East 33 St, Kips Bay

East 33rd starts off with NYU Medical Center at 1st Avenue. It's one of the better hospitals you can access quickly from downtown so I guess that's one good thing about living on this street -- clearly, I'm not a fan of Kip's Bay, huh?
The block between 1st and 2nd is taken up by a lot of Church and state (hehe). There's a dorm for the NYU Medical school right at the corner with the NYU children center directly across the street. Almost the entire block on the north side is taken up by a church, its school and its convent all in a row. And, there are a couple of massive apartment buildings. The Kip's Bay Plaza building is particularly disturbing looking. It looks like a hospital in your worst nightmare and I don't care how pretty the units may or may not be inside, I could not live in a building that looks like this. You can't miss this eyesore, seriously.
The block between 2nd and 3rd is equally as boring: a public school, a home store, an animal clinic and a couple of small apartment buildings. I mean, would it hurt this part of town to throw some restaurants in the mix. It's just so boring! There are a few little restaurants between 3rd and Lex but none of them are particularly noteworthy aside from Cosette (little, cute, French). To only have one good restaurant on your street / in your neighborhood is kind of depressing when you pay to live in Manhattan, I think.
There's not a lot to do or see even in the architecture realm on 33rd in Kip's Bay, but I find that to be true of most of the east side after Gramercy Park. There's no neighborhood vibe, it's right on top of midtown and transportation is pretty lousy. For this kind of rent, I would pass.

I have friends with kids living here, and I have to say that it's one of the best places in Manhattan to relax and raise a family. When you are coming from someplace like Boston or the suburbs, and you enter E 33rd, it's a relaxing break from a hectic city life. I love the city and all of its adventures, but sometimes it's nice to visit a quieter end of town. One of my friends describes it as "living on a suburban street, then walking a few blocks into the city." It really is a great way to experience everything!

There is an elementary school on the street, and I think that it contributes to the definite tone of the street (as being family-oriented and safe). I would probably consider E 33rd as a good way to both raise a family and deal with a professional career at the same time.