Manhattan Valley

Manhattan Valley is a neighborhood defined by a natural depression in the Upper West Side’s landscape...and for many years it was as depressed as the ground it sprang up from. The streets from West 100th Street to West 110th Street (also known as Cathedral Parkway) between Amsterdam Avenue and Central Park were heaped with garbage, overrun with rats and the domain of drug dealers.

Over the past ten years or so, however, the neighborhood has undergone a major transition. The ‘trash’ of Manhattan Valley is moving out and is slowly being replaced by young, educated professionals and academics from the area’s numerous colleges and universities. Although wealthy, these newcomers aren’t rich; they’re flocking to Manhattan Valley to find rentals and condominiums in rehabilitated buildings that can be had for significantly less than similar properties west of Amsterdam and south of 100th Street.

Manhattan Valley is an architectural smorgasbord where you can choose among 5-story townhouses from the early 20th Century, ultra-new deluxe high-rises, and historic buildings under the watchful eye of the Landmarks Preservation Society. It’s extremely neighborhood-y in its feel because it is not a ‘hot spot’ destination for tourists.

The area’s newcomers bring with them a sense of unity and have organized community groups and neighborhood watches to help Manhattan Valley achieve its full potential as a safe, livable area. According to the 24th Police Precinct that serves this once crime-ridden neighborhood, there has been a steady decline in major criminal activity over the last decade.

Everyone feels welcome here, from just-getting-by families living on government assistance to earnest Columbia University students and successful young professionals. There’s lots to do and see in nearby Central Park, and you’ll never go hungry with plenty of restaurants, grab-and-go food stores, supermarkets, and all-night bodegas on every corner. And when you’re ready to head out for a night on the town, mass transit is all around you and runs virtually around the clock: #1 train to 103rd or 110th Street and Broadway; C and B trains to 110th Street and Central Park West; buses on all major avenues going up and downtown.

This is a great place to live today...and a super investment for the future.

Manhattan Valley is a West Side neighborhood fairly close to Columbia University. It starts at 96th Street and runs up to 110th Street. This is a very pleasant area. The buildings are large pre-war masses that are quite beautifully built. Lots of the streets have personality and character and there are lovely little restaurants, bars and shops strewn about. Shopping is great on 96th Street, on the street itself as well as Broadway. It always seems bustling with activity. There is a movie theater there that plays foreign movies as well as holds concerts. Nightlife is largely centered around bars but given the presence of the university (Columbia University) there is also lots of intellectual activity in the area as well. Barnard College and Barnard Bookstore are great to visit. And there are fabulous schools in the area for children because of Teacher's College. You can't go wrong here. It's very safe, is lovely to walk through, and there are doormen buildings here too if you prefer a bit of luxury.

If you visit the area, don't miss paying a visit to the Cathedral of St John the Divine -- a bit more East but worth the walk. Central Park is also in the same direction so you can also pay a visit to the park as well.

Manhattan Valley is on the Upper West side of Manhattan and abuts Morningside Heights. The neighborhood runs from West 96th Street to 110th and from Central Park West to Broadway. The area was once well-know for drugs but in the past 15 to 20 years gentrification has changed the character of this neighborhood with rent and sale prices of apartments rising rapidly. As you might expect the more expensive part of this neighborhood is that bordering Central Park West while some relatively attractive deals may still be found farther the closer you get to Broadway. There ae quiet a number of beautiful building and brownstones on the tree-lined streets.

The neighborhood is a tightly knit and friendly community with residents often sitting out on their stoops during the warmer weather. The area is relatively dirty and there remain pockets of crime. Before signing on the dotted line for any apartment check out the area in the evening and ask current residents for their input regarding the safety of the building. There are a few housing projects in the area (where there continue to be nightly drug deals) as well as several youth hostel. During heavy rains the hilly streets often become flooded, flushing out some furry creatures from the sewers.

The neighborhood is nestled by no less than three parks (Central park Riverside Park, and Morningside Park) and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, one of the most beautiful works of architecture ever built, is on Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street (technically not part of Manhattan Valley but who's counting.)

Now, you can find decent shopping, plenty of lovely restaurants and cleaned up conveniences like grocery stores, drug stores and coffee shops. There's even a Whole Foods, a surefire mark of gentrification. While this process has pushed the former residents up, it's also made room for the middle-class population who need to live in Manhattan but can't afford the rents further downtown.

Shopping opportunities abound on Broadway with many 99 cent stores and convenient stores mixed in with more upscale venues such as Whole Foods and Starbucks. This trend has attracted more middle class families who have been pushed out of pricier areas further downtown.

The area is also within walking distance to Columbia University but without the higher rents of the Morningside Heights neighborhood. While not a cauldron of evening entertainment the area also offers several nice restaurants, along with some bars and clubs.

The area is served the by the 1, 2, and 3 trains along with several bus lines which make it a quick commute to midtown. This neighborhood is not tourist hot-spot but does offer its residents every amenity.

Manhattan Valley is part of the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It runs from about West 96th to 110th Streets from Central Park West to Broadway, so it's a bit in the center of the west side. In other words, it doesn't run all the way west. This incorporates Manhattan Avenue (which runs north from 100th Street), Columbus Avenue, and Amsterdam Avenue. In the past, parts of this area (farthest west in the neighborhood) were well-known for drug traffic. Like most of Manhattan, however, in the last 10-20 years, gentrification has changed the face of this 'hood to a large degree.

Central Park West, of course, is the pricier and more upscale part of the neighborhood. So, this small 'hood is actually quite different depending on where you are within it. Nevertheless, if you want to live on the Upper West Side, this is one of the least expensive areas. The farther north you go in the UWS, the better prices you'll find for apartments. There are numerous beautiful brownstones left, too.

Check out the immediate area of the apartment you're considering, making sure that it's truly safe. But for the most part, this isn't a bad neighborhood at all, and you're within just a few blocks of what I consider the best neighborhood in Manhattan – the Upper West Side just south of Manhattan Valley.

There's a well-known youth hostel and some housing projects in this area, as well as some nightlife and decent restaurants. Meanwhile, Broadway is filled with shopping opportunities.

Manhattan Valley is a wonderful little spot where charm and community thrive. Beautiful buildings are occupied by happy, blue collar families that dine at great restaurants for great prices.

I loved living here (although I don't think we called it Manhattan Valley) and it's one of the best places I've lived. People hang out on their steps, look out for each other, joke with each other, and even the homeless seem to be part of the community.

Crime was once a problem here and hasn't completely gone away, but general safety rules will likely keep you out of harms way.

Try Kornet's Pizza, where you get a gigantic slice (the size of a flag) for 3 bucks. Thai Market is my second favorite spot and kept me pretty satisfied for the year I lived there.

It's not a very clean place and some people are turned off by the city filth, but as long as the rats are on the street and not in my apartment I feel okay. Besides, nestled between three major parks and the stunning cathedral of St. John The Divine, rich beauty is only a few steps away.

This neighborhood is an absolute gem, even if it's still a little gritty. If I had to buy a place, I think it'd be here as the entire area suggests continued improvements.

Manhattan Valley is experiencing that elusive period of perfection during which the area has been cleaned up and is thriving with business and beauty - but not enough people know about it yet to drive the prices up. While this area used to be considered dangerous and depressed - run by drugs and other illegal trades - Manhattan's will to gentrify has moved uptown, thanks largely to Columbia University. Now, you can find decent shopping, plenty of lovely restaurants and cleaned up conveniences like grocery stores, drug stores and coffee shops. There's even a Whole Foods, a surefire mark of gentrification. While this process has pushed the former residents up, it's also made room for the middle-class population who need to live in Manhattan but can't afford the rents further downtown.

Plus, Manhattan Valley is actually quite pretty. Buildings like those of Columbia's campus offer eighteenth century European architecture and now that the area is spiffed up, you can enjoy the grand, old fashioned beauty of the area. It doesn't hurt that the neighborhood also borders Central Park, so there's easy walking distance to serious greenery.

There's not much that another neighborhood resident would perhaps venture to Manhattan Valley to do, but for residents, there's no reason they have to leave the area to go to dinner or brunch anymore. And when they do want to venture downtown, it might be a bit far but there's plenty of convenient transportation.

There currently isn't much up in Manhattan Valley that your everyday tourist would be interested in seeing - architecture buffs may be curious to take a peek at the former New York Cancer Hospital, established in 1887 and really a sort of spectacular edifice. Tourists beware, however, that this isn't exactly New York's most pleasant and welcoming neighborhood. Granted, it has undergone quite a bit of gentrification in recent years, but really what Manhattan neighborhood hasn't as rents continue to rise and your average Joe finds it more and more difficult to be able to afford NYC real estate?

Formerly known as the Bloomingdale district, this neighborhood on the upper west side has gone from being a rather unfortunate place to live to one that hosts its own Whole Foods Market - usually a grand sign that things are looking up. Things are still somewhat in-between overall, however, and you will still hear things about the neighborhood's drug culture even as it becomes increasingly safer in general.

Back when I was a student and looking for housing in the Upper West Side/ Morningside Heights area, I always had to be careful about apartment listings for places in Manhattan Valley. Why? Because the area was scary and dangerous, with (seriously) burned out buildings and empty lots dotting the landscape. Although Morningside Heights and the Upper West Side are thoroughly gentrified, Manhattan Valley is literally a valley, following a steep descent west of Morningside Park. Now, to be fair, most of the depressing landscape I've just described is around 108th Street and higher, whereas below 108th the buildings are gorgeous and very much part of the extended Columbia University campus. Also, to be fair, this was some years back, and in recent years the area, like so many in Manhattan, has gentrified beyond recognition. Still I'd be weary of apartments at Manhattan Avenue or Frederick Douglass Boulevard, and wouldn't necessarily assume they're great places based on their proximity to Morningside Heights. Also, in my brief time up there, I saw first hand not one but two accidents involving cars that ran over pedestrians. Apparently, taxis and other automobiles get to careening down Columbus Avenue at high speeds, and as the area is quite hilly, sometimes they don't see pedestrians until it's too late. Wouldn't let children play around there!

Located in Manhattan's Upper West Side, Manhattan Valley (also known, albeit increasingly rarely, as Bloomingdale District) is a diverse, vibrant neighborhood marked by the intersection of three cultures: the middle-class, highly gentrified Upper West Side, the slightly-less-middle-class Harlem, and the student culture of Morningside Heights, home of the Columbia Campus. This combination of cultures at once makes for a somewhat bustling neighborhood, and one that is multifaceted on both an ethnic and economic level. While the neighborhood sometimes gets a bad rap, particularly on the drug front, it's increasingly gentrified, and certainly safe - a good option for Columbia students and professionals seeking low-cost housing alike.

Landmarks include the Sing and Sing market, one of the city's most highly regarded groceries, the gorgeous Church of the Ascension, and several increasingly popular restaurants. The cleverly named UnWINEd is one of the area's more popular wine bars, peopled by artsy, hip types, while joints like Cafe nana and Amir's Falafel are more reflexible of the area's less affluent roots.

The neighborhood of Manhattan Valley is on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Manhattan Valley has some great amenities due to its location sandwiched between Upper West Side and Morningside Heights. Great subway and bus access, ethnic European and American cuisine options, a close proximity to Central Park and the Hudson River, and cheap housing, make Manhattan Valley a desirable neighborhood.

Rental prices continue to rise as of late, due primarily to neighborhood gentrification and the building of new high-rise apartments, banks, and national chain stores. But, compared to real estate south of West 96th Street, Manhattan Valley remains a great value. Many students and young families have relocated to this neighborhood to take advantage of those lower prices.

You won’t find world-renowned chefs at most of the restaurants in Manhattan Valley, but you will find plenty of enticing options - including Dominican roasted chicken from El Malecón Restaurant, soul food at 107 West (known for their fried chicken and buttermilk mashed potatoes to die for), and Indian take-out.

Trendy nightclubs cannot be found anywhere in Manhattan Valley, but you will find your share of dive bars and Columbia University hangouts. Ding Dong Lounge on Columbus Avenue is a popular university set that boasts a great punk-themed lounge.

There is not much in the area by way of tourist attractions, other than streets that sometimes offer a lovely view of the city. Site seeing could include the former New York Cancer Hospital, which was constructed in 1887 and is a grand castle-like building with pointed silver roofs. (It now houses luxury condos rather than cancer patients, but it’s an interesting historical sample of the neighborhood.)
In recent years the neighborhood has been shedding its reputation as a nondesirable, mostly due to the fact that rents have been lowering slowly, and drawing upwardly mobile residents who are seeking bargain rents.