This area of Manhattan is one of the oldest settled communities. It was named for a Dutch settler whose last name was Kip. Famous architect IM Pei designed two of the largest apartment buildings in the neighborhood which house an estimated 1100 apartment units. A few notable places in the area that bring commerce are the students of New York University, Tisch Hospital, and the Bellevue Center for Medical Teaching.
It’s not all business in the district though because many people enjoy the fine dining, shops, and gourmet marketplaces that line the streets. Kips Bay Plaza even has an AMC Movie Theatre, Staples store, and the famous Fairway Market which is housed underground at a whooping 44,000 square feet of food and other grocery items. It was founded in the 1930’s to remain a long standing shopping tradition for the more than 24,000 residents that live there. Even though it’s highly populated it manages to maintain a more residential feel to the city with a very family and pet friendly vibe. It’s also only a ten minute walk to more trendy areas like the East Village, the Flatiron District, and Chelsea.