New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [46]
The Flatiron District—anchored by Madison Square Park on the north and Union Square to the south—is one of the city’s busiest neighborhoods, particularly along 5th Avenue and Park Avenue South. In some ways it should still be called Ladies’ Mile: the area is a favorite for spotting models because of the number of agencies and photography studios here. Fine chain stores are mixed with local boutiques, and some of the city’s coolest hotels and trendiest restaurants. To top it off, the elegant turn-of-the-20th-century skyline that hovers above is magical and brilliantly lighted at night.
The haste and hullabaloo of the city calms considerably once you reach the more residential neighborhoods of Gramercy Park and Murray Hill to the east.
Dignified Gramercy Park, named for its 1831 gated garden square ringed by historic buildings and private clubs, is an early example of the city’s best creative urban planning. Even though you can’t unpack your picnic in the exclusive residents-only park, pick a spot on the sidewalk in front of the cast-iron gate and gaze upward to take in the beautiful Greek Revival, Italianate, Gothic Revival, and Victorian Gothic buildings that flank its sides. Off its southern edge is Irving Place, a short street honoring Washington Irving, where there’s one of the city’s most charming inns, the Inn at Irving Place, and a number of casual restaurants. Just north of the park is Ian Schrager’s cooler-than-cool reincarnation of the Gramercy Park Hotel on Lexington Avenue.
Murray Hill stretches from 30th to 40th streets between 5th and 3rd avenues and is a mix of high rises, restaurants and bars filled mostly with a post-college crowd, and the small but solid enclave of Little India, where you can sample authentic cuisine and shop for traditional clothing and other goods in a handful of boutiques. Farther north a few side streets are tree-lined and town-house-filled with some high-profile haunts, including the Morgan Library and Museum with its vast book stacks and rare manuscripts. But perhaps the biggest reason to visit this neighborhood is to see New York’s biggest skyscraper, the Empire State Building.
PLANNING
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
If you’re planning to visit the Empire State Building, try to do so either early or late in the day—morning is the least crowded time, and late at night the city lights are dazzling. Allow at least two hours for your visit if you plan to visit the observation deck. Then, you can stroll at your ease from the Empire State Building to Union Square (about 20 blocks), taking in Madison Square Park, the Flatiron Building, and Gramercy Park along the way. Note: Union Square is at its liveliest on market days—Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
GETTING HERE AND AROUND
Both Union Square/14th Street and Herald Square/34th Street are major subway hubs, connected by the N, Q, and R lines. Any of these trains can bring you right to the center of the action. For Madison Square Park, take the local R to 23rd Street. You can reach the Empire State Building via the B, D, F, N, Q, R, or M line to 34th Street or the 6 to 33rd Street. The 6 also stops at 23rd, 28th, and 33rd streets.
FODOR’S CHOICE
Empire State Building
Gramercy Park
Union Square Park and Greenmarket
TOP EXPERIENCES
Taking in Union Square Park and Greenmarket
Browsing the piles of books in The Strand
Viewing the rare manuscripts at the Morgan Library
Soaking in the history and elegance of Gramercy Park
Picnicking in Madison Square Park with goodies from Shake Shack or Eataly
Dining with locals in Koreatown
Shopping on lower 5th Avenue
TOP TOURING EXPERIENCES
A WELL-ROUNDED NEIGHBORHOOD WALK
The energy of Union Square reaches its peak during its Greenmarket days, when more than 25 farms and food purveyors set up shop on the square’s north and west sides to peddle everything from produce to meat, fresh fish to baked goods. The market is a great place to rub elbows with—and get elbowed by—local shoppers and chefs and a great source for tasty souvenirs (locally produced honeys, jams, and cheeses) as