Upper West Side Neighborhood Guide
I’ve been visiting every NYC neighborhood, trying to explore my own city the way I do when I travel. I’m 100 neighborhoods deep now and have documented it all on TikTok.
Now, I’m on a mission to write it all out—next up: the Upper East Side.
In my opinion, Upper West Side flies far under the radar. Yes, it’s known, but it doesn’t get the same praise as the Upper East Side, or other West Side neighborhoods.
So here is how I would spend the perfect day here, as someone who went to high school here — aka I know it pretty well.
Start off by heading to one of the most iconic food spots in NYC, Barney Greengrass. It’s a Jewish deli, opened in 1908. Two rules: know your order ahead of time and bring cash. I personally always order a lox bagel, and their off-menu latkes.
Next, you’re going to walk over to Central Park. A couple stops that you need to make on the west side of the park are:
This lookout of the Belvedere Castle next to the Great Lawn. It’s right around the corner from the Turtle Pond — where you can watch them sunbathe.
Go up the Belvedere Castle to get a different vantage point and explore the castle a bit more.
Walk down to Shakespeare’s Garden, a beautiful oasis with many flower varieties. It is also home to the Swedish Cottage.
Walk through the Ramble, essentially a forest path in the middle of Central Park that is so peaceful.
Walk over to the Bow Bridge, an iconic spot to watch the boats pass by. Then walk along through Cherry Hill — I love the view from here.
Last but not least, Strawberry Fields — a dedicated site for John Lennon.
Now I know that is a lot of stops. I love a jam-packed day and this route honestly makes it easy. But you can always pick a few so that you have more time for non-park activities.
In the same breath, if you want more time, the Great Lawn and Wagner’s Cove are two great spots to post up for a few hours.
Next activity is to do some museum hopping. I love the New York Historical Society or the Natural History Museum. Both have so many iconic long-term and temporary exhibits.
After the museums, it’s time to shop. If you’re visiting on the weekend, definitely go to the Grand Bazaar — one of my favorite flea markets in New York. There are always such good finds here. It is also the largest flea market in NYC. For some lighter shopping, I love Runaway Poppy. It’s a concept store with pieces from around the world. It’s definitely a treasure hunt experience, always with something unique in stock.
Next door is Westsider Rare & Used Books, a used bookstore with the most whimsical interior.
If you’re hungry for a slice, the original Mama’s Too location is not too far away. If you want a sit-down experience, Jacob’s Pickles is my first pick. Southern comfort food with an emphasis on pickles — enough said.
If you didn’t get enough of the park, east of Mama’s Too are two of the most underrated parts of Central Park: the Loch and the Northwoods (waterfalls in Central Park!!!).
End your day at the original Levain Bakery location that started it all. If you know New York, you know this cookie.
If you want to make a whole day of it, you can end at Lincoln Center for ballet or the opera. Depending on when you’re reading this, they also have a summer series with tons of amazing events.
That is the end of a perfect day on the Upper West Side. Perfect, isn’t it?