9 Reasons Union Square Is the Perfect Place to Work, Eat and Play

With almost 85% of subway and bus lines merging on 14th Street and even connections to NJ transit, Union Square is a transit hub to rival Penn Station or Grand Central. This makes it the perfect access point for any meeting with a client or friend, since the route to any point in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and beyond is only a few blocks away. You'd have to try to NOT find your way to the Square. 

Even with the easy transport, the beauty of Union Square is the neighborhood's walkability, and with plenty of luxury apartments (such as One Union Square South, pictured, located in the same building as the Best Buy and the Metronome sculpture) only a short distance away from office buildings, convenience and luxury can overlap quite easily. 

Speaking of walking to work, the neighborhood has become quite the impressive office hub for tons of tech companies, fashion brands, financial investors and even real estate developers, as Union Square's hip, yet still entrepreneurial spirit pervades the area's buildings, including Clarion Partners’ 100-104 Fifth Avenue (pictured). Companies like Apple, Adobe, Timberland, Newton and more occupy 100 Fifth Avenue's floors, and hundreds more fill the surrounding buildings.

In every corner of the Union Square and the surrounding neighborhood, there are countless culinary confections to be had. How about a sushi burrito from Uma Temakeria? Or fresh-baked, fluffy donuts from Dough, ranging from every flavor from chocolate salted caramel, dulce de leche, hibiscus, passion fruit and toasted coconut? Or maybe you want to grab a light snack from Bedford Cheese Shop on Irving Place? If you're feeling a bit more exotic, you can try Middle Eastern dishes from Rainbow Falafel & Shawarma or tapas from Casa Mono? In a rush, why not try the Square's numerous fast casual chains, including Num Pang, Dos Toros, Chipotle (of course!) and others?

Union Square's selection is so impressive that even the Boston Globe was willing to praise it. That's a level of delicious that trumps any sports and city rivalry. 

On every side of Union Square park and stretching far beyond, you'll find stores for everything from books to electronics to clothing and so on. Many major chains, including Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack, Whole Foods, Burlington Coat Factory, etc., have set up shop in impressive properties and retail complexes, but you can also find more niche stores like The Strand and Forbidden Planet nestled in smaller, historic buildings.

Whether it's a performance or (as seen here) a farmer's market, the Square always has something interesting going on, so whether you take a walk during your lunch break or on your way home, you might be able to enjoy a little music or even get your face carved on a pumpkin. But if this doesn't suit you, there's of course plenty of spas, gyms and bars around for you to work up a sweat or work off the stress of the day. 

Every now and then, it's refreshing to see the trees in the concrete jungle that is New York. While not as expansive as Central Park, Union Square Park has it's own charm and can still be a calm respite from the office or chaotic citylife. 

With the aforementioned restaurants and easy travel, it was a no-brainer for hotel developers to set up locations throughout the neighborhood. Big chains like the Hyatt and the W (pictured) surround the park, but you can also find more lavish and lush stays at places like the Inn at Irving Place (located in two 1834 brownstones and features a Victorian-styles, a martini bar and tea service) the Jade Hotel at Greenwich Village.

Both NYU and the New School (pictured) make the Union Square neighborhood their home, giving it a much needed boost of youth and vitality without the noise and disruption that you'll find at some other college neighborhoods. (For better or for worse, NYC is always loud.) But the fact that you get an up-and-coming workforce, some impressive buildings and the security of a campus are some nice benefits.