Stretching from East 59th Street all the way up to 110th Street, from Fifth Avenue eastward to the river, the elite Upper East Side exemplifies New York City without the “edge.” For many class conscious residents, there’s simply no other place to live. Since the late 1800s, it has been the place for Manhattanites who value the cachet of their address, as well as for those who truly appreciate the serenity, charm and rich architecture inherent in the neighborhood’s personality.

The 1990 Census claimed that the Upper East Side had the highest per capita income of any urban quarter in the nation. Not surprising, as the area is filled with fine restaurants, world-class shopping along Madison Avenue, plus the clusters of lawyers, advertising and public relations managers, management consultants, entertainment promoters and economists who seem to have established their businesses and residences here.

Certainly, alongside Central Park, between Fifth & Lexington Avenues up to about 96th Street or so, the trappings of wealth are apparent everywhere, from the well-kept buildings, children with nannies or in private-school uniforms, limousines, dog walkers, etc. But like any other New York neighborhood, this too is one that’s diverse, with plenty of local residents who take great pride in the area yet live more modestly. Living on the Upper East Side reminds one of suburbia without the lawn, the commute or the driveway. The Upper East Side is home to the most expensive real estate in the world, with Park Avenue in particular lined with multi-million-dollar homes