Despite Manhattan’s tiny landmass of just 23 square miles, New Yorkers have developed virtually endless ways to divide up the island. With monikers that sound more like futuristic texting lingo than neighborhood names (NoLita? FiDi? NoMad?), it’s no wonder NYC explorers might feel they need an annotated neighborhood guide. Beyond these nuanced neighborhood distinctions lies a more fundamental question: What counts as Uptown, Downtown, and Midtown in Manhattan? Let us explain.
Manhattan Rentals Under $2300 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Inwood
19 Seaman Avenue
$1,642No Fee
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1
Washington Heights
478 West 159th Street
$2,250No Fee
2 |
1
Central Harlem
285 West 147th Street
$1,795No Fee
2 |
1
Lenox Hill
409 East 78th Street
$2,250No Fee
Studio |
1
East Harlem
2006 Second Avenue
$1,950No Fee
1 |
1
Lenox Hill
503 East 78th Street
$1,989No Fee
Studio |
1
Central Harlem
470 Lenox Avenue
$2,122No Fee
1 |
1
Upper West Side
310 Riverside Drive
$2,100No Fee
Studio |
1
Central Harlem
2186 5th Avenue
$1,708No Fee
Studio |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
436 West 49th Street
$2,200No Fee
Studio |
1
Yorkville
227 East 83rd Street
$2,195No Fee
Studio |
1
East Village
508 East 13th Street
$2,300No Fee
1 |
1
Uptown Manhattan & Upper Manhattan: What’s the Difference?
If you need a visual reference for the start of uptown, head to 59th Street, where you’ll find Columbus Circle traffic, abundant food carts, and the southern end of Central Park. “Uptown” generally means anything parallel to or north of Central Park. So, the Upper East Side and Upper West Side are both “Uptown” — above 59th Street — and to the east and west of the park, respectively.
Yet while “Uptown” means north of 59th Street, Upper Manhattan means something else entirely. Neighborhoods north of Central Park, such as Harlem, Washington Heights, and Inwood, make up Upper Manhattan. Upper Manhattan starts at 110th Street at Central Park on the West Side and 97th or 98th Street on the East Side. In other words, where East and West Harlem begin. The best part, rental deals are plentiful in both Uptown and Upper Manhattan neighborhoods compared to areas further south.
Upper Manhattan Rentals Under $2500 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Central Harlem
309 West 138th Street
$2,500No Fee
2 |
1
Marble Hill
135 West 225th Street
$1,850No Fee
Studio |
1
Washington Heights
478 West 159th Street
$2,300No Fee
2 |
1
Hamilton Heights
145 Edgecomb Avenue
$1,695No Fee
1 |
1
Hudson Heights
195 Bennett Avenue
$1,350No Fee
Studio |
1
Central Harlem
2492 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard
$1,995No Fee
2 |
1
Central Harlem
148 West 142nd Street
$1,749No Fee
1 |
1
Washington Heights
647 West 169th Street
$1,850No Fee
1 |
1
Hamilton Heights
149 Edgecomb Avenue
$2,195No Fee
2 |
1
Morningside Heights
3111 Broadway
$1,995No Fee
Studio |
1
Washington Heights
517 West 169th Street
$1,720No Fee
1 |
1
Central Harlem
446 Saint Nicholas’s Avenue
$2,100No Fee
1 |
1
Midtown Manhattan: Where It Starts and Ends
Midtown is Manhattan’s bustling, concrete heart, full of skyscrapers, office buildings, and transit centers. But if you’re looking for a more precise descriptor, it’s roughly between 30th Street and 59th street. Midtown Manhattan houses many distinctive — and incredible — neighborhoods. For example, the bright lights of Times Square provide a completely different vibe than the prewar buildings and countless eateries of Hell’s Kitchen. Midtown East neighborhoods like Kips Bay and Murray Hill seamlessly blend historic landmarks like Grand Central Terminal with numerous sports bars. Also good to know: Midtown is home to the luxurious high-rises of Billionaire’s Row.
Midtown Rentals Under $3000 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
Kips Bay
489 Second Avenue
$1,741No Fee
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1
Turtle Bay
140 East 52nd Street
$2,300No Fee
Studio |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
436 West 49th Street
$2,200No Fee
Studio |
1
Kips Bay
216 East 32nd Street
$2,400No Fee
Studio |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
324 West 43rd Street
$1,995No Fee
Studio |
1
Sutton Place
332 East 54th Street
$2,000No Fee
Studio |
1
Sutton Place
434 East 58th Street
$2,500No Fee
Studio |
1
Hell’s Kitchen
326 West 45th Street
$2,400No Fee
2 |
1
Murray Hill
5 Tudor City Place
$2,100No Fee
Studio |
1
Turtle Bay
839 Second Avenue
$2,100No Fee
Studio |
1
Murray Hill
304 East 41st Street
$1,950No Fee
Studio |
1
Midtown
135 East 54th Street
$2,400No Fee
Studio |
1
Downtown Manhattan: Where It Starts and Ends
At StreetEasy, we consider Downtown Manhattan to be everything south of 30th Street. Of course, famous neighborhoods such as Tribeca, SoHo, and the West Village usually anchor Downtown Manhattan. These areas typically carry higher median asking prices and are home to numerous celebrities living in luxury apartments.
Where Is Lower Manhattan?
And while “Downtown” seems like it could encompass anything south of Midtown, most people refer to the southernmost part of the borough as “Lower Manhattan.” It includes neighborhoods like the Financial District, Two Bridges, and the Lower East Side.
Downtown Manhattan Rentals Under $3,000 on StreetEasyArticle continues below
West Village
9 Christopher Street
$500No Fee
Studio |
1
Little Italy
111 Mulberry Street
$2,495No Fee
Studio |
1
Two Bridges
46 Henry Street
$2,990No Fee
1 |
1
East Village
209 East Fourth Street
$2,250No Fee
Studio |
1
Lower East Side
146 Attorney Street
$2,495No Fee
Studio |
1
Lower East Side
203 Chrystie Street
$2,149No Fee
Studio |
1
East Village
76 E 1st Street
$2,299No Fee
Studio |
1
Gramercy Park
140 East 17th Street
$2,250No Fee
Studio |
1
Lower East Side
57 Clinton Street
$2,795No Fee
1 |
1
West Village
44 Downing Street
$2,795No Fee
1 |
1
Lower East Side
150 Orchard Street
$2,000No Fee
Studio |
1
East Village
216 East 10th Street
$2,800No Fee
1 |
1
Uptown and Downtown Are Relative
If you find all this confusing, let us remind you that residents use “Uptown” and “Downtown” in directional terms too. Any time you’re heading north in Manhattan, you’re going uptown. Anytime you’re heading south, you’re heading downtown. So if you hear someone at 145th Street say they’re running “downtown” to 76th Street, don’t try to inform them that 76th Street is, in fact, uptown.