East 81st St, Yorkville

East 81st Street is a quiet street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This street which stretches from a cul de sac on East End Avenue all the way to Fifth Avenue is home to a mixture of townhouses, red brick co-ops and condominium buildings as well several old world walkups.
This largely residential street hosts a few commercial establishments like the historic Gracie Inn which is a bed and breakfast located on 81st Street and York Avenue, Sandro's which is a fantastic Italian restaurant that is located between First and Second Avenues as is Designer Resale Corp which is a popular designer consignment store and Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter II which is located on 81st Street between Second and Third Avenues and is an outpost of the popular tea salon chain .
Also located on 81st Street between Madison and Park Avenues is P.S.6 the Lillian Deveureaux Blake school which is reputed to be one of the finest public elementary schools in the city that is but naturally highly coveted by the residents in the area even though most of them can afford to 'go private' for their children.
Such is the quiet allure of East 81st street that pop singer/actor Madonna has recently invested in a townhouse on the street at 152, 81st Street which she is currently converting into a mansion by undertaking extensive renovations and adding a floor for the necessary celebrity accouterments like a gym, a hair salon luggage closet, and a wine cellar

81st runs straight across from East End Avenue to 5th Avenue, ending at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The entire street is dotted with wonderful eateries and great take out food. It's also one of the more upscale neighborhoods and the residents are usually quiet and respectful. Don't expect to socialize much with neighbors though, the vibe is much more individualistic. Gobo, which is located on Third and 81st, caters to the vegetarian community and all those who eat organic. Upscale Italian fare can be found as well, at a price. It's a nice place to live and a great place to visit, if you have the money to do it. I haven't happened upon a ton of reasonably priced places, but i'm sure there are a few. If you have your eye on 81st street for living it's probably best to stay closer to Lexington Ave, just for the walk to the subway.

The Upper East Side, specifially around 81st and York, is a great place to live. I moved to the UES about a year ago and I've had a great experience. There's an endless amount of restaurants (mostly all of the deliver too), there are a couple of great bars in the area and lots of coffee shops. You get that NYC feel but without the crazy tourists taking over your life.

The people in the UES are typically a little older than in other areas of the city and a lot richer. Walk outside on a Saturday or Sunday morning and you'll see dogs being walked, people having breakfast and runners taking their morning jog (in other areas of the city, people are still sleeping from the night before).

The bad: If you live near York, the closest subway is Lexington. At first, you think it's a quick walk but the blocks are long and it quickly becomes a hassle. This is my only complaint.