Downtown vs. Uptown

[TheFoo]

After seven years on the comparatively bucolic Upper West Side, it looks like we're being forced to move downtown for more flexible real estate options. As a married couple without children (though one or two could happen), we've loved uptown life. It's a more uniformly pleasant neighborhood. Beautiful tree-lined streets. Very few junky areas (though nowhere particularly hip) and Central Park is right there.

It looks like our new apartment will be in Greenwich VIllage/Noho, a couple blocks north of Houston. Frankly, we are not very familiar with the area. What can we look forward to? What are the downsides?

Where will be spending time? Soho is right there and Union Square is a short walk. Both a obviously nice areas with things to do, but neither impart the same neighborhood feel of the UWS.

Am I just not cool enough?

 

[Xiaogou]

You'll be closer to Joes Pizza.

 

[dopey]

I feel abandoned.

 

[Gus]

I used to take the train into Manhattan and head to the Village in the 60's for trumpet lessons from a beatnik with a goatee and a beret. Music, art and the most visually interesting people I had ever seen seemed to be everywhere. Although those days are long gone, the side streets of the Village are still quite charming. But, no doubt your proximity to CP will be missed. CP is very special.

I still enjoy running into the quirky long-time residents of the Village in little bars and cafes. There are a few truly eclectic folks left.

To me major downside to the formerly hip streets in downtown is that major fashion brands came in in droves and changed much of Bleecker St and SoHo into a branded shopping mall where you can buy things that you can buy anywhere else. You began to loose what made it a unique destination. But, hey, to some degree that is happening all over the country isn't it?

 

[TheFoo]



I feel abandoned.

If it is any consolation, we applied a meaningful no-dwarf discount to our valuations of properties outside of the UWS.

 

[reidd]



After seven years on the comparatively bucolic Upper West Side, it looks like we're being forced to move downtown for more flexible real estate options. As a married couple without children (though one or two could happen), we've loved uptown life. It's a more uniformly pleasant neighborhood. Beautiful tree-lined streets. Very few junky areas (though nowhere particularly hip) and Central Park is right there.

It looks like our new apartment will be in Greenwich VIllage/Noho, a couple blocks north of Houston. Frankly, we are not very familiar with the area. What can we look forward to? What are the downsides?

Where will be spending time? Soho is right there and Union Square is a short walk. Both a obviously nice areas with things to do, but neither impart the same neighborhood feel of the UWS.

Am I just not cool enough?

I'd say there are quite a few junky areas on the UWS. Everything between 86th and 96th around Columbus is fairly undesirable to me. Lots of hideous subsidized housing projects up there and the avenues full of empty store fronts.

The other problem with the UWS is that living on one of those idyllic tree lined streets often means that you are quite a long walk from most stores and conveniences because everything is located on the avenues.

I like downtown better because it feels easier to walk. The stores, restaurants, and bars are both more numerous, variable in style, and of better quality.

 

[poorsod]

I went to dinner a week or two ago at Parlor. The food is included in the price of membership (drinks are extra) and it is quite good. If I lived downtown, I would consider joining and have dinner there 3-4 times per week.

Gato, the new Bobby Flay place is good. There are also many new restaurants in the LES.

 

[romafan]

Downtown is not so horrible that you will forever mourn the UWS. Like most things, you'll quickly get used to it and once you're settled in you may even find future trips back to the old 'hood seem like a strange distant land. Are you east or west? West Village is nice (duh), and non-NYU parts of central Village have something to offer. Noho (if I'm thinking of the right are)a is still sleepy at times - ditto Nolita, although all these areas really heat up w/ nightlife. One thing I think you'll quickly discover is that SoHo centro is something that you will avoid like the plague.

 

[arnathor]

South Bronx? South, South Bronx?

 

[edinatlanta]

Two weeks later and a mafoofan thread has only one page? Yeah, SF is dead.

 

[Find Finn]

He decided a week ago and we are now discussing kitchen tops.

 

[arnathor]

Why do people actually give a **** about where this rich-boy moves to? Go ask a ******* realtor.

 

[PhilKenSebben]

Washington square park is very nice and enjoyable now that the construction is done. the waverly resturaunt is delicious in my opinion, the used to be (think there stil is) an excelent bar caled the Brandy Library down that way. I used to live at Waverly and 6th ave, i liked the area, you will certainly see more interesting characters depending on how far you wander at any given time. The university area is interesting of course. Sadly, like someone else said, you will never replace CP

 

[romafan]

You don't need to replace CP. Depending how far west you are, Hudson River Park is a nice alternative - you trade the sea of green for a river view.

 

[Cifodeluca]

Does Brad Pitt still own or use the penthouse on top of 69 Bank St. he had built in the 90s? If the neighbourhood is/was good enough for Brad Pitt, it should be more than good enough for anybody else.