Upper West Side
Manhattan's Upper West Side is mostly a peaceful and luxurious residential area. The district stretches west of Central Park and Central Park West Avenue (the extension of Eighth Avenue) and includes upscale residential buildings (the prices go up as you get closer to the park), shopping boulevards, great shops, more or less luxurious restaurants, and a slightly different New York style.
- The theoretical New York space of Seinfeld (filming took place in Los Angeles) is the quality and pleasant New York of movies and television shows.
- The broad Broadway Avenue runs northward through the district toward Morningside Heights and Columbia University, where several important churches and sites related to the prestigious institution are located.
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How to Get to the Upper East Side?
By subway: The blue line (A, C) and the orange line (B, D) run along Central Park West Avenue, on the eastern part of the Upper East Side and Morningside Heights. The red line (2, 3) runs through the center of the district and reaches up to 96th Street, then enters Central Park heading toward Harlem. The red line number 1 continues north to Morningside Heights and onwards toward the Bronx.
8 Must-Sees and Must-Dos in the Upper East Side
- Culture at Lincoln Center
- Learn and enjoy at the American Museum of Natural History in New York
- John Lennon at the Dakota Building and Strawberry Fields
- The stunning structure of the Central Park twin towers – The San Remo Building
- The churches of Morningside Heights – Riverside Church, Saint Paul's Chapel, and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
- Spend time at Columbus Circle
- Taste a bit of Seinfeld at Tom's Diner
- Be impressed by the mausoleum at Grant's Tomb, the resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant
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Map of the Upper West Side and Morningside Heights in Manhattan
Everything to see and do in the Upper West Side
Columbus Circle
The main square at the southwest corner of Central Park is the gateway to the Upper West Side. The square is where Broadway Avenue meets the Eighth Avenue, Central Park West, and 59th Street. On the western side of the large round square is the Time Warner Center, an urban mall with restaurants, bars, luxury shops, and the luxurious Mandarin Hotel. The building is the headquarters of Time Warner in New York. It is also home to the new Jazz At Lincoln Center performance hall.
In the center of the square stands a statue of Christopher Columbus on a tall granite column. Opposite the statue, at the gates of Central Park, stands the Maine Monument. This impressive monument was built in 1912 in memory of the victims of the American ship USS Maine, which exploded in Havana Harbor, Cuba's capital, in February 1898.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
The Lincoln Center is the most important cultural center in Manhattan. The center is located at the intersection of Broadway and Columbus Avenue between 62nd and 65th streets West. It was built on the ruins of the neighborhood houses that served as the backdrop for Leonard Bernstein's play “West Side Story,” and it was Bernstein himself who inaugurated the center in 1959. In this vast complex covering more than 60,000 square meters are some of New York City's key cultural institutions. At the heart of the center is the Metropolitan Opera House, home to the Metropolitan Opera and the American Ballet Company. In the hall are two giant murals by Marc Chagall.
Next to the Metropolitan Opera House lies the Lincoln Center Theater, part of the complex. The elegant Vivian Beaumont Theater, with about a thousand seats, is included. Nearby is the home of the New York Philharmonic, whose hall is named after music producer David Geffen – David Geffen Hall. Aside from performance halls, the center also houses restaurants and cafeterias that are very popular among artists and various troupe members.
The Dakota Building
Along Central Park West Avenue are some of the most luxurious apartment towers in Manhattan. The most famous of them is likely The Dakota Building between 72nd and 73rd streets, right on the edge of the park. It is one of the oldest buildings on the avenue, built in 1884. Many celebrities have lived there, such as Leonard Bernstein and Judy Garland, but it is primarily known because of another famous resident who tragically met his end there.
John Lennon, the great, was murdered at the entrance to the building where he lived on December 8, 1980. His killer, Mark Chapman, shot him as he walked behind his wife Yoko Ono returning to their home in the evening. Lennon's murder has forever associated the Dakota building with the image of the giant Beatle from Liverpool, and Yoko Ono still lives in the building where her husband was murdered. Across from the building, in Central Park, a memorial garden called Strawberry Fields was built in Lennon's memory, named after the famous and mysterious Beatles song (a song that ends with the famous line “I buried Paul,” referring to rumors of Paul McCartney's premature death).
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The San Remo Tower
The San Remo residential tower, affectionately known as the twin towers of Central Park, is one of the most famous and beautiful in Manhattan's skyline. The tower is located on Central Park West Avenue between West 74th and 75th Streets. The unique building was designed by architect Emery Roth and built in 1931.
The two tall towers are based on the skyscraper construction regulations of the 1920s, requiring the upper part of the tower to be narrower than its lower part to avoid blocking the sunlight. Because of this, the skyscrapers of the 1930s in Manhattan have their own style, each unique and astounding. The San Remo is still considered one of the most exclusive residential buildings in New York, with its residents including the city's top celebrities.
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American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is located on a pleasant green area between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, and between 77th and 81st Streets. This area compensates Central Park for the green space lost with the construction of the giant metropolitan that sits directly opposite on the park's east side. At the heart of this green block stands the impressive museum, considered one of the largest in the USA, alongside The National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
The museum features a spectacular and accurate display including the giant hanging blue whale model and dinosaur reconstructions based on paleontological excavations. Besides animals, the museum has an impressive ethnographic display and lots of information and findings related to fossils, geology, and more. The museum complex also includes the fascinating Hayden Planetarium with interactive displays about the solar system and space.
Address: Central Park West 2000, New York
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Children's Museum of Manhattan
In the heart of the residential area, on 83rd West Street, between Amsterdam Avenue to the east and Broadway, stands the Children's Museum of Manhattan. This small and lovely museum opened in 1973 with the aim of implementing educational concepts in a museum space, including lots of activities and interaction with the kids. The museum features educational play facilities and great activities, making it an excellent place for kids to hang out on a rainy day.
Address: W 83rd St. 212, New York
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Riverside Park
The western park of Manhattan stretches along the Hudson River throughout the Upper West Side, from Grant's Tomb in Morningside Heights to Hell's Kitchen in Midtown. The park offers walking and jogging paths with stunning views of the river and the opposite bank in New Jersey. The Henry Hudson Parkway runs alongside the park. To the east, the park is bordered by Riverside Drive, one of New York's green streets, with low and elegant buildings shaded by tree-lined avenues.
Morningside Heights
Tom's Diner
One of the simplest yet most renowned New York institutions is Tom's Diner. The diner is located on Amsterdam Avenue and West 112th Street, at the intersection of the Upper West Side and Columbia University. The humble-looking luncheonette became iconic with the famous shot of Monk's Cafe, the hangout spot of Jerry Seinfeld and his friends on the show. The interior is, of course, a Hollywood set, but the entrance photo of Tom's Diner has made the place one of New York's symbols.
Many come to the diner specifically to see the famous facade. Even before Seinfeld, the diner was the subject of Suzanne Vega's well-known song named after it.
The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
The massive cathedral dedicated to Saint John is one of the largest churches in the world by area. The church dominates the entire southwestern section of Morningside Park, near Columbia University. The church is still incomplete even though construction began in 1892. Traditional techniques were strictly used in the construction, which is why it takes such a long time to build. According to the plan, it won't be finished for decades.
The church is dedicated to John the Evangelist, or John the Gospel Writer, who wrote the story of the Apocalypse on the Greek island of Patmos. The planned length of the basilica structure (a cross-shaped building) is nearly 200 meters with a width of 50 meters in the central nave. Despite the traditional style of construction, there are many modern elements embedded in decorating the cathedral, such as the column capitals at the entrance, which have reliefs of the New York skyline, including the Twin Towers.
Address: Amsterdam Ave. 1047, New York
Columbia University
The Columbia University campus is primarily located on a massive block between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, stretching from West 114th Street to 120th Street. The campus also extends into various faculty buildings beyond this official block. The university dominates a significant portion of the Morningside Heights neighborhood, a prestigious border area between the Upper West Side and Harlem. It was one of the first universities established in the USA, originally opening its doors in 1754 in downtown Manhattan. The current campus was constructed about one hundred and fifty years later, and the university moved there in 1897. The campus itself serves as a sort of oasis from the noise and towering buildings of Manhattan, featuring green spaces alongside neo-classical style buildings.
St. Paul's Chapel
The beautiful chapel is located on Amsterdam Avenue, in the eastern part of Columbia University's campus. The chapel was built in 1904, blending various European architectural styles. The interior of the chapel is particularly impressive and can be accessed during church organ concerts. The large organ in the chapel is considered one of the finest built in the USA.
The Riverside Church
Another very impressive church in Morningside Heights is Riverside Church. The church is located near the northern part of Riverside Park, not far from President Grant's tomb. The church's design is based on the massive architecture of the Chartres Cathedral in France. Due to the unusual appearance of the enormous bell tower, which stands 120 meters tall, the church is actually a sort of combination of a cathedral with a 1930s New York skyscraper. At the top of the bell tower is a cluster of seventy giant bells. You can climb to the observation deck at the top of the bell tower (via stairs) for a stunning view.
Address: Riverside Dr. 490, New York
Grant's Tomb – General Grant National Memorial
The tomb of the 18th President of the USA, Ulysses S. Grant, and his wife Julia Dent, is located at the northern end of Riverside Park, opposite Riverside Church. Grant was the commander of the Union forces during the Civil War. The mausoleum where Grant and his wife are buried was designed based on the model of Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides in Paris. The massive tomb structure was built in 1885 with the president's death and with donations from New York residents. Adjacent to the central structure containing the sarcophagi of Grant and his wife, there are two rooms that describe Grant's life and his historical role both as the supreme commander of the Union Army and as President of the USA.
