Murray Hill/Kips Bay

This quiet and comfortable area on the east side of Manhattan is all about those mid-high income starter jobs and couples who live in high rises; those just moving on up from smaller dives in the cheaper areas of the city or the boroughs. Think, for the most part, of closets with a few designer pieces rather than the entire fall line. Murray Hill reeks of Dickensian “’umbleness,” and this is only a good thing for those who want to live in a great location without the pretension that some swankier areas of Manhattan can bring out.

Exercise fiends who don’t want to pay for a gym membership (although there are plenty around) and outdoor lovers alike can find solace in the miles along the East River, a great place for a walk, run, or stroll with your favorite four legged friend. Dog walkers are on the rise here, and the abundance of dog runs makes it a good spot to have a pooch. For those times when you don’t want to get somewhere on your own two feet, transportation to and from Murray Hill is pretty nice, served by a good number of buses and the ever-reliable Lexington Ave lines.

Murray Hill feels like a neighborhood that one could comfortably transition into, a place where couples on the rise can get their first great apartment before moving on to bigger and slicker places uptown. It’s like holding onto that last shred of “downtownness,” where you don’t feel bad about taking a cab to the bars downtown or visiting your friends who still live with the dregs…but you haven’t abandoned it all to live with the big money uptown or hitched a ride to the ‘burbs.

Murray Hill thumbs its nose to old-school European elitism—indulging instead in the modern, high-rise variety of building (usually well-equipped with doormen, laundry facilities, and gyms.) As we’ve emphasized already, Murray Hill is a great place for younger, up and coming folks who work in Midtown—on nice days of the year you could walk to the office, otherwise a cab won’t cost you more than $5 or so and the bus is always just $1.50. Murray Hill also appeals to the under 30 set for its more lenient policies on noise and partying. Most newer high rises were built with soundproof walls—although some more rockin’ parties have been known to break the barrier, for the most part you can feel comfortable inviting your friends over to enjoy your lovely pad.

There are a large number of ethnically diverse places to eat—from Chinese takeout to any of the quality Indian establishments lining Lexington Avenue. Curry-in-a-Hurry is a famous one where locals line up after work or before hitting the bars to grab a bite to go with their beers. Expect to see young professionals in loosened ties or slingbacks marching with tikka missala in hand to a bar like Rocky Sullivan’s or Paddy Macguire’s, the former of which hosts a popular, smoke-filled trivia night every Thursday.

Entertainment in the form of clubs is fairly slim, although the raucous establishments of Flatiron and Chelsea are just a stone’s throw away. For movie lovers, however, the Kips Bay Loews Theater on 2^nd Ave is a cushy place to catch a flick, and boys out on the town will appreciate the flawless t&a of the ladies at VIP lounge.

Bottom line on Murray Hill is this: if you crave a location close to all the action New York City has to offer without having to live in the midst of it, if you’re more interested in playing it low-key than fretting over this year’s summer window box or ivy trail, you will be a comfortable and happy camper here.

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Sincerely
David Drake
President