Guys, we know living in the center of the universe can be tough sometimes. Especially in Times Square. During rush hour. On trash day.
But when you’ve had it up to here with the lines at Trader Joe’s and the off-brand Elmos, take a second to gaze at the tree-lined streets, breathtaking views and hidden private paths this beautiful city has to offer.
Here are the nine most gorgeous streets in NYC. New York, je t’aime.
Not only does this picturesque residential street in Brooklyn Heights have the cutest street name in all of NYC, it was also the setting for the movie Moonstruck. (Bet the rent was wayyyyy cheaper in 1987.)
Ever wonder how this cute-as-a-button NYC street got its name? In 1798, the Bank of New York bought eight lots to serve as an emergency location when a clerk at the main office on Wall Street contracted yellow fever. Learn something new every day.
This private little respite off of 94th Street on the Upper West Side has undergone a huge transformation over the last 100 years. The lot was originally purchased in 1910 to build a hotel, but when financing fell through, residential homes were built instead. After almost being demolished, the space was recently renovated and is as gorgeous as ever. It’s gated, but if you bring grilled cheese sandwiches, maybe someone will let you in.
Sorry, Empire State Building, but this tiny street in DUMBO is definitely the best place to take an Instagram photo in all of NYC. (Pro tip: Make sure to center the Clocktower building just underneath the bridge when you snap a pic.)
Walk down this quaint tree-lined street in the West Village and you’ll basically step into a time capsule--some brownstones date as far back as 1850, and it’s the street Aaron Burr (yes, from Hamilton) lived on back when NYC was basically a giant farm.
Even though it’s technically just Lexington Avenue in disguise, Irving Place (between 14th to 20th Streets at Gramercy Park) is the perfect combo of old and new. There’s Pete’s Tavern, NYC’s oldest surviving saloon, where O. Henry was apparently inspired to write The Gift of the Magi, as well as Dear Irving, a swanky newish cocktail bar inspired by Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris.
You’ll have to know a guy who knows a guy to stroll down this private road off East 36th Street in Murray Hill--even the Amateur Comedy Club, which has owned one of the carriage houses on Sniffen Court since 1918, is members only. Otherwise, you’ll just have to stand at the gate and gaze longingly.
It’s a little off the beaten path in Queens, but this quaint neighborhood full of Tudor homes is definitely worth the trek. Walk through the quiet, tree-lined streets of Forest Hills Gardens and you’ll forget Times Square even exists.
Nope, that’s not a screenshot from Gone With the Wind. This street of majestic, turn-of-the-century mansions is only about half an hour from Midtown in Ditmas Park (aka Prospect Park South). Oh, and did we mention that if you live here, you’ll be neighbors with Michelle Williams? So there’s that.
