Often grouped or confused with Carnegie Hill and Yorkville or just simply lost in the vast expanse that is the Upper East Side, Lenox Hill is a small but historical part of Manhattan, with roots dating back to some of the earliest inhabitants of the city.
Named for Robert Lenox, an immigrant Scottish merchant who purchased the land in 1818 from Archibald Gracie, of Gracie Mansion fame. Lenox used this expansive piece of land, ranging from East 60th Street to East 77th Street, all the way east to the East River and reaching as far west as Park Avenue, as a farm. A steep slope on what is now East 70th and Park Avenue lends itself to the “Hill” portion of the neighborhood’s name.
After Robert’s death in 1839, his son James Lenox took over the farm, but ended up selling most of the land by the 1870s. James kept and built on some of the land, most notably building the Lenox Library on East 70th and 5th Avenue, now known as the Frick Collection, an art museum holding works from all over the world. Today, the vast majority of the population of Lenox Hill lives extremely comfortably, with an average household income of $106,772, according to the US Census, more than double the national average of $51,939. However, it doesn’t go very far, as residents must contend with ever rising rents, a 600 square foot one bedroom on 63rd Street and 3rd Avenue rents for $2,600 a month, according to PropertyShark.
With rent prices at at all time high, people can simply not afford a space big enough to hold a family in Lenox Hill. According to the city’s data, out of 59,689 total households in Lenox Hill, only 7,681 have children. This may be due to the fact that over 50% of the population is over the age of 45, an age group unlikely to have school-aged children.
Despite what seems to be a lack of families with children, Lenox Hill has many features one might desire for raising a family. It holds some of the city’s top ranked public schools, like PS 35, and private schools, like the Allen-Stevenson School, The Buckley School, Birch-Wathen Lenox, and the Ramaz School. It’s close proximity to Central Park gives a place for kids to play, and the availabilty of the 6 train at 68th Street and 77th Street allow for easy transportation. Residents working in Lenox Hill utilize this transportation heavily, with an average commute time of 26.7 minutes, according to PropertyShark. Residents also can call Lenox Hill Hospital, one of New York City’s top ranked hospitals, a neighbor.
To fulfill one’s cultural needs, Lenox Hill is within walking distance of a plethora of museums, including the MoMa, the Met, the Guggenheim, and many art galleries. Movie theaters are in abundance, and Lincoln Center is just a short hop across town.
Historically, Lenox Hill has been a predominantly white neighborhood. According to city data, 92% of the population is white, 4% is Asian, and only 1% is African-American. Efforts to diversify the neighborhood have been ongoing since 1894, with the founding of the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. Originally founded as a kindergarten for children of the many immigrants flooding into Ellis Island, the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House now helps relocate people of all races to live and work on Manhattan’s entire East Side, focusing primarily on Lenox Hill.
Lenox Hill is just a tiny sliver of the expansive Upper East Side, but the neighborhood has carved out a name for itself in its history, infrastructure, culture, and being an overall very pleasant place to live.