The Carnegie Hill section of Manhattan, full of magnificient townhouses that are rarely for sale because their owners tend to hang on to them, has wonderful access to Central Park. Larger buildings house prewar apartments of six or seven rooms, known as “Classic Sixes” and “Classic Sevens,” but the light in the area is generous as even these magnificient co-ops are usually not too tall. The resulting old-world feel, which bathes even modern condos in Carnegie Hill, shows you why steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie picked this quiet, countrified section of Manhattan as the place to build his ultimate family home. (You can still visit it today on your way to buy or rent an apartment — it’s now a branch of the Smithsonian known as the Cooper-Hewitt museum.)

More Even now, Carnegie Hill feels like a grand village tucked away from some of Gotham’s hustle and bustle. Whether you’re walking on Park Avenue with its tulip plantings, past French and Italian renaissance apartment buildings with doorman luxury hidden behind their ornate façades, or along a side street with its well-preserved brownstones, you’ll realize that Carnegie Hill is a truly special section of the city. Shopping is varied, which makes for gracious uptown living. Madison Avenue offers all kinds of designer duds, even for babies and toddlers. Many of the local shopkeepers have been here for decades — when you move into your new Carnegie Hill home they’ll learn your name. In keeping with the suburban feel of the area, entertainment is more museum mile than rock’n’roll: Carnegie Hill is home to the Guggenheim Museum, the Jewish Museum, and the 92nd Street Y, which offers a variety of arts and cultural programming. Less