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 StreetEasy Article continues below

Manhattan Valley

953 Amsterdam Avenue

$2,300 base rent

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Central Harlem

19 West 129th Street

$2,150 base rent

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Inwood

502 West 213rd Street

$1,900 base rent

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Central Harlem

165 West 127th Street

$2,000 base rent

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Hamilton Heights

469 West 147th Street

$2,075 base rent

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Hamilton Heights

454 West 146th Street

$2,200 base rent

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Central Harlem

136 Edgecomb Avenue

$2,250 base rent

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Hamilton Heights

557 West 149th Street

$2,000 base rent

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Inwood

93 Payson Avenue

$1,975 base rent

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Yorkville

337 East 86th Street

$2,200 base rent

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Fort George

11 Fairview Avenue

$2,190 base rent

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Hudson Heights

728 West 181st Street

$2,252 base rent

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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 StreetEasy Article continues below

Hamilton Heights

580 Saint Nicholas’s Avenue

$2,400 base rent

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Central Harlem

19 West 129th Street

$2,150 base rent

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East Harlem

234 East 106th Street

$2,375 base rent

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Inwood

502 West 213rd Street

$1,900 base rent

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Central Harlem

165 West 127th Street

$2,000 base rent

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Hamilton Heights

469 West 147th Street

$2,075 base rent

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1

Hamilton Heights

454 West 146th Street

$2,200 base rent

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Central Harlem

136 Edgecomb Avenue

$2,250 base rent

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Hamilton Heights

557 West 149th Street

$2,000 base rent

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1

Inwood

93 Payson Avenue

$1,975 base rent

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Inwood

83 Post Avenue

$2,344 base rent

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Fort George

11 Fairview Avenue

$2,190 base rent

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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 StreetEasy Article continues below

Murray Hill

320 East 42nd Street

$2,400 base rent

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Hell’s Kitchen

402 West 45th Street

$2,396 base rent

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Hell’s Kitchen

860 Ninth Avenue

$2,300 base rent

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Hell’s Kitchen

692 Ninth Avenue

$2,383 base rent

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Murray Hill

304 1/2 East 38th Street

$2,450 base rent

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Midtown South

606 Eighth Avenue

$2,152 base rent

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Turtle Bay

303 East 46th Street

$2,400 base rent

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Sutton Place

320 East 59th Street

$2,492 base rent

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Beekman

34 Beekman Place

$2,500 base rent

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Hell’s Kitchen

424 West 56th Street

$2,388 base rent

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Hell’s Kitchen

412 West 56th Street

$2,430 base rent

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Hell’s Kitchen

403 West 54th Street

$2,400 base rent

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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 StreetEasy Article continues below

Chelsea

327 West 21st Street

$2,350 base rent

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East Village

169 Avenue A

$2,795 base rent

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East Village

184 Avenue A

$2,700 base rent

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Gramercy Park

144 East 22nd Street

$2,658 base rent

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East Village

97 East 7th Street

$2,500 base rent

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Chelsea

259 West 19th Street

$2,896 base rent

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Chinatown

34 East Broadway

$2,995 base rent

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Soho

57 Thompson Street

$2,900 base rent

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Lower East Side

148 Orchard Street

$2,750 base rent

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East Village

425 East 12th Street

$2,695 base rent

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Gramercy Park

330 East 15th Street

$2,950 base rent

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Lower East Side

101 Clinton Street

$2,600 base rent

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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. 

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