Sutton Place - New York, NY

The Sutton Place neighborhood takes its identity from the street of the same name, which was itself named after the developer who first built brownstones there in the late 1800s. The area became the fashionable place to live in the 1920s, when famous New York families such as the Morgans and Vanderbilts built river-view homes there.

Sutton Place remains an extremely high-end neighborhood, but it has had some disagreements with the city regarding park space. This was settled in 2007 when residents agreed to donate land to the city for a public park.

A wealth of New York museums wait for Sutton Place residents on the east side, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim and Gracie Mansion, open for tours. The nearby area teems with art galleries as well as the art auction house Sotheby's. A few blocks' stroll east takes locals to the yearly Easter Parade down Fifth Avenue.

Sutton Place may be a small neighborhood, but it doesn't lack for terrific restaurants. Choose from steakhouses, cafes, and ethnic restaurants of all sorts. Just to the west of the neighborhood, you can find restaurants of every type and price range in the Midtown East neighborhood, only a few walkable blocks from Sutton Place.

Club A Steakhouse on 58th Street not only cooks your steak to perfection, but everything else on the menu arrives precisely cooked as well. Choose from sides including truffle mac and cheese, Brussels sprouts, luscious mashed potatoes, or creamed spinach, and sit upstairs for a romantic view of the twinkle lights in the treetops outside the restaurant.

When your tastes run a bit more exotic, turn to Pierre Loti Midtown, a Mediterranean restaurant and wine bar featuring Turkish tapas. Share plates of risotto balls, stuffed calamari, tuna tartare, or phyllo cheese rolls, and wash them down with a glass of white sangria.

Vegetarians love to stop by Adyar Ananda Bhavan for truly authentic southern Indian cuisine. Try the Bhavan dosa with a wide variety of dipping sauces and chutneys, go for authentic sambhar or chana masala, or order a dinner thali for two or more people that lets you sample from the wide menu.

Sutton Place locals tend to venture out for their evening entertainment, with all of Broadway available in the Theater District and a wide array of lounges and clubs in Midtown East. A little closer to home, stop in to the Cello Wine Bar on 53rd Street for a quiet evening, a cozy atmosphere and a generous pour.

Dress in your best clubbing attire for a fun night at Session 73. This popular music venue hosts a variety of local bands with blues, jazz, funk, and salsa music.

While very few Sutton Place locals are likely ever to take public transportation, the 4, 5 and 6 trains stop just east of the neighborhood at 59th and Lexington, and the M15 bus passes through the neighborhood as well. Taxis are easy to find on the major avenues, with Uber and towncar services only a phone call away for those Sutton Place residents who don't have their own cars and drivers. The Queensborough Bridge leads out of Sutton Place eastward, and FDR Drive forms the eastern border of the neighborhood. You can find the Queens Midtown tunnel just a few blocks to the south.

Sutton Place's streets of beautiful homes provide lovely scenery to walk through, with the East River available for walkers as well. Many shops, restaurants and other amenities are also within easy walking distance. Central Park waits about a dozen blocks away for avid bicyclists who want a weekend spin. For those with cars, public parking is very rare, and private parking lots are extremely expensive.

With its small size, Sutton Place doesn't have room for many parks, but residents love to congregate in Sutton Place Park. This peaceful park right along the East River provides a cost-free opportunity to walk your dog, sit and read a newspaper, or just watch the river sweep by. Locals also like to jog in this park. While there's no real playground for local kids, a sandbox can keep them occupied for a little while.

Sutton Place doesn't host any annual events in its one small park, but head to Central Park, less than a dozen blocks away, to find a larger playground and lots of activities.

If Sutton Place isn't the most expensive neighborhood in Manhattan, it's certainly a competitor for the title. The cost of living runs 43 percent higher than the average in New York City, largely due to high housing costs. A rare one-bedroom in the neighborhood runs $3,502. Gas prices run about 11 percent higher than the national average. A beer at a local tavern runs about $7 on tap, with a range of $6 to $10 for bottled beer.

Sutton Place sits only a few blocks away from the shopping mecca of Fifth Avenue, home to iconic department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, and Bergdorf Goodman, along with the Fifth Avenue Apple Store. The palatial Bloomingdales on Third Avenue is another prime nearby shopping destination.

Most other shopping also sits outside the borders of this primarily residential neighborhood. Head back toward Fifth Avenue to find the New York flagships of Christian Louboutin, Ermenegildo Zegna, Christian Dior, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton and other world-class designers.

You can find some special shops close by Sutton Place. Stop by Extraordinary on 57th Street for unique home accessories and gifts for any occasion. Amazing customer service helps you find whatever you're looking for, whether it's a stunning decanter, a one-of-a-kind teapot or a blown-glass treasure.

Just a few blocks south of Sutton Place, the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza Greenmarket opens every Wednesday year round for all your farmers' market needs. For specialty food items, the Ideal Cheese Shop sells sausages, crackers, baguettes and other cheese-friendly foods; the cheesemongers go out of their way to make sure you find something you love.

Head to Nicola's up the street for handmade pasta, Italian meats and other fine groceries, and pick up a meaty sandwich to go while you're there. Swing by Buttercup Bakeshop on Second Avenue when you want to celebrate a festive occasion or just need a treat for yourself. Just be warned that it may be difficult to choose between the hummingbird cupcakes, banana pudding, or red velvet cupcakes.