UPPER WEST SIDE
Broadway,
brownstones, books, and some of the city's best bagels... the Upper
West Side extends north from Columbus Circle at 59th Street up to 110th
Street, and is bordered by Central Park West and Riverside Park. The Upper
West Side is separated from the Upper East Side by Central Park. This
is the traditional stronghold of the city's intellectual, creative,
and moneyed community, but the atmosphere is not as upper crust as
the Upper East Side. Elegant,
pre-war buildings along the boulevards of Broadway, West End Avenue,
Riverside Drive, and Central Park West meet shady, quiet streets lined
with brownstones. Much of the area is protected by landmark status,
and the neighborhood's restored townhouses and high-priced co-op apartments
are coveted by actors, young professionals, and young families. The
Upper West Side boasts an impressive list of "firsts": The oldest
Baptist congregation in the U.S. (founded 1753; First Baptist Church,
Broadway and 79th St.); the oldest Spanish and Portuguese Jewish congregation
in New York (established 1654; Congregation Shearith Israel, Central
Park West and 70th St.); the world's largest bible collection (American
Bible Society, with 37,000 items); the first fireproof building in
NYC (122 West 78th St., built by Rafael Guastavino in 1883); the oldest
school in the U.S. (Collegiate School, West End Avenue and 77th St.;
founded 1628); and the world's largest carillon (the Laura Spelman
Rockefeller Carillon, in Riverside Church, and the largest tuned bell,
the "Bourdon"). Sidewalks
in this neighborhood are always crowded during the day with performers
rushing to auditions and families pushing their babies in imported
strollers. In the evenings, however, the action moves inside, where
singles mingle in myriad restaurants and bars. Stroll along Columbus
Avenue to investigate the glitzy boutique-and-restaurant strip; walk
along Amsterdam Avenue with its mix of bodegas, bars, and boutiques.
Along Central Park West are such titanic habitats as the buff colored,
castle-like Dakota, where John Lennon was killed and Yoko Ono still
lives (respects may be paid across the street in Central Park's Strawberry
Fields memorial). Other interesting architectural jewels along the
avenue include The Lanhgam (a 1920s Italian Renaissance-style high
rise); the twin-towered San Remo (home sweet home over the years to
such luminaries as Rita Hayworth, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Simon, and Diane
Keaton); and The Kenilworth, with its impressive pair of ornate front
columns, once the home of Michael Douglas.Cultural
attractions include the dinosaur-filled American Museum of Natural
History and Rose Center for Earth and Space, the New-York Historical
Society (whose collection reaches from the 1600s to today), and the
Children's Museum of Manhattan. Dining choices
include two of the city's most beautiful restaurants - the romantic
Café des Artistes and fantastical Tavern on the Green, plus
a mind-boggling variety of cafés and restaurants along Columbus
Avenue, serving everything from deli sandwiches to burritos to haute
cuisine.