Between Central Park and the Hudson River.
Although geographically it sits between Central Park and the Hudson River, the Upper West Side is arguably an attitude as much as it is a place. Many of its residents have a passion for embracing all the cultural riches that New York offers, and it’s been a favorite neighborhood of people who produce much of that culture — actors, writers, professors, musicians, and others. Much of the bookish quality of the Upper West Side is due to some of the institutions that call it home (or sit on its edges) — Columbia and Barnard (just north, in Morningside Heights), Fordham Law School, Juilliard, and other smaller schools. The neighborhood attracts more than academics and the creative class, however, with everyone — recent grads, young families, and retirees included — enjoying its welcoming and easygoing atmosphere. Also known for its plethora of great restaurant options, some beloved neighborhood spots include, Maison Pickle, Boulod and Manny's Bistro.
While the first mansions were built on the Upper East Side a few years after the opening of Central Park in 1858, it took the Upper West Side longer to get going. (This was due largely to the fact that elevated train service wasn’t inaugurated until 1879.) When construction on the Dakota began in 1880, so the story goes, the developer embraced the ribbing that, given its remote location, it might as well be in the Dakota Territory. A construction boom followed, and the neighborhood today consists mostly of apartment buildings (on Broadway and the avenues) and rowhouses (on side streets) from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with some recent additions. Columbia University provides much of the vitality of the neighborhood’s northern reaches, while Lincoln Center and the American Museum of Natural History are the leading cultural institutions farther south.