I recently spent an afternoon in these two neighborhoods, and was amazed at how little they've changed over time. They're basically the same as they were in the 80s and 90s. The felt like the real, old NYC.

The crazy part is that, relative to the rest of the city, both neighborhoods (especially UES) have become more affordable over time. There are people paying more to live in Bed Stuy than the UES. I actually found myself thinking that I could totally live and raise a family on the Upper East Side. I halfway wanna move back and buy a condo now, before the Second Avenue Line opens.