East 13 St, NoHo

There are some great places to hit on 13th but it's not a street I would want to live on. It's too close to Union Square and way too busy. There are people everywhere and it just doesn't feel like a neighborhood. The buildings are generally massive and the commercial spaces runneth over. It's loud and kind of dirty too. It's a great area for stuff to do. It's just not great if you want to avoid tourists and students.
There's a little Vietnamese joint on the corner of 13th and Uni that is pretty good but definitely caters to the student set. There's also an awful bar on the floor above that. The rest of the block is taken up with business like a gym, a day spa, a few shops and two of my most frequented places in the city: the Union Square Chase and Cosi. This Chase bank is surprisingly uncrowded considering the location and the building is lovely. Across the street is a Cosi in the Roosevelt building. The building is from 1893 and it is really gorgeous. It stands out on a block of already pleasing architecture. And, this Cosi is massive. There's always a table, they have free wifi and the foods pretty good / good for you for fast food. They even have a bar in this branch which I think is hilarious. I can never imagine going to a Cosi to get a beer, but apparently, some people do.
Across the street from Cosi is the big Union Square movie theatre. This is the one that I (along with everyone else downtown) usually go to to catch a flick. I just went there for Underworld last week (don't judge). It's massive and always packed but the location and number of movies they play is really hard to beat when you are a last minute movie goer like myself. It's built on the side of Wallach's Theatre which was an equally popular live theatre space around the Wharton era. I believe this is where they had the riots due to two MacBeth's going on. I wish people would still get that crazy over theatre.
The next block is a mix of arty and commercial spaces. Everyman Coffee is one of my favorite coffee spots in the city and the Classic Stage Company behind it is one of the best theatres in the city. Venus in Fur just played there for several weeks before going to Broadway. And, there is usually some sort of celebrity actor in all of their plays. Next door to Everyman is Peridance dance center. This is the best dance studio in the city for ballet and contemporary jazz but it is really catered to the professional dancer. There are an awful lot of gyms on this street so it's interesting to sit in Everyman (with the actors) and watch the dancers pass the meatheads. I've spent a lot of afternoons doing just that.

As the neighborhood gets closer and closer to Gramercy Park, you see less and less of the sort of businesses that populate the Lower East Side and lower end of the East Village. That may be a good thing, if you’re looking to live close to all of the action but far from all of the noise. Thirteenth street is just a block away from the main drag that is 14th street, though, so be prepared for the pedestrian traffic (as well as street traffic) that will meet you there.

Now you're Stuyvesant Town which has its perks: it's clos to more interesting streets. I enjoyed the new building, nice real estate, and friendly people who were easy to come by. It will be easy to come by more vivacious streets, though this one has its charm, which is actually what drew me here. A good friend of mine lives here and she loves it! Sometimes NYC's bar streets can leave a certain stai on the ambiance and are dirtier, louder, and not as nice of a block to live on. This block is perfect for being close but also being able to walk home from a night on the town. Stuyvesant town has great housing, a beautiful park, and is very close to the Lower East Side and is wonderfully accessible.

East 13th is close to the following metro: L at 14th and is accessible to many buses. Foot traffic is moderate, and it is a good neighborhood for all people!

This block has it all.. right around the corner from Union Square Park complete with it's excellent dog run, luna park bar, and famous steps... is right by major shopping and dining both stylish and budget. Home to some NYU student dorms as well