Manhattan: Uptown, Downtown and the Places in Between.

I had a friend tell me once, when I asked where she was staying, that she was staying downtown.

Expecting her to tell me that she was staying somewhere near Wall Street or maybe even SoHo, she clarified and said she was staying close to Times Square. Being that we live in the same small city, I understood her logic. All the action in our city is downtown. Naturally, she thought that Times Square being a hub of activity was considered downtown. Not so much. Figuring this out before your trip will save you time and prevent confusion. Let’s look at a map and I’ll explain.

Manhattan is one of five New York City boroughs. It is the borough where visitors tend to spend most of their time. Manhattan is divided into four primary sections. Downtown, Midtown, Uptown, Harlem and The Heights. It is common to hear people say that they are going “Uptown” (north) or “Downtown” (south). The areas south of 14th Street are considered part of Downtown. Midtown extends from 14th Street to the southern border of Central Park at 59th Street. Uptown is 60th to 116th Streets and north of 116th is considered Harlem.

In my next post, I’ll give a brief overview of the neighborhoods of Manhattan.