Boundaries

Different people will tell you different things about the Upper East Side Boundaries. The NYC Department of City Planning defines it as the area as the area between 59^th and 96^th Streets, bounded on the east by the East River and on the west by Central Park (as shown in the map on the left). However, there are some discrepancies. The NYC Department of Buildings, for example, includes 96^th  to 110^th on Madison and 5^th  Avenues as a part of the Upper East Side.  Real Estate people like to advertise apartments in the lower part of East Harlem as Upper East Side apartments, hoping to attract renters with the swankier name. While 96^th street no longer marks as sharp an ethnic and economic divide between the two neighborhoods (as it did not too many years ago), the zip codes do change at 96^th street and local politicians and most     residents of both neighborhoods accept that boundary.

Demographics

The Upper East Side is one of the most white (84.7% White) neighborhoods in New York City. It is also has a  higher income (Average $284,546)  and educational attainment (77.8% Undergrad and beyond) rate than NYC at large.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Status and Housing

While the Upper East Side is generally white and affluent, there is a decent amount of socio-economic diversity. Based on my observations and experiences, I’ve broken the residents into three basic categories: The super ridiculously rich who live in single family homes and fancy apartment buildings along Park, Madison, and 5^th, the very wealthy/upper middle class who live in high rise apartment buildings scattered all around the UES with many amenities, and the working/middle class who live in small (and usually run-down) apartments in walk-up buildings located below store fronts between Lexington and East End, equipped with only the basic necessities.  

 

The Super Rich

With their beautiful buildings most of us can only dream of, these Upper East Side residents are what give the neighborhood its reputation as “privileged”, and “prestigious”. This is the view of the Upper East Side that is often portrayed in movies and television, as evidenced by Gossip Girl and Real Housewives of New York. These residents are typically millionaires and up.

 

 

The Very Wealthy/ Upper Middle Class

These residents live in large doorman and elevator buildings with many amenities (such as gyms, playrooms, pools, etc.) which can be found all over the Upper East Side. Prices in these buildings are high and the apartments are state-of-the-art and well kept, but prices here are not quite as expensive as those on Park, Madison, and 5^th Avenues. These residents might be considered “yuppies” and they are certainly wealthy, but they are not quite as well-endowed as their Carnegie Hill counterparts. The UES residents of this class may  be doctors, lawyers, business men, etc.

The Working/ Middle Class

These residents live in small walk up buildings in generally small and old apartments. Despite the lower quality of the housing, residents who live here pay for the zip code and rent in these buildings are still fairly expensive. The residents who live in these buildings are typically middle/lower middle class people looking to live in a lively neighborhood in Manhattan who cannot afford prices in many other “desirable” areas in the borough. Typical residents in these buildings might be public school teachers, other city workers, young professionals, and other people with similar means.

 

 Schools and Cultural Institutions 

 The Upper East Side is rich with schools and cultural institutions. While this makes it a great place to live, it also points to some problems with the city’s public school system. There is a disproportionately high number of excellent public schools on the Upper East Side, and they are almost completely closed off to kids who don’t live in the school district. This district (district 2) encompasses all of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city, providing the wealthiest children with the best education. Although not the fault of the children, the residents, or of the neighborhood itself, it is a problem that must be addressed. Because most of the parents on the Upper East Side do not have to worry about making ends meet, they are able to devote more time and energy to ensuring their children’s admittance into the best schools and fighting for maintaining certain standards within these schools. The city responds to this sort of parental involvement and schools in district two have state-of-the-art supplies, excellent teachers, and advanced curriculums. School districts where parents are uninvolved receive little attention, and an endless cycle of unequal opportunity for New York City children is created. The Map below shows all the public schools contained within the 37 blocks of the Upper East Side.

 

The General Consensus 

In my time on the Upper East Side I learned that the residents are generally happy and consider the neighborhood a good place to live. Some common reasons given for their satisfaction are: the safety, the access to so many different types of restaurants and stores, and the location in the middle of Manhattan with easy access to other parts of the city. Many residents complained, however, that the Upper East Side is somewhat dry compared to other neighborhoods, claiming things like “the Upper West Side has more personality” or “it’s more fun downtown”. While there is no way to prove this empirically, I think it is a fair assessment of the neighborhood.