tomaura226

I lived in a converted 5 story brownstone at 29th and Lexington for almost two years. I like the neighborhood as a whole. It was more "human" than most of the mid-Manhattan areas. From downtown, you have to walk through the peaceful Stuy Town and picturesque Gramercy Park, which makes Murray Hill all the more grungy.

There are several good restaurants in the area, and probably 100 South East Asian take-out restaurants at your disposal (earning it the title Little India). My favorite restaurant is a little place called Rice on Lexington and 28th. They have really good, really cheap pan-Asian food with a huge rice menu. My favorite night spot was most definitely Rodeo, on 3rd and 27th. I am a displaced Southerner, so I appreciated the country/bluegrass vibe.

Murray Hill is really convenient for getting around Manhattan (or into Brooklyn/Queens). You're never more than a few blocks from the subway. Union Square is a 10 minute walk as is Grand Central. I hardly ever took a cab, and never felt unsafe walking at night, even when things were pretty deserted. I took several visiting relatives to the UN building, and it is very close to the tourist hotspots in midtown. You are really close to hospitals and grocery stores and the farmer's market. There's several street markets on Madison Ave on Saturdays.

The only real downside of Murray Hill is that it is insanely expensive to be as unglamorous as it is. I paid 1000/month for a 10 by 10 room in a three bedroom apartment, which was the best deal to be found in a rather old building. Murray Hill is not hipster or trendy, so the price should go down.