Although often depicted in movies for its neighborhoods of residential apartments, the Upper West Side is a paradise of theatres, museums and restaurants. Begin exploring the upper west side from Central Park, the most famous visited urban park and most filmed location in the world, expanding 843 acres. Rent boats to float along the 59th Street Pond and see the best panoramic views of the Park and Manhattan skyline. On foot you can cross Oak Bridge, a cast iron bridge originally built in 1860. Other renovated areas include The Great Lawn and the Bethesda Fountain. Then you might visit the 6.5-acre Central Park Zoo. You can see everything from dinosaur bones to asteroids at the Museum of Natural History which first opened in 1869. In addition to the Rose Center planetarium, popular exhibits include the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs, the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life and the Eastern Woodlands and Plains Indians installation. Other upper west side museums include The Children's Museum of Manhattan, the Cloisters (in the Washington Heights section and dedicated to medieval Europe art and architecture) and the New York Historical Society, New York City's oldest museum since 1804.
Many residential brownstones on Broadway, Central Park West, Riverside Drive and West End Avenue are designated as landmark buildings. One of the most famous pre-war buildings is The Dakota, where John Lennon lived and died and where Rosemary’s Baby was filmed. Venues for live performances span the opera, ballet and classical music of Lincoln Center to the jazz, rock and blues of The Beacon Theater. Upper West Side shopping includes Zabars, Fairway Market and The Shops at Columbus Circle. Most frequented restaurants include Fairway's Upper West Side Cafe & Steakhouse and Alice's Tea Cup. While you’re busy trying to take a big chunk out of the Big Apple, you’ll have a partner in making your vacation a fun-filled and relaxing one at our Choice Hotels in Upper West Side, NY. Book a room online now!