Walk on the West Side
Morning
Begin at
Lincoln Center
and admire the plaza, the Chagall windows at the Metropolitan
Opera, and the Henry Moore statue in front of Lincoln Center Theater.
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts on Amsterdam Avenue,
behind the theater, is notable for its enormous collection of books on
the performing arts.
Make your way up Broadway, window shopping and noting some of the landmark buildings such as the
Apthorp Apartments
and the
Ansonia Hotel
, and the West Side’s gastronomic palaces, such as Fairway, at 75th Street, and Zabar’s.
Almost any of the side streets will reveal examples of the area’s great
line-up of brownstone townhouses. Finally, head east to Columbus Avenue
and
Calle Ocho
for a Cuban lunch.
Afternoon
The
American Museum of Natural History
can easily fill an entire afternoon, and the
New York Historical Society
has an amazing collection on show.
Stroll down Central Park West and admire the landmark
apartment buildings
that can be seen here, and then head for
Central Park
, the city’s vast “backyard”. Take a boat out on the lake, or
enjoy a gondola ride around it, followed by refreshments at the Loeb
Boathouse, the perfect end to an afternoon.
Apartment Buildings
Dakota
Famous as the site where John Lennon was shot, the block was thought so far west in 1884, it might as well be in Dakota.
Dorilton
One of the most flamboyant examples of the Beaux Arts era, this 1902 apartment house has an iron gate fit for a palace.
Balcony, Dorilton
Ansonia Hotel
This 1908 apartment-hotel included soundproof partitions, a feature that has attracted many distinguished musicians.
Apthorp Apartments
Modeled after an Italian Renaissance palazzo, this 1908 building includes a huge interior courtyard.
Belnord
Even
larger than the Apthorp, this 1908 Renaissance Revival structure is
where Nobel Prize-winning author Isaac Bashevis Singer lived and wrote.
Majestic
The first of Irwin Chanin’s two 1931 landmarks, one of the original four twin towers that dominate the West Side skyline.
Century
Irwin Chanin’s second twin tower, the tallest on the block, and an Art Deco icon.
San Remo
Emery Roth’s 1930 Art Deco masterpiece is a sophisticated adaptation of Renaissance forms. The twin towers hide water tanks.
San Remo
Eldorado
Another Art Deco Roth design. Groucho Marx and Marilyn Monroe were once tenants.
Hotel des Artistes
Built
in 1918 as artists’ studios and apartments, the lofty spaces are much
coveted. Residents have included Noel Coward, Isadora Duncan, and Joel
Grey.
Hotel des Artistes
Restaurants
Jean Georges
Jean Georges Vongerichten’s namesake restaurant is among the best in New York.
Per Se
Book well in advance for this critically-acclaimed restaurant owned by Thomas Keller.
Shun Lee Café
This clean-lined, black-and-white dim sum café is arguably the best north of Chinatown.
Shun Lee Café
Café Fiorello’s
The bountiful antipasto bar is good enough reason to visit, but the thin-crust pizzas and Italian menu are equally tempting.
Tavern On The Green
Eclectic
contemporary American cuisine is served at this grand restaurant on the
edge of Central Park. Dine al fresco in the private garden in summer.
Gabriel’s
Sophisticated Tuscan food keeps this stylish room filled with Lincoln Center-goers at night.
Rosa Mexicano
A branch of New York’s top Mexican restaurant, famous for its guacamole made to order and power-packed margaritas.
Rosa Mexicano
Café Luxembourg
A classic Parisian bistro with a zinc-topped bar and a hip clientele. The steak frites can’t be beat.
Calle Ocho
Every night feels like a Latin party here; modern dishes from the Cuban chef are inspired by cuisine from Peru to Puerto Rico.
Gennaro
Fans
say this tiny café serves the best Italian food on the Upper West Side,
at the most reasonable prices, which explains the constant lines.
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Unless otherwise stated, all restaurants accept credit cards and serve vegetarian meals |
