6.0 out of 10

East 54 St, Midtown

Ranked 14th best street in Midtown
40.7596817392176 -73.9721543107709
Great for
  • Eating Out
  • Shopping Options
  • Safe & Sound
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Pest Free
Not great for
  • Nightlife
  • Clean & Green
  • Cost of Living
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Neighborly Spirit
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Tourists
  •  
  •  
  •  

Reviews

3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 2/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 1/5
  • Parks & Recreation 2/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
2yrs+

"Upscale Commercial"

East 54th starts off in Midtown at Lexington with a chainapalooza. There are chains pretty much taking over this entire block though a couple of them aren't so bad. The Citibank building is the massive ugly guy on the west corner. And, the rest of the buildings are pretty much all commercial though nothing as noteworthy as a bank headquarter, I suppose. Hale and Hearty Soups is on this block as well, and I must admit that they do really have great soup and you are hard pressed to not find at least one you want to try. Goodburger is also here which I've never tried outside of the shakes (which are delicious). And, Bobby Van's Steakhouse is here which I have also never tried because it's just too much of a chain for me to brave attempting a steak.
Across Park, you run into the Lever House Building which is a landmark building that went up in the '50's. It was said to be a pioneer of modern architecture and it is pretty impressive considering the glass building was so unheard of when construction began. The block is very commercial now with a deli, a liquor store (hard to find in the city),a Papyrus store, etc. But, it's still Park Avenue, after all. Georgia O'Keefe and Lillian Russel both lived on this block. The Hotel Elysee Building is next door to the Lever House and it used to be a very grand, artsy hotel. It's a real pity it isn't anymore. Tallulah Bankhead, Joe Dimaggio, Marlon Brando and Ava Gardner were all frequent guests. And, Tennessee Williams died at this hotel. This must have been quite a block to be on sixty some odd years ago!
The block between Madison and 5th Avenue is a commercial block but it's a nice one, at least. There are a few cute Italian restaurants, a steakhouse, Hugo Boss and the Elizabeth Arden Salon all within a few feet of each other which really makes the commercial business buildings bearable. There's also a museum on this block which makes it pretty dang well rounded, in my opinion.
54th isn't too bad for a midtown street. It has some good restaurants, a little bit of culture, shopping and architecture. It doesn't have any night life at all and I think it's a little too busy and business like during the day for me to ever want to live here. . . but, it's not bad.
Pros
  • Shopping
  • Some cute restaurants
Cons
  • Commercial
  • No nightlife
  • Lacking in neighborhood feel
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Tourists
4/5
2yrs+

"East 54th Street"

East 54th Street isn't really all that exciting, and offers few great housing options in comparison with other nearby streets. It seemed more or less a street filled with business, which is not appealing for most people when looking for a place to live.

I did find a cool Thai fusion restaurant called Vong with some great menu offering and a beautfiul main floor.

This may not be the most interesting street, but who knows, maybe it will be just like Bangkok in Vong!


East 54th street is close to the F,V at 54th street and is close to many buses. Foot traffic is heavy and I recommend the street to EVERYONE!

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