Manhattan Valley is quite pretty as far as architecture and green go. A lot of students live in this neighborhood due to its proximity to Columbia University. It's not completely gentrified yet, so you don't have a huge array of things as far as entertainment but Amsterdam around the '90's has a slew of great restuarants and a couple cool bars. You'll get more bang for your buck in this neighborhood as far as rent goes. It's definitely cheaper with more space than most other parts of UWS, and, definitely more than anywhere downtown. The buildings are a mix of old and new so it really depends on what you like and your price range as far as certain niceties like an elevator, dishwasher, etc. Getting in and out of the neighborhood can be a pain seeing as the red line (1,2,3) is the only train running through Manhattan Valley. But, it's bordered by two great parks which is a rarity anywhere in Manhattan. It's a little sleepy as far as the single scene goes but it's pretty.
