What is the best neighborhood in Manhattan?

Midtown leads with 16% of the vote

From the energy of Midtown to the bohemian streets of the Village, from the luxury of TriBeCa to the soul of Harlem — Manhattan has a neighborhood for everyone. These 89,240 votes represent the genuine preferences of people who live in, work in and love New York City.

Every neighborhood reviewed by the community

#1

16%

14,550 votes

Midtown

Midtown Manhattan is the engine of New York City — the densest concentration of offices, hotels, theaters and iconic landmarks anywhere in the world. Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building and Fifth Avenue all sit within its boundaries. For visitors it is the quintessential New York experience. For workers it is the beating heart of global commerce.

Vote for Midtown14,550 votes

#2

12%

10,937 votes

Upper West Side

The Upper West Side stretches from 59th to 110th Street along the western edge of Central Park. Home to Lincoln Center, the American Museum of Natural History and some of the finest pre-war apartment buildings in the city. It strikes a rare balance — a real neighborhood with genuine community while sitting at the center of one of the world great cities.

Vote for Upper West Side10,937 votes

#3

10%

9,144 votes

Upper East Side

The Upper East Side is Manhattan most prestigious address, running from 59th to 96th Street along the eastern edge of Central Park. Museum Mile — Fifth Avenue houses the Metropolitan Museum, the Guggenheim and the Frick Collection. Madison Avenue offers luxury fashion, fine dining and high-end galleries. Grand pre-war apartments with white-glove service define its character.

Vote for Upper East Side9,144 votes

#4

9%

8,165 votes

SoHo

SoHo — South of Houston Street — is one of the most visually distinctive neighborhoods in New York. Its cast-iron architecture from the 19th century defines its character. This artistic neighborhood transformed into a world premier shopping destination, with cobblestone streets lined with luxury flagship stores and galleries. The density of cast-iron buildings is unmatched anywhere in the world.

Vote for SoHo8,165 votes

#5

9%

7,936 votes

Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village is the spiritual heart of New York bohemian tradition. Its winding streets — a legacy of pre-grid development — give it a character entirely unlike the rest of Manhattan. Eugene O Neill wrote his first plays here. Bob Dylan played his first New York shows here. The Stonewall Inn, birthplace of the modern LGBTQ rights movement, stands on Christopher Street.

Vote for Greenwich Village7,936 votes

#6

8%

7,314 votes

Lower East Side

The Lower East Side is where New York immigrant history lives most vividly. For over a century it was the entry point for waves of immigrants who built their lives in its tenement buildings. Today it is one of the city most exciting neighborhoods for live music, cocktail bars and late-night dining. The Tenement Museum on Orchard Street preserves this history with extraordinary power.

Vote for Lower East Side7,314 votes

#7

7%

6,369 votes

TriBeCa

TriBeCa — the Triangle Below Canal Street — is Manhattan most exclusive residential neighborhood. Enormous cast-iron loft buildings with 12-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows define its housing stock. Celebrities and financiers value its quiet streets, excellent schools and extraordinary quality of life. The TriBeCa Film Festival and Nobu restaurant call it home.

Vote for TriBeCa6,369 votes

#8

7%

6,272 votes

Harlem

Harlem is one of the most historically significant neighborhoods in American cultural history. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s made it the cultural capital of Black America. The Apollo Theater on 125th Street remains one of the world great music venues. Its brownstone-lined residential streets are architecturally magnificent. Harlem is in a period of significant transition and renewal.

Vote for Harlem6,272 votes

#9

6%

5,485 votes

Chelsea

Chelsea is Manhattan center of contemporary art, home to over 200 galleries along West 20th, 21st and 22nd Streets. The High Line elevated park runs through Chelsea offering views of the Hudson. Chelsea Market in the old Nabisco factory is one of the city great food destinations. Its diverse, LGBTQ-inclusive community gives it a genuine neighborhood warmth.

Vote for Chelsea5,485 votes

#10

5%

4,603 votes

Hell's Kitchen

Hell Kitchen — also known as Clinton — occupies the blocks west of Eighth Avenue between 34th and 57th Streets. Once a rough working-class Irish neighborhood, it has transformed into one of the city most desirable places to live and eat. The neighborhood sits at the edge of the Theater District, making it the home for Broadway performers and the entire theater ecosystem.

Vote for Hell's Kitchen4,603 votes

#11

5%

4,492 votes

Financial District

The Financial District occupies the southern tip of Manhattan — the oldest part of New York, where Dutch settlers established New Amsterdam in 1626. Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall stand here. One World Trade Center dominates the skyline. The neighborhood has evolved from a ghost town after hours into a genuine community with excellent restaurants and vibrant culture.

Vote for Financial District4,492 votes

#12

4%

3,973 votes

Washington Heights

Washington Heights occupies the northern tip of Manhattan, known as the heart of New York Dominican community. Broadway and St. Nicholas Avenue are lined with authentic restaurants, barbershops and small businesses. The Cloisters — the Metropolitan Museum medieval art branch — sits at the southern end in Fort Tryon Park. Washington Heights is real New York at its most alive.

Vote for Washington Heights3,973 votes

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