West 57th and 11th ave
 

Help! Moving to NYC and wondering about the Helena building at the above address. Apparently this is /clinton/Hell's Kitchen (are they one in the same?) Someone familiar with the area give me the scoop. I know what all the press/neighborhood descriptions say, but what is the real skinny on the neighborhood. Seems fine, but has it really cleaned up or no. (maybe it was never bad, pardon my ignorance!)

There is a great Thai Rest at 54th and 9th if you need a quick meal.
M

Clinton is the "new name" for Hell's Kitchen. No one I know calls it Clinton. 57th Street might be considered the northern tip of that neighborhood; 11th avenue and 57th is really Midtown West, not Hell's Kitchen. It is perfectly safe there but there is not a whole lot around that exact corner....you are near a lot of car dealerships and commercial space, if I recall. It is also very windy as it is right off the Hudson River. Are you talking about one of the huge new condo buildings recently built around there? Where are you going to be working?

Ekscrunchy, thanks. Yes, it is one of the new buildings. (thehelena.com is the site). I actually will be working in Time square.

The only problem is that the blocks between the avenues are very long that far west - so it's a pretty long walk to the subway - unless you want to do crosstown bus to downtown bus.

And it is sort of empty - lots of car dealerships as noted - and not a true residential area with lots of services. Safe - but not the most pleasant or charming.

Is there some reason to choose this area? If it were me I would go farther up the west side to a real residential area - and you can hop downtown to Times Square on the subway is about 10 minutes. (This seems like it would be farther away but is actually closer in terms of time - and a whole lot nicer.)

One more note - I don;t know this building - but in Manhattan older (pre-war) is considered better than recent (unless it's super deluxe like Trump).

I know this is different than in many parts of the country in which new is considered better than old. But in NYC prewar buildings generally have larger rooms, higher ceilings, better closets and much better finish: parquet floors, fancy moldings and real walls (so they're quiter) than almost any recent building.

As far as Manhattan goes, that is not a very desirable area. Too far west, nothing around.

But it's still New York City ...

so what are the boundaries of being too far west just so I know? Also, what's the deal with the downtown financial district. I'm seeing some real nice apts there.

gladiator, you need to visit the city and walk around the various neighborhoods. They are all very different.

Recall the basic law of supply & demand ... there's a reason why certain areas are less expensive than others ....

The Financial district: mostly quiet, empty once your basic work hours are done (read: not many stores open after 6pm). It's become a hotbed for high-end living because I feel it's become the place to be if you have a high salary from a financial firm or through some other means.

On the residential side, there are some nice museums (one more coming in the coming years focused on sports) and lot of historic sites around. It's a place I would live in if I could afford it. Alas, I work long hours there. But one day...

I'm assuming the Helena is a rental?

I wouldn't want to live that far downtown (south of Fulton) ... not enough to do, too far from Central Park . . .

some friends of mine used to live on Pearl Street in a huge "warehouse" space ... great party spots, multiple kegs...

My cousin lives in Battery Park City and likes it for the quiet ... like I said, you need to visit and walk around ... it's all very personal and you'll know what you like & what you don't ....

Everything is a compromise. Assuming you're searching from a distance and what you're seeing are newer buildings, many in up and coming/transitional neighborhoods. While it's true prewar is usually better, there's also something to be said for new, water views and amenities like gyms etc.

I agree you really have to be here to look. If you need a place right away, why not rent something for a few months while you look? You can find some short term rentals right in the TS area. This co's Executive Plaza is right near TS.
http://www.empirestateproperties.com/locations.html

There are a lot of newer buildings on 10th and 11th avenues in Hell's Kitchen, and 57th Avenue is pretty busy, but you'll still find it fairly isolated. For for convenience sake, I'd suggest looking not quite so far west (you'd be relying on the bus or taxis to get anywhere, and that's not so fun). If you can find something around 9th Avenue, there is much more street life there. But the far west side is definitely picking up.

Hi Gladiator - it might be helpful if you gave some information about yourself. Are you single/married, kids/no kids? Do you like to go to bars, or would you prefer a quieter neighborhood? Do you like to have a lot of recreation options (jogging paths, gyms, etc.)? Do you have a dog? These are just some of the factors that can help us direct towards an appropriate area.

Re: the financial district, it depends a lot on where you live. Battery Park is more isolated from public transportation, but it is a very residential neighborhood. All new construction (high-rise condos), LOTS of families, people with dogs, people who like to live close to the office. If I lived down in the Financial District, my preference would be to live closer to Wall Street. There are tons of transportation options, and more dining/social/shopping options. You don't have the river views and recreation that Battery Park offers, but it's much more convenient to get to other areas of the island.

Agree on 2 things -

you need to give more info on yourself and needs to get really helpful answers

you need to visit the neighborhoods to see what they're really like - since flavors can differ massively

As for new versus old - again that depends on what you want. If you want a gym and on-site parking you need new - but will give up apartment size and quality - unless your resources are unlimited.

If you're willing to go to a gym and/or do your running in the Park - there are many benefits in pre-war. (A friend recently bought in a new "luxury" building and the narrow halls are carpeted with a sort of astroturf like material - where our building has halls that are twice as wide with patterned Italian marble floors.

In any case- the area you're looking at now is NOT prime territory - really too far from much of anything while still being in Manhattan.

Thanks all. Lizzie fyi I am single with no kids. I hear you on the financial district, it seems like the wall st area may make more sense if I moved down there. I need easy access to subways and I also like to have dining/bar and late night store options after traditional business hours. Mclaurie, your suggestion about a short term apartment is one I am seriously pondering, I may just try to sublease one until I really decide on an area that I like. My biggest problem is time right now. Anyone know how long the subway ride is from the financial district to TS in the morning. ....so many options, so little time!

and oh yes, I admit, I am probably spoiled, or not a "true new yorker" but there is something about the newer postwar type amenities that I like. Can't beat a diswasher and a fitness center.

Even older buildings will have updated kitchens with dishwashers. Some may even have a fitness center. Many older coop buildings (you could sublet from an owner) have converted space in the basement into fitness facilities. Not the same as a club, but better than nothing.

I'd say it would be 20-30 mins. commute from financial district to TS. Here's a subway map in case
http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm

Hopstop.com is a website that helps you figure out how to get from point A to point B. They also estimate travel time and taxi cost (within Manhattan). It's far from perfect, but could be a help.

You might consider looking on the upper west side, the area west of Fifth Ave. from 60- about 110 st. Good subway service from there to TS.

Another idea is the east 40s/Turtle Bay area which would be crosstown from Times Square. While crosstown traffic is never great, there is the Times Square shuttle from Lexington Ave., the 42 st. crosstown bus and there are a lot of apartment building over there both old and new.

And what about Chelsea (west teens and 20s). That's really convenient to Times Square with lots going on. Tons of both new and old buildings. In that area, 10th & 11th aves. have more happening.

Here's a website some info. http://www.cityrealty.com/

Assume you know about brokers vs. no brokers?

I thought you guys were walkers: I walked from 57th/6th to Chelsea Market and to several other places on the E side in lower Manhattan late last April.
Great fun.
M (SMdA, Gto., MX)

Exactly - older doesn;t mean everything is original. Many apartments have completely updated kitchens and baths (the ones from the 1920's would be falling apart by now).

Also - a lot depends on if you're going to rent or buy. Rentals are rare in prewar since most have long since gone co-op.

But if you want new be very careful in egvaluating value - since many from 1970 on were built on the cheap and the "luxury" consists mostly of a doorman and a fitness center that needs updating.

As with anything there are compromises unless you have unlimited funds.