Best UWS Location?

It's below 86th St.

It's block-by-block. West 74th bet. Columbus and CPW is amazing, for example. West 74th bet. Ams & Columbus is nice as well. I love the high 70s stretch of RSD and the side streets. West 90th bet. Riverside & WE is really nice... you get the drift.

Maybe its best to ask, which parts of UWS below 86 are considered marginal or have some kind of issue.

One example, w 83rd st between CPW and columbus, I have noticed in the past many more sales than usual on this block, any idea why?

I'd say anything south of 96th and west of Broadway. Rent the moive "You Got Mail", that was shot on 89 between WEA and Riverside. Both apartments are on that block. Also it will give you a good flavor of what is around.

W 83 is among the worst side streets on the entire UWS. It has all those garages and commercial businesses. eewww W 78 between Columbus and Amsterdam is one of my favorite side streets. I also like W 90th between WEA and Riverside.

But to answer "prime UWS" I would say Columbus Circle, fronting CPW up to about W 68 street.

bugelrex, That is not realy a great block. Very busy with marginal buildings. Also Synagogue makes for more traffic. Also you are very close to the problems between Columbus and Amterdam. That part of 83td is a nighmare no matter how you slice it!!

Be a bit skeptical of the "You got spam thing", remember that overrated cafe'/bakery where Meg first met "him"? Cafe' Lalo's I think. 83rd between Amstdm & Bdwy. Who the hell would live there. The Children's Museum of Manhattan and a parking garage. Pass.

To properly answer your question, it depends upon your budget and your need/desires. Without knowing them, impossible to answer, BUT.
try,
anywhere facing the museum of Natural History
RSD near 79 st.
73-76 between col and CPW
anywhere on CPW

Yes your right, about Cafe' Lalo's but that is true of all of 83 east of Broardway. The UWS has really changed in the 20 years I have lived here. 13 in the apartment we are in now. But I still think no matter where you talk about, it still beats the UES IMHO.

Also, I agree with the low W 90s, high W 80s fronting Riverside. Not only are the blocks in a charming historic district, you are walking distance to the Sailors & Soldiers Monument and the 91st St. Garden in Riverside Park, which are among the most beautiful public spaces in all of Manhattan due to the dramatic Hudson River backdrop.

PMG:
agree, except, we are now into a definition question of what is the upper west side. Not to start an argument, but I always felt the west side below 68th street had more in common with midtown than the UWS. I don't consider Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle UWS at all from a resident point of view. I think of them as tourist central.

I think the OP's question is more of a residential question of 68-96

I'd say CPW is quite residential, and to my mind Lincoln Square is a part of the UWS

OK, thank you...great comments, excellent info.
Please forgive me for any naïveté...my question is...
you cannot assume the lower the numbers the better?
nor closer to CPW or WEA the better?
verdad?
I have seen the low 70's listed as "prime", as you say PMG..
I have also seen the low 70's listed as Lincoln Square.

If I must watch Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks yet again, I guess I can stomach it for some NYC...
the scene from the Empire State Building..that flick?

Patient09: I agree with you. I always would question when others refered to below 68 as UWS. To me that has always been more like midtown north.

empire state building: that would be Sleepless in Seattle, which strikes me as a cross between An Affair to Remember and You've Got Mail.

PMG:
You are countering what I did not type. However, Some think Lincoln Square extends well north of 68th St. I typed Lincoln Center, not Lincoln Square.

I typed "anywhere on CPW" and qualifying that south of 68, to me is more of a midtown feel.

> I'd say anything south of 96th and west of Broadway.

Yes, lets leave CPW off "prime"...

> the scene from the Empire State Building..that flick?

No, that was sleepless in seattle. This was their "reconnect" move, You've Got Mail. Its all about using AOL and walking around the Upper West Side.

PMG is right noDD, that would be "Sleepless in Seattle"
YGM is all about the UWS, as PMG typed. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the 91st St. garden shown in the movie. Check it out. Also you can't see one episode of "Law and Order that does not have UWS neighborhood in it!

Uggh. Just ask for the address and check out the street. Personal preference obviously plays a factor. Very generally, if I saw a listing as prime UWS, I would assume it was 60's 70's or 80's (maybe low 90's)...see, get the address!

patient, It may feel a bit like midtown, but some people like the idea that you can walk to midtown or to traditional lower UWS. The price per square foot of property fronting CPW to Broadway in this area, to my mind defines it as "prime" and it's access to Central Park and to commercial business on Broadway makes it convenient. I prefer living in the more residential 70s 80s and 90s which are also more affordable.

right..right, ok..
not Seattle...UWS...and let me guess, the crescendo is at the top of the AOL Time Warner Building...
if I only had a gazillion dollars....make that Euro

noDD: peace...give us some sqft needs, bed needs, how many in people in house, kids, single..etc.....the thread will debate the rest.

BTW -there are few blocks in the mid-high 60's, 70's, & 80's that I would NOT live on. All in all, its a very nice area. If you're looking to spend millions, you can be more picky.

PMG, what do you think of 68st?

ok patient one...thanks for the invite
here goes, with a big fat deep breath...
the NYC Dream...I intend to turn my stargazing at the skyline into a reality....
My all time dream apartment has 16 foot ceilings, exposed brick, an open space, enormous windows with a view of a bridge....and is but a dream...way out of the price range, but thinking is free.
you know those places, the ones you peek into driving over those bridges..

I want to spend 500k and not more than 800 monthly maintenance
...it can be a postage stamp (well not really), but it must be a one bedroom...
tis for two, no kids, a co-op is good, a condo is better...

I originally thought the upper east side, and the lower east side...I have looked in the west village, union square, the east village, the west village and the far west village..

I have fallen in love with the upper west side, I want something authentic, if not a bit odd.
I have been "going" to the city my whole life..but I have never lived in the city.

Tribeca, Meatpacking, SoHo, Way downtown, and Chelsea are not me...

a walk up is good, a brownstone is very good, a fireplace is very very good...

it has to be very nice..in a very nice neighborhood with cool people ;)

67th... all the way... bitchin entrance to CP and when the kids got to go whiz... Tavern on the Green.. little known fact, they r required per their land lease to allow public access to their bathrooms... at least that's what someonewhoshouldknowaboutthosethings once said :)

noDD:

sounds loftish in nature
no size constraints
prefer a seperate bed area
no modern construction
brick and fire
500k

not my specialty, I am of the family sort.
maybe top floor of a townhouse type thing
on that is carved into into 2-3 apts.

noDD:
Yeh, yeh, I know it already sold, but something like this might do the trick, plus outdoor space.
Plus it apts like this might be a bunch cheaper in -6 months time.

http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&listingid=1212209

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/192409-coop-24-west-83rd-street-upper-west-side-new-york

peace, my work is done!

Almost the entire UWS is pretty prime, in my opinion. Anything from 72nd-96th, from RSD to CPW is beautiful. Then, I'd say 96th-116th streets, from RSD to Broadway is great.

Diggity - you should rent.

visitor. 68th St between Columbus and CPW is a very prime location. West of Broadway, like the Dorchester okay convenience -wise but not very charming.

Prime is defined by proximity to Central Park, Riverside Park, and Zabars.

not Fairway ;)

Thx PMG. Do you know anything about the Dorchester?

If you want to know prime UWS you should live it and walk every block. There is quite a variation on the same street but different blocks.

My favs are W67 btw CPW and Columbus, parts of RSD and facing Natural History Museum.

I don't like W74 btw Columbus & CPW b/c of the school and constant contruction + dog poop SW corner W74th & CPW. I also don't like W73rd btw Col & CPW b/c of narrow street & increased garbage/dirtyness. It is the back alley for those fancy buildings on W72nd.

visitor, Dorchester Towers is a massive apartment building (over 600 units) dating from the mid 1960s when Lincoln Center was built. Dorchester was developed by the Milstein brothers, along with the even more massive One Lincoln Plaza and 30 Lincoln Plaza directly across from Lincoln Center. I believe Dorchester was converted to condominium ownership in the mid 80s, but the sponsor continues to own a large percentage (guess 50%), which means that there are always rentals available. It also means that it may become more challenging to get a conforming loan on a condominium purchase with the new Fannie Mae guidelines re block ownership coming soon. With the age of the building and the age of the conversion, there may be a variety of finishes, depending on how recently the units have been updated by their owners. The views seem to be other units, broadway or amsterdam avenue. It is certainly centrally and conveniently located, but the area borders on Lincoln Towers and Amsterdam ave which are not very charming.

yes, yes.....The "sold" place is parfait....c'est la vie, I'll keep lookin' for others like this.

Excellent advice to keep walking and looking and looking and walking...
I currently rent weekly from the best Hotels on the UWS ;)

Luv how you guys broke down your favorite concrete...
helped me create a walking tour for the UWS...now over to Netflix...

does anyone see significant price discounts coming in the 100's from broadway west coming? So far, prices seem only slightly less or on par with the "UWS gold coast."

Diggity - I have to admit that we LOVE our area (mid 70's close to central park and Fairway). Although I would have a hard time sticking my nose up at most things south of 86th, the best for me is 66th-79th.

Best of luck. I always get excited when people love the neighborhood.

I apologize in advance for running you off the sidewalk with my stroller ;)

PMG, thx again. I guess the large percentage of renters may not make it an ideal place to live if you're an owner.

oh, that was you...
sorry I'll be more careful with the huge shoulder bag...;)

Mid 70's is where it's at (so far)...but I nevah say nevah...

i think riverside and west end are more attractive in the low 80s than the 70s. likewise, i love the area on cpw just north of the museum, 81st-85th. there is a bit less traffic in the low 80s. but the west 70s are also lovely. i wouldn't want to be in most areas of the upper 60s though--traffic, big box stores, and too close to lincoln center.

eobrien: So far the eye-opening transactions have been in the high 90s, but I have noticed some signs of distress in the low 100s too. Those areas are basically the same market, and very little is selling up there. 905 WEA has been slashing prices in attempt to get their plan declared effective. 245 West 104th - one of the best buildings along that stretch of Broadway - seems to have dropped well below recent comps. Straus Park Condo up on 107th is hurting. And two nice listings at 240 West 102nd languished for ages; one is finally in contract after nearly a year and a lot of price cutting.

Only really nice parts of UWS are central park west in the 60's. The rest of the neighborhood is either too dirty, too much traffic, too noisy, and/or mediocre buildings.

You mean where its congested with tourists and picture frame vendors?

Thanks for the input on 100's West81st

eobrien: No problem. There was also a cut this weekend on a five-roomer at 890 WEA that may signal another step down in the price-discovery process. It's hard to see that process ending any time soon, because nothing is selling unless it's priced WAY below comps (see 800 WEA).

is this the listing at 800 WEA what you are referring to? Great bldg., but is the contract price really a discount?

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/376785-coop-800-west-end-avenue-upper-west-side-new-york

eobrien: See EAO's comments here:
http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/talk/discussion/7616-if-you-can-demonstrate-market-movement-with-comps-upper-west-side-edition?page=2

Of course, we can't really draw conclusions until the sale closes.

60's east of broadway, close to park can be very nice!

What is "UWS gold coast"???

West End is pretty much the same up and down. The 90's are great for families - we moved there so our kids could walk to Trinity School. Lovely playgrounds in Riverside. BTW if you like gardens, there is a spectacular volunteer-kept garden in Riverside from 94-95Sts, and also the Lotus Garden is a wonderful asset to the neighborhood, it's on 97th between WEA and Broadway, above the Columbia's garage, so it's invisible from the street, a real secret garden. You can go in on Sundays for free, or rent a key for 2 years for $15 and go any time. If you want a plot to take care of yourself, you have to join - I think it's about $50 a year -- much cheaper than therapy and better!

Answer: Anywhere this side of the lawn.