Pleasant Ave, East Harlem

This is a nice little avenue that only exists for a few blocks in East Harlem (so east it's almost in the river). It's relatively quiet here, the rent isn't outrageous (by NYC standards), and there's enough food and retail stores (not to mention the nice, quaint Jefferson Park) on neighboring streets to make it a pretty good bet in terms of where to live. The main downside is that it's a bit of a hike to the Green Line on Lexington Ave, but if you don't mind a bit of exercise to start / end your day, this avenue could be a great way to live in Manhattan without mind-blowing prices.

Pleasent Avenue is one of those streets in NY that people seem to forget exists, however it's a business oriented area that caters to residents extremely well. The stores are well stocked, the cafe's clean and casual and the service industry alive and well. Overall Pleasant Avenue is a great place for residents but visitors will find nothing of note in the area.

This street is chalked full of businesses, churches, and places to eat, and there is a nice vibe and overall comfort and ease to the street. I liked how friendly the people were, and ready and able they were to serve you in the stores, and the unpretentiousness of the people on the streets. All in all it was a very good street, but not really worth a climb into the Bronx, in my opinion.