Manhattan/Upper East Side

The Upper East Side of Manhattan is one of the city's wealthiest districts. Spanning the stretch of island between 59th Street to 96th Street east of Central Park, the neighborhoods of Lenox Hill, Yorkville, and Carnegie Hill are full of luxurious townhouses and apartment buildings on some of the most affluent addresses in New York. Madison Avenue holds a multitude of fashionable boutiques and fine restaurants catering to the upscale crowd. While the endless Madison Avenue shops and the lavish hotels near Grand Army Plaza are what have typically this place on the map, the Upper East Side features an endless amount of other authentic, exciting sites for every crowd. Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor; many other historic buildings; superb art museums; and many consulates are part of what makes this neighborhood special. The historic Czech, German, Hungarian, Irish, Polish, and Slavic influences are apparent in this neighborhood through the classical buildings and restaurants mixed in between the modern affluent areas where one can find almost anything they'd want in a small and exciting area.

Neighborhoods
There are three main sub-neighborhoods within the larger area of the Upper East Side. Each has its own historical culture and influence and almost act as an individual neighborhood of their own.

Understand
The Upper East Side is one of the richest neighborhoods in New York City. It may seem to the casual observer to contain nothing but expensive restaurants and shops and elaborate museums, but it also has many pretty buildings worth looking at for their own sake, and as you get farther east, especially in the upper 70s and further north, things become a bit less expensive and more informal. 5th Avenue is bordered to the west by Central Park. Toward the west of the neighborhood you can also find a plethora of museums displaying a wide variety of culture ranging from Ancient Egypt to modern-day Asian culture and sites from the very beginnings of the neighborhood. Because of its dense concentration of museums, 5th Avenue from 82nd to 105th Streets has been nicknamed the "Museum Mile".

Travel a bit to the east and you'll find a shopper's heaven between Madison Avenue and 3rd Avenue, especially near the UES's southern border at East 59th Street. These stores and galleries sell gooey cakes and candy, women's clothing, jewelry and watches, books, art, etc., virtually all upscale. 2nd Avenue (and to a lesser extent, 3rd Avenue) is known for its bars and restaurants, with everything from authentic Japanese ramen and sushi to New American food and ceviche. The historical influence shines its brightest along 2nd Avenue, with its Central European eateries and stores. The rest of the neighborhood, ranging along Park Avenue and from 2nd Avenue to the bank of the East River, is mostly residential, with historical landmarks and parks. If Central Park is too crowded for you, then Carl Schurz or John Jay Parks are certainly worth going to.

Demographics
Historically, Yorkville was a German–dominated area (with some rich Anglo–Saxon Protestant families along 5th Avenue), and was, to a lesser extent, also populated by other Central European groups such as Austrians, Czechs, Hungarians and Slovaks, and also Irish. Although many of these folks have departed since the 1960s and 70s, their influence can be seen in the architecture, food, and cultural institutions lining 5th Avenue, and to some extent in the eastern reaches of 86th Street and environs, the core of Yorkville, which until the 1970s or so was utterly dominated by a Central European vibe. You'll likely walk on 86th Street if you visit this neighborhood, as that's the main east-west commercial street on the Upper East Side.

Park Avenue throughout the neighborhood is known as the elegant abode of old money, particularly white Anglo-Saxon old money, and this largely applies to residential buildings on 5th Avenue and side streets between 5th and Madison as well. Many of these buildings are early 20th-century luxury high rises with beautiful exteriors and interiors.

Side streets in the 60s and 70s are full of beautiful brownstones; quite a few of them are occupied by consulates and tony social clubs, while some others are owned in full by wealthy families.

History
It's likely that the beginning of the Upper East Side's history was as fishing camps for the Lenape Native Americans who inhabited the New York City area from 1000 BCE, with a fairly open oak–hickory forest area to make space for food. The area was developed in the 1800s as a farming and market district, and the area of German Yorkville grew around the New York and Harlem Railroad's purchased area around its now-demolished 86th Street station. Many rich men began purchasing farmland here, and in the 1870s, James Lenox (for whom Lenox Hill was named) began major economic development in the area, constructing Lenox Library on 5th Avenue and donating the block between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue from 70th to 71st Streets for Presbyterian Hospital. The stretch along 5th Avenue became a hotspot for stylish townhouses and even some mansions during the early 20th century, most notably those of Andrew Carnegie and his assistant, Henry Clay Frick. Later, numerous rich individuals continued to reside up here, including members of the politically active Kennedy, Roosevelt and Rockefeller families.

Alongside the high-rise development of the 1950s came the demolition of the Third and Second Avenue Els (elevated lines), leaving the IRT Lexington Avenue Line with the trains as the only form of transportation in the neighborhood aside from the crowded bus network. This had an adverse effect on the entire East Side, but especially the Upper East Side. The newest advancement, however, came with the construction in the 2010s of the Second Avenue Subway, served by the train with three stations at 72nd Street, 86th Street, and 96th Street, along with the newly renovated Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station. This raised real estate prices in the area even further.

By bus
Every avenue from 5th to York except for Park Avenue has at least one bus route. Madison Avenue (northbound) and 5th Avenue (southbound) are served by local M1, M2, M3, and M4 and limited M1, M2, and M4 buses (limited buses stop only at major intersections, such as transfer points for crosstown buses). 3rd Avenue (northbound) and Lexington Avenue (southbound) are served by the local M101, M102, and M103 buses and, during rush hours only, limited M98 and M101 buses. 2nd Avenue (southbound) and 1st Avenue (northbound) are served by the local M15 and the express M15 Select Bus Service, the latter of which instead has ticket machines at the bus stop rather than requiring payment on the bus itself, and runs along exclusive bus lanes.

In addition, a crosstown bus serves each major street. Along 57th Street, the M57 runs the length of the line, along with the M31 which doubles as the York Avenue bus. 66th and 68th Streets are served by the M66, 72nd Street by the M72, 79th Street by the M79, 86th Street by the M86 Select Bus Service (with identical features to the M15 Select Bus Service), and 96th Street by the M96.

Fares for all these buses are $2.75 and are purchased by inserting the MetroCard at the front of the bus when boarding, except in the case of Select Bus Services (including the M15, M79, and M86), which require that you purchase a bus ticket from the ticket machines at the stop before you board your bus. Makes sure to keep your ticket, as cops periodically board Select buses to check for fare-beaters, and if you are caught without a ticket, you will be fined $100.

Some express buses from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens serve this area during rush hours. Unlike regular buses, they are not useful for getting around the neighborhood but serve residents of the outer boroughs, and they are useful for getting into the neighborhood from far-flung areas of the city. These include the BxM1, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, and BxM10 along 3rd Avenue and Lexington Avenue. These buses cost $6.50 rather than the typical citywide transportation cost of $2.75.

By subway
The primary subway service to the Upper East Side is via the express lines and  local line, which run under Lexington Avenue. All three lines stop at 59th Street and 86th Street, with the 6 also stopping at 68th Street–Hunter College, 77th Street, and 96th Street. 5th Avenue is only three blocks west of Lexington Avenue. These trains can get very crowded during rush hour, as this is the only north-south line running the full length of Manhattan on the east side. Another option is the newly-built line, which runs under 2nd Avenue and has stops at 96th Street, 86th Street, 72nd Street, and Lexington Avenue–63rd Street.

Serving the very southern end of the neighborhood is the line, which stops at Lexington Avenue–63rd Street, and the  lines, which run along 59th Street, stopping at 5th Avenue and Lexington Avenue. Both Lexington Avenue stations have a free transfer to the lines at the 59th Street station (the  station is a free out-of-system transfer, meaning you have to walk 4 blocks south to 59th Street from 63rd Street). You can access the subway with a MetroCard. Each entry costs $2.75.

By ferry
Limited ferry service is available at the Yorkville NYC Ferry stop at East 90th Street and York Avenue within Carl Schurz Park. The Soundview ferry provides service every 30 to 35 minutes during rush hours, every hour during middays and evenings, and every hour and a 40 minutes on weekends. The Soundview ferry runs from Soundview in the Bronx, a riverside residential neighborhood, and travels down the East River, providing service to Yorkville along with service at the East 34th Street Ferry Landing in Gramercy and Pier 11 at Wall Street in the Financial District, where you can connect to a variety of other ferry services throughout the city.

An adult one-way ticket on the ferry costs $2.75, while a 30-day adult pass costs $121. Bringing a bike, which is certainly an option with the extensive bike paths in the neighborhood, brings a $1.00 surcharge (or a $141 price with a 30-day pass). Children under 44 inches (112 centimeters) can ride for free and reduced fares are available for the elderly and those with disabilities. Tickets can be purchased on the NYC Ferry app, the ticket machines at the landings, or a ticket agent (present only at Pier 11/Wall Street).

On foot or by bicycle
From the Upper West Side, a walk or bike ride to the Upper East Side through Central Park is very pleasant in good weather. Exclusive bicycle lanes are featured on 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue, while Carl Schurz Park features multiple beautiful pedestrian paths and bike lanes, some of which extend up and down the FDR Drive.

There are multiple, public CitiBike stations all around the neighborhood that have a $3 per trip single ride, a $12 day pass with unlimited 30-minute rides, or a $169 annual pass with unlimited 45-minute rides. One can easily take out a bike for a quick ride through the quaint streets or to visit some of the neighborhood's famed destinations.

See
The stretch of Fifth Avenue alongside Central Park in the Upper East Side is commonly referred to as "Museum Mile" between 82nd Street to 105th Street, though museums and galleries are also to be found off this particular beaten track. Note that the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the primary museum in this area, is covered under the Central Park page. Additionally, the El Museo del Barrio and the Museum of the City of New York are on Fifth Avenue just to the north in Spanish Harlem.


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Do
The Frick Collection and the Metropolitan Museum and are among the many venues in the neighborhood that host concert series.



Buy
Madison Avenue is the center of New York's haute couture, full of small shops selling fabulously expensive clothes, accessories, and housewares to people who can afford not to look at the price tag. Even if it's out of your price range, it's worth a visit just to gawk. Dozens of shops selling a variety of different items are present around the neighborhood as well.


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Eat
The Upper East Side is a very expensive neighborhood — though less so east of Lexington Avenue — and this is reflected in the categorization of a restaurant that serves a $32 goulash as "mid-range." However, if you're willing to pay up, there's a wide selection available, from delicious French pastries to steaming Korean comfort food.

Drink
The Upper East Side is primarily a land of sports bars and Irish pubs, though a few exceptions can be found. Generally, 2nd Avenue contains the highest concentrations of bars and restaurants in this part of the city.



Sleep
As the Upper East Side is the legendary location of the Park Avenue duplexes of the super-rich, the expensive boutiques of Madison Avenue, and the gorgeous doorman buildings of 5th Avenue, you would figure to be hard-pressed to find inexpensive accommodations there, unless you have a friend you can stay with. If you want to try your luck with apartment-rental websites, you are more likely to find relatively cheaper accommodation east of Lexington Avenue than further west. Otherwise, fortunately, the Lexington Avenue subway line is generally quite good, though crowded, and will speed your way downtown from Harlem and the Bronx or uptown from areas further south if you would like to take an afternoon trip to this neighborhood.

Connect
Free wireless hotspots are available all over the city, but especially in the Upper East Side, with hotspots such as the LinkNYC machines spread all throughout the city that have advertisements, emergency services, special facts about New York City, updates on things such as New York City Subway service and the weather, and USB charging ports. These machines are quite common and can help any lost traveler get back on track within minutes. Many establishments, such as cafes and restaurants, also have free WiFi so you can pop in and get a snack while also having ample access to the Internet. Many restaurants and stores also have charging ports for electronics.

Stay safe
While most of New York City remains fairly safe, the Upper East Side is one of the safest neighborhoods in the entire city, and potentially the whole region. It's patrolled by the NYPD 19th Precinct which is ranked 14th safest out of 69 precincts throughout the area for per-capita crime, and the incarceration rate of 71 per 100,000 people is the lowest in the entire city. Many areas, especially subway stations and more crowded areas, have a high police presence, and be sure not to forget about LinkNYC, which has quick emergency access, a USB charging port, secure WiFi, updates on subway service and other events, and factual New York City tidbits. To ensure your safety, however, don't walk in dimly lit areas alone at night, including most minor streets east of 2nd Avenue and especially in Carl Schurz Park. Abide by the typical rules of safety: be aware of your bags and don't let go of them at anytime in public, leave your valuables in a secure place (preferably at your hotel), and don't flaunt expensive clothing, items, or jewelry. However, don't be anxious, as this part of the city is known as one of the safest.

Three New York City Fire Department (FDNY) stations serve the Upper East Side: Engine Co. 39/Ladder Co. 16 at 157 East 67th Street between 3rd Avenue and Lexington Avenue, Engine Co. 44 at 221 East 75th Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue, and Engine Co. 22/Ladder Co. 13/Battalion 10 at 159 East 85th Street between 3rd Avenue and Lexington Avenue. Alongside LinkNYC, fire services more than blanket the entire neighborhood.

The Upper East Side is also one of the healthiest neighborhoods in the city, too. Lenox Hill Hospital is at 100 East 77th Street between Lexington Avenue and Park Avenue, next to the 77th Street station. The New York Presbyterian Hospital, the best in the state and 5th best in the country, is at 425 East 61st Street between 1st Avenue and York Avenue, and is one of the largest hospitals in the world with a plethora of medical and scientific research. Weill Cornell Medical Center, an Ivy League medical school and part of New York Presbyterian, is close by at 525 East 68th Street next to York Avenue. Other hospitals in the Upper East Side include Hospital for Special Surgery Main Hospital and Rockefeller University Hospital Memorial next to Weill Cornell, Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Outpatient Center at 205 East 64th Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue, and the Urgent Care Center at 425 East 67th Street between 1st Avenue and York Avenue. Health throughout individual Upper East Side residents is great, with a far lower amount of preterm births, smokers, teenage births, uninsured residents and those with diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity than the rest of the city, and the eating choices here are generally very healthy. The air quality isn't the best here, with 0.0083 milligrams of fine particulate matter per cubic meter, higher than the city average.

New York City has its share of odd and uncomfortable people, and the Upper East Side is a hotspot for these ones. Whether it's advertisers, the homeless, the mentally ill, pan-handlers, religious preachers, don't feel pressured or threatened by these people. Most New Yorkers simply breeze by or apologize and walk off, so don't feel guilty for doing the same, especially when these people are potential pickpocketers.

Since the Upper East Side is fairly close to the main United Nations Headquarters at East 42nd Street in Murray Hill, many diplomatic missions are present here, especially in the 50s and 60s. Virtually every country on Earth has a diplomatic mission here, and these missions often double as consulates.

Consulates
Due to the Upper East Side's proximity to the United Nations Headquarters at 1st Avenue & East 42nd Street along the East River, there are many consulates in and around the neighborhood acting as diplomatic missions to the UN, even if those countries do not have diplomatic relations with the United States. Consulates or embassies are always closed on holidays in the United States and holidays in the respective country of the consulate or embassy. There are 117 diplomatic missions in the city, and there are 9 that act as the official embassy to the USA. If you are a foreign citizen of one of the many countries that have consulates here, they can be help you especially in health emergencies, legal situations, or violence.

Go next
The most obvious place to go next is Central Park. The Upper West Side is on the other side of the park, accessible by walking, bike riding, taking a crosstown bus at 96th, 86th, 79th, or 66th Streets or using a taxi or private car. Also, Midtown and the bright lights and ritzy department stores of 5th Avenue in the 40s and 50s are just south of the Upper East Side. East (Spanish) Harlem is a lively neighborhood that starts just north of 96th Street, though the Upper East Side has increasingly been bleeding into the southern reaches of the Barrio. Roosevelt Island and Queens are on the other side of the East River.