A Brief Guide to Manhattan

Manhattan, though densely populated, is actually quite small - approximately 13 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is comprised of a number of distinctly different neighbourhoods that are divided among those facing East (bordered by the East River) and those facing west (bordered by the Hudson River). With the exception of lower Manhattan, the city streets and avenues are numbered, very useful for the first time visitor or long-term resident. The streets of Manhattan run East - West, while the long stretches of avenues run North and South. Here is a brief summary of Manhattan's major neighbourhoods.

Running the whole width of Manhattan, Harlem begins where New York's famous Central Park ends, on 110th Street. It is home to New York's most prestigious university -Columbia - and as such the neighbourhood is home to many students and educators. It also boasts large Hispanic, Caribbean and African American populations. Harlem has a rich historic, artistic and cultural legacy. It has been enjoying a recent cultural Renaissance, with money being poured in to development and restoration of property and businesses.

The Upper East Side - Sandwiched between Central Park and the East River this is a beautiful neighbourhood that is home to many of the city's finest artistic institutions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Fricke and many other important museums all reside on 5th Avenue, in a stretch referred to as Museum Mile. The Upper East Side is primarily known as a very safe, comfortable and family-oriented place to live. There are many high rise apartment buildings, but there are also plenty of tree-lined streets with rows of some of the most beautiful townhouses in all of Manhattan.

Located between Central Park West and The Hudson River, The Upper West Side is also a family friendly neighbourhood with many activities for children and adults alike. It is home to Lincoln Centre, the Museum of Natural History, and many excellent bars, restaurants, and movie theatres.

Midtown East and West. In Midtown, residential buildings co-exist with the large concentration of commercial buildings here. Some of Manhattan's finest shopping is found along Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue. There are many large upscale department stores (Bergdorfs, Bloomingdales, Saks) and also designer boutiques like Prada, Gucci and Fendi. During the week Midtown is extremely crowded with tourists and with office workers enjoying their breaks.

Hell's Kitchen, one of Manhattan's most up and coming neighbourhoods, lies on the West Side between Midtown and Chelsea. It is a lively mixture of old and new, with many Italian cafes and markets, along with trendy bars and restaurants. Many of Chelsea's gay population have made the move up to more affordable Hell's Kitchen and the neighbourhood is clearly benefiting as funky stores, shops and cafes are opening up constantly.

Beneath Hell's Kitchen is Chelsea, once known as the "gay ghetto" of Manhattan. As with all of Manhattan, it has transformed into a very diverse neighbourhood and is enduringly popular for it's excellent shopping, nightlife and restaurants.

Greenwich Village, in lower Manhattan, is a series of winding streets that, unlike most of Manhattan, are named, not numbered. To the far west is the West Village, an impossibly charming area with cobble-stoned, tree-lined streets and countless cafes, restaurants and unique stores. It is widely considered to be the most desirable residential area in Manhattan. Heading more East is Soho. Once known as the art capital of Manhattan, it is now primarily made up of shops, bars and restaurants.

Beneath the West Village is Tribeca, which is also made up of named streets. Many artists reside here thanks to the large offering of lofts available. Tribeca has a large number of cool bars and restaurants and plenty of interesting architecture to look at.

At the very lowest point in Manhattan lies Battery Park and the Financial District. Once home to the Twin Towers, it remains the centre of the financial services industry in Manhattan. With the re-development of Battery Park (more details) this areas is becoming increasingly residential. It has many excellent tourist attractions besides Ground Zero - such as the New York Stock Exchange, South Street Seaport, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Lower Manhattan's East Village is largely associated with artists, musicians, punk rockers and bohemians. Once considered wild, it has certainly been tamed. It is still the place to go to see some of Manhattan's most colourful residents. It is filled with excellent restaurants and bars, and on any given night you can be sure to hear free music at some local spot.