Although the Upper East Side is best known for upscale real-estate, well-known prep schools and designer boutiques, affordable apartments and relaxed living are easy to find in this quiet and bright neighborhood.

Some of America’s most famous families have made their homes on the Upper East Side: the Roosevelts, Kennedys, Rockefellers, and Carnegies were all real-estate pioneers in the early 1900s and developed the neighborhood into a beautiful and posh place to live.

 

Today, the Upper East Side is still home to long-time residents that have had roots in the neighborhood for generations. For many, the Upper East Side is the ideal balance between cosmopolitan living and pastoral sensibility. The Upper East Side has steadily become a popular destination for the under-30 crowd.

 

The Upper East Side moves at a slower, more relaxed paced than other neighborhoods in Manhattan. The wealth of playgrounds, community centers, and schools make it feel like a suburb within the city.

 

Central Park becomes your playground when you live on the Upper East Side. If you enjoy exercising outdoors, you’ll have no shortage of options for running and biking in Central Park. Over on East End, you’ll find the lesser-known but equally beautiful Carl Schurz Park, an intimate space with dog runs and great views of the river. Museum Mile is home to a row of some of the finest museums in the country, including the Guggenheim, the Jewish Museum and the Met. After dark, nightlife is vibrant on Second Avenue. There are no clubs and no guest lists - karaoke lounges and Irish pubs welcome in anyone and everyone.

 

Commuters who work on the Upper West Side or in Midtown West may find the Upper East Side inconvenient. Although the neighborhood has become much more accessible in recent years, thanks to the 2nd Avenue and Q train extensions, traveling across the park remains difficult.

 

The Upper East Side real-estate is the stuff of legends, especially townhouses and luxury doorman buildings on Fifth, Madison and Park Avenue. The understated green awnings and attentive doorman belie some of the most impressive homes New York City has to offer. But further east, one and two-bedroom apartments are some of the most affordable in the city. Young adults and recent New York transplants can find a cozy pre-war apartment for an outer borough price.