New York City - Manhattan

Downtown Manhattan is generally catagorised as streets below 14th Street. Downtown Manhattan has many attractions for visitors and locals alike. These include the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the financial district (i.e. Wall Street). It is also home to Chinatown and the now very touristy, Little Italy. This area is widely visited by tourists and there are many new restaurants and nightclubs opening on a near weekly basis. Close to the areas of Chinatown and Little Italy, lie the districts of TriBeCa and SoHo. These areas used to be busy areas of work for industry in NYC but now house some of the trendiest and exclusive housing in New York. It also has a popular shopping district. NoLita is another area of Downtown Manhattan worth a mention. It has many little boutique shops and hip restaurants. Both the West and East Village areas are a popular choice for nightlife.

Midtown Manhattan is the area between 14th and 59th Streets. The famous fifth avenue runs right through the centre of midtown and is an expensive and exclusive area of NYC. Depending on the part of midtown you find yourself in you will find a very different atmosphere. On 'the avenue' you will find the world famous Chrysler, Empire State and Seagram buildings, as well as a lot of the corporate businesses of New York. Grand Central Station is also found here. Gramercy Park is a very elegant part of Midtown and Union Square is always very busy (thus great for people watching!). Times Square is a well known gathering point for New Year celebration and is found towards the end of Midtown. There are also the notable districts of Hell's Kitchen, Garment district and the Theatre District (Broadway is also in Midtown Manhattan).

Whilst Midtown Manhattan has a very business like feel, Uptown Manhattan is much more residential being home to the Upper East and West Sides. Living in Manhattan is never cheap but these parts are particularly expensive! Residents here have the option to escape the frantic nature of NYC (especially the crowded streets of Midtown) to find a little peace in Central Park. Columbia University is also based here on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.