The Upper West Side
Central Park, the North Woods
When I decided to come to New York for a few months, my first choice of neighborhoods was the Upper West Side. Luckily, I found the perfect place on W. 109th, which is technically in a neighborhood called "Manhattan Valley," but I don't really know anyone that calls it that, so I still refer to where I'm at as the Upper West Side. I'm a few blocks from Columbia — which is in an area called Morningside Heights, it can get confusing — Riverside Park, and one block from the northern boundary of Central Park.
I absolutely love this area, and if I move here permanently I really I hope I'll be able to stay close by. It has a real neighborhood feel to it, one that I don't get in other, more crowded areas of the city. It's pretty quiet but that doesn't mean boring. There are plenty of delis, grocery stores and restaurants close by, and the subway lines (B, C and 1) are super convenient.
Riverside Park
I think what I like most about the areas is the abundance of nature — Central, Riverside and Morningside Parks are all wonderful, beautiful and really close. I absolutely adore the architecture and feeling of history, especially on Riverside Drive. I can only imagine what some of the buildings look like on the inside, but outside they're almost all spectacular.
There's also an abundance of really large, historic cathedrals in the area, in fact, 110th Street is called Cathedral Parkway and each church is bigger, and more ornately beautiful than the next.
Riverside Church
Fountain and Column outside of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
I'm not a church goer, but I always appreciate beautiful artwork and architecture. So far, I've been to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine as well as Riverside Church, and both are amazing to see.
It's been wonderful to be able to explore the neighborhood on my lunch break, and I've tried to go to new places almost every day. I fear I'm getting quite spoiled living here, and it's hard to imagine that I could be happier in another part of the city.
Grant's Tomb
The other day I went to Grant's Tomb, and it's almost surreal that I get to visit these amazing places (and sometimes even have them to myself!) every single day. I had never explored much of the northern part of Central Park before, but the North Woods is unlike any other part of the park. It's quite hilly and wild, and the Conservatory Garden is always a treat, in any season. There's a pond filled with ducks, bridges and waterfalls, baseball diamonds and an ice skating rink — all above 100th street.
The Reservoir
I walked through the park on Wednesday night and stopped by the reservoir just to admire the view — the city still manages to surprise me with its magical beauty at nearly every turn. Just a short walk or subway ride away there's a Whole Foods, Shake Shack, Magnolia Bakery, Momofuku Milk Bar and Trader Joe's — almost any store or restaurant you can think of has an Upper West Side location.
I read this article recently about the abundance of elderly people on the UWS, and how reluctant they are to leave because they basically never have to, everything they could ever want is right outside their door. There are many parts of the city that I love and value for their character and unique qualities, but I think I'll always be an Upper West Sider at heart, no matter where I eventually call my home.
