Marita

My son and I are driving to NYC to visit Seton Hall in New Jersey and Hunter College in Manhattan. If he attends Hunter college, he'll be living at their residence hall on 25th St on the east side. Any info on this area? Seems like a desert around there - no restaurants or hotels show up anywhere in the vicinity when I search on web sites. It does look like a hospital is near there. Let's hope he won't need that! When we visit, I would like to walk around the area to check it out - any advice on cheap (but good) restaurants or places to buy groceries? Is this within walking distance of Greenwich Village or Chinatown?

Thanks for any advice!

mclaurie

Marita!
This is not a desert (20's east) but one of the hottest restaurant areas in the city. Union Pacific & Grammercy Tavern are 2 of the best/most popular eateries & are in this neighborhood (perhaps not as far east as the residence hall). From my Zagat Guide (which you should buy before or when you come-this area in Zagat is considered Grammercy Park) is
Plate 347 at 347 2nd Ave betw 20-21 a "mid-priced" French/American bistro with an outdoor garden
Pongsri Thai 2nd Ave & 18th st good Thai
Casa Mia 24th betw 2nd & 3rd "family run Italian"
It is walking distance of the Village generally considered from 14th St south. (there's east village & west village)
There are some big apartment towers on First Ave near 30-32 st where I know there's a Food Emporium but there may be something closer.

pegg

The 20s eastside is a great place to live! I used to live there and miss it so much! mclaurie gave some great suggestions - there are many restaurant/bars on 3rd Ave and above 23rd, and also on Park Ave in the 20s. I loved the fact that we were so close to downtown/Union Square, but not in the midst of all the action.

Also, your son will be near the best bagel store in the city IMHO - Ess-a-bagel on 1st ave and 22nd..

Gristedes is a supermarket - there is one on 1st and 20th, 2nd and 29th.. there is a good vegetable/fruit market on 3rd and 23rd. Good luck and I think you guys will like the area!

Marita

McLaurie and Pegg - Thanks for the great information. I take back the 'desert' comment!

Any ideas on cheap but clean hotels in the area?

Thanks - Marita

pegg

I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I searched for "budget hotels" highlighting New York, and there are many posts. While many are probably not in the area, I noted one suggestion - Murray Hill Inn. Search for this for comments.

mclaurie

Marita,
Look into the Grammercy Park Hotel. I have stayed there (but not recently). It is an old hotel that tends to always look like it needs refurbishing but the rates are reasonable & the location is great. Some rooms are big & some are not! This is not luxury or modern but safe & convenient. (BTW Grammercy Park is the only private park in NYC. It is locked with a gate & you only get a key if you liev on the park.)
My only other thought is there's a B&B that Fodors lists on this site in Chelsea (which is the area in the teens -20s but on the west side) that sounds like fun but I have no personal experience on it.

Also, Pegg's post reminded me there's a big supermarket (I think another Food Emporium) on Park Ave South & 21 st.
Good luck!

Elainee

My son and his family live at 24th and Third. Very lively area. Tons of restaurants, small hotels and several famous hospitals. It's NYC, it's hard to find any area that isn't well served when the population density is so high.

wantsomesun

The dorm on E 25th that was recently finshied and is close to Baruch College, is that the dorm you are talking about if so it is in a GREAT part of the city.

As someone earlier said there are lots of bars and restaurants in the area and you now see tons of students in and about the area. There are a few new fastish food restaurants that opened to support the student dorm right on Lex Ave (was there this afternoon), and there is a large food store just around the corner on 3rd Ave. There's also a Duane Reed on the corner of 23rd and Lex, (local pharmacy).

Up the street from there is Little India, with several good Indian restaurants.

Right in that area, you might try the Giraffe Hotel a couple of blocks away on Park Ave and 27th St.

Any other specific questions about that area, please feel free to ask.

tommy

The Hunter College dorm is on 26th St btw. 1st Ave. and the FDR Drive. This is by no means a glamorous part of town. The FDR is a major highway and that part of First Ave. is locally known as "Bedpan Alley" since it is occupied by major hospital complexes like Bellevue, NYU, and the VA Hospital, and the City Morgue. Additionally, on 27 and 1st is a public housing project and on 29 and 1st is the largest mens homeless shelter in NYC. Moving to Second Ave. in the east 20s is somewhat better, and 3rd Ave is a drastic improvement from 1st. Its not that the Hunter dorm is in an unsafe or horrible neighborhood, its just a rather ugly and isolated locale. I don't believe the Hunter dorm has anything to do with Baruch, as Baruch is not a residential college and has no dormitories, although they do have a new academic and administration building on 25th between 3rd and Lex.

The closest hotel is the the Marcel on 24th and 3rd, but I can't offer anything more on it. The Giraffe is a few blocks east of that, and is rather pricey. Other more reasonable area hotels are the Gershwin on 27 btw 5th and Madison and the Park South Hotel on 28th btw Lex and Park.

A quick bus ride down 2nd Ave will get you to the East Village, which begins below 14th Street. Chinatown is a bit further downtown. Best bet for groceries is the Associated Supermarket on 23rd St. btw 1st and 2nd. Best bet for restaurants is to head to 3rd Ave. Noodles on 28 at 28 and 3rd for good Chinese. Andreas' on 3rd btw 23rd and 24th for reasonable decent Italian.