Manhattan - where to live based on food nearby

[gini]

We are planning on moving (AGAIN) this time to Manhatten and an interesting question arises - based on nearby restaurants, grocers, specialty stores, where would you live in the city if price were no object and your decision was purely based on what there was to eat closeby?

[dockhl]

We are planning on moving (AGAIN) this time to Manhatten and an interesting question arises - based on nearby restaurants, grocers, specialty stores, where would you live in the city if price were no object and your decision was purely based on what there was to eat closeby?

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Better ask Daniel this one !

[Bond Girl]

Stay away from the Upper West side around the Columbia University area. I was considering moving there, but scrapped the idea due to lack of interesting restaurants.

I vote for the Union Square area: green market, decent places to take out from and you get Flatiron, East Village, West Village and Gramercy all in wlaking distants.

[raji]

Yeah, Gramercy if money really really really doesn't matter.

If you'd like money left for a movie, I'd recommend Hell's Kitchen. But I'm biased...

[gini]

Stay away from the Upper West side around the Columbia University area. I was considering moving there, but scrapped the idea due to lack of interesting restaurants. 

I vote for the Union Square area: green market, decent places to take out from and you get Flatiron, East Village, West Village and Gramercy all in wlaking distants.

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Interesting....does this include the Inwood park area or is that further north? Years (YEARS) ago, Inwood had some interesting German/Italian/Eastern European eateries.

[gini]

Yeah, Gramercy if money really really really doesn't matter.

If you'd like money left for a movie, I'd recommend Hell's Kitchen. But I'm biased...

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Hell's Kitchen does have some awesome restaurants now. What about grocers, specialty food shops etc? (Oh and we like movies and like having money left over to go to them. I am purely living fancifully right now...)

[dan.]

Another vote for Hell's Kitchen. Good butchers, specialty shops, fair greenmarket by 59th street and wonderful restaurants at all price ranges.

[Jammin]

Purely based on food, it would be Chinatown for me. Cheap and good eats, plenty left over to take a limo to the fancier restaurants.

Unfortunately, C-town loses on so many other counts.

[nypork]

I Live on 58th and 9th-so here are a list of some neighborhood joints in walking distance(no more than 5 blocks restaurants) Per Se, Masa, ADNY, Jean Georges, Cafe Gray-money is no object right? usually just end up eating at the Burrito Box though.

[JohnL]

I Live on 58th and 9th-so here are a list of some neighborhood joints in walking distance(no more than 5 blocks restaurants) Per Se, Masa, ADNY, Jean Georges, Cafe Gray-money is no object right?  usually just end up eating at the Burrito Box though.

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I also live on 58th and Ninth!!!

(nypork--open your window and wave!)

anyway--

just to the south on ninth are some good ethnic places--Uncle Nick's to Thai decent hot dogs, barbeque etc.

just to the east is Wholefoods and the TW center.

Just to the North we got--Citarella, Zabar's, Fairway.

not to mention all the small markets and bakeries on Ninth.

also

four (count em four-Starbucks all within one block of each other)

decent wine shops-Columbus Circle and 68th Street wines (Acker is not that far either)

and don't forget:

Cafe Des Artistes, Shun Lee West, Picholine and Gabriels (a very under rated Northern Italian on 60th Street).

also just to the east-Red Eye Grill and Carnegie deli. (midtown is a short walk away)

add the fact that rents are relatively decent (emphasis on relatively) this is a pretty nice place in Manhattan at the moment!

Edited January 19, 2006 by JohnL (log)

[johnder]

I would personally go for Gramercy/Union Sq. area. Great vibe, good places to eat, convienent transportation, farmers market. There are some amazing condo's and co-ops going up around Madision Square park as we speak. Don't forget the Big Apple BBQ that is in the park every summer too!

John

[gini]

Thank you for everyone's responses!!! Mr. gini says I am driven by my stomach and you all have certainly given me some food for thought. ( corny!)

nypork - IF money were no object. that's a big IF . I don't think I could handle Per Se everynight. The Burrito Box would certainly have to come into play at some point.

JohnL 4 starbucks? I think Mr. gini might die of white chocolate mocha latte overdoes (EW!).

[JohnL]

Thank you for everyone's responses!!! Mr. gini says I am driven by my stomach and you all have certainly given me some food for thought. (   corny!)

nypork - IF money were no object.  that's a big IF  .  I don't think I could handle Per Se everynight.  The Burrito Box would certainly have to come into play at some point.

JohnL 4 starbucks?  I think Mr. gini might die of white chocolate mocha latte overdoes (EW!).

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the only good thing about four starbucks within one block of each other is

instead of waiting on line you can walk to one with less or no line and

get some exercise--which helps when you are "into" white chocolate mocha latte's (or rather they are into you).

not to worry though--there is also a Subway's next to one Starbuck's -some guy named Jared

claims you can actually lose weight eating their sandwiches!

anyway

here on the West Side we certainly have plenty of variety!

[Megan Blocker]

I would personally go for Gramercy/Union Sq. area.  Great vibe, good places to eat, convienent transportation, farmers market.  There are some amazing condo's and co-ops going up around Madision Square park as we speak.  Don't forget the Big Apple BBQ that is in the park every summer too!

John

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Ditto!

You could live in my old office building... click!

Very convenient to many subway lines, good shopping, and great restaurants, high and low.

[I_call_the_duck]

I would personally go for Gramercy/Union Sq. area.   Great vibe, good places to eat, convienent transportation, farmers market.   There are some amazing condo's and co-ops going up around Madision Square park as we speak.   Don't forget the Big Apple BBQ that is in the park every summer too!

John

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Ditto!

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Foodwise, that would be my first choice too!

And JohnL, the last time I checked, there are also at least four Starbucks in the Union Square area too. So no matter which exit you use on the subway, you don't have to worry about walking that extra 1/2 block to get your morning cup of joe.

[gini]

I would personally go for Gramercy/Union Sq. area.  Great vibe, good places to eat, convienent transportation, farmers market.  There are some amazing condo's and co-ops going up around Madision Square park as we speak.  Don't forget the Big Apple BBQ that is in the park every summer too!

John

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Ditto!

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Foodwise, that would be my first choice too!

And JohnL, the last time I checked, there are also at least four Starbucks in the Union Square area too. So no matter which exit you use on the subway, you don't have to worry about walking that extra 1/2 block to get your morning cup of joe.

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Sigh - I miss hippy coffee places where the foam is like meringue. It's so sad when the two of us go for take-away coffee - we have to stop two different places! Anyway, I think right now we're looking at the Union Square area and the Hell's Kitchen/Clinton/Midtwon area.

No love for Yorktown? Ok, ok, so it's insanely far away from the trains, the east river blows you off the sidewalk, and it's not particularly galmourous, but I've had some pretty good thai and japanese eats. Just wondering....

[gini]

Purely based on food, it would be Chinatown for me.  Cheap and good eats, plenty left over to take a limo to the fancier restaurants.

Unfortunately, C-town loses on so many other counts.

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Have you ever rented an apt in Chinatown? The floors actually slope - sometimes downwards, sometimes in parabolas. Keeping furniture steady is a challenge.

[raxelita]

If you lived in NoLiTa you'd be a short walk away from Chinatown, Curry Row, LES/EV Jewish Delis, Balthazar, Lupa, Pegu Club, Bond Street, Blue Ribbon and a brief cab to Gramercy fanciness...

[Sneakeater]

That's funny. Since the German places closed, I think of Yorktown as a sort of culinary wasteland (except for Pastrami Queen).

[Sneakeater]

(Isn't it "Yorkville", though?)

[JohnL]

That's funny.  Since the German places closed, I think of Yorktown as a sort of culinary wasteland (except for Pastrami Queen).

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I used to live in Yorkville (yes it is Yorkville)

You are right about the german places.

i used to love the Ideal restaurant on 86th,

You could get a glass of beer for fifty cents (I recall) and they had some

great inexpensive and well made German dishes.

There were some great Hungarian shops--they do cured meats and sausages

as well as anyone!

also

not quite a "wasteland"--papaya king is still there (I hope)

and I remember an Indian place--Mumtaz that was pretty good.

also Sizhuan kitchen--don't know if that is still there either.

and there was Wilkinson's Seafood cafe--at one time one of the best seafood restaurants in the city.

I am really dating myself now (which is what I did back then--date myself--I ate alone a lot)

[gini]

Sorry! Yorkville!

[baw]

I'll put in a bid for my 'hood, the central village. Walking distance to Union Square, east and west village, chinatown, soho, lower east side, and tribeca. You just need to deal with the fact that a 4 block radius around your apartment is a culinary wasteland and that September fills sidewalks with NYU students who don't yet move at NYC pace. But 5 blocks from both Babbo and Grey's Papaya is tough to beat. And Murrays Cheese, Sullivan Street Bakery, Faicco's, Union Square Greenmarket, and Whole Foods are all within 10 blocks.

edited to add: And within 5 blocks of orange, yellow and green subway lines!

Edited January 19, 2006 by baw (log)

[Eatmywords]

I'm with the Hell's Cucina people. As my neighbors indicated, dining options are endless for every budget and type of cuisine esp with the ongoing renaissance of 9th Ave and the proximity to the most elaborate food court in the world (Time Warner).

Not to mention the many performing arts venues and the best reason of all, a big backyard called Central Park!

: ]

[KatieLoeb]

If money is no object then the rest of the fantasy has to include never needing reservations or worrying about the restaurant bill in addition to not sweating the rent. If that's the case the answer is easy.

A glamorously decorated fabulous penthouse with a wrap around deck consisting of the top two floors of the Time Warner Building!