The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, USA, between Central Park and the East River.

The neighborhood, with elegant rows of landmark townhouses, once known as the 'Silk Stocking District', has some of the most expensive real estate in the United States, with 2+ bedroom apartments starting at $5 million and the famous Fifth and Madison Avenue townhouses starting at $30 million. The most expensive Upper East Side penthouse (in the The Pierre Hotel) in the New York Times real estate classifieds is listed for $70 million, and the most expensive townhouse (on E 68th St.) is listed for $64 million .

The Upper East Side is famous for its many high society residents (Michael Bloomberg, George Soros, Barbara Walters, Rudy Giuliani, etc.); luxurious hotels (Carlyle Hotel, Plaza Hotel, Plaza Hotel Athenee, Four Seasons-New York, The Pierre Hotel, etc.); high-end shopping; world-class dining and entertainment; and nationally ranked private schools.

In the 19th century, and until the Park Avenue railroad cut was covered (finished in 1910), rich industrialists including Pittsburghers Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick began building stylish mansions and townhouses on the large lots along Fifth Avenue, abutting Central Park. One of the first sections to be developed was around 86th Street, where several prominent families, including the Astors and the Rhinelanders built (what were then) country estates.

Cornelius Vanderbilt, the tenth wealthiest person in history and patriarch of the prominent Vanderbilt Family of New York, planted his family's roots on the Upper East Side in the 1800's and his descendants went on to build the great ten Fifth Avenue Vanderbilt mansions, which were torn down in the early 1900's as a result of the Fall of the House of Vanderbilt .

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Yorkville, as it was known, soon moved east past _Lexington Avenue and became a suburb of middle-class Germans, many of whom worked in nearby piano factories, stables, and breweries.

A long high bluff fronting the river north of Beekman Place was dotted with fine suburban villas in the 19th century, the last remaining one being Gracie Mansion, now home of New York's mayor.

The Upper East Side is also notable as a significant location of political fundraising in the United States. Four of the top five zip codes in the nation for political contributions are in Manhattan. The top ZIP Code, 10021, is on the Upper East Side and generated the most money for the 2004 presidential campaigns of both George W. Bush and John Kerry.