IgorDerysh

Times Square is simply too much of a tourist trap for New Yorkers to actually ever go there. There are no apartments so all you really have are theme restaurants and other cutesy attractions.

The big movies theaters are here, so are the big Broadway theaters and a few major shopping venues (though nothing you can't find elsewhere) are the only things that may draw some New Yorkers to the area. When you are here, prepare to move at the speed of paint drying as the foot traffic, street vendors selling tours, nuts, pretzels, and sodas, and tourists stopping to take photos impede your every move.

For tourists, I'm sure this is a great experience. The area is filled with things to do at tourist prices. There are a lot of studios and tapings going on, there are stageplay and film theaters, restaurants like Olive Garden, The Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, and countless other theme restaurants. There are big flashing lights everywhere, tall historic buildings (which look cool from the outside but are filled with very miserable people on the inside), shopping as far as the eye can see, and even a few nifty museums (the Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe It or Not, etc.). It is all very touristy. Every major city has one of these neighborhoods but it's New York and it's Time Square so take any tourist trap and multiply it by a thousand and that is what you get. It is like Vegas without all the fun parts.

SoHo is a bit on the pretentious side but that does not take away from the fact that SoHo is a new, trendy New York neighborhood done right. SoHo is, in my opinion, the best place to shop in Manhattan, and offers great food, good bars, and is close to everything else.

Living here gets very expensive. Most of the people in the area are the cool, young crowd that has managed to make enough cash to live in one of the most sought after neighborhoods in the city. Personally, I would not live here because of the never ending crowds EVERYWHERE but I would definitely live nearby. The area is easy to get to via public transportation, has both upscale and affordable shopping boutiques, nice looking buildings, and an artsy-fartsy feel to it.

For tourists, this is a great place to come shop and grab a meal but not much else. Everything in Lower Manhattan is pretty close, however, whether it is the Village, Chinatown, the Bowery, Tribeca, or Chelsea. Things here get pretty expensive though.

Dean and DeLuca is a pretty neat place to eat or buy food. Their coffee is great and I have to get a cup every time I'm there. The area has just about every boutique you can think off, I prefer the Topman and some of the chain-y stores like H&M and American Apparel.

Tribeca is a hip little neighborhood near Chinatown, SoHo, and Nolita. Many people talk about the "celebrity" presence in the neighborhood but it isn't one of those celebrity heavy fancy neighborhoods like those in the Central Park or on the Upper East Side. It's an expensive residential area with a lot going on around it but probably isn't worth the investment.

Living here is pretty nice if you can afford it. The apartments are nice, the restaurants are great, and the area is peaceful. There are some good schools nearby but not a lot of trains. There really is not much to do here unless you know the hot places to hit up on a Friday night or Tuesday afternoon. The area is close to Chinatown, SoHo, Nolita, and not far from the rest of Lower Manhattan but you will likely have to start walking more.

There really are not any touristy spots in the area except the movie theater and the Tribeca Film Festival a couple weeks out of the year.

Overall, if you can afford it and know people in the area or work nearby, why not? Otherwise, you are much better off living in a less trendy but cheaper neighborhood closer to everything else.

Many Manhattan neighborhoods cater especially to young professionals and the rent and surroundings reflect that. Once those people have been working for a while and are ready to graduate to a real New York City apartment, this is where they go. Unfortunately, then they start to blend in with the yuppies and the well-to-do crowd and never call you again.

The Upper East Side is truly an excellent place to live but it is a large upscale area where rents can get ridiculous (there are some great deals though). The area offers great shopping, beautiful buildings and apartments, some of the best schools and park areas in New York, very safe, and some decent food. A lot of celebrities in the area. At the same time, it's a bit on the boring side without much to do, certainly not a big nightlife area, the people can be on the snooty side, and did I mention how much it costs to live here?

Nice place for a visit too. The general UES area is home to Museum Mile which houses The Frick Collection, The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, The Jewish Museum of New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, El Museo Del Barrio, The NYC Museum, The Guggenheim Museum, and The Whitney.

The Upper West Side is truly a New York City neighborhood. The residents, though increasingly well off, are real, simple, professional New Yorkers. The area is great to live in, right next to Central Park, and offers a great quality of life for the price of the high rents in the area.

If you are thinking of moving to the Upper West Side, be prepared to shell out quite a bit. At the same time, be prepared to live in a truly "nice" neighborhood with good food, good people, and good stores. The area is very accessible via public transportation as three train lines run along the western side of Central Park and two run along Broadway. There are definitely some problems but overall, not a place I would hesitate to live. There is not a lot to do at night except go out to eat and there is some crime, especially near the park and further up north. The only real thing that stops people from moving here is what stops them from moving anywhere in Manhattan: the high rents.

For tourists, the area is right next to Central Park and has some great restaurants. Lincoln Center and its 12 performing arts stages, the Beacon Theater, the Kaufmann Center, and the Symphony Space are all here. The area is also home to the American Folk Art Museum, the Museum of Natural History (and Planetarium, my favorite part), The Children's Museum, and the New York Historical Society.

Great place to live (for a price) and a great place to visit.

The funny thing about New York City is that you will often be paying for access rather than an apartment. Many places in the city will offer you a closet sized studio with a shared bathroom for the same price as a nice loft somewhere else. In the case of Yorkville, you can find a nice affordable place so long as you are willing to give up access. Access to public transportation, access to nearby locations, and access to the rest of Manhattan.

Living here isn't bad. It's a nice area with a generally young professional crowd that has to commute on the train to work daily. Only the 4 and the 6 go anywhere up here and they are often packed (but run fairly often). The rents are good but there are also a lot of new much more expensive apartments. The schools are good, the area is quiet, and hopefully you aren't right next to the highway. What you gain in money in your pocket and peace and quiet you lose in proximity to everything that is going on in Manhattan and a lot of public transportation options. There is not a whole lot to do except some food joints and some bars.

Not much to do here for tourists, just your run-of-the-mill residential neighborhood but it is quite lovely.

Washington Heights used to get a bad rep for the crime but as New York City's crime rates have dropped massively, the area has picked up. Basically, the more north you go, the nicer the areas. If you go all the way up to Inwood, it is even nicer.

The Heights has gone from a neighborhood that most wanted to avoid to a rich, cultural neighborhood with a large Hispanic/Dominican population and a lot of young people who don't want to be out of the city. The area has some great rents, plenty of basic shopping and food places, nice parks, and a few museums. At the same time, you are pretty far away from the rest of the city and there are only a couple of trains that go up here. Some of the blocks are still a little on the rough side so make sure you inquire about the part of the Heights that your prospective place is.

For tourists, Washington Heights is just a short train ride away from Midtown and right next to Harlem. The Cloisters have gorgeous works of art and great views. The Hispanic Society also has a few great works. The area and parks are littered with history. Really a nice place to spend a day. Very close to Columbia University and is home to a few of the University's schools.

Turtle Bay is the area where the United Nations and the Chrysler Building is situated making it a frequent destination of tourists, groups, and the people that work here. Aside from the UN, many countries also have their diplomatic missions in the area and the neighborhood is always filled with the people who work there and the people who are waiting in line outside to get in.

Living here is quite expensive. There are some high rises with doormen, the works. You live right near the United Nations so the people walking around the neighborhood are usually well dressed and well-to-do. It's pretty safe but very crowded. And when the full United Nations assembly comes to town, forget it. The streets are jam packed, there is tight security everywhere, and parking is a dream.

It's a nice little area for tourists to check out. Parts of the United Nations territory are open to everyone and there are frequent tours of the inside. Very highly recommended. The Chrysler Building is a gem as are many of the nearby buildings.

All this being said, there is not much else here except a few restaurants. Not really a problem since you're right next door to Midtown Manhattan (and the fun crowds that has). Really, it's not a recommended location to live as it is always packed and the rents and prices are skyhigh. Nice place to visit and take a tour of the United Nations though.

Sutton Place is a small residential neighborhood right by the Queensboro Bridge. The area is best known as one of the most upscale in the city and its residents include actors, actresses, architects, designers, former Governors, and just the generally well-to-do folks of the city.

If you are considering moving here, way to go. Congrats on your six-year deal with the Knicks, platinum album, or what-have-you. Real estate in this area, mostly townhouses with a few mansions, go for quite a bit of cash, as you can imagine. If you do get to live here, you are in luck. Not just because you can already afford a place here but because it is undoubtedly gorgeous inside and out with spectacular views of the East River and the bridge, you are within a few blocks of Central Park, Midtown Manhattan, and a short ride away from everything else. The area is clean, secure, and beautiful.

Visitors can go for a stroll through the neighborhood and pick out their future home but there is not much going on around the neighborhood. Which is just as well since EVERYTHING is going on just a few minutes away in Midtown. Nice places if you can get 'em, still good to look at and mutter under your breath when you can't.

Every city has a Stuy Town. It's that urban residential area that isn't in proximity to anything important and is nothing but generic apartment complexes jammed under a freeway.

The best part about Stuy Town is leaving Stuy Town, in that it is fairly close to the more exciting parts of lower Manhattan. The apartments are affordable and decent on the inside and you have access to all the basics. It's a quiet area without much happening so if that's you thing, and you're not high on aesthetics (or at least it is not as high on your list as a decent rent) it's a decent place to live.

There are no tourist attractions which is fine because it isn't that easy to get to by train. There is certainly nothing to see here.

At the end of the day, Stuyvesant Town offers nothing more than a place to hang your hat at night and the ability to live in the city within proximity to the better aspects of Lower Manhattan. The rents are okay, the area is mostly quiet. At the same time, there aren't many places to grab some food or a drink and not much entertainment or nightlife to be found anywhere. You're right by East Village though which means not having to go very far to get those things.

Roosevelt Island is one of the city's best kept secrets. Most New Yorkers never really remember it's there and the ones that do don't think twice about it.

Actually, Roosevelt Island is a great place to live if you want to be closer to the city but don't want to deal with living in the city. At the same time, you have to cross the East River to get into the city which makes it more of a small outer borough.

Still, the prices are very reasonable and the area is simply lovely. It's very quiet, good schools, nice apartments, and it is easy to commute into the city. There is no traffic like in Manhattan and it is never crowded.

At the same time, there is nothing to do there. There are few places to shop or get food and certainly nothing to do at night.

For visitors, both locals and tourists would have a great time on a short trip to the island. It is very easy to get to and has some beautiful parks, views, and architecture. It is a good place to get away from everything going on in the city. It is also one of the safest parts of New York and the area is almost exclusively middle class and there is only about 10,000 people living here.

Nolita, the area north of Little Italy, is a small residential community that has a traditional New York character but is quickly becoming another yuppie area similar to the ones all around it.

In the past, this was a vibrant Italian-American community that was known for its ties to the mob. Today, many Italians remain in the neighborhood but with booming yuppie neighborhoods like SoHo, the Village, and TriBeCa nearby, the rest of lower Manhattan is beginning to spill over into this neighborhood.

Living here is certainly advantageous but comes at a pretty steep price. The streets are clean and quiet and the people are nice. At the same time, you're located square in the middle of everything lower Manhattan has to offer and pretty close to Midtown as well. The area is also very easy to get to by train. At the same time, there are a lot of tourists that pass through, even if it is only to get to Little Italy, Chinatown, or somewhere else.

There is not much to do in Nolita for visitors. Little Italy is a cute, overpriced little tourist trap but Nolita is a simple residential neighborhood without much flair. Nice bars and better restaurants but not much to do. Most of the time, you'll simply be passing through.

In over 15 years of living in New York, I have never actually heard a New Yorker say the word "NoHo" but then again, we don't really consider it its own neighborhood. More like that two block strip you have pass through to get from one part of the Village to the other.

While SoHo (south of Houston Street) is a cool little place with awesome shopping and decent food, NoHo is a cute little chic "neighborhood" that no one ever really mentions. There is no great food or shopping or living, but then again, it's only a few city blocks.

Living here is pricey, mostly because the apartments are large and you are close to the Village, SoHo, Nolita, and the Lower East Side. The buildings are nice enough but there is not much else to this "exclusive", overpriced piece of a neighborhood.

Visiting here will not amount to a whole lot of fun experiences. SoHo is great to do some shopping and the Village is great for food and drinks but NoHo provides a little of both with little quality but a lot of price. The restaurants and bars are very pricey. But really, who cares? It's just a few blocks to pass through en route to a better destination.

Murray Hill is like a mini-suburb of Midtown Manhattan. There is not a whole lot here except residences, a few colleges, and some Indian restaurants. Essentially, the best part of Murray Hill is not the neighborhood itself but its proximity to the financial district and Midtown Manhattan.

The rents here are your average Manhattan prices. Good luck finding a good deal. If you live here or want to live here, its only real advantage is its proximity to nearby office buildings. Most of the people who live here do so to make their commute much more bearable. At the same time, this means that most people living here will be your generic New Yorker in a suit, on his way to or from his gig at one of the city's many financial institutions. The people are nice enough but the neighborhood just does not bring a whole lot to the table. Bland and boring and only really good to live close to work.

Visitors can enjoy the many Indian restaurants or one of the many pretty good bars or restaurants in the area. No sightseeing to do unless you like looking at the exteriors of colleges and diplomatic missions.

Personally, I wouldn't live here when nicer neighborhoods are available at better prices but I enjoy a neighborhood with some personality and don't have to commute daily to a job at Citibank.

Morningside Heights lays on the outskirts of Harlem and the Upper West Side but doesn't really belong in either one. It had been a neighborhood that had to deal with a lot of the inner city crime problems that the rest of the city, particularly the northern part, has dealt with and is now a haven for college students and New Yorkers that want affordable living in the city.

Crime remains a bit of a problem but only in some parts. The Columbia area is very safe and is dominated by the students that live there. It's a matter of personal choice if you want to live in a quiet area with more crime concerns or a more crowded student area that is perfectly safe. The rents can get high but many affordable options still exist. There are many bars and small restaurants that largely cater to the surrounding student community.

For tourists, the area has a few spots that are maybe worth checking out. My favorite is Tom's Restaurant, the diner where the show Seinfeld was shot. Also in the area are several big universities, hospitals, and churches.

Good bars, decent place to live, not a whole lot else. If I found an affordable place here I would not hesitate to move there but it is best to check out the area immediately around the apartment.

Midtown reminds me of tourist centers in every other touristy destination in the world: everything is overpriced and marketed to tourists and the locals don't want any of it.

Living here? Don't see how that would be possible as most of the area is skyscraper office towers and stores. If you did find a place, the cost would be astronomical and you would have to deal with the Midtown crowding every single day. The trains will get you here from anywhere but forget driving or buses...or really even walking. You're right next to Broadway but how often are you really going to shell out $60 for a ticket?

As far as visiting here, Midtown is obviously a must-see for any tourist, which is why it is always packed. Right next to Time's Square you have the Empire State Building, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building, Carnegie Hall, the Plaza Hotel, the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, Trump Tower, and Bryant Park. Tons of shopping and entertainment as far as the eye can see but the food is okay at best. Overpriced tourist food around here, I'd recommend nearby Hell's Kitchen. Great comedy clubs all over the area too, all are highly recommended.

Overall, this is a place every tourist wants to go and should and a place no resident really wants to go but often has to.

From a historic standpoint, the Meatpacking District was an area that contained hundreds of slaughterhouses and meat distributors that serviced all of New York and much of the northeast. Today, it is a small area where hipsters from nearby Chelsea, Village, or other areas can congregate to buy the top of the line fashion and then celebrate with some $15 Cosmos at one of the many trendy bars in the area.

Residence here may not be the most expensive in the area but may only be worth it to someone who works in the area or really needs a place to live. The rents are far too high for the level of area this is, the people are rude and at night they form massive lines everywhere. You are right by Chelsea and West Village but that is the only benefit of living here.

For tourists, you will soon realize that the Meatpacking District does not hold on to its historic past and there is little outside of overpriced fashion boutiques and overpriced bars and clubs to check out.

Really, the highlight of the area, and the only reason someone living in Lower Manhattan might actually go here, is the Apple Store. If you want history or better living options, go elsewhere. If you need a new iPod and you're in the area, this is the place.

Manhattan Valley is one of those small New York neighborhoods that can hardly be considered a full neighborhood.

For residents, Manhattan Valley might be a pretty nice place to snag an affordable apartment in a pretty nice area. The neighborhood lies along Central Park West and is right near Columbia University. It is pretty far up north but not as far as Harlem or Inwood. There are pretty good restaurants that have pretty cheap meals, especially in the student frequented areas. There is decent shopping, supermarkets (even a Whole Foods), and the area is right next to Central Park and all that it has to offer.

Tourists are unlikely to see anything of interest here, save for one of the top rated universities in the country and the northwestern side of Central Park. The area is close to Morningside Heights, probably an area you do not want to be in, and Harlem which has a rich history and excellent food.

Overall, this is a good place to find an apartment with a modest enough place in an area that is not as far away from all of the action as the affordable apartments in areas farther north. It may be a bit on the rough side but a bargain and has a lot to offer if you are just willing to dig.

Madison Square Park is not really a neighborhood nor a place to live. It is the home of three things that many tourists and some locals will either frequent or hate. Otherwise it is a tiny commercial area you'll be passing through as you make your way up to Midtown.

Madison Square Garden is the big attraction, hosting Knicks and Rangers games as well as many concerts and shows that can afford the MSG price tag. The tickets are pricy but then again, isn't everything?

Madison Square Park is a fairly small park that most New Yorkers never really notice. It may be a nice place to sit and enjoy a burger as you pass through but really the area does not have much to offer. Some statues around the park include David Farragut, William Seward (Lincoln's Secretary of State), President Chester Arthur, and former Republican leader Roscoe Conkling.

The place that attracts the most attention is the fairly new Shake Shack that has the whole city buzzing. It's one of those weird word-of-mouth phenomenons that catches on with the younger generation. The burgers are really good, far from the best in the city. If you really want the best burger in the city, try the Corner Bistro or Blue 9 Burger. Just sayin'.

The Lower East Side was once one of the great immigrant neighborhoods of New York City, in fact in a few ways it still retains a few of the old country charms and some of the old school synagogues. At the same time, it is one of those typical "in-between" neighborhoods that is still developing into the yuppie residential area (similar to the Village) that it wants to be and the still-very-much-in-development neighborhood that it is. As a New Yorker, I can't remember the last time I actually stopped to do something here as I'm usually just passing through to get to another area.

If you are thinking of moving here, this might not be such a bad area to live as long as you live in one of the nicer parts. The neighborhood is great for local foods, drinks, shopping, and hangouts. The rents differ from part to part but it is one of those areas where you can still snag a pretty good deal. The area is not so easily accessible by train but is fairly close to pretty nice areas like the Village.

As a tourist, there is not a whole lot of sightseeing. There is the Tenement Museum and some glimpses of the area's history but is largely a residential and general commercial area that has good and bad parts. Good for a good bite to eat, a drink, or maybe even some music but not a whole lot else.

Little Italy is not really a place to live, nor is it really a tourist destination. You may stop here to get lunch but really it's just an area you pass through on your way to Chinatown, SoHo, or the Village.

If you do want to live here, the apartments will likely be above the only real thing that Little Italy has to offer; Italian restaurants. The apartments in the area are your typical New York apartment overlooking a busy street, small and overpriced. If you live here, you can either eat at your local overpriced Italian restaurant or walk over to Chinatown for some authentic Chinese cuisine (if you can figure out the menu) or the areas nearby. I prefer the gyro vendors but that's my thing.

For tourists, it's worth a glance. Maybe even a stop over in one of the restaurants. The food is good though a little generic for a Brooklynite like me. It's about the same as your average Olive Garden, minus the free breadsticks (although most places will still offer the free breadsticks, simple Italian courtesy).

Overall, this is a place you can go to grab a nice Italian meal if you live or work here, or a nice Italian meal if you're visiting. Otherwise, you'll likely simply be passing through here en route to a more exciting destination.

Want to move up to the Upper East Side? Lenox Hill is about as good as it gets if you can afford it...and if you can find a vacancy. A great view of the park, upscale shopping boutiques and art galleries, and fancy eating, yep, sounds like the good life.

For residents, the only thing keeping most people out of this area is the price of every available apartment, if any are even available. You're right next to Central Park and square in the middle of the Upper East Side, one of the city's best area's to live. All sorts of shopping, food places, bars, and supermarkets are around ranging from the affordable to the highly upscale.

For tourists, the area is right next to Central Park and features some of the nicest looking buildings in the city. Not a whole lot of sightseeing or things to do except take a stroll in the park or enjoying lunch at one of the more affordable places in the area. The only attractions around are very nice art galleries and the Frick Collection, which is about $18 to get in and $5 for students, and The Whitney Museum of Art which boasts an impressive collection of more than 18,000 pieces. The two are just a short walk away from one another.

Kip's Bay is nothing special but it's located in Manhattan, right next to everything you may need.

This is probably best for residents as this is one of those places there is nothing for tourists to check out unless you enjoy looking at the exteriors of college campuses. Luckily, it lies within walking distance of everything the Village and Midtown Manhattan have to offer. The area has your basics: pharmacies, a couple of supermarkets, gyms, hospitals, schools, and a decent amount of cafes and bars. Nothing spectacular, not too much history, but a decent place to live if you can afford to live within walking distance of Midtown.

For tourists, you may be able to find a bite to eat and a drink but not much else. This is simply a residential area for folk that want an easy commute to work and college and medical school students that attend the nearby schools.

Overall, this is actually a pretty nice place that is quiet and safe and has access to the more popular aspects of the city but apartments are far from cheap. It has everything you'd need from a neighborhood: basic shopping, movie theaters, food, bars, but not much else. Bonus points if you work at one of the local hospitals as every nearby joint offers a discount.

If you are taking the train north and get out at Inwood you might think you've left the city. Located north of just about everything, Inwood is a great residential community but is far from everything.

There is a joke among New Yorkers that the higher up in Manhattan you go the worse it gets. Well Inwood is so far north that it is perfectly safe and the rents are great. At the same time, its a bit of a ride from Midtown and definitely from Downtown or other boroughs. The shopping and food options do not quite stack up to the rest of the city but the area is a quaint hidden gem that many residents overlook.

Tourists may not have much to do but it is an interesting look at a part of Manhattan that few locals, much less tourists, venture up to. Unlike the rest of the city, it is very quiet at night, there are a few very nice parks, and the streets are seldom ever crowded. At the same time, this means less traffic, less crowds, and more money in your pocket after you have paid the rent.

Overall, this is a great neighborhood to find a great deal on an apartment in the city but it is so far from everything you might be better off finding a place in Brooklyn or Queens.

Hell's Kitchen is either a great place to live at an affordable price or the worst crime and tourist ridden place on earth, all depends who you ask.

For residents, Hell's Kitchen is not a lot different from many areas of Brooklyn and Queens except that it is right next to Times Square and (depending on which part you live in) either Herald Square or Rockefeller Center. The area is greatly improved, as are all parts of NYC, since 1990 but still has a larger amount of homeless people, crime, and run down places than the rest of the city. The area around the Port Authority is no fun but everywhere else offers affordable digs right next to everything Manhattan has to offer. Including simply massive crowds.

For tourists, there is not much to do or see save from some historic areas and to sample the better and cheaper cuisine than in the tourist traps in Times Square. Most tourists keep to the more populated areas nearby. There are some shopping options here, however, but nothing compared to the neighborhoods nearby.

Overall, this is the place where New Yorkers can still rent apartments in New York. The rents are more affordable than elsewhere but the crowds and traffic nearby can be hell.

Although Harlem is a historic area, famous for its contributions to African-American culture, music, and government. At the same time, it is also well known for its crime. Luckily, since 1990, crime has dropped dramatically from its peaks in the 1970s and 80s but remains one of the less safe parts of New York City.

Harlem has a lot to offer. The rents are affordable because the area is far from downtown and is not as nice as the rest of Manhattan. At the same time, if you are looking for affordable housing in one of the most expensive cities in the world, Harlem is a good place to look. Harlem is a very big neighborhood so to categorize it in one way is unfair. It has good areas and not-so-good areas so inquire beforehand.

For tourists, Harlem offers a ton of historic landmarks such as the Apollo Theater, Museum of New York, and Sylvia's Soul Food. This is one of the centers of African-American culture going back to the early 20th century and even a simple stroll down Astor Row (135th Street) can be educational.

If you are street smart and have lived around the city for some time, you should be right at home but Harlem, largely for its reputation, can be a little scary for visitors, even locals.

There are two reasons that Hamilton Heights has gone from a place you don't want to be caught in at night to an improving neighborhood that has become a big destination for people who want to live in Manhattan for non-Manhattan prices.

First, since about 1990, crime in the city has greatly declined and is around the best that it has been in the past three decades. This is true of every part of Manhattan. Second, as rents continue to get out of control in areas like the Village, the younger crowd finds other places to relocate to that allow them to live in the city. Many students now choose to live in the area, and where better than right around City College and near Columbia University.

Crime remains more of a problem than in other parts of the city, however. Learn the area and which parts are safer than others. Don't go into unlit and deserted areas at night, like parks and alleys. These are just rules for getting by in the city however. The same applies for Central Park and many parts of lower Manhattan. This is a safer city than most, and has come an incredibly long way since the crime rates of the 1980s.

While the rest of the village has moved into a weird mix of yuppies and hipsters with expense accounts, the West Village is an unpretentious slice of the city that welcomes artists, students, families, and suits alike.

For residents, this is a place where you might be able to snag yourself a great deal on an apartment. It's largely a residential area and the small buildings are beautiful. The streets are winding and some are even cobblestone. The food and bars are great. There are many small, off-Broadway theaters and art galleries as well as places where you can still hear some great music. It is still on the pricy side but it offers one of the best residential areas in the big city.

For tourists, the streets are filled with history as even the grid and cobblestone streets still remain from the 1800s. There are some high end boutiques for shopping on one end, great eateries and watering holes on the other. Not a whole lot for tourists to do aside from taking in the history and trying to navigate the streets.

Overall, the West Village is a great but pricy area to live with tons of great food, shopping, and entertainment all around. The schools are good, the crime is better than other areas of the city, and the area is pretty easily accessible via public transportation. It can get crowded though, but that's what you get when you live in Manhattan.

There was a time when the East Village was the "cool" part of Manhattan. The place where new era musicians, poets, and anyone else with a counter-culture vibe used to dominate is quickly changing into another Manhattan neighborhood with high rents, chain restaurants and department stores, and high priced dining options.

On the plus side, all is not completely lost. Parts of the East Village retain their counter culture values, albeit in more commercial way like boutiques and headshops. There are even parts where you can find a place that is affordable.

Folks living in the area enjoy the great food options available in East Village, especially the ethnic food places you find in-between the generic chain cafes. Parts of the area still retain their artsy attitude but there is no denying the area is a long way from what it once was.

Visitors to the area will still enjoy the legendary counter culture historic sites, get a chance to snag some cheap merch at St. Mark's Place, and sit and relax in a couple of parks that Manhattan has managed to hold on to. Despite whatever losses it may have incurred, there are still places where you can get a cheap drink and listen to some indie music or enjoy the underground art scene.

Greenwich Village is a great place to live in the city, probably why rents and real estate prices have steadily climbed for decades and the area is now out of the price range of many of the people that helped make the Village great to begin with. Still, the area is similar to Park Slope in Brooklyn, great residential areas with excellent food, bars, and shopping. It is also located to everything lower Manhattan has to offer, including Union Square, East Village, and SoHo.

For people living here, the rents and prices are high but well worth it if you can afford it. The area is beautiful, has great schools and neighbors, and access to everything you need. Entertainment is abound both in the Village and in the surrounding areas.

For tourists, this is a great place to check out, especially on Halloween when the annual parade rolls through. There are many historic sites, off-Broadway theaters, and excellent food and good shopping.

NYU is in the Village as well. There are a lot of students always around and many places that cater specifically to students. This also means that many places around the area will have lower prices on food and drinks (though some will only offer a student discount) and a lot of younger aged bars and hangouts.

The Gramercy Park area, named for Gramercy Park which is a park you can't visit unless you pay a $350 fee for a key, is an upscale residential neighborhood with beautiful homes, streets, and history that is entirely unique and located next to everything the city has to offer.

It is very difficult and very expensive to move to Gramercy. Many of the residents, past and present, include some of the most influential authors, playwrights, and business people in the country. If you do get a place here, enjoy. The area has great food, schools, hospitals, and is a beautiful, quiet, historic part of the city. The area also has great restaurants, cafes, and shopping. Really, it's exactly the area you would want to live if you were a member of the exclusive club.

For tourists, the area is nice for a visit but not much else. It's largely a residential area with some commercial space along the streets. The neighborhood is great for checking out prime NYC architecture, the nicer and snobbier part of the city, and a great park (that you can't get into). It is square in the middle of everything, however, surrounded by the Village, Union Square, Kips Bay, and is just a walk away from midtown.

The Garment District, better known to New Yorkers as the Fashion District or simply the Herald Square area, is located right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Midtown.

The area is always packed because it is the central location for shopping and located near Times Square and the epicenter of the world's foot traffic. The stores in the area vary from largely affordable boutiques and chains to many much more upscale locations as well. The area is known as the capital of the fashion world and just about every major designer owns space in the neighborhood. There are also a lot of fashion wholesalers selling cheaper options as well as supplies.

This is largely a commercial area without much residential space. The space that is available is costly and may only be worth it to someone who works in the area. Though the area is very accessible by most trains, this is because everyone is coming here. The streets are almost always packed, maybe even worse on the weekends. The traffic is at a standstill, both car and foot traffic, and there is someone trying to sell you something everywhere as vendors and kiosks are lined up along the same streets as the stores and boutiques.

Ultimately, this is a place to come and spend some money and take part in the tourist trap aspect of it and then move on to the rest of your day.

The Flatiron District is the home of the advertising and marketing executives that New York is known for. It is also the home of classic New York architecture, tons of shopping, and great food and drinks, for a price.

Living in the Flatiron District puts you square in the middle of the New York City business world. This can be great for work opportunities, nice digs, and just about everything you would ever need within walking distance. At the same time, real estate and rentals in this area can go for a pretty penny and it gets packed during the day. Since its pretty pricy to live here and the people that work in the area make a nice living, the shopping boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and bars will charge quite a bit for a pair of jeans, a steak, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine.

Tourists visiting the Flatiron District won't have that much to do outside of seeing people in suits running to their next meeting and checking out the architecture. Some spots worth visiting, however, might be the Flatiron Building, Ladies' Mile Historic District, the Gershwin Hotel, and the Museum of Sex. The area is also home to Baruch College, one of the top business and finance schools in the country.

New York's Financial District is pretty much what you expect when you come to New York: skyscrapers filled with offices, tourists, and plenty of locals.

This is a pretty good place to live if you work nearby. The area is clean, the buildings are beautiful, and there are plenty of shopping and food options. At the same time, the area sees a lot of foot and car traffic during the day and the trains and buses are packed. At night everyone leaves for the day and the area is very nice and right next to Battery Park, South Street Seaport, and Brooklyn Bridge.

For tourists, this is Wall Street. This is what you see in those panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. The area is also home to the Police Museum, the Museum of American Finance, and the Federal Hall National Memorial. This is also the former location of the World Trade Center and the home of the future World Trade Center Memorial.

The area has seen a lot more residents of late. It really is one of the better places to live in New York but the prices are high by all non-NYC standards. Of course, it seems like all of New York is square in your neighborhood every morning.

The rep that East Harlem gets stems from the rep that all of New York got during the crime crazy 70s and 80s. Since the Giuliani administration, the area has gotten much safer and many more New Yorkers make the trip up for the great food and new shopping options.

Living here is cheaper than the rest of the city but the neighborhood is on the rise which means so are the rents. According to government stats, about a quarter of the East Harlem population lives in public housing. It is not the safest area, mostly because it is one of the poorest areas of New York.

On the bright side, the neighborhood is moving away from its crime riddled history into a large Latino community (largely Caribbean) best known for its food and style. At the same time, the new shopping centers (Costco, Target) and the new condos going up means that the area is quickly changing, for better and for worse.

Regardless of what the future holds, Spanish Harlem has greatly improved over the past two decades and is well worth the visit, though best to go during the day.

The Civic Center area encompasses City Hall, The South Street Seaport, and the court buildings.

For Manhattanites, this is where the mayor works, the courts and the Manhattan Municipal building are (as well as One Police Plaza), and New York branches of federal services like Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation are located.

For tourists, this is a glimpse at the "official" part of New York where the most powerful people in New York and the federal government pass through daily. Nearby is the South Street Seaport, a full seaport featuring a mall, food court, and nearby exhibits and shows.

Pace University is also located in the Civic Center neighborhood and often holds conferences, meetings, forums, and speeches. The area is also right next to the Brooklyn Bridge which allows people to walk across into Brooklyn.

There is not a whole lot else Civic Center has to offer, certainly not many residential opportunities. Most New Yorkers likely dread heading here to pay off tickets, appear in court or jury duty, or other government related activity. For tourists, a chance to glance at the inner workings of the big city and enjoy some of the best Bourbon Chicken New York has to offer in the South Street Seaport food court.

First, it needs to be said that Chinatown is not really a place to live. There are some lovely residential areas nearby but to live in the area would mean trying to get through massive crowds of tourists and locals and forget being able to drive anywhere (although this is the case for most of the city).

Chinatown is the place New Yorkers begrudgingly head to when they need a $5 pair of sunglasses or a $30 Gucci bag. The area is all small shops that sell the exact same thing. Everything is cheap and everything is lousy quality. There are some good, authentic Asian food places but many of the really authentic ones have menus in Chinese with no translation and have not nearly enough English to actually serve English speakers.

Tourists have to check out Chinatown, it's just one of those things. Don't plan on spending a lot of time there though, unless you like seeing the same merchandise in each store and haggling over how much to pay for the bag. A word of advice from a pro Chinatown shopper to tourists: Don't take the shopkeepers' nonsense. This area is filled with tourists looking to be ripped off. If you are going to buy a knockoff, you might as well haggle the price down. The best way to go about it is to a) Don't look like a tourist and b) Be ready to walk out (this shouldn't be a problem since every store has identical merch). Once they see you are ready to walk out, they'll cave because they know if they don't make the sale someone else will.

In sum, this is a terrible place to live, drive through, or really even shop but the cheap deals and the novelty will bring millions there daily. Oh, and that smell of fish...

Chelsea is one of those places every New Yorker wishes they had gotten into before it went mainstream. The area had been one of the more affordable nice areas to live in but is now the average Manhattan neighborhood with high rents that are well worth it for the right person.

The area is right alongside the river which, while not a place you'd like to go take a dip in, is nice to look at. It can get pretty crowded as it is surrounded on all sides by heavily visited areas but overall retains its community feel more than most neighborhoods.

For residents, the area is packed with nice boutiques, food places, entertainment venues, and Chelsea Piers which offers a huge variety of sports in a fairly small space. It is fairly easy to get to via public transportation. The nice thing about the neighborhood is that its a nice, trendy area without all the hipsters or the completely crazy rents. Also has a developing technology and web sector. The area is also great for the LGBT crowd and has one of the strongest gay communities in the city.

For tourists, the area comes with a great view and a few landmarks here and there but is not the tourist destination that nearby Midtown or West Village offer.

Central Park is by far the biggest park in the city yet no matter what part you try to find real estate it all seems like too much. Central Park is pretty much where they put all of the trees that once used to be in the city but it is truly a great place to live, if you can afford it.

The park is great, whether you live by yourself, with a partner, or with kids. There are hundreds of acres of running tracks, sports fields, ponds, and just a place to relax in the shade or on the grass. The park also features a full zoo, a carousel, horse carriage rides, boat rentals, two ice skating rinks, and also hosts many musical and theatrical productions throughout the year. The free concerts in the park are actually one of the best kept secrets among New Yorkers as stars like Bon Jovi, Elton John, and Diana Ross have performed in the free, open-air theater.

For tourists, the area is pretty cut and dry. The park is great but there is not a whole lot to do otherwise. The area is a bit difficult to get around, especially if you want to go from one side of the park to the other. It is a very expensive neighborhood in terms of just about everything. On the bright side, this is also the area many stars choose to call home so you never know when you will see Woody Allen or Scarlett Johansson at a table next to yours.

Also, while the park might be great during the day, it is best to stay clear of it at night.

Anyone that has lived in the city for a while will tell you living in Carnegie Hill is the goal. Because it is to the north of most tourist spots in the city, it is much quieter, cleaner, and more upscale than most of the city but that of course carries with it a steep price.

If you can afford a piece of real estate here, you are in pretty good shape. The buildings are beautiful, the neighborhood is much more of a community than most other areas, and the schools are said to be among the best in the city. This makes it a great place to raise a family, get away from the hustle of the rest of Manhattan, and truly enjoy living in the greatest city in the world. There are some bars and cafes but true night owls will have to head south to get their fill as this is not a booming area at night.

For tourists that do venture north, the area features the Guggenheim Museum and the Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Otherwise, you can enjoy the great architecture in the area and maybe take a break from the fast pace of the rest of the city. It is not the best area to access via public transportation or to do shopping, however.

The Bowery is the quintessential New York City neighborhood, going from a run down, drug and prostitute infested area to an artsy, hipster neighborhood where you are perfectly safe to enjoy your $7 latte and get your groceries at the local WholeFoods.

Although the area is still in the process of becoming more classy, the streets are usually filled with younger residents headed, quickly, to their job, school, or one of the many bars that are in the area. Once a place you would never be caught in at night, the area now has a great nightlife with many bars and music venues. Although the legendary CBGB is now closed, residents can still enjoy the historic Bowery Ballroom which features some of the hottest musical acts in the country or the Bowery Poetry Club, a great performance art space that is one of the city's worst kept secrets.

You will also never have to search for a place to grab a bite as the cafes and boutiques line the streets and are frequented by many of the locals. Living here is very expensive, as is any part of the city, and it is only going to get more expensive. Still, singles and young couples can find some space in the older residential buildings while the rest of the area sprouts more condos.

For tourists, the Bowery is home to the New Museum, legendary performance art spaces, and fun places to get a drink. The place is easily accessibly via public transportation but not the easiest to navigate once you are there.

Battery Park City lies on the southernmost portion of Manhattan. Battery Park is the big draw in Battery Park City as tourists and locals alike flock to the park to catch the Staten Island Ferry, the Circle Line Tours around the city, or ferries to visit Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and Roosevelt Island. Because it is the access point to many of the city's historical sites and has many famous statues as well as a piece of the World Trade Center, the area is largely frequented by tourists.

Outside of the park is the heart of New York City's financial district, not far from the Ground Zero site itself. The Dow Jones, American Express, and Merrill Lynch are all headquartered here. This is within walking distance from the New York Stock Exchange and the rest of the city's financial district.

Unfortunately, outside of the tourism and financial centers, there is not a whole lot going on. Many of the residential high rises and local storefronts are vacant and have been for several years. There is a lot of development always going on during the day but it is one of the city's quietest areas at night.

Battery Park City is still undergoing a transformation, largely financed by Goldman Sachs. The area expects to see some more shopping and food options. Until then, BPC is largely an area for tourists and the folks that work at the nearby financial establishments.