fyrisle

Kips Bay is quieter and less crowded than neighborhoods further inland and is made up of mostly residences, schools and hospitals. You have access to the conveniences you need for living such as banks, supermarkets, dry cleaners and drug stores rather than specialty stores. It has good restaurants right nearby such as Danny Meyer's Blue Smoke, Sarabeth's and the Turkish Kitchen and if you like middle eastern/Indian food, there is Curry Hill centered around Lexington Avenue and 28th Street. The Select Buses that run up First Avenue and down 2nd Avenue make the commute to downtown or uptown rather quick and, if you are a biker like me, the bike lanes on First and Second and the greenway along the East River make the commute enjoyable. What it doesn't have are those things that are more attractive to visitors such as French cafes, cheese shops, high end chocolates and high end clothing stores.. But, if you want those, you can find them by walking 5 or 10 minutes to the Flatiron District along Broadway and 5th Avenue or you can shop at Eataly (a high-end Italian Market) or relax at Madison Square Park and then come back home away from the bustle.