West 33 St, Garment District

Just a block over from W 34th street, 33rd street is a bit quieter than the shopping center, but also a little grimier. There are a few places to shop but there are also wandering homeless. I wouldn't say there are much more than you would find in certain areas of Manhattan, though.

W 33rd isn't exactly the place to bring your grandma, unless she is a fan of stripclubs. I wouldn't get into anybody's way here, especially since it is a rough and sketchy place at night. During the day, it is relatively safe if you get to where you are going quickly. I've never had any problems here, but that's primarily because I've only walked through here only when strictly necessary. Once, at night, my roomate had dropped her key and wallet, and a strange looking man actually chased her to return it. She was frightened and said "I swear I thought he was going to attack me! It was so dark!"
If you're the type who tends to get nervous in places with darker reputations, I would avoid this area. Great for dark parties though!

As far as clubbing goes, it's worth stopping here. The dark atmosphere at night gives the experience a lot more!

West 33rd St is one of the busiest roads in Manhattan, with a great deal of foot traffic and major venues located on it, but it is worth it. The Manhattan Mall is located on the block, not far from Madison Square Garden. It offers a variety of great stores to browse and shop at. Just two streets up is Macy's, rounding out the shopping experience. It's not the biggest shopping street in Manhattan but it is one of them and if you enjoy the mall experience Manhattan Mall will not disappoint.

If you've ever wondered what New York's shadier neighborhoods look like, you don't really have to look much further than Midtown. In the 30's block, as the streets approach Port Authority Bus Terminal, you can certainly find all sorts of miscellaneous delights, and not so delightful delights. Home to such places as Rick's strip club, this area is not really a place to hang around in all the time. It does have its fun qualities though, as it is not a typically crowded area of the Lower West Side. However, for a nice night out, I would recommend the Meat Packing District.