center. The area is greatly improved, as are all parts of NYC, since 1990 but still has a larger amount of homeless people, crime, and run down places than the rest of the city. The area around the Port Authority is no fun but everywhere else offers affordable digs right next to everything Manhattan has to offer. Including simply massive crowds.

For tourists, there is not much to do or see save from some historic areas and to sample the better and cheaper cuisine than in the tourist traps in Times Square. Most tourists keep to the more populated areas nearby. There are some shopping options here, however, but nothing compared to the neighborhoods nearby.

Overall, this is the place where New Yorkers can still rent apartments in New York. The rents are more affordable than elsewhere but the crowds and traffic nearby can be hell.

Hell's Kitchen is one of the most interesting neighborhoods in the city. It used to be pretty dangerous and poor, but not in the way we're used to now. It was an immigrant ghetto, known especially for Irish organized crime. This was one tough neighborhood, and definitely retains its tough name with pride, even if the crime is pretty much gone and in its place are restaurants and stores. There is still a definite cool New York attitude about living or being from this area.

Today, it's been gentrified, but at least not in an overly yuppie sort of way. Instead, it's been filled up with restaurants that are delicious and affordable, and haven't been touted around town as hotspots so you can still get a table. Everything here is very neighborhood-y - you can sit back and enjoy a meal or a beer that happens to be amazing without having to be in a trendy locale with tourists or such. The bars are quality pubs and beer bars, with a lot of the original Irish joints still going strong. Shopping is limited to conveniences and a few scattered boutiques here and there - it's likely more will pop up in years to come.

Tenth Avenue and west is still pretty barren, but because of this the apartments are still very affordable. That makes this a great neighborhood for young professionals who can get a great deal and be but an avenue away from the action.

When I lived in Hell's Kitchen in the 80s, it wasn't a great neighborhood. Since then, it has turned into a very happening, upscale area. The feel is a combination of both yuppy and funky. And if you like being right in the middle of things, it's ideal - especially if you're an actor or dancer because you'll meet many others in the 'hood.

Hell's Kitchen is just a few minutes' walk from the theater district (both Broadway and Off-Broadway), and the restaurants in this area can't be beat. There are literally tons of dining options. In fact, my friends and I often venture into the neighborhood specifically for a restaurant like 44SW or Pietrasanta on Ninth Avenue. Actors often hang out at the West Bank Cafe after a show, so the area can be great for some Broadway star-watching on occasion.

Don't be fooled by the Hell's Kitchen name. That's a throwback from the old days, and the name just stuck. Unless you really hate being in the middle of things - i.e., traffic and lots of things to do (in which case, you probably shouldn't be in Manhattan in the first place) - there's nothing hellish about Hell's Kitchen. I don't understand the people who say it's depressing; I find it to be a very exciting neighborhood. In the summer, people hang out in front of storefronts, so it isn't an impersonal area either. I once saw Mandy Patinkin leaning against a building passing the time.

This used to be an inexpensive neighborhood for apartments, but that's no longer the case. Still, it's worth it. I wouldn't mind living in the area again if I had the opportunity.

Hell’s Kitchen is a strange place because it’s so obviously in transition.

There are great places to go in Hell’s Kitchen. I personally love the absolutely ginormous Salvation Army. I also adore the really amazingly great weekend flee market. You can get anything there, from African headdresses to organic clover honey, produced and bottled at a farm in the Hudson Valley. But there are also wonderful restaurants, running the gamut from good ole American to spicy Ethiopian. Some places of Hell’s Kitchen are vibrant and lively like this, with clean streets and nightlife and young people drawn in from all over the city.

It’s the other places, though, that aren’t so welcoming. It seems (not as an absolute rule but as a vague suggestion) that the closer you get to the river, the worse the neighborhood becomes. Despite what the movies would have you believe, Manhattan is not pockmarked with vacant lots. That land is worth a lot of money, and is likely to be snatched up and developed as soon as can be. But Hell’s Kitchen has a strange number of eerie, desolate lots decorated with empty beer bottles and Snickers wrappers. The neighborhoods are obviously not great, and are much emptier than I’m accustomed to seeing in Manhattan.

It’s really something of a mystery to me why some areas of Hell’s Kitchen, which is surrounding by great, classy neighborhoods like the Upper West Side and Chelsea and Midtown, are somehow devoid of the momentum that characterizes so much of Manhattan. I think it won’t be long until all of Hell’s Kitchen is a desirable neighborhood and people are paying the big bucks for those great river views.

The place is called Hell's Kitchen for a reason. If you should go there you will know why. It is very depressing. There is really nothing to look forward to. The only thing that people seem to get into is that there is a theater district close by and SONY and CBS are close as well. You may not realize this but the Daily Show and the Colbert Report are taped in this area. You may also spot your favorite actor walking around the area.

The good part of the area is that a couple of blocks away is Times Square with all its fanciness, bright lights, and gadgetry. You would be amazed that a few block away you see such splendor compared to what you see at Hell's Kitchen. I'm not say to stay away. You may like it there. I'm just saying it is not my favorite place to be.

This neighborhood has recently seen a transformation from righteously gritty to a sort-of gritty interspersed with some posh-ness. Meaning: you can live in an apartment with a doorman and wall-to-wall windows if you so desire, and you can dine and head out to a lot of bars, but it somehow seems sort of...off. I had a few friends who lived in this neighborhood for a while before relocating to the East Village, and their apartment was amazing but the bars in the area tended to be on the dead side, especially/perhaps unsurprisingly on weeknights. This neighborhood is okay - there are definitely cool things to do here, and I highly recommend the year-round Hell's Kitchen flea market.

I guess I understand why real estate developers are trying real hard to get everyone to stop calling this Hell's Kitchen and go for something more sedate and palatable like Clinton or Midtown West. But the name has stuck, probably because it is still a depressing no-man's land of infrastructure (think, rail depot) warehouses, and hospitals. A lot of people want to make a lot of the fact that the theater district is lively and kicking here, as are a number of broadcast studios like SONY and CBS. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report are taped here, and the area is reputed to have a high number of actors as residents. That may all very well be true, but on a recent night out at the theater in this area, I was struck by a spate of new luxury condo buildings that seem to all have sprung up overnight, and which did nothing to improve the area sense of desolation. Sure there are a ton of parking garages that make a night out at the theater convenient, but how about a little cafe or bar to hang out in before the show? We ended up at the only place serving food within sight of a couple of blocks: a gas station-slash- Dunkin Donughts, where we purchased a luxury snack of packaged almonds and a bottle of coke. If I were in the market for a luxury condo, I'm just not convinced this are is one I would be buying in.

Real estate brokers have been trying to get this place going for years! And, it just won't stick. This neighborhood just kinda sucks. It's right next to Times Square which makes the trickle off of all of the annoying tourists come into the neighborhood, but there's absolutely nothing there and nothing to do. So, it's the worst of both worlds. I had a couple of friends who lived in Hell's Kitchen. Their rent was not that cheap, they were never in their neighborhood, and they were constantly annoyed by the crowds of people they had to encounter to get out of their neighborhood.
I can safely say that the only things I've patronized in Hell's Kitchen is a Starbucks and a Juice Generation. In the summer, there are a couple of clubs with like sand and house music right up on 12th, but the rest of the area is so desolate and depressing you really can't even use your imagination for that one.
Yes, it is close to Times Square so shopping is convenient if you like crowds and don't live too far west. But, all of the restaurants and bars are catered to tourists and how many days of the week are you going to see a Broadway show? Exactly.

The infamously gritty Hell's Kitchen - and no, the real estate industry's attempt to drive up prices by renaming it "Clinton" after the ex-President's daughter will not hold - embodies at once the best and worst about New York. Good or bad, it's real grit, the likes of which are rare in central Manhattan - this is the place, with all its rats, cockroaches, and crime (and, it must be said, FANTASTIC cheap eats), that real aspiring writers, artists, and, especially, actors want to live. (The nearby Actor's Studio, as well as an abundance of Off-Broadway theatres in the area, are all draws)

Safe? Safe enough - petty crime could be a problem now and then, but murders or serious violent crime are rare, especially today, post-semi-gentrification. A young, artsy twenty-something would be right at home amid the area's great diversity, culinary and otherwise (try some of the best ethnic food in NYC, from French to Thai to Ethiopian to Turkish), and its artistic, unpretentious vibe. Other attractions include the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the Clinton Community Garden, and the Daily Show Headquarters.

The neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen which is also sometimes known as Clinton is located within the larger neighborhood of Midtown West and extends roughly from 34th Street to 57th Street from 8th Avenue to the Hudson River.

This neighborhood has historically be known for its gritty, rough and tumble character for it was initially home to the city’s Irish-American working class population. The character of the neighborhood underwent a transformation in the 1950’s when it began to be inhabited by Puerto Rican immigrants who clashed with the original inhabitants of the neighborhood. Today however Hell’s Kitchen has cleaned up somewhat as it is now home to several tall modern condominium buildings that house largely young professionals who work in the many office buildings of Midtown West and enjoy the convenience of walking to work. However many of the original residents of the neighborhood continue to reside in the older buildings of the neighborhood which are also home to actors and artists who ply their craft in the theater district located between 42nd and 54th Streets between 6th and 8th Avenues.

Located along the neighborhood’s main artery 8th avenue and extending into 9th avenue, is Hell’s Kitchen’s famous restaurant row which offers a smorgasbord of diverse cuisines. Many of the restaurants that are located here like Chez Josephine, Le Rivage and Lattanzi offer a prix-fixe pre-theatre dinner menus that are extremely popular with theater-goers. Though the area also has some other great restaurants which are worth trying like Taboon( Mediterranean) located at 10th Avenue and 52ndStreet, Sosa borella( Argentinean) located on 8th Avenue between 50th and 51st street and Bali Nusa Indah( Indonesian) located on 9th Avenue between 45th and 46th streets.

Hell’s Kitchen other claim to fame is that it is home to the largest urban permanent flea market in New York City which is held every weekend on 39th street between 9th and 10th avenues. This Hell's Kitchen Flea market features nearly 170 vendors who come from all over the tri-state area to hawk their wares. These vendors include antiques dealers; vintage housewares hawkers, local-produce stands, and street-food vendors.

The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival which is held on the weekend after Mother’s Day is a major food fest that is held in Hell’s Kitchen every year. This event in known to attract huge crowds from all over the city and beyond who enjoy coming to the festival to sample the wide array of diverse foods that it offers.

In the past, Hell’s Kitchen was best known for its rough, Irish-American, working class residents. But, the times are changing! The new Theater District, has resulted in decreased crime, less prostitution, and much urban transformation, making Hell’s Kitchen a popular place to live.

Hell’s Kitchen boasts thousands of new apartments, especially west of Ninth Avenue, as well as dozens of eclectic and unique dining options along the way. For fine German cuisine, stop by Hallo Berlin at 626 10th Avenue. If you are hungry for Ethiopian, try Queen of Sheba practically next door to Hallo Berlin. And, if you are in the mood for French, don’t miss La Bergamote at 515 West 52nd Street for luxurious French pastries, croissants, and handmade chocolates.

If you are on a budget and need a place to stay, Hell’s Kitchen shall provide. Most notable are the Skyline and the 414 Hotel. There are also dozens of hotels along Eighth Avenue and Eighth and Broadway (also known as the Theater District).

If you want a more relaxed visit to NYC, then Hell’s Kitchen will deliver.

When I think of Hell’s Kitchen I think of this place my friends and I used to go every week for Sunday brunch, because the atmosphere was sunny and white (being in that restaurant felt sort of like being white-washed) and because they offered unlimited mimosas and belinis for $12. The restaurant is H.K. Café on 9th Ave – and the food is fine, nothing special, so it’s only recommended if you need to keep your party going on Sunday morning.
The neighborhood seems to be more and more populated with fancy apartment buildings with doormen, even if they are right across the street from former Irish tenement buildings.
Fun fact: this neighborhood served as the inspiration for West Side Story, which told the story of the racial tensions between the Irish, Italians and Puerto Ricans who came to live in the area together.