Hell's Kitchen exists just below Midtown Manhattan all the way to the West side of the Island. An icon throughout New York City's historic underworld, Hell's Kitchen has been home to the Irish American Mob, bootleggers and gangsters (West Side Story is based on the neighborhood), and found it's name somewhere amidst its seedy history. The area has cleaned itself up over the years and largely in part to zoning restrictions that have kept skyscrapers out, has become a popular residential area in recent times. Prices here have remained relatively reasonable, and thus the area tends to be younger and also attractive to up-and-coming actors for it's proximity to the theater district. Hell's Kitchen is a popular spot for a variety of ethnic restaurants, especially along 9th Avenue, and is busy and thriving at all times of day and night.