Murray Hill Neighborhood Association

A (not quite) Newcomer's View of Murray Hill

Feb 21, 2001

I was raised in Peter Cooper Village, attended school on 21st Street near Second Avenue, moved on and settled in Ithaca, N.Y., a charming city of 20,000 people with lots of students. Thirty years later when my husband passed away and my daughter was on her own, I decided it was time to go back to my roots, Manhattan. (The pleasure and comfort of small-town friendliness has followed me here now that I can meet and greet neighbors, thanks in part to the people I?’ve met at MHNA.)

What a wonderful time to return! Crime rates have dropped substantially; there has been a general revival and sprucing up all over including Murray Hill (for better or otherwise,) new buildings are sprouting everywhere and old ones are being restored. Since returning a year and a half ago I have witnessed the opening of Scandinavia House and the new condo next door on Park Avenue, which have enhanced the elegance of the area. Also adding to the ambiance and opportunities is the triple asset in the restored B. Altman?’s building: CUNY Graduate School; Science, Industry and Business Library and the Oxford Press. Nearing completion is the nicely landscaped Catholic Center (Opus Dei) on 34th Street and Lexington Avenue and the profusion of new residences rising on Second Avenue.

There has indeed been a big change.
Here are some of the things I like about Murray Hill:

Magnificent Pierpont Morgan Library
Unusual Sniffen Court
Research, free classes, lectures and internet access at SIBL
Restaurants galore (gained 15 lbs. since my move)
Architectural and historical landmarks
Youth and seniors live here

Hospital and medical centers nearby
Illogical bus schedule (did I say I liked everything?)
Lots of movie theaters nearby
Lord and Taylor but a short walk

Yes NYC, especially Murray Hill, is a great place to live and it provides an ideal location from which to explore all of this great city.