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24 hours on New York’s Upper West Side

by Caroline Gladstone | 12 Sep 2013

Mixing grand residential apartments, historic brownstones and a clutch of wonderful museums and theatres, New York's Upper West Side is the ideal place to live like a local while holidaying in the Big Apple. 

See

Upper West Side is blessed with Central Park to the east and Riverside Park to the west. The famous Dakota Building, one-time residence of John Lennon, is on the edge of Central Park, metres from the memorial to the former Beatle – Strawberry Fields.

A monster of a museum to match the massive dinosaur skeletons, mammals and meteorites, the American Museum of Natural History includes 27 connected buildings and a planetarium. Don’t miss the Hall of African Mammals and take the night tour to walk through the exhibits that starred in Night at the Museum.

Opened in the 1950s, Lincoln Centre houses nine performing arts companies including the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the School of America Ballet. There’s a vast program of entertainment, free performances every Thursday night and behind-the-scenes tours.

Columbia University is the only Ivy League university in a major city. The iconic Low Memorial Library is designed in Roman Classical style while the plaza was the site of student protests in the 1960s. A copy of Rodin’s statue 'The Thinker' takes pride of place outside the School of Philosophy.

Broadway cuts a swathe through the Upper West Side for 66 blocks. It’s a great walking street, edged by sumptuous 19th-century apartments, hole-in-the-wall cafes, street vendors, and excellent shopping. 

Eat

Adjacent to Columbia University, The Hungarian Pastry Shop attracts students and anyone else who loves a bottomless cup of coffee. Danishes, strawberry almond cake and strudels are the specialities, while an outside seat will afford a great view of the Cathedral of St John the Divine.

The fabulous Fairway Market is an Upper West Side institution with every imaginable product (including live lobsters) under its roof. The upstairs café serves all-day breakfast and lunch treats from the store’s enormous deli – meatloaf sandwiches, smoked salmon and bagels, and umpteen salads. At night it’s a steakhouse where a fixed priced three-course meal starts at US$28.

People come from interstate to buy a strudel from Zabar’s, the deli, gourmet food store and cafe on Broadway. Equal part tourist attraction and grocery store, Zabar’s is ideal for casual lunches. Soups, especially the salmon chowder, are legendary, and a snip at $1.75 if you have a sandwich or panini as well.

Salumeria Rossi is an old-fashioned salami shop with a modern twist. Chef Cesare Casella combines the traditional Italian concept with a menu of tantalising small plates. Diners may start with individual meaty treats or try the specialty mixed platter, then move on to cheeses, innovative salads (such as sweet and savoury eggplant), pastas topped with Mamma Casella’s sauces or Tuscan spare ribs. 

Stay

Australians love Hotel Beacon because each room has a kitchen and they can live like locals rustling up meals and shopping at the Fairway Market across the street. On Broadway at West 75th Street, it is next door to the Beacon Theatre and an easy stroll to Central Park and the subway. The 260 newly upgraded rooms and suites feature twin double beds and sofas in the lounges. Free Wi-Fi makes it feel even more like home.

For the total wow experience and sensational views of Central Park and the Hudson River, the Mandarin Oriental is the place. Towering above Columbus Circle, the hotel occupies 20 high-rise levels of the Time Warner Centre, a modern complex that is the headquarters of CNN and houses a jazz club and luxury stores. Each of the 198 rooms and 46 suites has floor-to-ceiling windows, deliciously comfortable beds and stunning decor with Oriental touches. Persian steam rooms and a lap pool make unwinding easy, while the lobby bar, teetering high above the city, is the place for a cocktail.