Not For Tourists Guide to New York City - Not For Tourists (2016)

Map 16. Upper West Side (Upper)

Neighborhood Overview

Map 16

Close to Columbia University, this neighborhood is home to much of New York’s liberal intelligentsia. It is not uncommon to overhear discussions about the fate of health care reform or the latest Phillip Roth novel at the dog run, or on line for coffee at a neighborhood bakery. But the neighborhood is far from snobby. Mixed in with the college professors, theater directors, doctors, and lawyers are many families with young children, and twenty-somethings, all of whom enjoy the slower pace of life and physical beauty of Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

This neighborhood is one of the greenest spaces in New York. Situated between Riverside and Central Park, there are many places to run, bike, or sit in the shade of a tree. There are few tourist attractions in this part of Central Park, but the natural beauty of the park and its recreational spaces are abundant. You can enter the reservoir from this end of the park, and enjoy a scenic view while running 1.6 miles around a dirt path. Walking west from Central Park to Riverside Park, peek into Pomander Walk, a tiny, pedestrian-only street of tiny houses. In Riverside Park, take the time to explore the many famous monuments. After 9/11, neighborhood residents gathered at the Fireman’s Memorial to commemorate those that were lost. The statue of Joan of Arc sits within an island on Riverside Drive that is maintained by neighborhood residents. Dedicated on Memorial Day in 1902 and modeled after a Corinthian temple, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument commemorates those who served during the Civil War. If you’re just looking for some place to sit and read, Straus Park, a small green island between West End and Broadway, offers a quiet spot to rest amid the bustle of the street.

For a neighborhood so far from the bustling theater hub of Times Square and Museum Mile, the Upper West Side offers its fair share of cultural entertainment. Symphony Space is a multidisciplinary arts center. There is always a reading or concert on the main stage, and the Leonard Nimoy Thalia next door is always showing a classic movie. Symphony Space also occasionally hosts free marathon concerts, and is known for its fun “Wall To Wall” series. Come early to get a seat and stay as long as you want. For jazz, check out Smoke; many well-known musicians perform. They also have excellent food. The Underground Lounge hosts decent comedy nights and also occasionally has live music. The West Side Arts Coalition sponsors visual arts exhibitions at the Broadway Mall Community Center in a renovated Beaux-Arts building in the middle of Broadway. El Taller Latino Americano has live music, salsa dancing, and an occasional film, as well as Spanish classes, all very affordable.

For cheap drinks, check out Abbey Pub or Broadway Dive. For a good LGBT spot, head to Suite. Go Euro with the Beligum brews at B. Cafe. Cleopatra’s Needle is jamming with open mike and jam sessions around the grand piano and Smoke is, uh, smokin’ with live jazz. The Village Pourhouse is where the football fans and softball teams go.

Map 16

✵ Broadway Mall Community Center ✵

W 96th St & Broadway

Beaux-Arts home of The West Side Arts Coalition.

✵ El Taller ✵ 2710 Broadway [W 104th St]

212-665-9460

Vibrant cultural hub for Latino art, music, and dance.

✵ Firemen’s Memorial ✵

W 100th St & Riverside Dr

Memorial to fallen fire fighters.

✵ Joan of Arc Memorial ✵

Riverside Dr & W 93rd St

Impressive statue erected in 1915.

✵ Pomander Walk ✵ 261 W 94th St [Broadway]

Great little hideaway.

✵ Riverside Park ✵

Hudson River b/n 59th & 155th St

212-870-3070

330 acres of Olmsted/Moses parkland along the Hudson River.

✵ Schinasi Mansion ✵

351 Riverside Dr [W 107th St]

My name is Elmer J. Fudd, I own a mansion…

✵ Soldiers and Sailors Monument ✵

W 89th St & Riverside Dr

It’s been seen in Law & Order, along with everything else in New York.

✵ Straus Park ✵ Broadway & W 106th St

Green respite just off the craziness of Broadway.

✵ Le Pain Quotidien ✵

2463 Broadway [W 91st St]

212-769-8879

Excellent coffee and pastries. Thanks Belgium.

✵ Silver Moon Bakery ✵

2740 Broadway [W 105th St]

212-866-4717

Delicious morning coffee and croissant.

✵ 97th Street Greenmarket ✵

Columbus Ave & W 97th St

✵ Abbey Pub ✵ 237 W 105th St [Broadway]

212-222-8713

Cozy Columbia hangout.

✵ Amsterdam Tavern ✵

938 Amsterdam Ave [W 106th St]

212-280-8070

Great beer selection. Annoying TVs.

✵ B. Cafe ✵ 566 Amsterdam Ave [W 87th St]

212-873-0003

Belgian beer tastes good. Really good.

✵ Broadway Dive ✵ 2662 Broadway [W 101st St]

212-865-2662

How’s that for a name?

✵ Buceo 95 ✵ 201 W 95th St [Amsterdam Ave]

212-662-7010

Surprisingly affordable wine bar with delicious tapas.

✵ Cleopatra’s Needle ✵

2485 Broadway [W 92nd St]

212-769-6969

Solid middle eastern food and solid live jazz performances.

✵ Dive Bar ✵ 732 Amsterdam Ave [W 96th St]

212-749-4358

That’s “dive” as in “deep”; Columbia hangout.

✵ Lion’s Head Tavern ✵

995 Amsterdam Ave [W 109th St]

212-866-1030

Sports bar where locals and Columbia students drink cheaply.

✵ The Parlour ✵ 250 W 86th St [Broadway]

212-580-8923

Irish pub, two spaces, good hangout.

✵ Smoke ✵ 2751 Broadway [W 106th St]

212-864-6662

Local jazz hangout. Sunday nights are fun.

✵ Suite ✵ 992 Amsterdam Ave [W 109th St]

212-222-4600

Karaoke on Thursdays. Rare gay bar in the neighborhood.

✵ Tap A Keg ✵ 2731 Broadway [W 104th St]

212-749-1734

Cheap beer and pool tables!

✵ The Underground Lounge ✵

955 West End Ave [W 107th St]

212-531-4759

Stand up comedy and live music. Some really good!

✵ Village Pourhouse ✵

982 Amsterdam Ave [W 109th St]

212-979-2337

Drink good beer and catch the big game here.

Wait in line for bagels and lox at Barney Greengrass. Jam econo with the rice & beans at either Flor de Mayo or El Malecon. Dine on awesome Mexican at Taqueri Y Fonda and rich Indian at Indus Valley. On the go? Swing by Roti Roll for Indian treats, Absolute Bagels for freshness right out of the oven, and pastry rivaling what you’d find in Paris at Silver Moon Bakery.

✵ A Cafe and Wine Room ✵

973 Columbus Ave [W 107th St]

212-222-2033 ✵ $$

Enjoy French-Caribbean cuisine at this hole-in-the-wall BYOB.

✵ Asia Kan ✵ 710 Amsterdam Ave [W 94th St]

212-280-8878 ✵ $$$

Super sushi & so hip!

✵ Awash ✵ 947 Amsterdam Ave [W 106th St]

212-961-1416 ✵ $$

Tasty Ethiopian.

✵ Ayurveda Cafe ✵

706 Amsterdam Ave [W 94th St]

212-932-2400 ✵ $$$

Indian veggie delights for the body and soul.

✵ Barney Greengrass ✵

541 Amsterdam Ave [W 86th St]

212-724-4707 ✵ $$$

Sturgeon and eggs make the perfect NYC b-fast.

✵ Bella Luna ✵ 584 Columbus Ave [W 88th St]

212-877-2267 ✵ $$$

Old fashion Italian with live jazz Tuesdays.

✵ Blockheads ✵

951 Amsterdam Ave [W 106th St]

212-662-8226 ✵ $$

Mexican, SF-style food for, well you know, blockheads.

✵ Broadway Restaurant ✵

2664 Broadway [W 101st St]

212-865-7074 ✵ $

Great breakfast and sandwiches, good place to start the day.

✵ Café Con Leche ✵

424 Amsterdam Ave [W 80th St]

212-595-7000 ✵ $$

Cuban-Dominican haven.

✵ Carmine’s ✵ 2450 Broadway [W 91st St]

212-362-2200 ✵ $$$

Large-portion Italian.

✵ Cascabel Taqueria ✵

2799 Broadway [W 108th St]

212-665-1500 ✵

Great Mexican food and drinks; nice outdoor seating.

✵ City Diner ✵ 2441 Broadway [W 90th St]

212-877-2720 ✵ $$

Neighborhood joint.

✵ Crepes on Columbus ✵

990 Columbus Ave [W 109th St]

212-222-0259 ✵ $$

Savory & sweet crepes in abundance.

✵ Edgar’s Café ✵

650 Amsterdam Ave [W 92nd St]

212-496-6126 ✵ $$

Salads, desserts, and atmosphere.

✵ El Malecon ✵ 764 Amsterdam Ave [W 97th St]

212-864-5648 ✵ $

Roast chicken and a con leche.

✵ El Rey de la Caridad ✵

973 Amsterdam Ave [W 108th St]

212-222-7383 ✵ $$

Enjoy a Dominican feast. Bring your Spanish dictionary.

✵ Flor de Mayo ✵ 2651 Broadway [W 101st St]

212-663-5520 ✵ $$

Cuban-Chinese-Chicken-Chow.

✵ Gabriela’s ✵ 688 Columbus Ave [W 94th St]

212-961-9600 ✵ $$

Cheery Mexican.

✵ Gennaro ✵ 665 Amsterdam Ave [W 92nd St]

212-665-5348 ✵ $$$

Crowded Italian.

✵ Giovanni’s ✵ 1011 Columbus Ave [W 109th St]

212-663-7000 ✵ $$

Pretty good slice.

✵ Henry’s ✵ 2745 Broadway [W 105th St]

212-866-0600 ✵ $$$

Friendly uptown joint.

✵ Indus Valley ✵ 2636 Broadway [W 100th St]

212-222-9222 ✵ $$$

Locals rave about this Indian food but it costs.

✵ Jerusalem Restaurant ✵

2715 Broadway [W 104th St]

212-865-2295 ✵ $

Good Middle Eastern, friendly service, open late.

✵ Kouzan ✵ 685 Amsterdam Ave [W 93rd St]

212-280-8099 ✵ $$

Upscale Japanese dining with a pseudo nightclub-like atmosphere.

✵ La Mirabelle ✵ 102 W 86th St [Columbus Ave]

212-496-0458 ✵ $$$

New York old-timers keep coming back for classic French cuisine.

✵ Malaysia Grill ✵ 224 W 104th St [Broadway]

212-579-1333 ✵ $$

Inexpensive Malaysian pleasure.

✵ Mermaid Inn ✵

568 Amsterdam Ave [W 88th St]

212-799-7400 ✵ $$$$

Simple seafood creations in a tasteful setting.

✵ Metro Diner ✵ 2641 Broadway [W 100th St]

212-866-0800 ✵ $$

Get in line for weekend brunch.

✵ Momofuku Milk Bar ✵

561 Columbus Ave [W 87th St]

347-577-9504 ✵ $$

A dessert-lover’s delight (try the cake truffles!).

✵ Noche Mexicana ✵

852 Amsterdam Ave [W 102nd St]

212-662-6900 ✵ $$

Certainly more authentic than Blockheads up the street.

✵ Ozu Restaurant ✵

566 Amsterdam Ave [W 87th St]

212-787-8316 ✵ $$

Cozy kosher Japanese, lots of veggie options.

✵ Pio Pio Salon ✵

702 Amsterdam Ave [W 94th St]

212-665-3000 ✵ $$

Tasty rotisserie chicken with all the fixins. Thanks Peru!

✵ Pizzeria Sirenetta ✵

568 Amsterdam Ave [W 88th St]

212-799-7401 ✵ $$$

Rustic Italianesque pizzeria from Mermaid Inn folks.

✵ Regional ✵ 2607 Broadway [W 98th St]

212-666-1915 ✵ $$$

20 regional Italian cuisines and Sunday brunch.

✵ Roti Roll Bombay Frankie ✵

994 Amsterdam Ave [W 109th St]

212-666-1500 ✵ $

Hole-in-the-wall rotis to soak up alcohol.

✵ Saiguette ✵ 935 Columbus Ave [W 106th St]

212-866-6888 ✵ $

Damn good Vietnamese including scrumptious banh mi sandwiches.

✵ Talia’s Steakhouse ✵

668 Amsterdam Ave [W 93rd St]

212-580-3770 ✵ $$$$

Your basic everyday kosher steakhouse.

✵ Taqueria Y Fonda ✵

968 Amsterdam Ave [W 108th St]

212-531-0383 ✵ $$

Amazing Mexican dive. Columbia kids love this place.

✵ Thai Market ✵

960 Amsterdam Ave [W 107th St]

212-280-4575 ✵ $$

Another favorite Thai among locals.

✵ Trattoria Pesce Pasta ✵

625 Columbus Ave [W 91st St]

212-579-7970 ✵ $$$

Decent neighborhood Italian. Good antipasti.

✵ Turkuaz ✵ 2637 Broadway [W 100th St]

212-665-9541 ✵ $$

Craving gelenseksel yemekler (traditional dish)? It’s all here.

Looking for a nice bottle of wine to bring to dinner? Try Whole Foods Wine, which is the first branch of the upscale grocery store to have one. Barzini’s has nice fresh produce as does Garden of Eden. For smoked fish and prepared foods try The Kosher Marketplace. Schatzie’s is the best butcher around and Joon Fine Seafood has fresh fish at fair prices.

✵ Absolute Bagels ✵

2788 Broadway [W 108th St]

212-932-2052

Amazing. Home of the hard-to-find pumpernickel raisin.

✵ Ace Hardware ✵

610 Columbus Ave [W 90th St]

212-580-8080

The place.

✵ Barzini’s ✵ 2455 Broadway [W 91st St]

212-874-4992

Huge selection of cheeses. Fresh bread and produce.

✵ Ben & Jerry’s ✵ 2722 Broadway [W 104th St]

212-866-6237

Hippie treat trifecta: Cherry Garcia, Phish Food, and Half Baked.

✵ Champion Bicycles ✵

896 Amsterdam Ave [W 104th St]

212-662-2690

Well priced, good guys.

✵ Garden of Eden ✵

2780 Broadway [W 107th St]

212-222-7300

Produce is pretty good here.

✵ Gotham Wines And Liquors ✵

2517 Broadway [W 94th St]

212-932-0990

Friendly neighborhood favorite.

✵ Gothic Cabinet Craft ✵

2652 Broadway [W 101st St]

212-678-4368

Real wood furniture. Made in Queens!

✵ Health Nuts ✵ 2611 Broadway [W 99th St]

212-678-0054

Standard health food store.

✵ Innovation Bike Shop ✵

105 W 106th St [Columbus Ave]

212-678-7130

Sales, service, rentals, and accessories.

✵ Janovic ✵ 2680 Broadway [W 102nd St]

212-531-2300

Top NYC paint store.

✵ Joon Fine Seafood ✵

774 Amsterdam Ave [W 98th St]

212-531-1344

Fresh fish market that will fry ‘em up right there.

✵ The Kosher Marketplace ✵

2442 Broadway [W 90th St]

212-580-6378

For all of your Kosher needs.

✵ Mani Marketplace ✵

697 Columbus Ave [W 94th St]

212-662-4392

Fantastic little grocery with jazz on the sound system.

✵ Metro Bicycles ✵ 231 W 96th St [Broadway]

212-663-7531

New York’s bicycle source.

✵ Michael’s ✵ 808 Columbus Ave [W 100th St]

212-865-0813

Gigantic arts and crafts store straight from suburbia.

✵ Mitchell’s Wine & Liquor Store ✵

200 W 86th St [Amsterdam Ave]

212-874-2255

Worth a trip just for the gorgeous neon sign.

✵ Mugi Pottery ✵

993 Amsterdam Ave [W 109th St]

212-866-6202

Handcrafted pottery. Like in the movie Ghost.

✵ Murray’s Sturgeon Shop ✵

2429 Broadway [W 90th St]

212-724-2650

UWS comfort food: rugelah, knishes, and, lots of sturgeon.

✵ New Westlane Wines & Liquor ✵

689 Columbus Ave [W 93rd St]

212-678-4908

Behind the bullet proof glass is a pretty good selection.

✵ New York Flowers & Plant Shed ✵

209 W 96th St [Amsterdam Ave]

212-662-4400

Makes you wish you had more (or any) garden space.

✵ Schatzie The Butcher ✵

555 Amsterdam Ave [W 87th St]

212-410-1555

Butcher with good prime meat and poultry.

✵ Upper 90 Soccer & Sport ✵

697 Amsterdam Ave [W 94th St]

646-863-3105

Great selection of soccer apparel and accessories.

✵ Variazioni ✵ 2389 Broadway [W 88th St]

212-595-1760

Funky tops, designer jeans, high prices.

✵ Whole Foods ✵ 808 Columbus Ave [W 97th St]

212-222-6160

Finally. Good fresh food north of 96th Street.

✵ Whole Foods Wine ✵

808 Columbus Ave [W 100th St]

212-222-6160

Featuring lots of NY State wines.