uptowngirl

I usually use the M79 cross town bus to go across the park to the West side. The M 79 uses the 79th traverse road to cross Central Park from where it connects onto 81st Street along Columbus Avenue before once again turning on to W 79th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenue.
W 79th Street actually stretches from Central Park West ( the American Museum of Natural History) up to the west side highway where it hosts the 79th Street Boat basin which is an especially popular summertime haunt. The real estate topography of W 79th street includes high several rise buildings that date from before and after the war and include stately edifices like the Apthrop which in my opinion is one of the prettiest buildings in New York City which actually has the appearance of an old world palace and the imposing structure of the First Baptist Church which is located on Broadway and 79th Street.
The various buildings that line West 79th Street also host diverse commercial establishments like doctor’s offices, restaurants like the popular brunch spot Nice Matin which is located on the ground floor of 201, West 79th Street, Ducale on Columbus Avenue and, Bettola on Amsterdam Avenue along with an outpost of the popular discount retailer, Filenes Basement which located on the corner of W 79th Street and Broadway. West 79th street also used to host an outpost of old-world NYC butcher Ottomanelli Brothers but it recently shut shop due to rising costs and untenable rents.

W72nd Street which extends from Central Park West to Riverside Drive has always been a rather well known street in New York for it hosts one of the most famous co-ops in New York City, the Dakota. The Dakota which is located on the corner of Central Park West and 72nd Street is a huge fortress like building which is an architectural marvel what with its balconies, balustrades and other trimmings.This magnificent edifice which was home to John and Yoko Lennon has also hosted other famous New Yorkers like Leonard Bernstein, the composer and conductor, Lauren Bacall, the actress, Judy Garland, the singer, William Inge, the playwright, Jo Mielziner, the stage designer and Rex Reed, the columnist. Aside from Dakota, the street also hosts several other impressive buildings(high rise) like the beaux arts Chatsworth building at Riverside drive and the Corner a glass and tower edifice which now houses the Upper West Side location of NYC’s a favorite food store, Trader Joe’s.
W72nd Street also hosts many restaurants and commercial establishments like the Upper West side outpost of my favorite cupcake store the Buttercup Bake Shop, Seven’s Turkish Grill, the shoe heaven of Tip Top Shoes( where I once dropped $70 on a pair of flip flops) and Dallas BBQ Upper West Side.
This street which is one of the traverse roads of Central Park is served by the M72 Cross town bus and also hosts a rather elegant subway station that receives the #1,2 and 3 trains.
The Verdi Square is yet another landmark of West 72nd Street, this small patch of green which is located on West 72nd Street at the junction of Broadway and 72nd Street is equipped with a few benches that beckon you to take a break and rest while you soak in the buzzing atmosphere of New York City as it rushes around you.

When people refer to the neighborhood of Long Island City they generally seem to be talking about the fast developing neighborhood of Hunters point which is in fact just one of the many neighborhoods of Long Island City in Queens. This neighborhood which is located one stop away from Midtown on the number 7 train is essentially an industrial neighborhood which is currently undergoing rapid gentrification.
This favored area of Long Island City is actually known as Hunters Point and a couple of years ago we spent many a weekend there as we were considering buying into one of the many new condominium developments which are coming up at the edge of the East River. Many of these developments are actually old time warehouses which are being redeveloped into swanky loft type residences with all the necessary accouterments like gyms, swimming pools and party rooms. Since we were exploring the neighborhood on the weekends we had a chance to get a real feel for the neighborhood which actually seemed rather desolate in spite of all the hectic construction activity.
I am sure this is not the case during the work week for the neighborhood actually hosts quite a few important buildings like the Citibank Tower on Court Square, the mixed use Queens West Towers and the Long Island City Court House along with famed landmarks like Silver Cup Studios , the P.S.1 art space which an outpost of the MOMA museum, the Socrates Sculpture Park and 5 Pointz which is an artist outdoor exhibit space.
During our expeditions in Long Island City we actually came across a real cool speakeasy called Dutch Kills which served some amazing cocktails in a fantastic old world ambiance . This bar alone would give us reason enough to come back to Long Island City even though at the end of our meanderings we had decided we didnt really want to move to Long Island City in spite of the fact that proceeds from the sale of our Manhattan apartment would probably fetch us more living space and even a car parking allotment in one of the swanky new towers which are being erected all over the neighborhood.

East 66th Street is a quiet tree lined street which is considered to be one of the prettiest streets on the Upper East Side. This street which hosts mainly pre-war buildings and townhouses used to until recently lie within one of the most prestigious zip codes in the USA- 10021 believed to be home to some of the richest people in the country. This changed in 2007 when the US postal service divided this zip code and placed E 66 in zip code 10065. All this may sound trivial to someone who doesn’t live in New York City but if you are a New Yorker you would understand the snob value attached to this particular zip code.
E. 66th street extends from York Avenue to Central Park on 5th Avenue. There is an entrance to the Park on 66th street and the M66 bus which traverses the length of the 66th Street from the East to the West Side and back uses the 65th traverse road through the park.
Some of the major landmarks on East 66th Street include buildings like the historic Carrie Astor House on 3 East 66th Street which houses the Indian consulate( the visa section of the consulate however is located in the basement of the building and is anything but grand), the newly constructed Sloan Kettering Breast and Imaging center which is located on Second Avenue and the Manhattan House apartment block which is a post war building on 200 East 66th Street which has recently been cited by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as a NYC landmark. East 66th also houses the Seventh Regiment Armory or the Park Avenue Armory which is run as a non profit organization and is a venue for major art and antique fairs in NYC.
The street also hosts several commercial businesses like branches of major banks( TD bank at 66 street and third avenue), coffee shops – the popular Alice’s Tea Cup II is located on E 66 between third and Lexington avenues, art galleries, restaurants, outlets of major retailers like Banana Republic, Gap, Coldwater Creek, Club Monaco, American Apparel, Sephora and many mote.

East 85th Street is a busy street located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This street which extends from Carl Schurz Park on East End Avenue to Central Park on Fifth Avenue hosts a mix of commercial and residential establishments. The real estate scenario of this street features townhouses, low rise walk-ups which coexist with several amenity filled and luxurious condominium buildings. The street's newest builds include lavish properties like the Lucida which is located at 151, 85th Street at Lexington Avenue and is touted to be New York's 1st LEED Certified Green Condominium and the Georgica which is located on 305, 85th Street on third avenue.
Aside from residential properties, 85th Street hosts a large outpost of the US post called the Gracie Post Office which is located between second and third avenues and is usually my go to post office of choice especially on tax day i.e. 15th April as it is large enough to accommodate the laggards. Also located on this street are several bank branches including the one I bank at as well as many great restaurants like Jacques Brasserie between Second and Third Avenue, Dean and Deluca at Madison Avenue, Andres Café between Second and Third Avenue, Panorama at 3rd Avenue and Energy Kitchen on 84th and 85th Street.

East 84th Street is in my opinion one of the prettiest streets on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This street which extends from a cul de sac bordering Charles Schurz Park on East End Avenue to Central Park on Fifth Avenue, has a real estate landscape which is made up of tall rental buildings like the Strathmore on First Avenue and the Continental East Apartments, graceful pre-war properties like 7 Gracie Square and several low rise buildings along with numerous stately town houses that house both single and multi-family units.

Most of the town houses on East 84th Street date back to the early 20th Century or even earlier but there is one renovated townhouse that is located between East End Avenue and York Avenue which counts as my favorite building of the locality as its owner has gut renovated it and given it a total modern look with a tall glass fronted façade- not the best idea if you value your privacy but great if you want to show off your contemporary art collection to all and sundry.

Additionally East 84th Street also hosts the Chapin School which is located at 100 East End Avenue and is widely regarded as one of the top private schools for girls in the city. As for dining options East 84th Street like many of its siblings hosts several neighborhood restaurants like Yorkville Creperie at York Avenue, Hummus Kitchen at Second Avenue, Italianissimo-Ristorante between First and Second Avenue that cater to the needs of the residents who wish to dine within the neighborhood rather than venture out to other parts of the city.

East 72nd Street
It’s the money honey
East 72nd Street is a main arterial street of the Upper East Side. This street extends from East End Avenue to Central Park. East 72nd Street then transforms into the East 72nd Street Transverse Road through the park and continues on to the west side as West 72nd Street. One of the main land marks of East 72nd Street is the huge building on York Avenue that hosts the world headquarters of the renowned Sotheby’s Auction House.
The rest of the street is populated by a mix of pre and post war construction that includes luxurious condominium buildings like The Oxford, the Belaire,( which was the site of a plane crash in 2006 when a small passenger plane went into the building and killed its occupants baseball player Cory Lidle and his co-pilot/flight instructor along with injuring several people on the ground) One East River Place and Miraval Living, a full service building that is a favored spot for pied-a-terres as it offers various amenities like a fitness center, a pool, a café, a spa and a private 20,000-square-foot park.
East 72nd Street is served by the M72 cross town bus which is quite a boon for residents as the nearest subway station 9which is served by the number 6 local train) is located a few blocks away on 68th Street and Lexington Avenue at Hunter College. Though if you are a resident on this street it is generally believed that you are probably affluent enough to afford a cab, a car or even car service.
72nd Street offers a few neighborhood dining options like the 72nd Street Deli,Cafe Greco and Cafe Mingala amongst others along with good shopping options like a Talbots store, a Bath and Body Works Store, a Runners World Store and the flag ship Ralph Lauren Store that occupies the grand Rhinelander Mansion on 867 Madison Avenue. East 72nd Street also hosts a multi-screen AMC Loews Cinema which is one of the main sources of entertainment on this street

East 78th Street is an exceptionally pretty street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that I love walking on. This street which is an access street to the 77th Street subway station extends from East River Drive to Central Park and offers a real estate mix of condos, pre war co-ops and historic townhouses. In fact the street hosts the East 78th Street houses which are a row of identical brick attached houses that date back to the late 19th century. These houses which are five in number are the remnants of a row of eleven town houses which were originally built during the period. These historic and gorgeous townhouses are situated between Lexington and Third Avenues and are today worth millions.

East 78th Street also hosts several commercial establishments like doctor’s offices which are generally located on the ground/basement floors of the various condo or co-op builders, brokers offices and restaurants like Bandol Bistro ( a pretty French restaurant that serves Provencal cuisine), Lusardis, Lenox Hill Grill and Lenox Hill Pizza which cater to the needs of the folk who work at the Lenox Hill Hospital close by and gourmet dessert shops like Lady M confections which is located between Park and Madison Avenues and the renowned French chocolate store, La Maison du Chocolat which is located at Madison Avenue and 78th Street.

East 75th Street stretches eastwards from the East River Drive to Central Park. This street hosts a huge Con Ed Steam generating plant on York Avenue (505 East 75 Street) which is easily identified by its three 80 feet tall steam generators.
Also located on York Avenue and 75th Street is Lycée français de New York (LFNY) or the French International School of New York which is favored by French Expats in NYC, celebrities ( it is rumored that Lourdes , the daughter of Madonna studies at the Lycee along with children belonging to the Jolie-Pitt brood) and those New Yorkers who want their off-spring to grow up to be bilingual.
The real estate mix of East 75th Street is dominated by pre-war co-ops, spectacular townhouses and luxury condominium buildings. The street also houses the Whitney Museum of American Art which is located at 945 Madison Avenue and is commonly referred to as ‘the Whitney’. This museum which hosts a magnificent collection of contemporary art will however be soon relocating to the Meatpacking district in downtown Manhattan after having spent more than 40 years on the Upper East Side. The museum’s board believes that the future downtown location of the museum will help it attract a younger audience who don’t usually frequent the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
East 75th Street also hosts some great restaurants like the legendary Orsay at Lexington Avenue, Baraonda( a popular party spot) on Second Avenue and Per Lei located next door.

East 76th Street extends from John Jay Park which kisses the East River Drive to Central Park and Fifth Avenue. This typical Upper East Side Street offers a real estate landscape that is littered with historic pre-war co-op buildings, magnificent townhouses and relatively newer luxury condominium buildings like the Impala which is located on First Avenue and the Promenade Apartments located near York Avenue.

Also located on 76th Street is the 980 Madison Avenue building which is known as the Carlyle Galleries that houses the Parke-Bernet auction house along with art galleries like the Gagosian gallery. This building was recently bought by famed developer Aby Rosen who has since then wanted to redevelop it by adding floors to the building and utilizing the ‘air rights’. Rosen has also brought in world famous architect Lord Norman Foster for the effort.

However this proposed redevelopment which was initially going to add 22 floors to the building has caused a lot of controversy and has evoked massive protests as 980 Madison Avenue building lies within the Upper East Side Historic District and the Madison Avenue Preservation Special District, which limits the height of new buildings to 210 feet. Moreover in addition to violating the norms of the neighborhood it is believed that this redevelopment will block the vistas offered by the legendary Carlyle Hotel located nearby as well as alter the character of the neighborhood but in spite of all this vociferous opposition the Landmarks Preservation Commission seems to have recently given the developer the go-ahead for a modified version of the redevelopment plans.

Other prominent buildings located on 76th Street include the Surrey Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel which has housed famous guests like JFK, Bette Davis. Claudette Colbert down the years and which today houses the popular restaurant Café Boulud which belongs to the David Boulud stable of restaurants, the Hewitt School for Girls( a private school), the MS 167, Robert F. Wagner Middle School,( public school) and the gorgeous St Jean the Baptiste Catholic Church on Lexington Avenue.

East 80th Street extends eastwards from East End Avenue until Fifth Avenue and Central Park. This street like many other streets of the Upper East Side features a real estate landscape of historic pre-war co-op buildings, condominiums that feature luxury and rentals and stunning, expensive townhouses (especially the 80th Street houses which are a row of attached townhouses that are situated between Lexington Avenue and Park Avenue).

80 th street which is a mixed use street also hosts many commercial and educational establishments like an outpost of the City University of New York, the Caedmon Montessori School, The York Avenue Preschool, An Enterprise car rental outlet, parking garages and popular restaurants like the Divino wine bar and restaurant, Brasserie Julien, Cascabel Taqueria, H&H Midtown Bagels East and Le Rendezvous Wine Bar. In fact Le Rendezvous Wine Bar ranks as one of my favorite bars in the city for its friendly service and great selection of wines from around the world. So happy that there such an elegant but casual, adult place like this my neck of the woods which otherwise offers a preponderance of loud, frat bars which offer barrels of beer, live sports telecasts and sickeningly sweet, weird colored cocktails. Also located on the junction of East 80th Street and Second Avenue is the Lester's clothing store whose stocks of apparel are especially popular with pre-teens and tweens.
The M79 which is one of main transport options of the Upper East Side has its last stop on East 80th Street.

East 77th Street on the Upper East hosts a valuable chapter of New York City’s history. This street stretches from John Jay Park (which houses the only public access swimming pool of the area) that borders the FDR to Central Park and Fifth Avenue. 77th Street is also home to the historic Cherokee Place which lies between John Jay Park and York Avenue. Cherokee Place hosts a complex of four low rise buildings which have a definite European air, adorned as they are with wrought iron balconies, central courtyards and floor to ceiling windows.

These buildings of Cherokee Place were built in the early 20th century and were christened as the Shively Sanitary Tenements for they were meant to house poor New Yorkers who were suffering from the deadly white plague -tuberculosis. The money for the complex was put up by Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt as at that time it was believed the only treatment for TB was fresh air and light and the location of the apartments near the East River was thought to be ideal. Moreover the wrought iron balconies that were built for the apartments were not merely ornamental for they served an important purpose as they encouraged and enabled the sick to enjoy the outdoors quite easily. However soon after these apartments were built in 1912, they were declared a failure as rents were too high for the poor, TB stricken New Yorkers. Today the buildings of this gorgeous complex have been converted into co-op apartments which are highly coveted in New York City.
My husband and I actually looked at buying one of these Cherokee place apartments but were deterred by the fact that buildings are six floor walk ups which don't have facilities like a gym and doorman service that our apartment building which is located in the vicinity offers.

East 77th Street continues eastwards from York Avenue and hosts a mixture of gorgeous townhouses, condominiums and luxurious co-op buildings along with other prominent buildings and establishments of the neighborhood like the Lenox Hill Hospital at Lexington Avenue, the Housing Works Thrift Shop at Third Avenue and The Birch Wathen Lenox School which is located between Second and Third Avenues. 77th Street also hosts a wide array of dining establishments like Sant Ambroeus, Vero, Vermicelli, Café Buon Gusto, Le Pain Qoutidien, Bar Italia and Mxco along with the popular gourmet marketplace, Butterfield Market which is located on Lexington Avenue.

East 83rd Street is another quiet, tree lined street of the Upper East Side that is home to prominent fixtures like the Brearley School for girls which is located on East End Avenue and is often regarded as one of the best private schools in the city.
This street which extends from East End Avenue to Fifth Avenue is populated with stunning townhouses, co-ops, luxury condos and walkups and is essentially residential in character. However East 83rd Street does host many commercial establishments as well like the iconic Lexington Candy Shop which is an old world diner located on 83rd Street and Lexington Avenue which continues to serve retro eats like ice-cream sodas, frosted malts and other typical diner eats and is renowned for its window display of Coca Cola bottles sourced from around the world. Also located on East 83rd Street( at Third Avenue) is Soul Cycle which is the Upper East Side outlet of the immensely popular and trendy spinning studio.
Other popular establishments located on 83rd Street include restaurants like Nica Trattoria and Erminia Italian Restaurant which are choice locations for romantic dinners on the Upper East Side and the Tony’s di Napoli restaurant which serves gargantuan portions and thus is a big hit with families.

East 82nd Street extends from East End Avenue to Fifth Avenue, where it hosts the magnificent Metropolitan Museum of Art which is affectionately referred to as ‘the Met’ by New Yorkers. This street which is essentially residential in character is littered with walkups, condos and co-op buildings though this street also hosts some of the best schools in the city like P.S.290 or the Manhattan New School which is located between First and Second Avenues and is a highly ranked establishment that is a prominent fixture on this street.

82nd Street also hosts, the relatively unknown but also highly ranked St Stephen of Hungary Catholic school which is attached to the St Stephen Parish that is also located here between York and East End Avenues.
The St Stephens Greenmarket which is held during the summer months is yet another major landmark of East 82nd Street though the street also hosts many restaurants and bars like Brady’s Bar, Wasabi Lobby, Gina La Forinaria and Flex Mussels(an excellent seafood restaurant) which provide residents of the area with several diverse dining options.

East 81st Street is a quiet street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. This street which stretches from a cul de sac on East End Avenue all the way to Fifth Avenue is home to a mixture of townhouses, red brick co-ops and condominium buildings as well several old world walkups.
This largely residential street hosts a few commercial establishments like the historic Gracie Inn which is a bed and breakfast located on 81st Street and York Avenue, Sandro's which is a fantastic Italian restaurant that is located between First and Second Avenues as is Designer Resale Corp which is a popular designer consignment store and Alice’s Tea Cup Chapter II which is located on 81st Street between Second and Third Avenues and is an outpost of the popular tea salon chain .
Also located on 81st Street between Madison and Park Avenues is P.S.6 the Lillian Deveureaux Blake school which is reputed to be one of the finest public elementary schools in the city that is but naturally highly coveted by the residents in the area even though most of them can afford to 'go private' for their children.
Such is the quiet allure of East 81st street that pop singer/actor Madonna has recently invested in a townhouse on the street at 152, 81st Street which she is currently converting into a mansion by undertaking extensive renovations and adding a floor for the necessary celebrity accouterments like a gym, a hair salon luggage closet, and a wine cellar

The only time that I head to the Richmond Hill neighborhood in Queens is when I need to visit the Gurdwara or the Sikh temple( which is usually once a year during the birthday celebrations of Guru Nanak the founder of the Sikh religion).

Richmond Hill is yet another ethnically diverse neighborhood in Queens which is home to Indo-Caribbean, Sikh, African- American, Hispanic populations. This neighborhood which lies close to JFK airport and near the Jamaica Bay Wildlife preserve is served by the A, J, Z and E lines of the New York City subway.

I usually take the A train to get to the Ozone Park, Lefferts Boulevard station which transports me to the area around Liberty Avenue which is commonly known as South Richmond Hill. It is here that the Gurdwara of the Sikh Cultural Society is located at 118th street. A visit to the Gurdwara is usually followed by a meal at one of the area’s many ‘Trini’ Trinidadian restaurants like Singh’s Roti Shop and Bar and Anil’s Roti Shop and Bakery where we usually gorge on Indo-Caribbean delights like doubles, roti(with rarely found in NYC goat meat), chana, curry chicken and more. A visit to the Little Guyana Bakeshop is also usually included in our expedition.

The real estate landscape in Richmond Hill( South) features small single and multi-family homes while the northern part of the neighborhood which is known as North Richmond is populated by larger, more expensive Tudor style homes which are located within close proximity to the neighborhood’s main patch of green,Forest Park.

South Richmond Hill apparently is known for its raucous Phagwah celebrations and parades which is the Guyanese celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi but I have yet to witness these celebrations first hand.

Elmhurst in Western Queens is another ethnically diverse neighborhood that attracts me for its myriad shopping and dining options. Elmhurst has its northern boundary Jackson Heights and Roosevelt Avenue and Queen’s Boulevard as its limit on the south while Corona at Junction Avenue and Woodside Avenue, form its Eastern and Western limits.
Elmurst which is populated by detached wood frame multi-family houses and brick co-op apartments is home to a diverse population that is made up of Asian, Latin Americans Italian and Jewish folk. The main commercial drags of the neighborhood are located along Broadway, Whitney Avenue and Queens Boulevard. This largely ethnic working class neighborhood is well connected to midtown Manhattan via the G, 7, E, R, V subway lines and the travel time to midtown is usually 20-25 minutes.
As Elmhurst is home to an ethnically diverse population it is renowned for its fantastic restaurants like the Malaysian- Singaporean joint, Taste Good that provides cheap but delicious Singaporean fare and also caters for functions at the Singaporean consulate in Manhattan. Yet another great Elmhurst restaurant is Mie Jakarta which is a home-style Indonesian joint on Whitney Avenue that serves up great Indonesian fare like Nasi Campur and Mie komplit.
The neighborhood is also populated with many great ethnic grocery stores( the huge Hong Kong Supermarket which retails some of the freshest fruit in the city and also stocks Thai sweets made of sago) though it also offers much mid-range retail at its two big malls, Queen’s Plaza Mall and Queen’s Center Mall at Queen’s Boulevard.

I tend to visit the neighborhood of Jamaica Estates when I visit my friends who live in the neighborhood of New Hyde Park in Long Island which is located close by. Jamaica Estates is located on the last stop of the F train from Manhattan at the 179th street and we usually get the subway from Manhattan to get to this stop, after which our friends come and get us and drive us to their home.
Jamaica Estates is bounded by the main highway of the Union Turnpike to the north and it has Hillside Avenue as its Southern Boundary though the area around the subway station is downright grotty(unpleasant) as drunks and layabouts seem to hang out there perennially. Hillside Avenue which is home to yet another Little India of NYC is populated by several South Asian restaurants, sweet shops and salons which offer reasonable beauty services.
The neighborhood of Jamaica Estates has much history associated with it as it was developed in the early 1920s as an enclave for wealthy New Yorkers. Tudor-style homes which were built during this time continue to dominate the real estate scenario of this neighborhood which has a typical suburban feel with clean, tidy streets and well tended front-yards.
Jamaica Estates also offers good schooling options as it is home to several well regarded public, charter and private schools like P.S. 131 Abigail Adams, P.S.86, P.S.95 Eastwood, P.S. Is 268, Jamaica High School, Merrick Academy- Queens Public Charter School and the Queens outpost of the United Nations International School which is located on Croydon Road.
Aside from the F train which serves stations at 179th Street and 169th street, the neighborhood is also served by Queens buses and express buses which are used by commuters who need to travel to Midtown Manhattan everyday though if you are planning to live in Jamaica Estates you would most likely have to invest in a car to get around.

The neighborhood of Woodside which is located near Sunnyside in Western Queens is another multicultural neighborhood which is home to diverse immigrant population. It is believed that 49 nationalities call Woodside home though the area was initially overwhelmingly Irish in character and does continue to host a whole bunch of raucous Irish pubs which are concentrated around 61st street and Roosevelt Avenue. In recent years however Woodside has come to host various Asian populations and the neighborhood now has a significant Filipino population. So much so that Woodside now hosts an outlet of the popular Filipino fast food chain, Jollibee which is yet to be found in other parts of the city
Woodside like its neighbor Sunnyside is favored for its proximity to Midtown Manhattan, low crime, affordability and good schooling options. The neighborhood is also well served by the number 7, R, V trains of the New York City subway as well as the LIRR which makes a stop at Shea Stadium. MTA buses like the Q32, Q18 and Q53 also serve the neighborhood which is favored by young professionals who are priced out of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The main reason I choose to head to Woodside is for to partake of its many excellent ethnic restaurants. The neighborhood hosts one of the best Thai restaurants in the city- Sripraphai which is located on 39th Avenue near 64th Street and serves some of the spiciest and most authentic Thai food in the city. Other good restaurants in the neighborhood include Spicy Mina which serves Bangladeshi food and El Sitio which serves home-style Cuban food.

Sunnyside is a safe, affordable and quiet neighborhood that is located in western Queens. This neighborhood was established after the building of the Queensboro Bridge in the early 20th century. Sunnyside is easily accessible from Manhattan via a 15 minute ride on the number 7 subway trains which serves the neighborhood at the 33rd and 40th street stations.
The boundaries of Sunnyside are loosely defined as the Long Island Expressway which lies to the South of the neighborhood, the New Cavalry Cemetery which lies to the east, the Sunnyside shipyards which lie to the north and the western side of the neighborhood and Northern Boulevard. The busy Queen’s Boulevard traverses the length of the neighborhood which is dominated by low rise red brick apartment buildings which are a combination of co-ops and condos. The defining landmark of the neighborhood is the kitschy Sunnyside arch which is located at 46th Street and Queen’s Boulevard and welcomes visitors to Sunnyside.
However the neighborhood also encompasses the mini-neighborhood of Sunnyside gardens which was developed in 1924 and was influenced by the garden movement. This seven block enclave of Sunnyside gardens is populated by single and multi-family homes which have small individual gardens with shared interior courtyards. The neighborhood which has a distinct suburban feel to it and it is also home to the verdant Sunnyside park which like Manhattan's Gramercy Park is accessible only by residents of the area. However unlike Gramercy Park Sunnyside Park offers affordable membership to people who are not residents of the area. The Park offers facilities like
a grass playing field, basketball courts, swing and sand play areas for small children, a bocce court and a wading pool and picnic areas.
Sunnyside was initially settled by Irish immigrants but today it is a multicultural neighborhood that is is home to various diverse immigrant communities like the Armenians, Romanians, Indians, Bangladeshis, Chinese, Koreans, Colombians, and Ecuadorans. This multi-cultural character of the neighborhood is also reflected in dining scene that offered by the neighborhood which is populated by some good Korean, Peruvian, Irish, Turkish, Italian and Mexican restaurants.
Another notable aspect of Sunnyside is its annual all inclusive St Pat’s for all Parade which is the only NYC parade that welcomes gays and lesbians from the Irish community to take part in the festivities.