The 20 Coolest Neighborhoods in Manhattan

What are the coolest neighborhoods in Manhattan?  It depends on what you’re looking for.  World-class museums, theater, music venues, trendy clubs, great food from every ethnicity on the planet, you name it, Manhattan’s got it.

But certain neighborhoods tend to specialize in specific attributes and are famous for them.

Midtown has Times Square and the Great White Way of Broadway (BTW, it’s called the Great White Way because it was the first part of New York City to have electricity).  

The Upper East Side has its glorious museums. The trendy downtown Manhattan neighborhood of The Financial District has the memorable 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

But there is more to this city of immigrants than its unique and famous attractions. There are also a surprising amount of underrated attractions in Manhattan.

Winter, spring, summer or fall, there are always fun, interesting and unique things to do in Manhattan and these are the coolest neighborhoods to do it in.

New York City neighborhoods have their own feel or vibe. Something as simple as finding a great, affordable restaurant in Manhattan – yes, they exist-  can make a neighborhood feel like your own special place. A place to return to time and time again.

We asked frequent visitors and residents to share their favorite Manhattan neighborhoods and what about them is so special.

We hope that knowing a little more about the features of these coolest neighborhoods in NYC will make it easier for you to choose a destination next time you’re in New York City.

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Upper West Side

This residential area with tree-lined streets is bordered by 110th Street on the north, 72nd street on the south, the Hudson River on the west and Central Park on the east. This neighborhood has gone through many iterations over the years.

The area contained large swaths of farm land until the elevated subway train extended north. As transportation became more efficient, New Yorkers moved north following Broadway, the area’s major artery, and eventually populating what is today one of New York’ City’s most interesting neighborhoods.

The Upper West Side is dotted with large pre-war buildings some of which have become architectural landmarks like the Ansonia Hotel on 73rd and Broadway.

Besides Broadway, the major avenues running from south to north include Amsterdam and Columbus both dotted with trendy restaurants and exclusive shops.

Riverside Drive, on the far west by the Hudson River is lined by Riverside Park, a lush green area with playgrounds, restaurants, a marina and some fine iconic monuments like the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and the Grant Memorial.

The most exclusive avenue is Central Park West bordering its namesake, Central Park. The apartments here are among the most expensive in New York City.

Between 79th and 82nd streets is the fabulous American Museum of Natural History with its collection of dinosaurs, recently refurnished Hall of Gems and the new Gilder Center.

It’s worth noting that many celebrities call the Upper West home or have lived there including Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Steve Martin and others. It’s one of the best neighborhoods to find yourself next to a celebrity standing on line at Zabars, a famous food store where New Yorkers love to shop.

Washington Heights

This diverse neighborhood in Upper Manhattan is a residential neighborhood named after a fort that existed in the area. It has gracious pre-war buildings and many green areas.

At one time the area was home to luxurious mansions owned by the wealthy New Yorkers on the southern tip of Manhattan.

Once public transportation reached this norther tip of Manhattan, the population swelled primarily with the immigrant community; Irish, Eastern Europeans, Cuban, Russians and Puerto Ricans.

In subsequent decades Dominicans populated the neighborhood to the extent that the area became the largest concentration of Dominicans in the United States.

The area is home to The Cloisters, a medieval structure imported from Europe stone by stone and recreated on Manhattan’s highest point with a view of the Hudson River. It is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and definitely one of the most underrated attractions in New York City.

Washington Heights is also home to many important universities – like parts of Columbia University and medical centers.

Harlem

Today’s Harlem is one of the coolest neighborhoods in NYC.  It is one of the best places in town to take a New York City walking tour and learn about the history of this fascinating Manhattan neighborhood.

Harlem started life as a Lenape Indian settlement, from there it transitioned to Dutch farmlands, immigrant enclave, African-American cultural hotbed and now, trendy NYC neighborhood with vestiges of all its cultural past enriching its present.

What’s your pleasure? Harlem’s got it; museums, cuisine, music, and more.

My favorite restaurants in Harlem are Sylvia’s for delicious down-home cooking; ribs, corn bread and desserts to die for.  Red Rooster is the brainchild of Swedish-Ethiopian celebrity chef, Marcus Samuelson. The cuisine is a daring, innovative, combination of flavors in a beautiful environment.  

The new Senegalese immigrants have added their own cultural influence to the local cuisine so come and try Senegalese food!

Jazz clubs in Harlem are legendary.  Ginny’s Super Club is in the same location as Red Rooster and also serves dinner. The music is a wonderful selection of various artists playing Blues, Jazz, Latin and more. 

The Sunday Gospel Brunch show at Ginny’s is more than a show, it is an emotional experience. You end up saying “I love you” to total strangers from places as far away as Japan and Norway, and it feels so good!  

There are so many great jazz clubs in Harlem.  Make a plan to try them all.

The best experience you can have in Harlem – besides a Gospel Brunch show, is to attend Amateur Night at the historic Apollo Theater. 

Many legends have passed through the Apollo’s door including James Brown, Michael Jackson, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald to mention just a few.

On Wednesdays wannabe greats perform and the audience votes for their favorites.  At the end everyone gets on stage and dances. A must do in this legendary, trendy Manhattan neighborhood!

Talek blogs at travelswithtalek.com

Lincoln Center

This area is more a collection of performing art centers than a neighborhood. Still, many New Yorkers refer to Lincoln Center as the Lincoln Square neighborhood.

Lincoln Center is south of the Upper West Side in the 60s on Broadway. It was built in the early 1960s on the site of what many would consider a slum of tenements.

The Center is a collection of 11 arts organizations including: the New York Philharmonic, The Metropolitan Opera, The New York City Ballet, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Film at Lincoln Center, the Center for Performing Arts, Jazz at Lincoln Center and more.

In addition to the resident arts organizations, the Center offers events throughout the year from art exhibits in its wide central plaza to dances for the local residents.

As can be expected, the Center is surrounded by fine restaurants of all budgets. This is a great place to spend time watching an event then having dinner in this exciting neighborhood. A cultural center like no other.

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Times Square

What can I say about Times Square. With its giant flashing neon signs, crazy costumed characters posing for pictures – think naked cowboy – and frenetic energy. You either love it or hate it. I love it.

Times Square got its name from the New York Times newspaper that moved there in 1904. Before that it was called Longacre Square after a London neighborhood. Since then its continued to evolve.

The area went through some rough times in the 1970s and early 80s but it has reemerged with a vengeance to be one of the most exciting spots in New York City.

This is especially true every New Year’s Eve when the ball drops in Times Square watched my millions on TV and in person.

At such a central location in the middle of the city, Times Square has some of the best restaurants in New York City including one of my favorite Cuban restaurants, Victor’s Cafe.

Want live music? Take your pick in Times Square. You’ll find jazz clubs like the legendary Birdland to singing waiters at Ellen’s Stardust Diner. This area has great music venues.

And, of course, there is the Theater District nearby. Times Square is the perfect place to make a night of it. See a show then have dinner. That’s a real New York City evening.

Go north from Times Square and you’ll come to Rockefeller Center. Further east of Times Square is the Grand Central Terminal.

The Theater District

The Theater District, in Midtown Manhattan, is such an integral part of the city that it deserves its own neighborhood designation.

This lively district is bordered by west 41st street to west 54 and from Eighth to Sixth avenue. There are 41 major theaters in this area considered Broadway theaters. There are also off-Broadway (smaller number of seats) and off-off Broadway (less seats still) in the Theater District and elsewhere in the city.

Want to see a Broadway show at a discounted price? Head over to TKTS in Times Square and see if you can snag good seats for your preferred show.

These tickets can only be purchased for the same day. They may not be the newest shows but they’ll be new to you.

After a show, head over to Restaurant Row on west 46th Street between and 8th and 9th avenues. Here you’ll find ethnic restaurants with flavors from Japan, Italy, France, Brazil and a really special one from New Orleans.

And don’t miss the excitement at Swing 46 with nightly live entertainment.

Hell’s Kitchen

Don’t let the neighborhood’s name scare you. This is one of the coolest NYC neighborhoods.

First of all, where did that bizarre name come from? There are two theories.

It was a very rough neighborhood in the 1930s and 40s. A journalist was investigating a murder in a tenement and speaking to police officers they referred to the area as hotter than hell, it was hell’s kitchen and the name stuck.

Another legend is that there was a diner in the area called Heil’s Diner. The name was consistently mispronounced as “hell,” hence Hell’s Kitchen. No one knows for sure but it makes for a good story.

Today the area south of 59th Street, north of 34th with the Hudson River on the west and Eighth avenue to the east is gentrifying with tree-lined streets, trendy shops and restaurants and an ever growing collection of high-rise apartment buildings.

There is still a lot of charm in the brownstone walk-ups that remain though. Local real estate brokers trying to increase the value of the real estate market in the area have taken to calling it Clinton in an effort to make the neighborhood seem less ominous.

I still think the unusual moniker adds to Hell’s Kitchen’s charm.

Soho

Soho is my favorite neighborhood in Manhattan for many reasons. The first one is that I live here, but apart from that, there are many cool things to see and do in Soho.

It is full of designer stores and tourists so it can get very crowded, especially on weekends, but early in the morning, wandering the streets almost alone, is magical.

Many of the streets are still cobblestoned, one of the few remaining areas in NYC where this is true.

Soho is also famous for being the Cast Iron District with beautiful buildings made of cast iron so that columns are narrow and elegant and windows large. Soho has great food and drink too.

New York is home to many famous food crazes, and you can’t miss having a cronut (a cross between a croissant and a donut) at the bakery that created them – Dominique Ansel Bakery on Spring Street. For pizza, visit Fanelli’s café on Prince Street, one of the original and best pizza restaurants in New York City.

For something more upmarket, make a reservation at The Dutch where great food, old world charm and enormous windows make the perfect night out.

And for something off-beat, escape from the craziness of shopping and more mainstream art galleries to the Earth Room on Wooster Street. It’s an art exhibition consisting of rooms full of earth.

Yes, you read right! Soho truly has something for everyone.

James blogs at travelcollecting.com

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Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village has been one of the coolest neighborhoods in Manhattan since the 19th century.

Back then, artists in New York City used to congregate in Greenwich Village’s Tenth Street Studio Building. The Tenth Street Studio Building no longer exists, but artists and bohemians have never left Greenwich Village.

In the middle of the 20th century, creative geniuses like James Baldwin, Bob Dylan, Lenny Bruce, and Jack Kerouac used the bohemian vibe of the Village as inspiration for their work.

Nowadays, Greenwich Village is more expensive than it was in the 50s and 60s, but it’s still extremely cool.

When activists want to lead political rallies in NYC, Washington Square Park is the first place they look, and they might look for inspiration at Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Books afterwards.

Head east to the East Village for quirky stores and trendy bars. It’s also one of the best places for great authentic ethnic food.

Stella Jane blogs at aroundtheworldin24hours.com

Korea Town

Nestled on 32nd Street between Madison Avenue and the 6th and Broadway intersection is one of New York City’s newest and most interesting neighborhoods, Koreatown. As the name implies, this is a neighborhood specializing in Korean restaurants, shops and fun karaoke bars.

You will find one of Anthony Bourdain’s favorite restaurants here, Wonjo. Go here for Korean BBQ with all the trimmings and you’ll fall in love with Korean food.

Chelsea

Whenever I’m in Manhattan I go to my favorite neighborhood: Chelsea. It’s on the west side of the island, approximately between 34th and 14th Streets. Its vibe is cosmopolitan and classy while still retaining a “hip” factor.

The famous Chelsea market is there with vendors selling anything from seafood and crepes to loaves of bread and pasta dishes.

If you’re not hungry but passing through there’s plenty of artisan shops, a flower store and a magazine stand. (There’s often pop up sample sales of high end fashion designers too!)

The High Line is in this neighborhood and is accessible from right next to Chelsea Market as well but it has several street-level access points along the way.

The Vessel, a popular NYC tourist attraction that looks like a copper vase with stairs seemingly reaching the sky, is in Chelsea in “Hudson Yards.”

Though Hudson Yards has become a Manhattan neighborhood all its own, the southern part where this attraction is does, in fact, reach into Chelsea.

Take the subway to the neighborhood for fast and affordable, virtually traffic-free transportation. The blue line subway with the A/C/E trains stop there as well as the red line with the 1/2/3 trains.

East of Chelsea you’ll find the Flatiron District with its iconic building, Gramercy Park with its beautiful private park and quiet, residential Kips Bay.

Further north is the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. Basing yourself in Chelsea is a convenient location for exploring this eclectic part of Manhattan.

Mikkel blogs at sometimeshome.com

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The Meatpacking District

In the early 1900s the area was heavily involved in meatpacking and related activities which began to decline towards the 1960s when the distribution system began to change.

The Meatpacking District neighborhood in Manhattan took a different turn in the early 1990s when hip-boutiques like Diane von Fürstenberg, Alexander McQueen and Christian Louboutin appeared in the area.

Restaurants like Pastis which closed in 2014 and returned at a new location a few years later, attracted the fashionable crowds to the area and were famous for people watching and celebrity spotting.

Meatpacking District was also mentioned in Sex and the City, where four friends would spend their evenings in one of the hot night-clubs in the area.

Some of the highlights of Meatpacking District are the Whitney Museum of American Art as well as a stretch of the High Line, which is an elevated park built atop former railroad track.

The district is also known for its trendy restaurants and high-end boutiques.

Elena blogs at passionfordubai.com

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Museum Mile

One of the best neighborhoods in Manhattan is a mile-long stretch along the east side of Central Park known as Museum Mile on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

This area is, you guessed it, made up of some of the best museums in New York and possibly the country.

Along with the Museum of the City of New York, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and many others, the world-renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art, with over 2 million works of art, is a must-visit.

Whether you’re visiting New York City for an extended stay or only a day, Museum Mile is a great place to check off some bucket list items.

Plus its proximity to Central Park allows for even more exploring when you get tired of the exhibits and collections.

If you visit during early June, don’t miss out on the annual Museum Mile Festival, with free admission to 9 museums, musical performances and art-making workshops along the mile.

For art and museum lovers, Museum Mile is a can’t-miss neighborhood while visiting New York City. It is truly one of the great neighborhoods in Manhattan. In a city awash with world-class museums, Museum Mile on the Upper East Side is one of the best neighborhoods to indulge your culture vulture.

The Upper East Side is not just about museums, however. It has some of the best restaurant in New York City, lovely parks like Charles Shulz Park bordering the East River and a string of hospitals reputed to be among the best in the world.

Jordan blogs at the sololife.com

Chinatown

Chinatown is a Lower Manhattan neighborhood bordered by Lower East Side, Little Italy, Tribeca, and the Civic Center.

Home to one of the biggest populations of Chinese in the Western Hemisphere, visitors will feel like they have traveled to China when visiting Chinatown.

Once you have entered the Chinatown neighborhood, you will know.

Chinese street signs hanging off the side of the buildings, street vendors on the street selling fruits and vegetables, and roasted pork and ducks hanging on the windows of restaurants, there is no doubt where you are when you enter Chinatown.

If you have a chance, visit one of the dim sum restaurants and try out chicken feet or pig intestines, it is something unusual to do in New York City.

You might forget the taste but you will never forget the memory. The only downside is that Chinatown really lacks nightlife, as there are only a few bars/clubs in the area.

However, its neighboring district, Lower East Side, is one of the best and most affordable places for nightlife in New York City!

Sean blogs at Livingoutlau.com

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Little Italy

Ah, Little Italy. One of the coolest neighborhoods in Manhattan. Just the name signals romance. But aside from the charming lights that criss-cross the street, it looks a little rough around the edges.

A hundred years ago it stretched across much of lower Manhattan.

Now it has shrunk to just a few blocks. I visited many times during the period a few years back when my daughter lived there above a cannoli shop.

She had a teeny, tiny apartment in a walk-up, and though I adored stepping out into the bustle of Mulberry Street each day, she complained about the tourists sitting on her stoop.

It is a popular, touristy spot, and for good reason. The restaurants are a big draw, but they have a general reputation for being not so good.

However, on Mulberry, which is the heart of the area, Da Nico Ristorante at #164 and La Mela Ristorante at #167 (it’s described as “like walking into a Mafia movie”) are both highly rated.

At the end of the street is Canal Street, famous for its selection of souvenirs and bargains on counterfeit goods.

And just across that street is atmospheric Chinatown. A don’t miss is the annual Feast of San Gennaro held for two weeks each September.

Carole blogs at travelswithcarole.com

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The East Village

The birthplace of funk was known to be in the East Village in lower Manhattan. Historically this multicultural neighborhood was home to many musicians and arts.

Today it still has a large arts scene with many theaters. It’s one of the most laid-back neighborhoods in Manhattan with a vibrant nightlife that draws a hip, bohemian crowd.

You can find everything from dive bars to vintage clothing shops here.  This is one of the best neighborhoods in Manhattan for the arts.

To get a sense of the history of the neighborhood visit one of the old-school bars or clubs. Barcade combines the arcade games of your childhood with the drinking culture of today.

Make sure to visit Spot Dessert Bar across the street from Barcade for some unique desserts that mix American & Asian flavors. Big Gay Ice Cream shop is another fantastic place to go if you have a sweet tooth.

While there are a lot of Asian restaurants and ramen places in the East Village, you can eat at a wide variety of places.

Hole in the wall places like Taqueria St. Mark’s Place can be found throughout the neighborhood.

Within the East Village you can also see the different communities grouped together. For example, Little Ukraine is a great area of the neighborhood to try some Ukrainian food and learn about the culture of Ukraine at the Ukrainian museum.

Elizabeth blogs at the fearlessforeigner

Lower East Side

The Lower East Side is a must-visit Manhattan neighborhood for anyone looking for the taste of old New York City. From art galleries and museums to some of the best rooftop bars in NYC, there is truly something for everyone.

However one of the best parts of the Lower East Side is the history. Visit the Tenement Museum to learn about the history and experiences of the immigrants that called the Lower East Side home upon first arriving in America.

After getting your fill of American history head over to Katz for the world’s best pastrami sandwich. It is a NYC institution and a must-visit.

Finally, don’t forget to satisfy your sweet tooth at the Donut Plant where you can have your pick or some of the best donuts around.

Aside from the food, culture, and history in the Lower East Side, one of the best-kept secrets is the waterfront views.

Skip Dumbo for the less populated Pier 35. This small park is the perfect place to have a picnic or just take in the views of Dumbo, and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

Taima blogs at poorinaprivateplane.com

DUMBO

Although not in Manhattan, DUMBO is just 10 minutes away and such a cool neighborhood that I wanted to include it.

The DUMBO area of Brooklyn is hipster heaven with industrial-style warehouses-turned-markets, urban art galleries and start-ups galore so it’s no wonder it’s one of the coolest spots in New York.

Standing for “Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass”, DUMBO is an area next to the river on the Brooklyn side which has spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline as well as having a wonderful character of its own.

DUMBO is the first neighbourhood you reach when you walk over Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges and it can also be easily accessed by ferry from the likes of Williamsburg and Wall Street.

While the area originally burgeoned thanks to the quirky artists who chose this as their favourite New York location in the 1970s, it has now become an Instagram dream with the cobblestone streets, industrial units and towering bridges making the ideal backdrop for that like-worthy Insta shot.

When you’re not snapping the ultra-photogenic locations, indulge in some of the cool activities DUMBO has to offer.

Wander through Brooklyn Bridge Park, watch locals playing basketball on the riverside courts, take a ride on a vintage carousel, visit the Time Out Food Market or check out one of the area’s bars, galleries or boutiques.

Chrissy blogs at Travelpassionate.com

Jackson Heights

Like DUMBO, Jackson Heights is not in Manhattan. It is in the outer borough of Queens. However, the area is so quintessentially New York City I just had to include it.

Jackson Heights is the most ethnically diverse pace on Earth. That’s not hyperbole. It’s true. In this neighborhood of 180,000people, 160 different languages are spoken.

On Roosevelt Avenue, the area’s main artery, restaurants and shops of every ethnic enclave dot the street; Tibetan, Colombian, Lebanese, Ecuadorian, Israeli, Bangladeshi…the list goes on.

The neighborhood known as Little India with its colorful sari stores blends into Little Colombia awash with flower shops and ends in a cluster of Nepalese restaurants with prayer flags fluttering on the awnings.

It is said that you can be in a subway car in Jackson Heights and each passenger can be speaking a different language. People from vastly different cultures all working together – or at least not fighting each other – with the same capitalistic goal in mind, to make a buck and a better life for themselves and their families. That’s the very definition of New York City.

There are lots of other exciting neighborhoods in Manhattan; the Yorkville, The Garment District, El Barrio, NOHO. All of them are cool in their own way. Make a point to see them all with this useful Manhattan neighborhood map.

Learn more about where to go and what to do in the coolest Manhattan neighborhoods in these useful and entertaining books.

Which do YOU think are the coolest Manhattan districts?  Which ones did we miss?

Where to stay in Manhattan

Manhattan has accommodations in every price range. If you are staying way down town close to Little Italy, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, the East Village and even Chelsea and the Meat Packing District, although those two are further north, The Walker Hotel is a good option.

It is economical, close to everything, within walking distance to transportation and a nice place.

In Harlem, on the north of Manhattan there are a few hostels and a reasonably price, very pleasant hotel, Aloft – Harlem.

The Upper East Side of Manhattan around Museum Mile can be pricey.

If you want to be near all the Museums on Museum Mile like The Met, Guggenheim, The Frick, Neue Galerie, Museum of the City of New York and many more, The Franklin New York is a good bet at a good price.

If you want to spurge and be pampered, try The Mark New York.

Still can’t get enough of New York City? You might like these posts designed to help you maximize your time in the Big Apple.

26 authentic ethnic restaurants in New York City: From A to Z.

18 famous places to eat in New York City without going broke.

11 most underrated places to visit in New York City.

Why Times Square is the crossroads of the world.

Coolest things to do in Harlem.

Beautiful places to visit in Central Park, NYC – with map!

What to do and where to go after a Broadway show.

What to do in NYC for the winter holidays.

Where to stay in New York City based on what you want to see and do.

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• Need a visa?  Get your visa for all countries with Passport Visa Express.
• Looking for a cool walking tour to explore a city? My favorite walking tours are offered by Take Walks.
• Food and drink tours are the best way to enjoy a city. And Devour Tours are my favorite.
• Looking for a good VPN to protect your security, privacy and freedom online while traveling? Nordvpn is your best option.
• The best and most economical way to stay connected while traveling is with an Airalo eSIM.

I personally use, and can recommend, all the companies listed here and elsewhere on my blog. By booking through these sites, the small commission we earn – at no cost to you – helps us maintain this site so we can continue to offer our readers valuable travel tips and advice.