West 43rd St, Clinton / Hells Kitchen

43rd starts off in Hell's Kitchen at the Hudson with the Circle Line Tours. I've never been on this tour, but, apparently, it's pretty cool. You take a boat around the city while a tour guide explains all of Manhattan's glory from the water. I think it's kind of pricey, but from what I hear, it's worth it. The next block east is a little less glamourous housing the Chinese Consulate and UPS. The block between 10th and 11th gets a little more exciting with a couple of luxury high rises, a diner and a library annex that has newspaper archives, etc. It's not the most exciting block in Manhattan, but it's definitely more doable than a lot of other blocks in this area.
The block between 9th and 10th houses Manhattan Plaza which provides housing to artists with rent based on a sliding scale incumbent upon income. I think this building is one of the most fantastic ideas Manhattan has ever had. The waitlist is ridiculously long (about five years) but it allows artists to be able to stay in the city when they're in between jobs. Larry David, Tennessee Williams and Mickey Rourke have lived in this building. Across the street there's a cute little theatre where the Vagina Monologues started and a great French bistro next door.
The block between 8th and 9th holds more luxury apartment buildings and two theatres: the Second Stage and the Mint. Both theatres are well known for reviving plays that didn't get the chance that they might have deserved when they debuted. It's theatres like this that remind me of how cool this community is in New York. No other city in the country does for the arts what New York does and it gives this area an energy that would be completely lost if not for these little guys.
There's not a ton to do outside of theatre on 43rd and the neighborhood vibe gets lost because of its proximity to Times Square. There are too many tourists and too much noise and traffic for me, but it's not the worst street to live on if you have to live in Hell's Kitchen