As the younger, hipper counterpart to the Upper
East Side, the Upper West Side is home to creative types who have money.
Writers, musicians, actors, intellectuals, Wall Streeters, and other well-paid
professionals, many of whom come here to raise their families, favor this
neighborhood. It’s also one of the prime areas to find celebrities in
Manhattan. Jerry Seinfeld, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Simon, Diane Keaton, Meg Ryan,
Yoko Ono, and many others have called the Upper West Side home at one time
or another.
The Upper West Side is situated along Central Park, and the
views are spectacular from the ornate early 20th-century buildings that line
the streets surrounding the park. These buildings are a mix of brownstones,
restored townhouses, and high-priced co-op apartments, most of which are protected
by landmark status. Although the neighborhood is architecturally breathtaking,
it’s not stuffy. There are plenty of gyms, trendy bars and restaurants,
and multiple movie venues, including a 600-seat Sony IMAX theatre. There also
are more august cultural offerings, including Lincoln Center for the Performing
Arts, the Juilliard School, the New York Historical Society, the American
Museum of Natural History. The resulting mix of hip and traditional makes
this neighborhood fun, yet classic.
