Two ladies would like info about hells kitchen restaurants. Is the area safe after dark? Has anyone tried hells kitchen restaurant or jungle lime. Many of the restaurants seem to be Italian, Which is good?

If this is the Hell's Kitchen area in New York - no, i would not go. But then I'm not from New York and found the Hell's Kitchen area, well, pretty much "hell". Sleazy area. Was with a whole group of young guys and still felt unsafe.

Maybe a native New Yorker could chime in here.

I am a native New Yorker and while Hell's kitchen is not a typical tourist "destination" it is safe and full of restaurants. Some good restaurants that I would recommend are Greek Kitchen or Nook (BYOB).

Hell's Kitchen is pretty safe. At least I think so. But then again, I'm a born and bred NYer, so take that as you will.

There's a great little bristro that I like called Rachel's, on 9th Ave and 43rd Street. Another favorite around there is this Italian place, L'Allegria, on 9th Ave and 44th Street. Great price for a prix fixe menu.

easytraveler, when were you last there? It has changed, a LOT.

Gee I've rented high end apartments at Worldwide Plaza which is right in Hell's Kitchen. (49th to 50th and 9th Avenue). If million dollar apartments offend you, then the are is out of bounds for you. Of course there are some older, crummier buildings too, but I've never thought of 9th Avenue in particular, the main drag so to speak, as being the least bit unsafe.

While there are well over a dozen Italian restaurants along 9th, Roberto Passon's is clearly my favorite of the lot -- very good and about the same price as most of the others -- just a step or two above in quality. Vnyl is a great upscale "diner" like place with really good food. Film Center Cafe, Pietrasanta, Rachels, Chimicurri, Marseilles, Jezebel, Brasserie 52, Zuni, Amarone, Cascina, Cara Mia, Puttanesca, Uncle Nick's, Delta Grill --- all these are worth while places to try. It's really the sort of neighborhood for wandering, checking out what places look like to you and checking the menu. Other than many being jammed pre-theatre, for the most part you don't need reservations at most.

I had to look up Jungle Lime -- perhaps that's new as I don't remember it? But Hell's Kitchen restaurant is excellent -- sort of "gourmet" or upscale Mexican with some surprises.

I'm with Patrick - we eat there all the time when in the city -it is our favorite pre or post theater spot as well as for brunch some times - we love Marseilles, Roberto Passon (b/c Patrick started us on that one!), and several others -
we have never felt unsafe walking there in the dark, met friendly people, make faces at the cute puppies in the pet store window....

I love, love Hell's Kitchen. In fact, there was a thread about a gtg soon, and rather than TimeSquare, I thought Hell's Kitchen would be fabulous.

Didn't they try to rename it Clinton, and that fell apart?!?!

I only lived there a month, a couple of years ago, but as a single woman, leaving TimeSquare at all hours of the night, I never felt threatened in the least, never felt the need to take a cab rather than walk home. I like the vibe of the hood and the many cool and affordable restaurants that Neo mentions. Oh for a martini and risotto at the Film Center, or some good and some very bad kareoke for a nightcap at MrBiggs.

gyppielou, you're making my mouth water (we had to cancel a Film Center Cafe reservation we had last fall and never made it there)!

gyppielou, if the gtg you're talking about is the one we're now sort of planning for June 13, it IS in Hell's Kitchen -- well, at WorldWide Plaza which is half way between 8th and 9th and between 49th and 50th. I'm unsure of exact boundaries for Hell's Kitchen, but I certainly call it that.

And no doubt 9th Avenue IS considered the main drag of Hell's Kitchen, so our gtg is less than a half block from it.
And yes, there was that effort to call it Clinton, but I sure don't see much effort for that any more.

Hell's Kitchen is gentrifying (much like the rest of NYC and the world, for the matter) and is now also called Clinton by many real estate agents. It's perfectly safe and btw, just west of the Times Square area--not in some God forsaken way out neighborhood. It's in midtown west! In fact, I think the 4* Westin hotel would be considered in Hell's kitchen. Times Square was also considered an unsafe, dreadful area is now "the" place where many tourists want to stay (much to the amazement of locals).

Have not tried either of the restaurants you mention, but menupages.com will have reviews as would many other websites.

PS Hell's kitchen is ABSOLUTELY a tourist destination! Restaurant Row on 46th b/w 8th & 9th is in the middle of Hell's Kitchen and has been a tourist (and local's) destination for YEARS. Many hotels like the Travel Inn, Hampton Inn Times Square North, the Hudson are in Hell's Kitchen!

http://hellskitchen.bz/info/ninthave...festival.shtml

Thanks everyone for the great info. We will definitely check out some of these places.

That food festival is great fun. I've been there the last two years, but will be too late for it this year.

Funny story. I have some "not so close former" friends back in Naples that I'd just as soon avoid. I ran into them on 9th Ave. at that food festival in 2006. I never saw them once in Naples (where they also live) for an entire year, but would you believe I ran into them again on 9th Ave. at the same festival in 2007? Small world.

I'm also not sure what the official boundaries of Hell's Kitchen are. I always kind of thought that 8th Ave. was the dividing line -- East side of 8th not in HK, but the West side of 8th is?

but would you believe I ran into them again on 9th Ave. at the same festival in 2007? Small world.

Good thing you're arriving too late for the festival this year

whoa. Am i glad i looked on this thread! We are seeing a show the Sunday of the festival, so instead of arriving in an unexpected traffic mess, I will plan for it, and look forward to eating our way up Ninth Ave.

Me too! We're seeing a matinee show Sat., we had the same timing a couple of years ago, ate our way up 9th Ave., before the show.

Skatedancer, maybe we could meet for some street food and talk about Argentina!

oops, sorry Skatedancer, we'll be in the city on Sat., you're coming in Sunday.

Another time....

Hell's Kitchen includes the area between 34th st and 59th st. from 8th ave to the Hudson River.

Wow, Andrew. I thought it was 8th to the river, and guessed its northern boundary was around 59th, but I had no idea that it went that far south. I think I guessed it ended about 42nd or at most 40th. I always thought that 9th and 10th Avenues in the upper 30s were still Chelsea, although clearly most NYC neighborhoods don't have very distinct boundaries.