Living in the Manhattan Valley neighborhood of Manhattan

Manhattan Valley Apartments

Some of the best values on NY apartments sit in Manhattan Valley, another mini-neighborhood within the traditional boundaries of the Upper West Side.

The boundaries of the Manhattan Valley neighborhood have shifted a few times in recent years, but the consensus today seems to place the community north of 96^th Street, south of 110^th Street, and running east to west from Central Park to Riverside Park.

And even though gentrification and encroachment from both the north (and Columbia University's seemingly insatiable appetite for real estate and housing), and the south (from middle-class families pushed out of the Upper West Side proper), the neighborhood's "dangerous" reputation--rightly earned the 1980s, perhaps, but no longer terribly relevant—ensures that  Manhattan Valley apartments are some of Manhattan's most affordable housing options.

Not that there aren't luxury Manhattan Valley condos, and upscale Manhattan Valley rentals, to be had here. The castle-like old New York Cancer Hospital, which sat abandoned for decades, was recently converted into some of the most desireable apartments on all the Upper West Side. The soaring new Ariel East and Ariel West, facing each other across Broadway and 99^th Street, offer all two- to five-bedroom condos and all of today's sought-after amenities.

Among Manhattan Valley apartments, the historic Allendale on West End Avenue and the brand spanking-new Avalon Morningside Park on 110^th and Columbus Avenue stand out, although there are many rental bargains to be had in the neighborhood's less-traveled streets.

Manhattan Valley: Not Far From Food & Leisure

Of course, you're never far from a park in Manhattan Valley. Nearby, Central Park offers its vast North Meadow,  the beautiful Harlem Meer, and the stunningly wild North Woods (one of the only places in all of Manhattan where you can't see a single man-made structure).  Residents of Manhattan Valley apartments are also within walking distance to Riverside Park, which holds a skate park and beach volleyball pit. There are plenty of terrific, reasonably-priced restaurants around, including the lively 107 West, and the legendary Charles Gabriel's outstanding fried chicken and rib spot, Rack and Soul.