I have to admit, when I first went to the Upper West Side in NYC, I wasn’t too impressed. It didn’t seem to have the homey, cool vibe that the Village has; it wasn’t as upper crust as the Upper East Side; and, it wasn’t as bustling as Midtown.
However, through my many travels, I’ve learnt that you can’t judge a book by its cover. So, I did some research and found some places on the Upper West Side to check out. And boy did I find some beautiful streets! The Upper West Side is very quiet and residential, but that makes for some very nice photography moments (i.e. not having to wait forever for people to move out of the way!)
If you make the trip to the Upper West Side, be sure to check out these streets. Next time I make the journey over there, I’ll go further north–due to cold weather and tired feet I didn’t make it super far up north this time around ;)
I tried really hard to keep track of where I went on the UWS but I lost track after about three streets…you know how I like to wander. One day this will be a proper guide of all the pretty UWS streets. For now, you’ll just have to suffice with some very pretty photos!
West 71st between Riverside Drive and West End Ave
West 74th between Central Park West and Columbus
West 76th between Central Park West and Columbus
West 78th between Columbus and Amsterdam
Other pretty streets :)
Have you been to the Upper West Side before?
Tanja (the Red phone box travels) says
very pretty:)
Kirsten says
What does “upper crust” mean?
I love all those condos! Too bad they’re like a bazillion dollars…
-Kirsten // http://www.porkandcookies.com
almathews says
Upper crust is like the highest of the upper classes of society! Yeah all those townhomes are so beautiful but SO expensive, I can’t even imagine ever having that much money!!
Kacie Bowers says
I love these streets. You found great locations! I had the opportunity years ago to live on the upper west side for 9 months while I attended the american musical and dramatic academy. It was a wonderful meighborhood for a young wide eyed Nyc novice like me. I spent hours on the weekends strolling through the tree lined streets. Everytime I feel nostalgic for my old neighborhood I watch Youve Got Mail since it was filmed on the upper west side!
almathews says
Thank you! It’s such a lovely neighborhood to wander around in. I used to go there often but I hardly make it over there anymore. I love You’ve Got Mail! The perfect NYC UWS nostalgia movie :)
Z. Laje says
Thanks for the photos. I’m writing a novella set in the Upper West Side in the ’60’s. It helps recreate the atmosphere. I lived in New York in the 50’s, but not in that area. Thanks.
almathews says
I’m so glad you found them helpful. Good luck with your novella!
Meredith Gurr says
Gorgeous photos of an amazing neighbourhood, my favourite in Manhattan (except for Inwood, Hudson Heights and Fort George LOL! Upper Manhattan is fascinating and I love all the Art Deco apartment buildings.) ❤️️
almathews says
I have a lot of favorite neighborhoods in NYC too! I love exploring the UWS and all its beautiful buildings almost as much as I love exploring the UES :)
Ivan Berggreen says
I wonder when these buildings were built, and also if they were designed by British architects.
If you take the Earl’s Court region in London, England, I think the owners have restored some of the fences in Courtfield Gardens so that they too are made of black cast iron, just like the ones in Upper West Side. And you also see a lot of stucco there; that is true for many places in east Earl’s Court and also here and there in west Earl’s Court (which is the poorer part of Eart’s Court). However, in London they are more conservative: the stucco is always white or at least: that is the rule.
– That photo of yours from 74th Street showing the very dark houses on both sides of the yellow house was nice!