Neighborhoods with soul: 21-27

Lincoln Center

Yorkville

Despite the chain-store shopping row—86th Street between Lexington and Second Avenues—there’s a good mix of people in this underrated area: You’ve got elderly folks, mothers with small children, teens, and enough park benches and sitting areas in front of buildings to hold them all (especially on 91st between Second and Third Avenues). Still, 87 dry cleaners? And almost any available space seemed to be in development for condos.—Monika Fabian
Score: 11

West Village

Lincoln Center (57th Street to 72nd Street)

You’ve got your classic Lincoln Center types, like the old lady we saw in a pink T-shirt with puppy dog pins, who’s probably a lifetime subscriber to the Met. But this’ hood is built for tourists, and the media: Hearst (57th and Eighth Avenue), Time Warner (Columbus Circle), CBS (57th and Tenth) and ABC (7 Lincoln Square).—Alison Rohrs
Score: 10

Soho

West Village

The cheapest pad we could find: $2,200 for 350 square feet. This ’hood is over-oversuccessful, and it’s too bad. The sidewalk cafés on Greenwich Avenue had people outside—the majority white, young, trendy and wealthy-looking. And we saw a smattering of well-groomed chicks with their impossibly tiny dogs, along with B&T brunchers around Meatpacking—in fact, B&T brunchers are often the single largest group on the streets. Old folks congregate in Abingdon Park. Good-looking gay cruising on the waterfront—though the two guys we spoke to had come over from Jersey City!—Clare Lambe
Score: 10

Kips Bay

Soho

What happened here? As in any neighborhood, some streets are longer than others. Broadway is the thoroughfare, and certainly the busiest street. But culturally, it’s a dead zone, and filled with Jersey boys. There’s an outdoor market at Broadway and Howard that sells faux gold, pleather bags and sari-inspired club ware, but most of the socializing here is done in dressing rooms. Herewith, a list, for effect: Broadway boasts Wachovia, Starbucks, Daffy’s, Necessary Clothing, Scoop NYC, Miro Café, Pearl River Mart, Work in Progress Soho, Levi’s and David Z. Broome and Broadway, likewise, has a Staples, Eckerd, LTB Little Big, Mexx, Bloomingdale’s, New York Sports Club, Old Navy, Aerosoles, Payless, H&M, Quiksilver, Puma, Club Monaco Lady Foot Locker, Chase and Banana Republic. Spring and Broadway, then, has Uniqlo, Soho Lab Shoes, Steve Madden, Lucky Brand Jeans, Guess, Arden B., another Levi’s, another Steve Madden, Foot Locker, Sephora, two Anne Taylors, another Banana Republic, another David Z., another H&M and Victoria’s Secret. Broadway and Prince has an Armani Exchange, Prada, Zara, American Eagle Outfitters, Nine West, Aldo, Espirit, Verizon, Forever 21, Express, Bank of America, Kenneth Cole and Ricky’s. Other majors in the area include Terranova, Duane Reade, Pottery Barn, Zoe, L’Occitane, Prada, J.Crew, Intermix, Woo Lae Oak, Miu Miu, Tumi, Calvin Klein, an Apple Store, Hugo Boss, Mont Blanc, Louis Vuitton, Anna Sui, Face Stockholm, Oakley, Club Monaco, Olive’s, Camper, Adidas, Betsey Johnson, Northface, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Swatch, Brite Smile, Baby Phat, Lacoste, Chanel, Celo, Eres Paris, Ilori, American Apparel, the Rug Company, Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic, Todd Oldham, French Connection, Swiss Army, Coach, Dolce & Gabbana, Agent Provocateur, agnès b., Vivienne Tam, Stussy, Marc Jacobs, Stephane Kélian, MoMA Design, Diesel Denim, Seven, MAC, Lucky Strike, Kate Spade, Robert Max, DKNY, Oska, Sigrid Olsen, Origins, Theory, the Body Shop and Varda.—Ashlea Halpern
Score: 9

Carnegie Hill

Kips Bay

This neighborhood doesn’t have a clear hub like some do, unless you count the Loews movie theater. The streets are mostly long, with some stretches that feel pretty desolate and abandoned, especially toward First Avenue. Overall, there’s not a lot of interaction on the street. The area near the Bellevue men’s shelter attracts some small crowds, and young people congregate in front of the School of Visual Arts on 23rd Street. Oh, and the Hairy Monk bar (25th and Third) is often packed. So, um, yeah.—Heather Appel
Score: 9

Murray Hill

Carnegie Hill

Here, there’s a mingling of economies, but there is a huge disparity in economic yield. The dry cleaners and the shoe repair shops are easily distinguishable from the plastic surgeons and dentists, which hide away in buildings that could be apartments. There is no lower-class housing here. In short, this is the quintessential Upper East Side neighborhood residentially, but there is a huge tourist element here ,and everyone seems to be holding a museum gift-shop bag.—Molly Eichel
Score: 9

Murray Hill

Nine Starbucks. Thirty-two chain banks. We saw four construction sites, which are going to be apartment or condo towers. There’s a new H&M coming, and we tallied three day spas, and the Ritzy Canine, a carriage house that has been converted into an upscale pet-care facility and veterinarian offices. It all adds up to no soul.—Scot Meyer
Score: 8