The Upper East Side from 70th to 79th streets, has quaint tree-lined blocks, historic townhouses and a plethora of restaurants and bars.
Added to its appeal is its relative affordability compared to downtown.
“When people think of Upper East Side they think the 70s; they want to live in the 70s. It’s scenic, pristine and convenient,” said Lindsay Krantz, a real estate agent with Citi Habitats. “And people probably think the Upper East Side has the wealthiest people but there’s a lot of people who can’t afford downtown that are moving uptown, here. It’s becoming younger and more trendy.”
Though a younger crowd is moving in, the area is family-oriented.
“It was and still is highly desirable for people in their 40s, 30s, and those wanting to start families because it’s neighborhood-y,” Krantz explained. “This is where people want to send their children to school.”
This portion of the Upper East Side is home to schools like the Hewitt School, P.S. 158, P.S. 267, Eleanor Roosevelt High School along with Marymount Manhattan College and the Allen-Stevenson School.
This September, a new middle school, M.S. 177 will be co-located in P.S. 158 on York Avenue and will eventually have 250 to 300 students.
Matthew Chook, co-president of District 2 Schools President’s Council and community affairs representative at P.S. 267, who has a third grader and a kindergartener at P.S. 267, said that there is room for more school kids in the area.
“The demand from people to move to that section of the Upper East Side and the Upper East Side in general to go to those schools is high,” he said. “The high quality of education at schools like P.S.158 is definitely among other reasons why people want to live in the neighborhood.”
Krantz said the turnaround in rentals and sales is extremely quick in the neighborhood. Apartments that are desirably priced go in days. Townhouses, she said, go for $5 million east of Second Avenue and $10-12 million and up west of Second Avenue.
She noted that there is a mix of doorman and non-doorman co-ops in the area, though there aren’t many rental buildings.
Those looking for affordable rentals should look in corridors like York Avenue and East End Avenue, she said.
Much of the old architecture in this part of the Upper East Side is Neo-Renaissance and French neoclassical. Historic, luxurious mansions like the Henry T. Sloane House at 9 E. 72nd St. and the Edward C. Converse Mansion at 3 E. 78th St.
