Kips Bay Apartments & Rentals

Kips Bay apartments offer New Yorkers convenience, but not a ton of character. Unless you live here, you're likely only to visit to go to the cinema or one of the hospitals-hopefully the cinema. The neighborhood's boundaries aren't well defined, but it ranges from about East 23rd up to East 34th Street, from Lexington Avenue to the East River. It's more residential than commercial, and its primary focus is medical. Kips Bay is Manhattan's hospital hot spot.

Looking at the map of Manhattan, you won't see the inlet that gave this neighborhood its name. Named for Dutch settler Jacobus Kip, the namesake bay was filled in long ago. There are still a few relics of the old days here, however. You can see (but not tour) a wooden clapboard house that some claim dates back to 1790. There's also Broadway Alley, supposedly the last unpaved street in Manhattan. Mostly, however, Kips Bay is boxy high-rise apartments, university buildings, hospitals, and waterfront.

Because Kips Bay is more residential, it's easy to find the services you need here. Pharmacies, supermarkets, gyms, and tailors are all plentiful. The neighborhood also has options when it comes to affordable and higher-end ethnic eateries, from Turkish to Asian fusion. Brasserie Les Halles, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain's Paris-style restaurant, is on Park Avenue. There are some bars, but the area isn't known for nightlife.

One of Kips Bay's real draws is its movie theater. The AMC Loews Kips Bay is one of Manhattan's largest and nicest. It's located along the Kips Bay Plaza, a commercial strip set back from Second Avenue. For live entertainment, try the New York Comedy Club. If it's a park you're after, Kips Bay has a stretch of riverside that's good for a stroll.

Kips Bay rentals are mostly in high-rise apartments but you can find some residential post-war buildings, too. Kips Bay Towers, two apartment buildings designed by I.M. Pei, contain 1,112 units. This is a neighborhood where rents aren't low, but where you might get more for your money. There are no-fee rentals here and you can find perks like half-bathrooms and dishwashers. A one-bedroom apartment in Kips Bay costs around $2,700 a month.

Many of the residents in the area are medical professionals who work in the nearby facilities. This is good, because commuting from Kips Bay is an issue. Until the Second Avenue subway opens, you can only get away via bus or taxi. Traffic, unfortunately, snarls up easily.

Manhattan Community Board 6 oversees Kips Bay. The community has a small public library on Third Ave and 31^st Street, and the United Nations International School is here. The line-up of hospitals includes the NYU Medical Center, the Bellevue Hospital Center, and the Manhattan VA Hospital. Also prevalent in the neighborhood are New York University buildings. There's a post office on 34^th Street and Lexington Avenue.

Kips Bay falls into the 10010 and 10016 zip codes.