Getting to Know NYC 101

here are some basics to getting around New York City:

-directions refer to Uptown (north), Downtown (south), Eastside, and Westside.
-streets run east to west, and are short blocks.
-avenues run uptown and downtown, and can be equivalent to 4 street blocks!
-Houston St. is pronounces "HOW-stin", not "hew-stin".

*the many different neighborhoods:
-NoLiTa (North of Little Italy) - up-and-coming with boutiques and restaurants.
-Tribeca (Triangle Below Canal Street) - some big name restaurants and a few bars, but mostly residential lofts and commercial buildings.
-SoHo (South of Houston Street) - a hip and trendy neighborhood known for its shopping, food, and celebrity/model hangout spots
-NoHo (North of Houston Street) - some restaurants
-Lower East Side - slightly grungy, it's up-and-coming with many restaurants, and bars known for hosting local band performances.
-East Village - tons of quaint little restaurants and boutiques
-Alphabet City - Avenues A through D. it used to be a dangerous neighborhood, but it's cleaned up and become much safer. lots of restaurants and bars.
-West Village - a quaint, hip neighborhood filled with cute restaurants, cafes, dessert shops, boutiques. some blocks are very picturesque with their tree-lined brick-building streets.
-Greenwich Village - NYU college-town. tons of affordable restaurants, bars
-Murray Hill - lots of restaurants, some bars/pubs
-Curry Hill - near Murray Hill with lots of Indian restaurants and Indian markets
-Chelsea - known for being a gay-friendly neighborhood, and for hip clubs/bars
-Meatpacking District - meat-packing warehouses by day... by night, it's known for its hip restaurants and lounges
-Hell's Kitchen/Clinton - a bit grungy, but has lots of restaurants
-Grammercy/Flatiron - centrally located, has some good restaurants
-Union Square - centrally located, home of the semi-weekly outdoor greenmarket and many good restaurants
-Upper East Side - upscale, expensive neighborhood
-Upper West Side - upscale, super-expensive neighborhood. great brunch places.
-Harlem - you've all heard of it. good soul food
-Spanish Harlem - lively neighborhood. predominantly Spanish-speaking community.
-Downtown/Battery City Park - Wall Street, financial district, World Trade Center site. busy during weekdays, quiet and abandoned at night.

each neighborhood has its own unique character... and you can find good restaurants in each one! my favorite neighborhoods to stroll around are the West Village, SoHo, East Village, Union Square, and my old 'hood Murray Hill!
which ones are your favorite?