East 27 St, Murray Hill

There's nothing particularly wrong with East 37th Street - a collection of increasingly modern high-rises just south of post-collegiate party town Murray Hill - but there's not terribly much right with it either. This neighborhood seems to have curiously forgotten to acquire a "scene" - striking in a city where every patch of land becomes a TriBeCa or a NoLiTa, or another trendy acronym. Rather, this part of Midtown East is terribly basic - you can find basic wings-and-sports bars like the Rodeo or the slightly more interesting Mad Hatter's Saloon, watch sports at McCormacks, or dine at basic Japanese, Italian, and French restaurants, but it all feels very by-the-numbers for this often vibrant city. (Although Turkish Kitchen, on 3rd Avenue, is a charming and homey exception.) The only real entertainment in this area is the Kips Bay Cinema, located at the street's Eastern end. While the high rises in this district may offer tenants stunning city views, unfortunately there's really not much to see here.

East 27th is a high- rise kind of street. And, as you head east the buildings seem to get newer. It's not much of a street, entertainment-wise. There's not much history in the area either. It's kind of a pass street outside of a quick jaunt west of Madison.

The corner of 5th Ave and 27th is the last sighting of the Dorothy Arnold of the famous disappearance of Dorothy Arnold scenario. A young heiress vanished from the face of the earth in the midst of one of the busiest corners in New York City -- it was even that busy in 1910 when the vanishing happened. I love tidbits like that because it makes that corner seem so eerily alive. You walk over it every day without taking the time to realize who stood on it a hundred years ago -- but, stories like that make me not take it for granted, I suppose. Directly across the street is a bar called 230 Fifth that has an outstanding view of the entire city. I highly recommend it.

The other corner of 27th and 5th houses the Museum of Sex. It's exactly what it sounds like: a museum of sex. Next door is the Gershwin Hotel -- it's a pretty cool hotel with some great original artwork. The corner of Madison houses The New York Life Building -- a really famous building with a rooftop pyramid: Stanford White was shot and killed in the Garden. There is a lot of history in this building and it's definitely interesting looking.

East of Madison is getting into Kip's Bay. Kip's Bay is a weird place because there is no neighborhood feel to it. It's all giant, new buildings for the most part. There are some bars and restaurants on the ground floor of the buildings, but there isn't anything really noteworthy. It's just not a place to hang out. Then it runs into Bellevue and I wouldn't recommend hanging out around there by any stretch.