Murray Hill / Midtown South (upper 30s and madison)

Its both actually. In general terms that neighborhood is considered very safe, very convenient to get around and a bit boring. I think it is also cheaper on a relative basis than many other neighborhoods. North of 34th and as you get closer to 42nd Street you see more and more office buildings but I think it is still a mix in the area you are talking about and as you head South and East you don't see too many offices. Partially because of price it tends to attract a younger crowd. This info might be a bit dated but I don't get the impression it has changed that much in the last few years.

ive lived in murray hill for close to 20 yrs....34th to 39th between mad and lex has some GORGEOUS brownstones and prewar buildings....its very convenient to many locales...shopping, grand central, penn station, etc etc etc.......during week its pretty busy area but nice and quiet on weekends.

Perfect..where you are is nice and quiet to get work done during the day but you are just a few blocks from your contemporaries go to roar...third avenue from 23rd to around 38th streets is just about wall to wall bars catering to 20somethings. When I first moved to the area I was scared to go out at 11 pm Saturday night lest I be attacked by gangs of teenage boys "wilding"...now I'd be afraid to go out on 3rd Ave there lest I be attacked by a gang of drunk young women in mini-skirts and high heels "partying". (Which I assume is your idea of paradise, and if it isn't Chelsea is very short cab ride away as well).

"gang of drunk young women in mini-skirts and high heels "partying". (Which I assume is your idea of paradise, and if it isn't Chelsea is very short cab ride away as well)."

Liz, please give Talsh the benefit of the doubt regarding alternative "paradise" models besides these two. For starters, he can string letters together into words, and those into sentences.

Talsh, my only concern would be the rush-hour traffic in that area on weekdays. Some people can tune out the noise and the stench, and the likelihood that you want want to open your windows because of the soot; others not so well. If you don't face the street, that takes care of the worst of it, but there's still the experience of leaving your building and being right smack in the middle of it.

Alan darling, it really hasn't been THAT long since you were a 28 year old male. Maybe things have changed but as I recall there aren't many varieties of that species (especially single) who do not devote a large part of their non-working hours to "cherez la femme" or "l'homme" (I probably spell as badly in French as I do in English.) And of course don't you realize I'm just bitter because I'm obviously past the "mini-skirt and high heels" phase...although in my day the playground wasn't out my front door...I went back downtown for fun and thus, got confused with the OTHER women in "mini-skirts and high heels" standing in Lexington Avenue at that time for other reasons entirely.

I do agree with you about the tunnel traffice, forgot about that as an issue since my Murray Hill experience was in the area that isn't really Murray Hill at all (south of 34th)--unless you are a broker.

Yeah, but 40 is the new 15.

I didn't mean the tunnel traffic so much as the narrow-Avenue heart of midtown traffic, and the zillion bus lines that go up Madison and down Fifth.

i know i'm just a middle-aged tart, but i still have and wear a number of mini-skirts. i gave up high heels upon realizing that i had probably narrowly escaped certain death on any number of occasions wearing them. i'm a better woman for it.

ah, i don't think madison is quite the fright show that fifth is.

AR - AH may be right - in addition to the city buses that go up Madison, there are a number of the Express buses to Bklyn, Queens that use that route also.

Aboutready, you are in the very early stages of middle age no doubt and I really doubt you wear the kind of mini-skirts I see on the Carrie Bradshaw wanna bes. Above the knee, mid-thigh is nothing (and I might consider it myself). I can't believe sound exactly like my mother but this summer I saw many that barely cover what is necessary to be covered (of course my mother said that when I wanted her to shorten my skirt three inches above the knee. A big step toward family peace was achieved when I could finally afford to have the tailor do hems for me, although then I had to deal with hurt feelings from the daughter of two garment workers who couldn't believe she produced a daughter who didn't know a needle from a haystack).

Fashion statements aside, Talsh said he was a single guy, but did not say he was interested in women.

Hey guys, thanks for the feedback! For the record, I am interested in women, however, not necessarily the scene described above... although there is nothing wrong with a mini-skirt.

I guess what I am really interested in knowing is whether the area feels residential during the day as in having small cafes, stores etc., geared towards people that live there, and not tourists or commuters... not sure if you get me... I will be in the John Murray building (220 Madison?) which is directly across the street from the Morgan Library, one block up, on Madison.

Working at home will be a new experience, and will mean that i will be around the neighborhood ALL day long... so hoping to be somewhere I feel comfortable and not claustrophobic, or like i need to get away! Thanks! Any feedback or advice is appreciated!

I can't say that the immediate area (Madison Ave) feels residential but a very short stroll east--like two or three blocks gets you to an entirely residential and nicely low key area. And its convenient to everything and everywhere. You'll save a fortune on cabs and trains because unless its really gross weather, you will end up walking wherever you neeed to go.

I'd suggest that you head over there at various times of the day & week & check the area out; you'll be spending A LOT of time there. I think of a darling elderly friend & her suggestion to her son when he began to work at home that he go out for lunch & keep an office hours routine. Even as a long-retired senior, she would sit down at 9 AM & 3 PM for a coffee or tea break; when I could visit her, I knew to go at 3 & bring a pastry. May she rest in peace.

I will echo what everyone here as said... I lived in murray hill, it's safe quiet and not much going on where you are taking about. The upside is excellent value and so close to everything. There are a couple of cool bars where you are thinking of living and the morgan hotel is near by, local dinner, drugstores ect. plus when working from home do you want a zillion distractions at your doorstep?? and that area does not get the touristy feel at all, much more residential of an area. i would say go for it!!! hard to beat the location in terms of being in the center of everything!!! so i guess to sum it up, nice and quiet where you are thinking but very easy to get somewhere fun a cool (think bryant park, flatiron to name a few).
good luck