New Neighborhood - West 86th - need recs

I'm sure West81st will give you all the info you need.

Congrats on the new digs. If you don't mind disclosing, which avenue(s) are you on/between?

Thanks - I think we found a really great space for a really good price. We're between Amst & Col (and luckily, apartment is in back of bldg, so nice and quiet).

The dry cleaner on you block (south side, near Columbus) is run by a very nice couple, and they are hungry for new custoimers. I've only used them once, and wound up with an extra shirt - OK for me, not so good for the other customer.

My parents were regulars at La Mirabelle - both the old storefront near Riverside and the current location on your block. The food is pretty good, and the service is much friendlier than most people expect in a French restaurant. If you take the kids, you can sit upstairs and not disturb the other diners.

For quick grocery runs, there's Zingone's on Columbus and 83rd. Among the supermarkets, Met Food on Amsterdam has good weekly specials - just beware of their regular prices on anything.

The shoe guy on 84th, west of Columbus, is excellent, quick and very reasonable.

Among gyms, Crunch is closest, and it's fine. Equinox and NYSC are a few blocks farther afield.

What's the name of the cleaners?

and barney greengrass . .

rancho on 88th & amsterdam = v good frozen margaritas . . . if u like that kind of thing. mermaid inn on the same block has a very tasty (& reasonable) lobster roll . . .

Some people totally hate on Barney Greeng. Personally, I like it. Tons of moderately-priced restaurants on both Columbus & Amsterdam in the 86th to 79th stretch. Close to "big box" retail on Bway. There's at least one yoga place up there, and of course, Crunch and Equinox not too far on Bway & 92nd.

Kiddie places - the wrap place on Amsterdam by the CMOM and Pinch n Smac (further north) on Amsterdam.

water123: Aspen.

LP: Good call. Murray's is worth the walk for a change of pace from BG. And then there's Zabar's...

For pizza, Ray's on Columbus is reliable. I don't think much of Pinch & s'Mac, but kids love it. Dean's on 85th (B'way/Amsterdam) is a step up, with a brick oven.

I'm lukewarm on the Indian places in the low 80s on Amsterdam. But then I'm lukewarm on ALL Indian restaurants in Manhattan as I grew up on delicious homemade Indian at various friends' houses.

Ollie's on Bway and 84th is tolerable Chinese for the UWS (I have similar sentiments about Chinese restaurants out of Ctown).

Hi Life Bar & Grill (83/Amst.) is surprisingly kid-friendly, once you get over the queasiness from bringing your kids into a dimly-lit bar. Good nightly/early specials there, and the sushi is fresh, if unrefined.

Would you mind giving some color on the apartment and what you meant by great space/price? I'd also be grateful if you could compare it to pricing in the 70s. Thanks.

wow, so there's really no decent chinese food on the UWS? I'm astounded.

uwsmom, up by us (we are moving to 98th b/w Riverside/West End in a few weeks) is an appliance store on 98th and Bway where they are nicer and cheaper than PC Richards; Peruvian chicken heaven Pio Pio and Dominican (?) chicken heaven Malecon. Absolute Bagels on 107th is legendary; we haven't been yet.

I hate WF, but if looks like there's a Food Emporium on Broadway in the low 90s, and of course you are between the Fairways.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

Popover Cafe, Amsterdam & 86th. Not sure about the food in the restaurant (West81st maybe you know?), but their popovers are delicious. I usually get a half dozen popovers to go and warm up at home. Yum!

As you like to linger (kidding!), try JOEs for coffee--just a few blocks south of 86th on the west side of Columbus. They're very friendly and the vibe is positive.

I like Kefi on Columbus. Saigon Grill on Amsterdam is also very good so long to stay away from the noodle soups. Gennaro's close by on Amsterdam is also quite nice.

Thanks all!

Classic7_10023: Basically we ended up with a Classic 6 (3 beds, 3 baths), high floor, LR/DR & main bedrooms all facing south (back of bldg) with nice views and tons of light, semi open kitchen to LR/DR (which has been opened up to one large 20x24 space), well maintained and updated kitchen and baths...for $5500/mos (after reductions and negotiations). The 70's don't have a lot of larger rental apartments and the ones that are available, I found, are significantly more than this (unless you look at co-ops). We REALLY wanted to stay in the 70's, but ultimately feel that it was a good compromise.
Are you looking for a large UWS rental? I know of a few 6's and one 7 that aren't marketed very well (or at all) and, IMO, are reasonably priced. Happy to share this with you, or anyone, if interested.

My favorite asian restaurants to order from are LAND (Thai)@82nd/Amsterdam and SAIGON GRILL (Vietnamese)@90th/Amsterdam. If anyone has any good ideas for good Chinese, please post as I'm still looking.

Pearl's Chinese on Amst and 99 has delicious dishes (fav: house special rice cake) but you have to choose carefully - many are very Americanized - eg sweet 'n crunchy. They also give limitless carafes of cheap white wine.
The Town Shop Bway and 80(?) has the best bra fitters anywhere.
Barzini's on Bway and 89 has great prices on cheeses.
Yuki sushi at Columbus & 91

also Gotham wine store - good prices Bway & 93

Classic7_10023: and we didn't pay a broker fee...

Restaurants: I feel like everything is going downhill (maybe I'm just bored). Still, I like:

- In the mid-80s, Celeste (Italian; Amsterdam & 85th (beware: no reservations and no credit cards)); Le Pain Quotidien (bakery; Amsterdam & 84th), Kefi (Greek; Columbus & 84th), and Edgar's (bakery; 84th b/w B'way and WEA; good for weekend breakfast; a second location is opening on Amsterdam in the low 90s). French Roast (B'way & 85th) is open 24 hours; while the food is a bit overpriced, it's nice to have a decent late night dining option.

- A little further afield, I like Indus Valley (Indian; B'way & 100th) and Mana (macrobiotic; Amsterdam & 91st).

Gym: NYSC @ 80th has babysitting services.

Groceries: I recently moved from the mid 70s to the low 80s, and still do the bulk of my shopping at Fairway, with the occasional trip to Zabars and a weekly visit the newly expanded Sunday greenmarket from 77th to 79th & Columbus. My friends swear by Broadway Farm on 85th.

Dry cleaning: I still use my old dry cleaner in the mid-70s (Drop Spot). They drop off and pick up.

I second the recommendation of Gennaro (Italian)@93rd, Indus Valley (Indian)@100th and Mana (Macrobiotic)@92nd. But if you are willing to travel north, also try Buceo95 (Spanish, wine&tapas)@95th just west of Amsterdam, as it has very good selections and great atmosphere.

Only 2 Chinese options worth considering on the UWS are Water Moon (Columbus / 83) and Shun Lee (65th off Broadway). Not the greatest, but fresh veggies and not too greasy. Not as good as Saigon Grill or Land IMO.

Bistro Citron on 83rd ish and Columbus - we used to be regulars - some drop off in quality last time we were they - but usually reliable.

For sushi: Sushi Hana on 83rd or so and Amsterdam, very good and Neo on bway (overpriced, but xclnt).

Dry cleaners on Amsterdam immediately south of the dunkin donuts (east side of street near 86th) gave us reliable, good service for a decade.

Barney greengrass fresh OJ is great (pricey).

Fred's 83rd and amsterdam - kid friendly (and dog friendly) outside. EJ's (82nd and Amsterdam) - kid friendly. French Roast - kid friendly-ish. Artie's -bway - kid friendly (don't personally like it, but many do). Agree that HiLife is kid freindly. There isn't much North of 86th that you will use (other than garages and the Acquarium hardware store on 90th and Amsterdam).

Ali/PMG- we also like Shun Lee for Chinese (Well, hubby does. I'm not a big Chinese fan - too salty).

We'll have to try Water Moon and Land.

LP/10023/ezal: What is Barney Greengrass?

Jess: I'm curious about Popover Cafe. Anytime we've walked by its been packed.

Ezal: didn't like Sushi Hana. We're big fans of Neo (when I'm not pregnant). They've always been very baby friendly to us, but we usually sit outside with the little one.

Re: Indian - before the baby, we used to go to Swagat a lot (low 80's on Amst, i think). We like it but have limited experience w/ Indian food. Still order take out sometimes.

West 81st - Dean's w/ brick oven sounds nice. We're big Patsy's people (will miss that its not around the corner, but they do deliver now until 7pm).

Thanks all for the great suggestions! I'm going to have to read through this thread multiple times.

LOL - I think Barney Greengrass might be the place that my husband keeps telling me about. All I've gathered from him is "he's read good things" and "he's intimidated by it b/c he doesn't know how to order".

LP: Is Mermaid Inn mostly seafood?
We used to go to Neptune from time to time. We thought it was quite good but it closed down.

Spiga on 84th between B'way and Amsterdam is also a pretty good spot, but I wouldn't call it kid-friendly. It's more of the dimly lit, lets-forget-about-kids-for-one-hour variety. Also worth checking out are the B Cafe on Amsterdam at 87th (Belgian beer, mussels + a few other more refined dishes), The Mermaid Inn (next door to B Cafe - seafood :-) and Bodrum (good Turkish at Amsterdam and 88th St). Georgia's bakery on 89th and B'way has been getting more pricey of late, but the pastries and other freshly made goodies are still very good and the sidewalk seating is really nice.

For more utilitarian needs, I would mention Broadway Farm (85th and B'way) as the 1-block-away alternative to a Fairway schlep, but you'll get higher prices and less selection.

oooh - hubby will love B Cafe w/ the Belgium beer. Agree, Spiga is good italian.

I love food and am so excited to try so many new places!

Swagat will still deliver up to 86th. Agree with trinityparent on Yuki, it's the only sushi place in the 'hood my wife will order from. If you don't mind the hike, Gabriella's at 93rd & Columbus has a large outdoor space and is kid friendly. Good Enough to Eat at Amsterdam & 83rd is great for breakfast, but you have to get there pretty much when they open, otherwise the wait with kids in intolerable.

For kid activities, Super Soccer Stars does drop-in classes just inside Central Park at 86th Street and has an indoor field on Columbus and 89th during the winter.

barney greengrass (amsterdam between 86th and 87th)- the sturgeon king. has been there forever. they use h&h bagels and have appetizing specialties for weekend brunches - including all flavor of lox and nova. to order you go in to the left side for bagels, coffee, OJ, cream cheese and a few other things, they ring you up and give you a receipt and then if you want nova, tomato and other stuff you go to the other side and they ring you up and you give them your bagel reciept for the full tally.

if you are up early on the weekends, you can sit, otherwise there is a long line (which isn't worth it - but i never like to wait to eat). even if the lines are long, the lines for the counter food move pretty quickly.

I will second Ollie's and Saigon Grill for "cheaper but good asian eats".

I'm very picky about Chinese, Vietnamese & Indian food. For good Chinese, Vietnamese and ramen - I go downtown. As far as I'm concerned, the stuff on the UWS (okay, I'll grant you that Shun Lee is a little better than the norm) is gross. I sometimes waste a significant chunk of babysitter time on going downtown for eats.

At Ollie's, the stuff that's made offsite (presumably at some large Queens factory) is decent - so that would be the BBQ pork buns, the roast meats. Some of the dimsum is passable - shiu mai, har gau, lotus leaf rice, turnip cake.

For good (clean) Chinese, I either take the 7 to Flushing or N-R to Sunset Park.

I did a little survey of the "top" ramen in joints in Manhattan 2 weeks ago, and I have to say Ippudo rocks. The tonkotsu broth is to die for and the (homemade) ramen noodles sublime.

I've been meaning to venture to Jackson Hts to try out the authentic Indian food there.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/prices-are-100-years-old-the-sturgeon-is-fresh/?scp=5&sq=barneey%20green%20grass&st=cse

There's always Sarabeth's on Amsterdam & 80th. Yummy brunch. Get there early on Saturday (shouldn't be hard with young children!) and EJ's for the diner experience.

kitaro is really good for sushi and cheap, get the weekday lunch special. nonna was always my favorite brunch spot, keeleys has a great bloody mary. this is my old 'hood! whaaaaaaaaa

also, calle ocho is great and has an awesome brunch

I hate Barney Greengrass - rude old-guy waiters and abusive service. A way to ruin your digestion while trying to relax on a weekend. Get your fish at Zabars and eat at home. The best thing about the west side with little kids is the Museum of Natural History. Have you been to the gems and minerals room? It's entirely carpeted stairs, great for toddlers on a rainy day.

trinity - the last time i had my little one in the gems and minerals room i had such bad morning sickness that i didn't think i was going to make it out of there w/o a scene. luckily i did ;). she might like it even better now that she just started walking (and mommy's feeling better).

the only thing nicer than the museum, imo, is the museum park, which i could sit in or around all day. i am so so happy that its an easy 5 block walk from our new place. i also like the 81st st entrance to the park.

if you're pregnant and pushing a stroller it's better to use the 81st entrance, at 86th you have to go uphill

Classic7_10023: on second thought, after looking at many 3 Br's, there wasn't necessarily an obvious/clear price difference from mid-70's to mid-80's. We looked at a few places on WEA/88th that were terribly overpriced (2 & 3 br for $7000-$10,000/month). Saw another classic 6 at 86th (bet WEA/Rvrsd) in a lovely bldg, but the actual apartment was a dump (needed serious updating); they were asking $6k+. I've also seen a couple of classic 7's in the 70's with asking prices of $6500 or less (granted, not in pristine condition, but a lot of space) and a worn classic 6 in mid 70's asking $5k (co-op). Pricing and quality seem a little out of whack. Perhaps owners/LL's are having a hard time adjusting to the market changes.

The place we settled on was one that we initially saw in Feb (asking mid-7k). By the time we randomly found out it was still available, it had been sitting for 6 mos (huge advantage for us) and had undergone a decent price reduction. Another advantage was that the listing broker was terrible (very lazy). I don't think he advertised the place at all. I also think if it was a good broker, the apartment would have gone for more than what we paid. Sooo...my point is, it all depends on the place AND there can be an advantage to dealing with really crappy brokers.

Congratulations on your place. We would love to find a classic 7: is there a way I can contact you to get the information? Thanks

sure. you can email me at uwsmom.streeteasy at gmail.com

Mimi's cleaners on columbus between 86th and 87th is fantastic. Super nice, and everyone there can actually do real tailoring. Not convenient for me anymore, but I loved them when I lived around the corner.

Also, much prefer Murray's to Barney Greengrass. Much more relaxed vibe, and they do a great job of cleaning up your fish so that you're only paying for the good stuff. Super nice, also.

Food Emporium on 90th and Broadway is a good call. Barzini's on 91st looks like it should be great, but I'd question anything that doesn't come in some sort of sealed package there.

And you should just walk Amsterdam between 86th and 96th. There's a shady looking couple of blocks by the projects, but nice restaurants on the west side of the street otherwise. If it looks decent, it generally is.

> Some people totally hate on Barney Greeng. Personally, I like it.

I didn't go growing up, so I don't know if it sank or something... but I think its lousy.

I know they claim H&H bagels, but the ones I always get there are stale. The fishes, some are pretty good, not the best, and the prices are pretty lousy. Service even worse. I'm not a cold fish expert by any means, but I've had a lot of it, and it wasn't the best I've had.

Harry's Shoes is the best kids' shoe store. The people who work there are saints.

trinity - we've been in there a couple of times already (most recently for walkers!). the guys are always very helpful.

jess - we ate at Popover Cafe on Sat. Both of our dishes were quite good. Unfortunately, I did not like the popover :(.

uwsmom...congrats on a terrific apartment...

thanks Julia :). It was not the "broker drama" place (probably for the best). still looking for a 1 br for $1800? I'll keep my eyes open.

sorry to hear you didn't like the popover :( but good to know the dishes were good :)

uwsmom, i forgot to mention another wonderful place in the w80s, georgia's bakery at b'way and 89th. it's one of the few places you can get french macarons.

Thanks Alex.

West81st - so Dean's = Patsy's (basically...same owners perhaps?). It's much nicer inside than the bright yellow awning might suggest. Actually, the space/architecture is really quite lovely and much more spacious than Patsy's at 74th.

If you like Mexican food, there's none better than the truck at 96th just west of Broadway... except maybe the tamale lady who's at the 94th St. subway entrance on Bway in the mornings. She's usually sold out by 9 am. Take 'em home to your new apt and be transported. I'm a cautious street-food consumer, but both of these are excellent- fear not.

Gosh...the attempted landmarking of West Park Presbyterian (corner of 86/Amst) is intersting. I'm such a softy for architectural preservation, but as it stands, its a bit of an eyesore.

I might try Mimi's for drycleaning since we just used Cleanport on Broadway and 98th and my reaction was sort of eh. Anybody other drycleaner comments?

ali r.

One of my favorite diners in the entire city is City Diner on 90th and Bway--they make a mean omelette! You will love the neighborhood, its great! Congrats on the new place.

Are there grocery stores in the 81st/West End neighborhood???? I went looking at an apt there today and had a very difficult time finding one ... The neighborhood was AMAZING, and lacking a grocery store would seem silly to me...

^um, Fairway?

Can anyone please comment on the pre-war condo 110 W 86th? Is it a good building? Was it rent-controled before? When was it converte? Anything would be helpufl. Thanks!