Downtown Manhattan

Alphabet City is located west of the East Village. Its home to many bistros and shops.

Chelsea is possibly one of New York City’s most famous districts. Chelsea lies roughly from 39th to 15th Streets, between the Hudson River and Fifth Avenue. Chelsea is mostly a residential neighbourhood, with many townhouses, row-houses and apartment blocks.

There are actually 3 Chinatowns in New York City. There is one in lower Manhattan, another in Queens and another in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Chinatown and Queens Chinatown are quiet residential areas, while the Manhattan Chinatown is a vibrant and busy tourist area. Regardless of which Chinatown you go to, there are always plenty of celebrations and parades during the Chinese New Year.

NYC’s East Village features a mix of trendy and ethnic restaurants that are quite affordable. You will also find designer boutiques, bars and clubs. Several Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway theaters are also located in the East Village.

Until September 11, 2001, the Financial District used to be the home of the World Trade Center. Now it is the home of Ground Zero. Wall Street runs across the financial district.

Greenwich Village is one of the most famous downtown districts of Manhattan. The district features an eclectic collection of funky shops, tiny bakeries and restaurants ranging from Mom and Pops to tourist traps. Greenwich Village is a lovely and quiet district that is a sharp contrast from the loud honking horns of Midtown Manhattan.

It’s no surprise that NYC’s Little Italy contains some of the best Italian restaurants in New York City. Once in Little Italy, it’s hard to miss the red, green and white decorations that make up little Italy.

The Lower East Side features a very vibrant Jewish community. Because of the large Jewish population, many stores close early on Friday afternoon and on Saturday to observe the Jewish Sabbath.

A small section of the East Village, around Broadway and Lafayette is known as NoHo. NoHo, which stands for North of Houston is quite similar to its counterpart SoHo. Much like Soho to the south, you will find many trendy restaurants, stylish designers and upscale antique shops.

NoLIta stands for North of Little Italy. This trendy neighborhood is often thought of as an extension of SoHo. Nolita is a result of the Eastwards expansion of SoHo. This hotspot is quickly gaining notoriety as one of the top shopping neighborhoods in NYC.

SoHo is one of New York City’s trendiest and most diverse neighborhoods. New York City’s SoHo has no relation to the London neighborhood with the same name. In fact, the name SoHo is a blend of “South” and “Houston” from “south of Houston Street” and was invented when the area underwent its transformation into a trendy hot-spot. Before being known as SoHo, the area was known as the Cast Iron District because it contains the greatest collection of cast-iron architecture in the world, with over 200 buildings.

TriBeCa is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Lower Manhattan. TriBeCa stands for The Triangle Below Canal Street. This high-end neighborhood is quite exclusive. It features many cast-ion warehouses that have been converted into exclusive apartment buildings for the rich and affluent. Tribeca is bounded by Canal Street, West Street, Cortlandt Alley, Broadway, and Chambers Street.