Best Blocks in New York

Time Out New York is a weekly magazine that lists goings-on about town and that also covers the New York arts and nightlife scenes for a mostly young readership. A couple of weeks ago they had a cover story--actually a very rich feature--on "The 50 Best Blocks in New York." Several Time Out writers rated blocks based on seven criteria: aesthetics, amenities, "green factor," noise and traffic, public transit, "New York-ocity," and affordability. Of course, such a ranking can be a very silly exercise. After all, did the writers visit every block in the city? No. The choice of which blocks to survey was a very subjective choice to start with. But all the caveats aside, articles like this have a real sociological value, as barometers of the groupthink of the young and the hip.

And what stands out is that the Time Out kids' choice of the best blocks included not one that is identified by modernist buildings--indeed, scarcely one that even has a modernist building on it. This article was not written by architectural ideologues. In fact, the people who wrote it may very well think Zaha Hadid is cool, or they may very well, had they ranked 50 buildings rather than 50 blocks, have included plenty of modernist stuff. But the striking thing is that this is an article about where people actually, truly want to live.

Beautiful Italianate houses on South Portland Avenue

Number one, in case you're curious, is South Portland Avenue between DeKalb and Lafayette Avenues in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Of the top ten, five are in Manhattan, three are in Brooklyn, one is in Queens, and one is in the Bronx. Overall, fourteen are in Brooklyn, six are in Queens, three are in the Bronx, two are on Staten Island, and twenty-five are in Manhattan.

The article's a fun read. What makes a block great? What are your favorite blocks?

Comments

[Greg Shue]

Having recently been through the ringer looking for a new apartment in New York City, I've had the opportunity to see several different parts of the city. There are indeed some similarities between the best blocks that I've come across, of of which is established landscape elements, and more specifically, big trees. Old gardens and parks help too, I think, but when you come to a block with a high colorful canopy, it really adds a lot to the identity of the place. Secondly, I'd say that the quality of the architecture is of utmost impotance. Like the treatment of an interior wall of a formal room, streetscapes that are bould by architectural walls full of eye-catching detail seem to increase the charm factor exponentially. Narrow streets with curb-side parking also add to the quality of my sidewalk stroll, as they provide a sense of security and coziness.

As for the best blocks, I'll keep my opinions confined to the New York City area. I'd vote for almost anything along Riverside Park (Riverside Drive, Upper West Side) in Manhattan, and almost anything in the Cobble Hill Neighborhood in Brooklyn (although I particularly like Pacific St. between Clinton and Henry Streets).

I'm interested to find out what other people think constitutes a great block.

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