The Upper East Side Neighborhood Guide

---

The Upper East Side is one of the most iconic parts of the city. It’s known for some of the city’s best shopping destinations, renowned cultural and historical institutions, and expensive real estate. We love helping our clients buy and sell there – but what is it like to live there?

The Upper East Side is slower, more relaxed, and calmer than other parts of the city. The apartments, buildings, and businesses tend to be upscale and affluent, and there’s easy access to all forms of transportation.

Our team has spent decades in the Upper East Side, and we know it like the back of our hand. That’s why we’re covering everything you need to know if you’re considering living there – including location, transportation, apartment cost, the feel of the neighborhood, schools, culture, libraries, food, drink, parks, recreation, history, where you can find historic districts within the Upper East Side, and where some of the most notable apartment buildings are.

What Is It Like To Live On The Upper East Side?

Life on the Upper East Side is elegant and slower-paced than in the rest of the city.

Anywhere you go on the Upper East Side, you won’t be far from anything and everything you could need for daily living. From household name stores and restaurants, to smaller markets, shops, and boutiques, the Upper East Side has it all.

The Upper East Side, much like New York City itself, has a little bit of everyone from everywhere. As you stroll through the streets, you are likely to hear any number of languages spoken by the many residents of the Upper East Side.

New York City is the best place to live in the world – there’s no doubt about it. The Upper East Side is one of the reasons why.

How Much Do Apartments Cost On The Upper East Side?

As always, price depends on what you’re looking for.

Purchasing An Upper East Side Apartment

The Upper East Side is one of the biggest neighborhoods in Manhattan, and the variety of apartments available is stunning – whether you’re looking for a cozy studio or a classic 5, the Upper East Side has it all. The best way to know current pricing is to look at active listings (which we can help you do), but historic trends can help too.

Upper East Side Final Sale Prices, 2003-2021

Renting An Upper East Side Apartment

The Upper East Side is known for being one of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York City. As such, the average rent in the area is higher than in other areas of town.

Here’s what you can expect to pay in average monthly rent:

• A studio apartment on the Upper East Side is $2,499
• A one-bedroom will cost you about $3,174 per month
• Two bedrooms average around $5,250 per month
• Three bedrooms, you’ll likely be paying somewhere around $8,318 monthly

The drive to live on the Upper East Side is as powerful as ever, and the market reflects that. In the past year (at the time of writing), rental costs on the Upper East Side increased by roughly 1.2%, but things can change quickly – be sure to tune into our monthly podcasts where we cover changes in the market in-depth.

Source: Apartments.com

What Schools Are On The Upper East Side?

There are a number of public schools on the upper east side, operated by the New York City Department of Education:

There are also a vast number of private schools on the Upper East Side, including:

In terms of higher education, the Upper East Side is home to several colleges and universities, including:

Where Are The Libraries On The Upper East Side?

There are four branches of the New York Public Library on the Upper East Side.

Located at 328 East 67th Street, the two-story 67th Street branch was opened in 1905.

The Yorkville branch of the New York Public Library sits at 222 East 79th Street. This branch opened in 1902 and is listed on both the National and New York State Register of Historic Places.

Founded in 1893 as the Webster Free Library, the Webster branch is located at 1465 York Avenue.

The fourth and final branch of the New York Public Library on the Upper East Side is the 96th Street branch, located at 112 East 96th Street. Like the 67th Street branch, this library was opened in 1905.

History | The Upper East Side

Driven in part by an immigration boom in the second half of the 19th century, the New York and Harlem Railroad increased commercial traffic to the more rural parts of northern New York City throughout the 1800s. It’s hard to imagine the Upper East Side ever being a rural park of New York City, but in the 1800s, it was.

By the 1880s, the Upper East Side had transformed from rural fields, farms, and countryside, to the new prime and central location of New York residential real estate. Just a decade later, the area was laden with homes for New Yorkers of all financial statuses. Many of those who lived in the area commuted for work into the downtown districts of the time.

Development of the trains along Park Avenue in the early 1900s turned the properties along Park Avenue into prime real estate. New shops, schools, and social clubs began popping up all along the tree-lined streets of the Upper East Side. Many of the churches, synagogues, and museums built during this time rose to a level of international prominence and helped to lock in the exclusivity of life on the Upper East Side.

After the 1913 introduction of the income tax, major townhouse and mansion construction came screeching to a halt, and for a while, the Upper East Side became a place that only America’s wealthiest could afford to call home.

Of the nation’s most prominent families of the time, the Rockefellers, Roosevelts, Astors, and Whitneys are just a few who have called the Upper East Side home.

This didn’t change the fact that an ever-increasing number of New Yorkers were excited by the idea of living in the affluent neighborhood. Luxury apartment buildings began to show up on the Upper East Side during the early 20th century but were stopped due to the Great Depression and the Second World War.

Construction on the East River Drive in 1934 and the FDR drive from 1948-1966 increased accessibility to the Upper East Side. This, in turn, set in motion new commerce and development in the neighborhood.

To this day, the Upper East Side remains one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country. The vital and vibrant atmosphere of the Upper East Side continues to flourish. If you’re looking for a place to experience unparalleled cultural influence and diversity, look no further than the Upper East Side.

What are some of the most notable apartment buildings on the Upper East Side?

435 East 52nd Street, River House

This 26-story Art Deco co-operative was constructed in 1931 on the site of a former cigar factory.

998 Fifth Avenue

Built between 1910 and 1912, this 12-story Italian Renaissance Palazzo-style building was the first super-luxury apartment house on Fifth Avenue.

781 Fifth Avenue, The Sherry Netherland

The building of its kind in New York City when it opened, the Sherry Netherland is a 38-story luxury apartment-hotel located on the Upper East Side.

778 Park Avenue

This 18-story apartment house was designed in the English Renaissance style by Rosario Candela.

927 Fifth Avenue,

This 12-story limestone-clad building was built in the Renaissance Revival style by Warren & Wetmore, also known for the Grand Central Terminal.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

• History of the Upper East Side
• Parks
  • Central Park
  • Carl Schurz
  • Asphalt Green
  • John Jay Park
• Museums
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Frick Collection
  • Jewish Museum
  • Museum of the City of New York
  • Neue Gallery
  • Guggenheim
• Dining
  • Daniel
  • Cafe Boulud
  • Persepholis
  • Sushi Gama
  • Sant Ambroeus
  • Two Little Red Hen Bakery
  • Scalinatella
• Shopping
  • Hermes
  • Prada
  • Chanel
  • Bloomingdale’s

Why We Host This Podcast:

We have been in this business long enough to know that knowledge is power. That’s why we conduct an in-depth analysis of the Manhattan real estate market every month, quarter, and year and provide an easy-to-understand synopsis of the full report in several different formats – all so you can stay informed.

Our team of experienced real estate professionals closely monitors market trends and provides our clients with the latest and most relevant information available. With this information, our clients are able to make informed decisions about buying and selling properties in Manhattan, which helps them stay ahead of the curve and make the most of their real estate investments.

---

---

You can find the Real Talk NYC Real Estate Podcast on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen to your podcasts!

Have a question you’d like us to discuss? Just reach out.