New Yorkers go out of their way to avoid these NYC streets

Live in NYC long enough and you'll soon learn which streets to avoid.

That's the takeaway from a viral tweet by one New Yorker, @alex_abads on Twitter, who simply wrote this week that there are certain streets we all go out of our way to not walk down. His is 23rd Street in Manhattan.

living in New York will have you avoiding certain streets, sometimes for no reason at all. like 23rd street? bad vibes.

— alex (@alex_abads) October 20, 2021

Sensing bad vibes on a street is real. Something about certain streets—their cleanliness, the weird looks one gets while walking down them, the number of people on the sidewalks or activity going on there—doesn't jive and leaves us feeling worse for walking there.

New Yorkers chimed in eagerly to share their own streets they consider ~cursed~ and avoid at all costs and confirmed Alex's dislike of 23rd. Below are some of the streets people hate and why:

1. 23rd Street

People just really hate it.

the jumping man sculpture on 23rd ... cursed! pic.twitter.com/iuQZD5LqVy

— Claire Holmes (@haireclomes) October 20, 2021

Ew I got my fine arts mfa on 23rd st. Pretentious vibes

— Sarah Malekzadeh (@sarahmalekzadeh) October 21, 2021

2. Streets in the Garment District

It just feels bad.

my chest gets tight just thinking about it

— taylor. (@_trashville) October 20, 2021

3. All streets in the Herald Square area, including 34th Street

We'd be lying if we didn't agree.

Herald square can blow me tbh

— yung oat milk (@TwittsMcGee) October 20, 2021

there are no miracles happening on 34th just pain

— taylor. (@_trashville) October 20, 2021

4. 23rd through 50s on Eighth and Ninth Avenues

Walking on these side streets is...experiential.

23rd up through the 50's btwn 8th & 9th avenues always gives me strange vibes. It's like walking into a completely weird portal of space in the city. Also I am not particularly in love with East 14th street (2nd & 3rd) either. lolol

— Malanie Eusebio (@itsmemalanie) October 20, 2021

6. Avenue of the Americas, 36th-42nd streets

Tourists LIVE here.

“Avenue of the Americas” between 36th and 42nd can truly suck one

— ENZY⁷ (@taestyjoypop) October 20, 2021

7. East 125th in Harlem

Don't go too far east here.

Right I love walking through Harlem, beautiful….until you go too far east on 125th aka past madison ave….like what fresh hell is this???

— Nikki Valentine (@iNIKKIVALENTINE) October 21, 2021

8. Fifth Avenue between 15th and 19th Streets

Just because.

I also hate 3rd ave between 15th and 19th for absolutely no reason

— Franny Glass (@frannypglass) October 20, 2021

9. Canal Street

It's chaos.

Ever tried to cross Canal at 6th Avenue on foot? Am firmly convinced that's where my life will end

— DB in NYC (@dbrennerNY) October 21, 2021

10. Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn

The biggest avenue is the one to avoid.

at risk of reactivating this thread 24 hours later, there are too few non-manhattan answers so here's mine: I will go to any length to avoid walking atlantic. detour to pacific or state, always https://t.co/jvFiEjMkip

— Rachel H🎃lliday Smith (@rachelholliday) October 21, 2021

Atlantic west of Barclays feels like it's made for people, and is pretty nice. Atlantic east of Barclays feels like it's made for cars, and is miserable to walk on.

— Eóin Cunningham (@eoinmcunningham) October 21, 2021

I have so many additions lol! Atlantic is the worst (esp. in the winter it’s like a wind tunnel) but at least it’s wide; 5th Ave in park slope is so narrow & crowded all the time I always walk around it. In Bed-Stuy, I cannot stand walking along Fulton St. The list could go on 😂

— Rosy 🫔 (@aroseinbklyn) October 21, 2021

Some New Yorkers say they avoid all side streets. We're not sure how this is possible, but understand that all side streets have a certain edge to them.

All the cross streets have a seediness that I both appreciate and fear

— Meredith Blake (@MeredithBlake) October 20, 2021

Oh I will fully walk 15 minutes out of my way just to avoid a single side street lol

— lyle (@Lylexxxx) October 20, 2021

With all this said, the seedier and cursed vibes are as much a part of NYC as the good ones. We think Heather Tolford put it the best:

10 years in Manhattan. I would take all the vibes, good and bad, over where I am now. Keep NYC in your heart forever. You never know when it’s memory will sustain you.

— Heather Tolford (@HeatherTolford) October 21, 2021

What streets do you not walk down?