Born and bred New Yorker looking to move back to NYC

Bill,

Are you athletic,will you utilize the parks? Do you like the opera, the theater? Then stay uptown and consider Lincoln Center area. It's totally revitalized, centrally located, a quick express train to west village and chelsea nightlife.

Is it more important to be near the hospital?

Do you have a pet?

Do you want a building with a lot of amenities? (pool, gym etc)

Do you want outdoor space?

I'm sure you'll get a million good answers from this board. Good Luck in your search.

Bill - We went to Florida and came back after a few years. My partner quit his job and came to NYC jobless. Out of necessity (not much money and the furniture could stay in Florida), we rented short-term, furnished sublets that we found on Craigslist. We lived in Jersey City, 25th between 7th and 8th, West 66th St (twice), 87th and Columbus, 57th and 1st. We had a car and each move was one only trip. The point: Why listen to us when you can you do some sampling yourself? As the rental and sales markets decline, you can get a nice feel for what you like before you commit to a purchase or long lease.

We are on 52nd and 8th now and find we like it here the best - theater and Lincoln Center and MOMA and Carnegie Hall. Our lease is up at the end of April and we'll try to find our next (larger) apartment nearby.

Good luck.