Episode 15: New York City Neighborhoods in Manhattan

[00:00:00] Welcome to English, please, the podcast where we explore captivating topics in under 10 minutes in clear intermediate English. I’m your host, Christopher. I live and work in New York City, and I’m a language enthusiast who has always been interested in the best ways to learn a new language. Thank you for joining me for another episode, designed to help you improve your English listening skills and vocabulary.  

Manhattan, where I live is a small island, but beneath the skyline, you’ll find many different neighborhoods, each with its own character. You’ll often hear that New York City and Manhattan are different nowadays, and that the best time for the city was during the 1980s, the [00:01:00] 1970s, or just about any other time period. In some ways, maybe that’s true, but there’s still plenty of character in the neighborhoods in 2024, and each neighborhood has a unique character shaped by history. In other parts of New York City outside of Manhattan (you’ve probably heard of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx), there are interesting neighborhoods as well, and I’ll talk about those, as well as some others in Manhattan, in a future episode or two. But in this episode of English, please I’ll focus on Manhattan. I’ve chosen six neighborhoods to discuss today. I picked them because I have some connection to them—I’ve worked, lived or frequently visited these areas over the years.  

Okay, let’s go.  

Greenwich Village, or the Village as it’s [00:02:00] fondly called, buzzes with youthful energy. Cobblestone streets lined with charming brownstones speak to the areas artistic past. A “brownstone” is a type of building from the late 1800s that is common in many parts of New York City. The name comes from the type of sandstone material used to create the facade, so the buildings appear in various shades of brown. They’re usually three to four stories tall, and generally they were built for a single family to live in, although nowadays many brownstones are split into different apartments for multiple families.  

In the early 1900s, Greenwich Village became a haven for the creative and the rebellious, and it attracted artists like Jackson Pollock, writers like Alan Ginsburg, and [00:03:00] musicians like Bob Dylan. Places like Cafe Wha? were a big part of the neighborhood, and many comedians and musicians performed there when their careers were only beginning.  

People like Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Dylan (who lived nearby), and lots of others. While the area has changed quite a bit since then, the spirit remains intact. Washington Square Park, a busy green space that’s filled with street performers, chess players, and students from nearby New York University is also located here. And you might recognize the well-known arch there from many, many movies.  

There are a large number of small cafes and bars, as well as restaurants and music venues, where people can soak up the atmosphere of this neighborhood, Much like they’ve done for the past 100 years. 

[00:04:00] Walk south from Greenwich Village and you will cross Houston Street, arriving in SoHo. The name of this neighborhood in fact is short for south (“ So”), of Houston Street (“Ho”), SoHo. 

Also, you may have heard of the city in the United States called Houston, which is a big city in the state of Texas. Well, the spelling of this street in New York City is the same as that city, but the pronunciation is completely different. The city in Texas is pronounced “HYOO-ston,” while the street in New York is pronounced “HOW-ston.” It can be a little confusing for visitors.  

So, this neighborhood south of Houston Street looks very different from Greenwich Village, due to its very different history. SoHo was dominated by factories and warehouses until the 1950s, [00:05:00] when artists began moving into the area. For the large affordable spaces there, which they could use as art studios. Over time, the area transformed into a place with galleries, restaurants, and shopping.  

While most of the old industrial buildings are still there, today, you’ll find a huge mix of restaurants, typical stores you might find in other American cities, and specialized luxury boutiques like Prada and Chanel. The cobblestone streets are almost always busy with tourists and locals. Some galleries featuring contemporary art remain on the quiet side streets between restaurants and shops. And, generally, to me, those quieter parts of SoHo are the most interesting.  

From there we are going north of Central Park, which is a long way from SoHo. Harlem, nestled and Upper Manhattan, offers an [00:06:00] experience that sometimes feels like a living museum. Founded in the 1660s by the Dutch, Harlem has a rich history. Originally Harlem was full of farms, but by the 20th century, it became the center of African-American culture. You’ll find the legendary Apollo Theater here. The Apollo is a landmark that opened in 1914, and it has been a launching pad for countless African-American musical icons. Amateur Night at the Apollo is a popular competition that this venue began hosting in the 1930s. And since then it has helped launch the careers of legendary performers like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and James Brown, among many, many others.  

There are a lot of churches in Harlem, but many are more than just simple places of worship. [00:07:00] They’re vibrant and historic centers of the neighborhood. Gospel music, which is a unique blend of spirituals, hymns, and African-American musical traditions is a feature within many of these churches. Church services come alive with passionate singing, often accompanied by clapping, tambourines, and other instruments. The energy is powerful and many tourists visit these churches to experience this special part of Harlem’s unique culture.  

Much of Harlem is like going back in time. In most of the neighborhood, there are rows of beautifully preserved 19th century brownstones. These grand structures with their beautiful facades and intricate details can be found in several areas of New York City. I mentioned them in Greenwich Village, for example, but these buildings are a key part of Harlem and they are very common there. Harlem also features soul food, a culinary [00:08:00] tradition with roots in African-American history. Sure, there are restaurants of all types in Harlem, but soul food dishes like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and collard greens are a big part of the historic food culture there.  

When talking about neighborhoods in Manhattan, I can’t avoid talking about Midtown Manhattan. Midtown, as it’s called, is the heart of New York City’s business district. Towering skyscrapers are everywhere, and they are visible from all over the region. Landmarks like the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building are in Midtown. And while many taller, newer buildings have begun to fill the city, these two buildings continue to be icons.  

Busy Fifth Avenue is lined with boutiques and stores, including famous department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue [00:09:00] and Bergdorf Goodman. Office buildings are located throughout Midtown, and workers fill the streets throughout the day. Midtown also features Times Square, “the Crossroads of the World,” with its lights and billboards and its crowds. Just a few blocks away are the Broadway theaters.  

The Lower East Side is a busy historic neighborhood in downtown Manhattan. Its narrow streets are lined with buildings that were once home to a huge number of the immigrants who arrived in waves throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The buildings, called tenement buildings, we’re modest and commonly locked plumbing. They were four to six stories, high, and they were tightly packed with multiple families, and these buildings often had fire escapes on the exteriors.  

With so many people [00:10:00] living in such a small , conditions in the Lower East Side were not good at all. Disease spread easily. Yet, in spite of all this, there were German beer halls and Jewish bakeries, as well as busy garment factories. Over time, artistic movements and social activism developed here, and the Lower East Side became a place where many people fought for social change.  

Today, the Lower East Side reflects this past. Much has changed, but fashionable boutiques and chic cafes share spaces with historic stores and restaurants. For example, Katz’s Deli is quite famous, and people have been eating pastrami sandwiches there for over a century. Street art is common as our small venues for music and art galleries. The Lower East Side is a great neighborhood to explore, and it is constantly [00:11:00] changing.  

Now, we’ll finish by going back uptown to the Upper West Side, located on Manhattan’s west side along Central Park. Grand apartment buildings with historic details line wide tree-lined avenues, and the side streets are filled with smaller apartment buildings and brownstones, similar to Harlem. The Dakota, a well-known building where John Lennon lived (and also died) is here, across from Central Park. And aside from Central Park, the Upper West Side also has a second enormous park called Riverside Park located on its west side, next to the Hudson river. The Upper West Side, isn’t all about peaceful parks and grand architecture, though. The American Museum of Natural History, an incredible museum featuring dinosaurs, ancient artifacts, and a planetarium. Is on the Upper West Side, across from Central Park. [00:12:00] Lincoln Center, a performing arts complex with prestigious institutions, like the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic, is also in the neighborhood.  

These are just a few of the neighborhoods in Manhattan and only a fraction of the neighborhoods in all of New York. I’ll talk about more places in New York, in a couple of future episodes.  

I hope you were able to understand most of the content in this episode. And don’t forget as always, there’s a transcript available to help you with your understanding. You can find the link in the episode notes. I recommend listening again with a transcript to help with anything that wasn’t clear.  

Again, I’m Christopher, and I want to invite you to join me in future episodes of English, please to hear about a variety of topics, all focused on helping you with your English. Subscribe now, wherever you listen to podcasts and let’s embark on an adventure together in [00:13:00] clear, understandable English. I also encourage you to visit comullen.com/pod for more information.  

Thanks for listening. See you soon!