Lexington Ave, Midtown

Less crowded with shoppers and out-of-towners than the East 30's, and less sedate than the East 50's, this district is perfect for well-heeled, international diplomatic types looking to live around the U.N. The atmosphere is cosmopolitan yet subdued - there are plenty of elegant cocktail bars here, but few raucous dive bars. If you can wrangle an invitation, visit one of the elegant, London-style clubs for Manhattan's elite - the Yale Club and Harvard Club are two favorites. Also worth a look is the Yacht Club and the Algonquin Hotel - former home of the Round Table at which famous wit Dorothy Parker presided. Further east there's a wealth of restaurants and clubs catering more specifically to the U.N. set. Recommendations include the Overlook Lounge, laid-back Ben and Jack's Steak House, and charming Catalyst, a bookstore and cafe for all the neighborhood's bibliophiles. Elegant yet not snobby, and closer to the theatres and concert halls of midtown than the Upper East Side, East 44th Street is a fine choice for a couple or family (the United Stations School is very nearby!). Grand Central Terminal makes for easy transportation.