East 34 St, Murray Hill

East 34th starts off its Murray run at a massive apartment complex This building isn't the tallest by any stretch but just to give an indication of how wide it is: there's a Guy and Gallard coffee, a manicure spot, a pet store and a restaurant all on the same apartment grounds. It's almost like its own city. Ayn Rand lived in this building at the time of her death. The building next door to it is equally as large, but peculiarly, a high school. It looks like a high school from the future with its sky scraper architecture, massive tower and statues in front. It is such a bizarre sight for a high school to anyone that didn't grow up in New York. There are a couple of little conveniences on this block like a mini market, a bakery and a cute Italian place, but the block definitely isn't the most exciting. It's not bad, it's just not the best.
The next block (at Park) has an interesting mix of old and new buildings. There's a beautiful three towered looking building right on the corner that used to be the Vanderbilt Hotel and is now a fancy residential building. It still has a very old world glamour to it right down to the fancy steakhouse with vaulted ceilings on the ground floor. There's another pretty, old apartment building across the street with an upscale deli on the ground floor (something the Vanderbilt's would never have, I imagine). There's a DOCS medical clinic next to that (this one is much faster than the Chelsea one) and a pharmacy next to that as well as a chiropractic building across the street. If you ever need a medical need tended to, this is a pretty good block to be. There are some other great conveniences on this block like a wine shop, decent to go Chinese and a little Italian spot. It's a pretty well-rounded block. It's just not that exciting.
The last block of the street's run through the neighborhood is taken up with banks and school. The CUNY Grad school building takes up the north side of the block and there's not a whole lot going on in terms of the south side. There is a Guy and Gallard outpost here but it's not my favorite. The CUNY building is gorgeous, though.
East 34th has some really beautiful buildings and some great neighborhood staples, but the feel of it is a little too midtown for my liking. There aren't locals just hanging about and that's something that I really need in my neighborhood. It's not a bad street to live on, but it's just a very city kind of street.