Seven different subway lines make the Upper West Side one of the best served in the city. Above ground, residents enjoy the advantage of Broadway, the only major avenue that runs diagonally down Manhattan from northwest to southeast. This often eliminates the need for cross-town bus rides.

Transformed by the influx of young urban professionals, the Upper West Side has become a very family-friendly neighborhood. Streets now boast a wealth of coffee houses and outdoor cafes, unique boutiques, popular clothing and houseware stores, and gourmet groceries. With its proximity to two wonderful parks (Central and Riverside), the area is a favorite for joggers, rollerbladers and urban naturalists.

Flanking the neighborhood, Riverside Drive and Central Park West are home to venerable mansions, brownstones and apartments. Many side streets here are quiet, tree-lined and sedate. Broadway, Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues, from the 60s through the 90s and beyond, are grand boulevards bustling with life: from superb restaurants and clubs to great shopping and movies.

Zabar’s, with its gourmet foods and famous deli counter, attracts people from all over the city and world, as does other great food destinations. The neighborhood includes some of New York’s most exciting artistic and cultural centers: Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

In the summertime, Lincoln Center Plaza hosts outdoor concerts and dancing by the elegant fountains. The American Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium are exciting and educational family destinations.