Upper West Side

Clearly, the biggest enticement is the collection of prewar family-sized homes and classic brownstones along tree-lined streets. Notwithstanding, developments like Time Warner, The Alfred, Bromley, Trump Place, Grand Millenium, Alexandria, 200 Central Park South, New West, and the Coronado are also hot properties.

 Distinguished for its liberal, intellectual and artistic activity, this culturally and income-diverse neighborhood continues to be a must-live-here neighborhood. The big shift since 2001, perhaps in an attempt to catch up to its big real estate swell, is the food scene which took an abrupt turn when Tom Valenti opened Ouest and, shall we say, Upper West Side foodies never looked back?  Morningside Heights, more college town than uptown, seems to be bursting with more than the usual university hoopla and the newest kid on the block, the Time Warner Center, has not only changed the landscape but will no doubt shift shopping, dining and leisure-time rituals in this part of town. Enduring prewars like the Ansonia, Beresford, Dakota, Eldorado, Langham, Kenilworth, Gainsborough Studios and San Remo still have their huge wow factor and the Upper West Side is still what comes to mind when one pictures Lincoln Center, the Museum of Natural History, St. John the Divine, Grant’s Tomb and Columbia University.

There’s an awesome list of great eateries like Aix, Alain Ducasse, Cesca, Compass, Jean-George, SQC, and the newly arrived Nice Matin, but family-friendly favorites are still plentiful. The ongoing retail boom has brought Coach, Door Store, Gracious Home, and a handful of double dippers like Victoria’s Secret and Pinky Nail.  Additionally, there have been fairly large expansions from local favorites like Laytner’s, Town Shop and Rose’s Carpet. Unfortunately that same retail boom has brought a gazillion new banks to practically every corner with no end in sight. Once the Shops at Columbus Circle open inside the Time-Warner Center the neighborhood gets its first Cartier, Williams-Sonoma and Tuorneau. Community retail traditions endure like Zabars, Fairway, Citerella, Murray’s Sturgeon, Morris Bros., Barney Greengrass, and the immortalized-by-Seinfeld Tom’s Restaurant, but new ones are gaining in popularity quicker than you can say “delivery” – like the always jammed packed Kosher Marketplace and Silver Mood Bakery for chocolate eclairs