What's your favorite block in Manhattan?

I'll cheat, since can't pick just one. Elizabeth, between Prince and Spring - great shopping, eateries, ambiance, people watching, buildings. It's all there. 74th between CPW and Columbus - quiet, tree-lined, you can see the park, and some lovely buildings as well. St. Nicholas Ave between 148 and 149 - totally different feel, St Nick's Pub, Jackie Robinson Park (need to check out the renovated bandshell!), essentially in the heart of Sugar Hill, where there's some great architecture (there's a theme here, I guess).

bjw2103, Thanks. I'll check out your favorites next time I'm in those neighborhoods. It's nice to have a recommendation like this. Maybe SE could start a "Zagats" of NYC blocks! The advantage of a "blocks" guide over the restaurant guide is that one need not spend a small fortune to enjoy the city blocks....

68th street.

Apparently, hsfcomm1 has been located and his apartment profiled:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/forensicsdepartment10011/4228836858/sizes/o/

Long Island City.

E 64th street off the park. Its one of the quietest blocks, I think because it goes away from the park... has beyond just townhouses, has some of the nicest mansions I've ever seen. A lot of them are embassies and such.

I also like 12th street off university, the block with strip house and stand and gotham and the cool taco place and cinema village... and this really cool tiny stationary store with lots of japanese imports.

Central Park South. Yeah, for the tourists, but there is something magical about a cold sunny day walk there...

70th street between Lexington and Park. It has the Asia Society, the Mellon Mansion and many beautiful to magnificent townhouses. Plus the first girl I had a crush on when I was 10 years old lived on that block.

the blocks on either side of the seminary are both really nice. 21st between 9th and 10th is probably my favorite of the two.

oh, great call. i used to find the south side SO eerie when west chelsea was a craphole (remember trying to find a cab back from the kitchen in the wee hours)...

5th ave at the cooper hewitt (90-91). I believe its also a superhero headquarters...

West 11th between 7th avenue and West 4th street.. hands down!! feels like London in the 19th century

Long Island City.

My block!

I love this post...finding great blocks in Manhattan is one of my favorite pastimes..thanks for the new blocks to explore.

The triangle created by the NW perimeter of AMNH. It's my base of operations.

Beekman Place.

JennQueens - I like your block. I used to love screaming down 7th Ave dodging traffic with new to NY visitors and then quickly turning onto 11th st. to be immediately surrounded by this lush, other world with real singing birds and Tartine or The White Horse at the end. It never failed to blow their minds.... "this is New York?"

Long Island City.

stevejhx, contrary to popular belief, it gets funnier every time you post the same exact thing. Seriously though, you're going to somehow end up in LIC, and we will all revel in the irony.

bjw, I'm at Broadway Comedy Club at 8 pm tonight - you can see the whole shebang (or 5 to 7 minutes of it, as it's a showcase show).

My father grew up in the LIC projects, went to LIC High, as did my cousins. My grandmother lived there till she remarried and moved to Brooklyn. I was happy never to have to go back.

god forbid.

St. Luke's Place

Prettiest block in NYC: Jane-Horatio Streets between Washington and Greenwich.

For holiday lights it's 73rd street btwn 2nd and 3rd.
All trees covered in white lights from edge to edge.
Class and tastefulness found at the 'hood of taste....the UES.
Classy not flashy

Peter Detmold park with dog run ---- 49-51st next to FDR.

"Beekman Place."

Funny story. Wife and I seriously considered an apartment here that was pretty unbelievable: amongst the "wowiest" apartments I have ever seen, and I've seen some pretty fancy stuff, and at a great price. Believe it or not, a top issue leading us to not take the place was "neighborhood", with me explaining to her how this is considered one of the nicest blocks in the city.