Must Haves

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Midtown, Uptown, Downtown?

This one was very confusing for me when I first travelled to New York City. People talked about going uptown, downtown, or even to midtown. The subways even posted uptown and downtown references. 

Today, the definition of downtown and uptown is fairly the same as when it originated in New York in the 1830s.

Downtown is primarily the commercial center of town south of 14th Street. It's on the southern end of Manhattan, the original New York. I also noted that it is associated as down on a map. Space is much more limited with more office towers, high-rises and apartment buildings with an increase in people who travel there for work and entertainment. 

Uptown typically refers to the residential parts of Manhattan; generally agreed, it is north of 59th Street, which is located on the outside of the commercial hub. You guessed it, uptown is on the northern part of New York which I associated as up on a map. The pace of life here tends to be slower, with lower population density, more empty spaces, and more single-family homes. 

That makes midtown easy enough to figure out. It's in the middle of uptown and downtown. Generally agreed, it is from 14th to 59th Street centered on Times Square.

If you ask any New Yorker though, they will say that there is a particular style and attitude associated with an uptown or downtown resident. If you do a quick YouTube search for Billy Joel, a New York singer / songwriter from the 80s, you will find a song he wrote called Uptown Girl and how she fell in love with a Downtown Boy. 

Currency

The official currency in the United States is the American dollar.