West 33 St, Garment District

33rd in the Garment District is very business oriented. It's not a street you would really want to live on because there's no neighborhood vibe and minimal aesthetic. There are a couple of shops at the start of the street's run through the neighborhood like the biggest comic book store in the city and an art supply store, etc. And, there are some fun little restaurants like PG which used to be a speakeasy that still has escape tunnels as well as a fantastic deli. But, the neighborhood effect of these places is pretty overshadowed, literally and figuratively, by the big daddy of NY tourism: The Empire State Building. This building takes up the whole norther side of the block at 33rd and 5th and is crawling with people all day long. It's the most recognizable spot in the city. When I first moved here, I would look for it to figure out which direction I was going. But, a lot of people look for it to go there. The building is 102 stories tall and was finished in 1931. It was the tallest building in the world until the '70's and is still in the top 5 for height. It has been in a few movies like King Kong (most notably) and is a popular meeting site for romancing thanks to An Affair to Remember. The view from the top is outstanding which is probably the biggest reason why tourists come here. The lights are pretty cool too. They make a heart in February. It really is quite the sight and worth a look. It's one of the few sky scrapers that I actually find attractive. The block after the Empire State is really small compared to the monster building. But, it's pretty much just taken up by strip clubs and strip clubs that serve food so there's not much to see anyway . . unless you're into strip clubs.
Once you cross Broadway, you're in another path of tourist crazy because Broadway is closed to cars and Greeley Square is on the other side. It's basically just a little stretch of green with benches and a statue of Greeley (one of the bigger names in journalism history). It's a lovely little plot of green but it's so surrounded by people, noise and big buildings that it's hardly tranquil. It's still a nice addition but it doesn't make up for the lack of aesthetic in the neighborhood, in general. And, it doesn't make up for all the strip clubs.
West 33rd is a not a street I would recommend living on. It's kind of seedy, really touristy and has no local haunt / neighborhood feel to it whatsoever. Unless you want to see the Empire State, it's really a passover street . . .that takes a while to pass over because of all the people.