5.6 out of 10

East 38th St, Murray Hill

Ranked 7th best street in Murray Hill
40.7480404995 -73.975802578354
Great for
  • Clean & Green
  • Cost of Living
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Pest Free
  • Safe & Sound
Not great for
  • Internet Access
  • Childcare
  • Medical Facilities
  • Resale or Rental Value
  • Shopping Options
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Singles
  •  

Reviews

3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 2/5
  • Nightlife 2/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 1/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Public Transport 2/5
2yrs+

"Some gorgeous homes"

East 38th starts off at the East River with an old Con Ed plant and an animal shelter. It's not exactly the most welcoming start to the street, but the Con Ed building is actually really cool looking and the animal shelter is no kill so I guess it's sort of uplifting if you actually think about it. This building (the Con Ed one) is going to be demolished soon to put in a luxury high rise and I think that's sort of a shame. I'm not often a huge fan of abandoned buildings but in some cases -- like this one and the Northern Dispensary -- I think they should just be left alone.
The next couple of blocks are marked by a series of residential buildings, some old and some new, and one fun little neighborhood bar. The owner of the bar lost her husband, a firefighter, to 9/11 and named the bar Bravest on 38th. It has a great energy and it is very much a neighborhood joint which I love.
Once you get up to 3rd, however, the block aesthetic shifts to a very old world, brownstone kind of street that is much more common to the Village kind of situation. It's a really beautiful block. There's a great old townhouse with a notable front garden that has been landmarked (thank god) and there's a global issues center (whatever that means) in a stable house from 1902. Dashiell Hammet and the Mount Rushmore sculptor both lived in homes on this block. It has a great history that seems to have not dissipated. And, the block at Lexington is even more lovely and timeless. The entire block is taken up by brownstones, townhouses and trees. You feel like a character in a Wharton novel walking down this street . . or at least, I do. The line of townhouses on the north side of the street dates back to the mid 19th century. And, the south side has an equally impressive line of homes that are partly still residential and part taken over by businesses. There's an architectural firm in here, an environmental group and a few other businesses mixed in with single family (rich) residents. But, I don't think the businesses take away from the charm in any way.
38th is gorgeous for enough of the street that it's not a bad street to consider living on. It's not my speed because of the lack of restaurants, etc. And, it's a bit removed from transportation. But, it's not a bad street at all for a family or someone that's a bit older.
Pros
  • Beautiful houses
Cons
  • No restaurant scene
  • Bit of an older demographic
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 2/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"First Impressions After 1 Day Living Here"

My Street (more appropriately, the few square blocks surrounding my apartment between Lexington Ave and 3rd Ave on 38th Street) seems pretty cool after 1 night of living here. The traffic is bearable (even though we are very close to a main artery out of the city) and the noise didn't really get to me last night while sleeping on the 8th floor of a street-side apartment. I had a nice dinner at the Rio Grande (mexican) and a nice 8 minute commute to my office in the morning. There was a man standing on a roof last night screaming as if he had been stabbed, but it turned out he was just happy to be in New York, as am I.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees

Best Streets in Murray Hill

1

Lexington Ave

4.5/5
"Offers just about all you could ask for"
40.7451520380616 -73.980633427065
2

East 27 St

3/5
"Nice Place to Settle "
40.7425173567454 -73.9840771334204
3

Madison Ave

3/5
"Long, wear good shoes."
40.7474526230379 -73.9831859639574
4

East 37th St

3/5
"Actually pretty which is surprising for this area"
40.7476045664277 -73.9766814139304
5

East 40th St

3/5
"Ritzy Shops Near Park Ave."
40.7495364070816 -73.9755124639604
"Lively, but a bit dark"
40.7430119085033 -73.9843067387784
7

East 38th St

3/5
"Some gorgeous homes"
40.7480404995 -73.975802578354
8

East 39 St

2.5/5
"Big Buildings and little else"
40.748635492555 -73.9752874004532
9

East 30 St

2.5/5
"The Opposite of Lacking"
40.7445628249164 -73.9831765782236
10

East 28th St

2/5
"The Copper Chimney"
40.7433262225268 -73.9840785672877

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