Originally Posted by ALadyNCal
Part of the reason we liked the UES was that we appreciated being in a fairly residential neighborhood and not in the midst of the chaos near Times Square. A lot of tourists want to be close to all of that.
I'm with you. When travelling I too like to find more residential areas to get more of a feel for the actual city locals live in rather than just the most-photographed spots. So on a recent trip to SF I stayed in Pacific Heights. And in London I stayed in Clerkenwell. Both proved much more interesting than the analogous tourist environs of Union Square or Picadilly Circus. Hopefully on future trips I'll have the opportunity to stay in other neighborhoods, too.
Plus, I wasn't sure if the East Village would be just another type of neighborhood, industrial or what, till I posted.
Totally legit quesiton, although there are very few industrial areas left in Manhattan.