Hi everyone, I'm a college student from out of state returning to NYC next month. I've lived in NYC for 2 years from 2007-2009 on West 88th Street at Riverside Dr. I've arranged to live in an apartment on East 72nd street at 2nd Ave. Can anyone tell me their honest opinion of the area (no sugar coating please)? I've been doing some Googling and while I've found businesses around that area I have not found any opinions of the neighborhood yet.

I've only been around 72nd at Broadway as well where 72nd goes onto Riverside Drive. Give any info that is not in guide books and websites such as the affordable grocery stores, best green spaces, if there are significant noise issues (West 88th wasn’t too bad with the noise), are there issues with standing water that pools up a lot next to the curbs when it rains or snows (an issue on West 88th-W.86th Streets), is there dog droppings and urine littering and stinking up the sidewalks (an HUGE issue on West 88th Street, when I lived there! But it was not an issue elsewhere in the city), any crime, trash or polluted air to be concerned about on E. 72nd (I know each street in NYC tends to have its own little unique issues and surprises).

Thanks in advance for your help! Happy holidays

Welcome to the hood! The UES has a lot of luxury apartments and townhouses, but also probably the largest stock of walk-up tenements, so wealthy families and young professionals live in the area. Second Ave. is the hub of nightlife, with lots of pubs, concentrated a bit north of where you are, in the 80s-90s.

Your area is also one of the most expensive for food. When you feel like treating yourself, have a look at Grace's Marketplace, on 3rd Ave. and 71st Street. Grace, of the famous Balducci family, was prevented from using the Balducci name after a family dispute many years ago, but this store is the model of the original Balducci's of Greenwich Village. Their prepared foods are the same recipes, and are delicious but expensive.

For household things, there's a Bed Bath & Beyond on 1st Ave. around 61st Street. And a short bus ride away is the huge shopping complex in East Harlem, at 117th St. along the East River. There's a Costco, a Target, and loads more. If you don't have a car, there's a car service right there to bring big items home for you.

If you're looking for small bargains, browse the "dollar stores" in that neighborhood. There are many, particularly along 3rd Ave. in the low 100s. Great for household stuff, you'll pay a fraction of what you do in the supermarkets.

I would suggest that you talk to your neighbors, who will know the best places that are nearest to you. And yelp.com is a good resource for local reviews of everything from restaurants to laundries to doctors.

There are lots of dogs in the neighborhood!

Thanks so much for taking the time to compile such a great list of ideas and suggestions Oracle! I appreciate it very much. I will definitely be exploring these options when I arrive.

And dogs in the neighborhood, huh?...Well I hope their owners dispose of their droppings properly

One more thing, I was looking at the M72 bus schedule online and saw that it only lists stops at York Ave @ E. 72nd and 5th Ave @ E. 72. Do you happen to know if there are any stops in between? And is the bus usually on time or is service erratic?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2011 05:41AM by Leah25.

The crosstown M72 stops at nearly every block (I think it skips Park). Have a look at the map:

[www.mta.info]

Bus stops aren't noted on the maps, but figure every block for crosstown buses and every 3-4 blocks for local uptown/downtown buses. If you're going to 5th Ave., walking from York will take about 15-20 minutes, which is about the same time as waiting for a bus that's going to stop every block.

New Yorkers instinctively scan the sidewalk ahead for doggy droppings, you'll get into the habit soon enough, and might even learn to love the doggies.

Thanks again Oracle! That's good for me to know about the crosstown buses. I'll check the MTA again. I'd only been on one once a few years ago late at night going the wrong way, yikes.

I know what you mean about scanning the sidewalks up ahead. At times I had to literally tip toe to get around the dropping when they where really bad in my former neighborhood. Oh well, I guess that's NYC for ya. :-)

I'm so excited to be going back there in 2 weeks.