Hi,

In follow up to our recent post about short term corporate housing in Manhattan.

I have found a place on 52nd between 1st and York Ave. It is in a high rise doorman building.

I was wondering what this area is like? Is it relatively accessible to the shopping areas on 5th Ave, Bloomingdales etc.

Is the area relatively safe? are there restaurants, grocery, dry cleaners etc. near by?

Also, are there are subway lines close by?

Any thoughts well be welcome.

Thanks!

I know the block and the building the apt. is in fairly well. I have friends who live on the block. Actually, 52 st. doesn't go to York Ave. It dead ends at the East River. This makes for less traffic but means hailing a cab is a bit more work. At the end of the block on the river is the venerable apt. building River House (home to Henry Kissinger among others). It's very safe. Across from the River House is a somewhat smaller building that used to be home to Marlene Deitrich. It's nothing but apartment buildings on the block.

Ok, enough with the neighbors. At the corner of 1st. Ave. is Le Perigord restaurant on one side and Zeze florist on the other side. It's a short walk to Bloomingdales and a bit longer to Fifth Ave. There's a crosstown bus at 49/50 sts. (one st. goes east and the other goes west) that will be useful. One disadvantage of the location is you have to walk to Lexington Ave., 3-4 long crosstown blocks, for a subway. But my friends who live there find using the AirTrain from JFK very easy if you don't have lots of luggage since you can use the E train and it stops at 53 st & Lexington. Here's a subway map.
http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

There are loads of shops for services and some good restaurants. There's a good bagel place, Indian, Spanish, French etc.

I would say the only possible downside to the location is it's not particularly young. There is a cute small park both north and south of 52 st. I can't remember what other locations you were considering, but I'd say this is a good option.

wonderfultravels,
I love that area it is very peaceful and safe. What are you looking for in a neighborhood?

I believe it was Greta Garbo, not Marlene Deitrich, who lived in a building across the street from River House (the place that wouldn't let Gloria Vanderbilt, mother of Anderson Cooper, buy a co-op because of her show biz connections).

I lived in the area from 1960-1990. It's a long walk to the subway--especially the Lexington Ave line. However, there is convenient bus service in all directions, and New Yorkers of all sorts ride the bus.

You're right, happytrails. From Wikipedia on Greta Garbo:

"In 1953, she bought a seven-room apartment in New York City at 450 East 52nd Street"

We would see Garbo walking the streets from time to time and when she shopped for cold cuts and cheese at a deli on the west side of First Avenue at about 53rd Street.

New York magazine used to run contests such as to write a title for a book a celebrity might write. Based on her deli shopping, a wag came up with a book title for Garbo: "Sandwich Suggestions."

I'd agree with all previous posts but would add that the area is simultaneously not young and ... too young? The general area is quiet and safe, as mentioned. However, Second Avenue in the 50's has a number of pubs and bars that cater to 20-somethings (but not hipsters, if that makes sense). It's not overwhelmingly noisy or disruptive, just something to be aware of.

On the up-side, as mentioned, there's a lot of good restaurants of all sorts including quite a number of sushi restaurants, great bagels, and some bars where you can hear your companions speak!

One of my best friends lived in the River Court building right after college. It's very safe and peaceful, on that block, but there are a fair amount of frat boy sports bars around the corner, which I think is what ggreen is getting at. They are more or less on 2nd Avenue, so I would worry at all about noise pollution from the bars or infestations of jr. i-banking associates. One of my favorite restaurants is nearby - Fusha on 58th & 1st.

There is actually some pretty robust shopping on 3rd Ave if you head north. All of the big chains, as well as boutiques like Scoop and Melon.

This is written from the perspective of a "non-hipster" 20 something, as a disclaimer.

LOL lizzie06, that's exactly what I meant! Much better to be straightforward, as you were. Thanks!

First of all, a small point is that this is not really the Sutton Place neighborhood; it is closer to Beekman.

If you let me know the exact address of the apartment I can help you with details of what the building is like..there are not many on that block...

Garbo lived in the Campanile at the end of the street; other celebrities have also lived (and a few continue to live) there. Keith Richards also lived on the block for a while. I can't imagine a safer location in Manhattan. The bus stops very close to the corner of First and 52nd. Taxis are very easy to find on First Avenue.

In re-reading your post I would guess that you are talking about 429 East 52nd Street.....that is the one on that block likely to rent short-term corporate housing. It is one of 2 post-war high-rises on the block.

Hi,

Thank You! The address is 429 E. 52nd.

This definitely seems like a good option, we will explore it further.

Thanks

I live a block from there and know the building well; it is a very well-kept high-rise built in the early 70s with a garden in the front. The service people are excellent in the building. The area is totally safe, (and very attractive) and there is a great cheese shop, a fish monger, and a wine store just around the corner on First Avenue. I can walk to Bloomingdale's in about 10 minutes; same to Fifth Avenue. There is a dry cleaner on the corner of First and 52nd and many others in the area. And a supermarket on First and 53rd (D"Agostinos). The Farmer's Market is on Wednesdays a few blocks south. And as mentioned above, Ze Ze Florists, one of the city's most famous, is on First Avenue just south of 52nd Street; I look in their windows every day and sigh at the beauty.