8.3 out of 10

Union Sq East, Gramercy Park

Ranked 4th best street in Gramercy Park
40.7354861309056 -73.989818264966
Great for
  • Public Transport
  • Eating Out
  • Gym & Fitness
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Nightlife
Not great for
  • Parking
  • Peace & Quiet
  • Cost of Living
  • Lack of Traffic
  • Childcare
Who lives here?
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists

Reviews

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

"The boring part of the square"

I never really consider any part of Union Square as part of Gramercy, but I guess it kind of is. Union Square is its own entity to me for some reason. I guess it's because it has such a different energy compared to the neighborhoods surrounding it. Union Square is much more lively and eclectic than any part of Gramercy.
Union Square East is definitely the least busy out of all of the Union Square streets. There aren't as many people to get around and the farmer's market is on the other side (as is the subway entrance) so there's not nearly as much to navigate through. Having said that, it's also the most boring part of Union Square. Aside from the weirdos sitting on the benches in the square, there's not nearly as much to gawk or yell at.
There are two massive statues on Union Square East of Revolutionary War Heroes Lafayette and Washington. They're pretty cool but kind of creepy at night. There's also this sort of Greek Temple looking building right here that I guess is a theatre but you would think it would be a more popular one since the building is so cool. I've never heard one person I know say they're going to a show here, so I'm a little confused about this space.
Keeping true to the rich political history that Union Square has, the Tammany Hall building is right at the corner of USE and 17th street. It's not New York Film Academy but I'm sure a lot of politics are involved in that realm still.
Once you get down around 15th, there are a lot of big buildings with luxury apartments (who on earth would want to live right here?), a grocery store, a Starbucks, a weird little yogurt place . . basically, it's really commercial and there's nothing all that charming about it. Aside from the few cool buildings at the north end, there's really nothing charming about Union Square East, in general. It's slightly less chaotic than the western part, but there's energy.
Pros
  • Excellent transport connections by subway and bus
Cons
  • Busy and crowded at all times of the day and night
  • Not much of a neighborhood feel rather it can be described as a commercial enclave located in the heart of NYC
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
5/5
2yrs+

"Charming community nexus for the NYU crowd"

Young, hip, and vibrant, Union Square and its plethora of bars, cafes, and bookstores is a popular meeting point for young New Yorkers. From fifteen-year-old schoolgirls to NYU students sporting fedoras and ironic facial hair, the crowd here is decidedly under-thirty, punctuated by the business lunch rush of midtown office-types. Skaters and proto-punks practice their moves in the park, which doubles as a fantastic winter wonderland bazaar in Christmas Season. Barnes and Nobles, Starbucks, and other food/cafe/bookstore chains are all in attendance here (although The Strand, one of the city's best used-book stores, is just a couple of blocks away), as are some tempting shops and activities. A multiplex shares a corner with comic-book store and nerd-haven Forbidden Planet, while music stores, vegan falafel parlors, and boutiques line the sides of the square. Linking East and West Village to midtown, Union Square is a perfect nexus joining a variety of downtown neighborhoods and vibes. While its gleefully chaotic atmosphere can seem sophomoric to been-there, done-that types, the infectious newness of the place to its youthful denizens is unbeatably charming - and the place, for all its young-people cliches, never feels stale.
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 2/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Wow - What a Place for Shopping"

Of all the places in NYC, I think Union Square is one of the best places to shop. There are a ton of department stores and chain stores in the area. No matter what your taste is regarding what you like to buy, you can find it in the area. The only problem I have found is that the price of goods you buy are high. But that is the price you pay for buying anything in Manhattan. There are places to eat in the area, but they are high priced to.

If you like to shop and got the cash to burn, this place is for you.
Pros
  • Excellent transport connections by subway and bus
  • Great grocery stores the area hosts a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's
  • The Union Square Green Market
Cons
  • Busy and crowded at all times of the day and night
  • Not much of a neighborhood feel rather it can be described as a commercial enclave located in the heart of NYC
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Hipsters
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Great for everybody!"

Union Square is a great place for everybody and for everything. If you want to rest and chill after hot sunny day, here is the park right in the middle; if you want to go shopping and get some deals here are numerous retail stores and small boutiques; and for those who love to it - it is possible to find a restaurant to every taste there!!!
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
5/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 5/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 5/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"The heart of New York City"

Union Square according to me is the heart of New York City. This historic square which is located between Broadway and Fourth Avenue is actually situated between 14th and 17th Streets on the East Side of the city and not in Midtown where you would probably expect the heart of the city to be located. Union Square Park which is dotted with statues of famous folk like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi is a popular spot in the city for demonstrations and rallies though all kinds of buskers also tend to use it as their private stage as they are almost always guaranteed a ready made audience with the number of people who continuously throng the area.
The square in itself is surrounded by several buildings that house the dorms of NYU and several big name chain stores like Filenes Basement, DSW, Babies R US, Staples and Barnes and Nobles. Also located here is an outpost of the immensely popular natural and organic grocery, Whole Foods though a branch of the more competitively priced California based organic grocery, Trader Joe's is located close by at 14th Street and 3rd Avenue.
Union Square Park which is administered by a local governing body, the Union Square Partnership in fact hosts one of the most widely patronized green markets in New York City. This green market which is a favored source of top New York City chefs, home cooks, restaurateurs and foodies is held four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8am to 6pm all throughout the year. The market features a large variety of bursting with goodness seasonal fresh produce, meats, freshly baked breads and other confectioneries, juices , syrups, cheeses, jams, honeys, butters, plants and flowers all of which produced at farms and local artisan businesses in and around New York City. Aside from the green market, Union Square is also well known for its annual holiday market which is usually held for a month before Christmas and features vendors of jewelry, candles, pottery and other exotic tchotchkes which make ideal gifts for the holiday season.
Aside from these markets and stores, Union Square which is easily accessed from nearly all parts of New York City by Subway lines (4,5,6, L,N, R,Q,W) which come into 14th Street and Union Square station. Moreover Union Square is a well known dining locale as it has within its folds some of the best restaurants in the city like the Union Square Café and Blue Water Grill.
Pros
  • Excellent transport connections by subway and bus
  • Great grocery stores the area hosts a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's
  • The Union Square Green Market
Cons
  • Busy and crowded at all times of the day and night
  • Not much of a neighborhood feel rather it can be described as a commercial enclave located in the heart of NYC
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish

Best Streets in Gramercy Park

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Rutherford Pl

4.5/5
"near beautiful Stuyvesant Square"
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"Wow - What a Place for Shopping"
40.7354861309056 -73.989818264966
"Charming Neighborhood - to walk through or live if you can afford it"
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6

East 21st St

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7

East 20th St

4/5
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8

East 18 St

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East 16 St

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East 17 St

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