<p>I would really appreciate any NY’ers giving me a feel for Carnegie Hill. I have walked around there quite a bit and like its feel…am I off base in sensing a little UWS or left-bank aura? It feels quite different from the neighborhood immediately south of it. </p>
<p>There is a condo for sale on 96th Street between Madison & Park that, miracle upon miracles, might actually fit within our budget. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>I, too, love the feel of Carnegie Hill, though I don’t love the neighborhoods to the east (Third Avenue and east) or north of it (Spanish Harlem). There are many wonderful restaurants, museums and stores in Carnegie Hill, and several of the city’s best private schools too. 96th Street can be an incredibly busy road, with stop and go traffic, horns honking and sirens blaring (ambulances on their way to Mount Sinai hospital, right around the corner). 96th Street is busier than most of the 2 way streets on the Upper East Side (and the Upper West Side, for that matter) because it leads on one side to the transverse across Central Park and on the other side to the entrance to the FDR Drive (which leads to the Triboro Bridge, among other things). So, while 96th Street is probably not ideal, Carnegie Hill is beautiful and has a lot to offer.</p>
<p>Thank you for your thoughts, Sally. </p>
<p>We will probably hold out for a place a couple of blocks south but are going to drive up from the Philly burbs to take a look at this one. Even though there are numerous apartments on the market in Carnegie Hill, most are in coop buildings that don’t want weekend people (and many are out of our league price-wise!). Condos are more expensive but don’t discriminate against weekenders. There are one or two coops in the neighborhood that don’t mind pieds-a-terre and hopefully a place that works for us will go on the market in one of those sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>Also, there is a lexington ave subway stop at 96th, which is convenient for you, but also provides access to your neighborhood from potential undesireables (ones who don’t live in your building…you’re stuck with them). Same holds true of all areas in close proximity to the subway, depending greatly on what shops and food in available in the block or two distance from the subway.</p>
<p>I’d say spend some time walking around and ask some questions.</p>
<p>I agree with the preceding posters. Carnegie Hill is truly charming, but 96th Street east of Fifth Avenue might have its drawbacks. 96th is the traditional dividing line and the convenience of the crosstown bus and subway stop is balanced by the fact that is just isn’t as affluent and peaceful north of there as it is to the south. </p>
<p>When he was working in the city and just out of college, my son lived in a walkup on Third Avenue just below 95th Street; that block is very bustling and fairly grubby looking, but felt comfortable to him ang his roommates because of the ongoing activity. And as soon as they walked west a block or two they were in the heart of Carnegie Hill at its best; a block or two downtown and to the east or west they were also generally fine. But even they sometimes chose to get out of the subway at 86th Street instead of 96th, or take the 86th Street crosstown instead of the 96th, especially if they were coming home from visiting friends in the Columbia area late at night. I suppose virtually all of Manahattan will be gentrified at some point, but I think I would hold off on purchasing on East 96th Street.</p>