SoHell

Old-fashioned markets share the area with newcomers like 37 Arts.

The neighborhood south of Hell’s Kitchen has more than its share of cheeky monikers: SoHell, Dirty 30s, NoMSG, Hellsea. All reflect the area’s reputation as little more than a carousel whose commuter-riders hop on and off around Penn Station and the Javits Center. It’s true, this is not the place for a leisurely walk with your tots unless your stroller is made by Hummer. But what the streets lack in charm, they make up for in practical enticements: cheap, authentic ethnic eats, a couple of 24-hour pharmacies and a decent flea market. Plus, locals can now gloat about staking their claim before the new Hudson Yards development brings buzz—and higher prices—to Eleventh Avenue.

What you’ll find
SoHell’s streets are chockablock with no-frills eateries like the Italian sandwich joint Manganaro Hero Boy (494 Ninth Ave, 212-947-7325), along with casually classy joints like the Market Café (496 Ninth Ave, 212-967-3892). Far from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, Ninth Avenue is a haven for old-school foodies, with plums from tip-to-tail butcher Esposito & Sons (500 Ninth Ave, 212-279-3298) and the International Grocery (543 Ninth Ave, 212-279-5514) to bakeries and fishmongers. Several arts organizations and venues have trickled in from the Theater District and Chelsea to set up shop, including Exit Art (475 Tenth Ave, 212-966-7745) and 37 Arts (450 W 37th, 646-731-3200). Every weekend, 39th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues is closed off to make room for antiques and furniture dealers, craft peddlers and racks of vintage clothes.

What you’ll pay
The average price for a two-bedroom here is $964,000. Although it sounds like a lot, that figure compares favorably with the rest of the borough. “SoHell is the new Soho—but only in some respects,” says Cynthia Dillon, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy. “There are a number of loft conversions and older loft buildings. However, there isn’t an abundance of available units.”

Where to hang out
Until Spider-Man 4 hits theaters, kids can get their fill of spandexed heroes at Midtown Comics (200 W 40th St, 212-302-8192). You’ll find families in mid-pizza-party, bellowing out “Steeee-rike!,” at the newly renovated Leisure Time Bowl alley in the Port Authority terminal (550 Ninth Ave, second floor; 212-268-6909); reserve a lane online to get possible discounts and to kill the wait between lacing your kids into their bowling shoes and doing your best Big Lebowski. The Cupcake Café (545 Ninth Ave, 212-465-1530) may have relocated, but thankfully, it stayed in the neighborhood; bring home some buttercream bombs, or enjoy them with your kids in the spacious seating area. And for Mom and Dad’s morning fix, Empire Coffee (568 Ninth Ave, 212-268-1220) is popular among commuters who can’t stomach the stuff from Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks.

What the locals love
For professionals who work in the area (media companies like The New York Times, the Associated Press, Thirteen/WNET and, yes, Time Out New York have offices here), the commute is that much shorter—and time with families that much longer. But this central locale offers many other conveniences: “I like having everything at my fingertips,” says SoHell resident Heather del Campo, mother of three-month-old Daniel. “That 24-hour post office has saved me more than once!”

Report card on the schools
Just north of SoHell, P.S. 51 Elias Howe School (pre-K through grade 5; 520 W 45th St) boasts elevated reading levels (math still needs to catch up). To the south, the poorly rated P.S. 33 Chelsea Prep (pre-K through grade 5; 281 Ninth Ave) was rapped on the knuckles by the New York Post for a moldy classroom, but supporters maintain that renovations and other improvements are in the works.

What we’d change
For asthma-prone kids, the buses swirling around the Lincoln Tunnel entrance are a deal-breaker. And the nabe lags behind Chelsea in children’s boutiques, parks and play areas.