217 East 31st Street, 1

Quick Profile

If you take a walk through Kips Bay, which is loosely defined as the area between 23rd street and 34th street and the East River to almost Lexington, you’ll quickly learn it's a hodgepodge of sorts and not as well defined as other neighborhoods in New York City. Some New Yorkers say Kips Bay has an identity crisis because 1st, 2nd, and 3rd avenues are distinctly different from one another as you traverse them. Despite the perceived lack of neighborhood vibe there are others that appreciate its affordability and convenience.  

First Avenue is dominated by hospitals and hospital buildings such as NYU Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital to name a few. Second Avenue is a mosaic of convenience stores, fast food joints and nondescript brick buildings. Third Avenue is saturated with small bars and gastropubs and the twenty somethings that patronize them. 

No judgement against Kips Bay here. It’s a great neighborhood that is just as much a part of New York City as any other neighborhood. Kips Bay It’s bordered by Murray Hill to the North, Stuyvesant Town and Gramercy Park to the South, and Rose Hill to the West. The neighborhood is partly defined by newer high-rise apartments, brick rowhouses, and former tenement buildings.