Lincoln Square

Lincoln Square gets its name from a tiny ‘pocket park’ located where Broadway and Columbus Avenue cross at 66th Street. The park is home to a weekly farmer’s market which is a perfect example of how this bustling business neighborhood is able to retain its residential personality.

Lincoln Square is a very small neighborhood that stretches only from West 62nd to West 65th Streets and from Amsterdam to Columbus Avenue. It has seen tremendous development in the past year, with block after block of luxury buildings replacing commercial real estate and crumbling pre-war propertiesLong-time residents and new residents (in the recently completed high rises) are frequently at odds regarding quality-of-life issues in the neighborhood.

The area is home to primarily singles and couples; families with children represent only about 16% of residents. Still, there are fine educational opportunities, both public and private, as well as specialty training in the performing arts.

Lincoln Square offers everything a wealthy resident might crave, including safety and security. Crime rates are lower than the national average in many instances. There is world-class entertainment at Lincoln Center and world-class dining along Broadway and at the nearby Time-Warner Center. You’ll also find two of the city’s premiere multiplexes, and (of course) there are acres and acres of beautifully landscaped grounds to explore in nearby Central Park.

Once notorious for the gang violence depicted in West Side Story, today’s Lincoln Square is notorious for its celebrity residents...and notoriously high prices that are still low by area standards. At 15 Central Park West, for example, just one block away from Lincoln Square, sellers command as much as $35,000,000 for a 3-bedroom/3-bathroom apartment while around the corner on West 64th Street, a similar until may be had for one-tenth the price at $3,295,000

What's not to love?

I was walking my dog in front of Lincoln Center this summer and during their Met in HD event, where the play operas on a large HD screen and people can sit by the fountain and watch for free. So my dog and I paused awhile to watch part of Carmen. Where else can you do this?

Lots of older folks live here, but between Fordham and Julliard there's plenty of young blood pumping through. Great shopping, great restaurants, and, of course, Central Park.

I don't think there's the same feeling of community here as there is in say, Hell's Kitchen. Nobody has a "Lincoln Square" t-shirt and while it's nice, there's nothing raw or gritty or exciting about it--which is not really a drawback, but it does run the risk of being nice, but boring. It's sort of a strange patch of earth between UWS and HK, without any real identity...but for some that can be a plus. Also, you're subject to the 1 train which is the absolute worst. It can be difficult to get to the lower east side, or anywhere on the east side.

All in all, a great place to live, but ultimately not as memorable or exciting as other places.

The Lincoln Square area is known for, of course, Lincoln Center. Lincoln Center provides the city with some of its best musical culture including the Metropolitan Opera and the Julliard School. Lincoln Square is also home to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. There are public, free outdoor concerts from people involved in these programs. There are public showings of operas for people unable to afford tickets (or unwilling to sit through an entire opera). And now that Fashion Week is held there instead of Bryant Park, there is even more culture than before.

But even if you aren’t a lover of the musical arts, there are thing to enjoy. Like the beautiful Ansonia building (and the delicious café located on the first floor, around the corner off of Broadway). There are also many practical reasons to love Lincoln Square. It’s very clean and safe. It’s great for families. There are many wonderful, smaller shops like little chemists along with big, practical stores, like Best Buy and Bed Bath and Beyond. There’s also a small but lovely farmer’s market right across from Lincoln Center.

Central Park is nearby. Columbus Circle is on the southern edge of the neighborhood. While the Time Warner Center is essential a big mall, it has its uses. Lincoln Square is close to the conveniences of Midtown but with much less tourist traffic. It’s a nice, comfortable community to live in.

Lincoln Square is localized around the Broadway and Columbus Avenue intersection and in between West 65th and West 66th Streets. The neighborhood is tied in by Lincoln Center and the Performing Arts. The area is busy and tourists seem to be everywhere. West of Columbus Avenue and Broadway the area is a bit gritty and shares many similarities to Hell’s Kitchen. The development of Trump Place and other upscale high-rises have brought some gentrification to the community.

Lincoln Square caters to educational institutions and entertainment business with its several universities, public schools, and numerous theaters like Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. If you love shopping, Lincoln Center has it all. Abundant in shops and specialty boutiques like Dinuccio Ltd, Cole Haan, Armani Exchange, Bebe Store Inc., and Cache. Lincoln Square has anything one might need, want, or desire.

The Lincoln Square BID strives to make this neighborhood beautiful, providing sidewalk trash removal and security patrol services. As a result, Lincoln Square has become a sophisticated, classy, and prestigious place to live. Lincoln Square is continuing to expand and become the very definition of New York City.