West 109 St, Manhattan Valley

There is a really cool restaurant on this street call Rack & Soul, an interesting play on barbecue and American cuisine. This street is right in the heart of the Columbia neighborhood, which has overtaken most of what used to be considered "Spanish Harlem." Because of the college, housing is plentiful and a bit cheaper, as well as plenty of available sublets.

This street is relatively quiet and not very eventful at night. At the moment, it is not one of the safest streets to stroll around in, but it is not on the most dangerous list. It is fairly close to the 110th street subway station, and only a 10 minute walk from the 2, 3 express station at 96th street. I would recommend living here if you are looking for an easy and cheap way to live in Manhattan. Most of the apartments are converted brownstones, which means that the walls are not exactly sound proof. There are decent supermarkets and take out restaurants in the area, which make it a pleasant environment. As for activities, it is better to take the train and head downtown.