Murray Hill haters are missing the neighborhood's magic

"In the literal shadow of some of the most famous skyscrapers on Earth, you have a modest, busy little neighborhood full of nurses and doctors, doormen and crossing guards, serviceable diners and better-than-serviceable Indian restaurants. Then, inexplicably, there's a Dover Street Market."

"But I also appreciate that New York, unlike some other famous cities I don't need to slander, isn't just a museum of itself. It's a vibrant city where people actually live and work. And Murray Hill, I'd argue, is a paragon of that vibrancy."

"Unlike their peers south of 14th Street, there's no goofy pretense about living somewhere with Bohemian heritage; they're not butchering the name; they're not spritzing on St. Mark's Place. Junior accountants coming from elsewhere need a place to live, work, go to the gym and drink."

Murray Hill and surrounding Midtown East neighborhoods are often dismissed as boring, dominated by medical offices, banks, and postwar architecture. However, the area possesses authentic New York character distinct from tourist-heavy zones. The neighborhood functions as a genuine residential and working community, home to nurses, doctors, doormen, and young professionals. It features serviceable diners, quality Indian restaurants, and unexpectedly, a Dover Street Market. Unlike downtown neighborhoods with manufactured bohemian pretense, Murray Hill's transplant population accepts the area's practical nature without affectation. The absence of tourists paradoxically highlights the neighborhood's value as a real, functioning part of the city rather than a museum or entertainment destination.

Read at Gothamist