This is really a silly arguement and I know I am right, but someone I know is convinced I am wrong. How could that BE?

What part of Manhattan is considered "uptown" and what part is considered "downtown"?

Thanks.

Well - first of all if you think you are going to get a group of New York "experts" to agree on anything - you're being tremendously optimistic.

The easy answer is the donwtown is further south than uptown.

The problem may be that in many cities "downtown" is used to signify the center of town.

This is not true in New York.

Downtown is the southern end of Manhattan Island. Included in that and reaching north of that (depending on your point of view are the South Ferry, the financial district, Chinatown, the Village, SoHo, Nolita etc).

Going further north is midtown Manhattan (34 to 59th st - or perhaps 23rd to 59th st - again depending on your POV).

Further uptown - traditional "uptown" as in "Uptown Girl" are the upper east and west side - either side of Cenral Park - from 59th to 110th st.

North of that is upper Manhattan - again consisting of a whole range of neighborhoods (some traditional and some made up by real estate agents trying to boost prices).

nytraveler is right from the absolute perspective, but "uptown" and "downtown" are also relative terms to one's current location. That is, "uptown" is anywhere north of a particular location and "downtown" is anywhere south. Hence the designation on the subway trains and stations of "uptown" and "downtown."

What does your friend think?

Marilyn has a good point. I remember asking something about a subway when I was at something like 70th Street and was asked "are you going updown or downtown?" I replied, "huh? I thought I was already uptown", and was politely (well half-politely) told that uptown and downtown are simply directions as well as places.
So you could be at South Street Seaport and go "uptown" to Soho, but you'd still be downtown.

Thye question by the OP was geographical, not directional.

Hence, nytraveler provided what would be the most agreeable (at least to us New Yorkers) response.

Pretty much agree with everything that's been said so far (is that amazing ). I guess since midtown is generally considered 34-59 st. anything above midtown is "uptown" and anything below is "downtown."

Uptown is north of 59th Street. No debate. Some might say that Uptown stops at 110th street -- where or if it stops is subject to discussion.

Downtown? It varies. Some say south of 14th Street, some say south of Houston.

I find that, among my crowd of young professionals, downtown is relative to the context. If work is the topic (day), downtown ususually refers to the financial area of lower Manhattan. If the topic is social (night), downtown is south of 14th Street.

Which way is up island and which is down island....living on Long Island, I never know what that means either!

Wow, Annabel! Not sure about what you just posted, but, I sure would like to have that same poison or whatever it is you're currenly chugging on.

Reply to Annabel,
My guess would be upisland would be N,
downisland would be S, though I recall someone told me that a landfill was the highest elevation on the island

Billy_Boy, I'm glad you're a better mind reader than the rest of us. Since the original question was about settling an argument or disagreement, it is quite possible that the source of the conflict came from a statement like "I'm going uptown to Soho". Some of us were merely pointing out that there is nothing incorrect in that. Like you and others, we were trying to help clarify the possibilities of confusion. That is a logical one.

I've never heard of upisland or downisland - are you asking about Manhattan? That termnology is just weird.

Or are you asking about LI - in which case it also doesn;t apply - since LI runs west to east - not south to north.

My father, who lived on 54th Street and 7th Avenue, used to say that the suburbs began above 59th Street and below 34th Street.

Never heard the expression up island or down island (which doesn't mean it doesn't exist) but I have heard of Lawnguylanders referring to the North Shore or the South Shore, which is pretty much self-explanatory.

Also, if you are in the Bronx or Westchester, you'll hear people saying they're going downtown, which pretty much means they're going somewhere in Manhattan.

I believe UPIsland is used on Marthas Vineyard?
I wish I could hear this debate, there is nothing I enjoy more ( well, ok, there are things I enjoy more) than listening to a group of NYers giving advice
I miss NYC

Uptown: 59th-110th
Downtown: 14th and below
Midtown: 23rd-58th
Of couse that does leave the question of what is 14th to 23rd, but again, ask any of New Yorker, and we'll all give slightly different answers!

Up island/down island is a new england boating term. People out East (Hamptons, Montauk) use this term, but do not know if it refers to heading east or west.

up island is West
down island is East

Scarlett is correct. Even Amtrak's Boston-Portland train is called "Downeaster", even if it's going NE.

Ah, but isn't "down east" a Maine term?