UPPER WEST SIDE Upper West Siders have long known that if they want a good drink and a hopping nightlife scene free of college students and sports bars, they'd have to head below 59th. I lost touch with them (Joe, the owner, and Mark the pharmacist) about 4-5 years ago. Kyle: When I moved here, the hotspot was 8 th Avenue between 14 th and 23rd. i graduated college in 1988 and came back to NYC, and i couldnt believe that my friends that went to work in investment banking all lived in a new building (the westmont) at 96th and columbus. The middle class was split between the professionals of the New York intelligentsiamedia and intellectuals and academics and psychoanalystsand more down-to-earth educated folk, public school teachers and union officials and social workers. What other stores or restaurants have closed that you miss? 114 tips and reviews. Police flooded the area. Once the Jets are down by 24 and you want to focus on something else, start working your way through the huge menu of bar food. Life is rough on everyone. It went badly. Apple Upper West Side Opens at 9:00 a.m. Shop by drop-in available Shop by appointment Reserve a shopping session Order pickup in store Learn more Genius Bar by appointment Make a reservation Today at Apple in store Find a session See all in-store and online services Address 1981 Broadway New York, NY 10023 (212) 209-3400 See map and directions Vin sur Vingt | Best Things to Do Upper West Side. Denver (/ d n v r /) is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. He struck on 106th between Broadway and Amsterdam, a block from my building. They have a bunch of beers on tap that you definitely wont find on the shelves at Whole Foods, and the dark space works well for a low-key drink with a couple friends. Residents sold their used household goods at White Elephant tables, others grilled hotdogs and popped popcorn. But in 1961, 84th Street was a nightmare, and something had to be done. There was also Lamstons on 102 street. Also, bagels at H & H! One doesnt walk a block without seeing a yarmulke; the three conservative synagogues are alive and buzzing with congregants; the neighborhoods gans, day schools, and yeshivas are educating some 4,000 children; a dozen kosher restaurants and two kosher supermarkets profitably serve an increasingly observant community. Does anyone remember, like i do, the little grocery store on the corner of 74th and Amsterdam, owned by Dom?wonderful man, full of stories and gossip about the neighborhoodwhen the subway fare went up in 74 or 75, he bought me a bag of tokens so that i wouldnt have to stand in line at the 72nd St. station that Monday morning when it went into effect and everyone had been caught unawareDom always looked out for his customersa real UWS personality. Download Upper West Side Nyc stock photos. Ive ben on 76th since 1978. they had good sales. The Upper West Side is a great place to live: beautiful prewar buildings, Central Park to one side and Riverside Park to the other, Zabar's.It's one of the most popular residential areas of Manhattan and it's also a hotbed for celebrities. These days, double-decker tourist buses travel the streets of the Upper West Side, and I cant imagine what narration the guides offer besides pointing out various spots at which the various incarnations of the Law and Order television series have been filmed on location. The Upper West Side has plenty of drinking options. For more photos of UWS storefronts in 1982, click here. You can drink one at the L-shaped bar in the corner, or you can grab a little table along the wall. So my small city is the same and yet it is not the same, because it is today, in almost every way, better. I have lived on the UWS side (I rent) and I have no plans of moving to a big house in the burbs. but that would be the pot calling the kettle black. Start your risk free trial with unlimited access. On the positive side, however, W. 71st St is much safer since the church was torn down and replaced by a high rise apartment building, complete with doorman. Bars & Music Mama's Bar. I dont know what UWS Janet and Denton lived on, but it was dirty, dangerous and scary. She opened a restaurant on Madison Ave and 84th a few years later.It might still be there. At the same time, 86th & Amsterdam was notorious for being crime ridden. For example, claiming that people dont talk with their neighbors seems like little more than an assumption Im actually friends with several people in my building, to say nothing of those I merely talk with now and then. 1980s-1990s: Boy Bar (15 St. Marks Pl.) 4. A fine and forgotten 1975 book by Barbara Gelb called On the Track of Murder it reads like a nonfiction version of Ed McBain's glorious 49-year series of police procedurals about the 87thPrecinct, a lightly disguised version of the real-life 24th Precinct on the Upper West Sidetells the story of the homicide squad formed to catch Charlie Prohibition is an upscale bar and lounge with some of the best bar food in the Upper West Side. My friends lived in the 90s on Columbus and we used to skateboard and hang out all the time. I remember turning the corner on 71st street one day coming back from PS 89 and discovering that my whole street (71st between Columbus and CPW) had been transformed so that Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand could perform a scene from The Way We Were. The reason I love my neighborhood is I can walk up my street and say hello to my neighbors. When the mental institutions disgorged their populations, the UWS got more than our share. I live on W 71 myself. Its a good spot to eat some bangers and mash, and its perfect for when you want to sit on a barstool and watch sports with a Guinness. Particularly the buffalo wings, which are some of the best in the city. Isnt the least bit fancy, but it also doesnt smell bad, and they even have some books you can read while you drink. And Silk Road. gallery. Of course we remember Charivari. I live on 80th and Columbus, and 79th and Amsterdam was the most dangerous corner in the precinct. Fancy. more proof that you dont have to be that old to look back on the past with rose colored glasses. My building paid for our own doorman out of our own pockets to try to secure our building. Booked 152 times today. New York, in general became much safer when Rudy Guilliani became mayor, and even more so under Mayor Bloomberg. I think its just human nature. Located on the Upper West Side on West 70th Street, the residence is less than a block from. Not all of us move here for a few years. We came to wonder if New York was a place that stunted human possibility instead of expanding it.. It's just happening. Open in Google Maps. My favorite dart bar in 1982. From melees to muggings to serial killers to a spiritual revival. 2023 West Side Rag | All rights reserved. I bet your cute daughter will look back at this decade as the magical Upper West Side, like you remember. Im so please that Calle Ocho (once around the corner on Columbus) has become attached to the hotel; that Zingones , the terrific and friendly mom & pop grocery store on Columbus btw 82 & 83 is still in business and doing better than ever; that Rose Liquor still is thriving one block down with the flower shop next door now run by the daughter of the man I used to buy my flowers from, and that the newsstand at the corner of Columbus and 81 is till run by my friend from Pakistan, who used to call his family to find out when my eccentric English husband used to ask him Whats the weather today in Karachi? I still run into my neighbors on the street, and sure, a lot has changed, but the heart of the neighborhood and many of the characters are still there! They are socializing, flirting, establishing their creds in a nice middle-class neighborhood BEFORE they have to get on that subway once again and go home to a neighborhood which may or may not be as sparkly-shiny as the UWS and, for anyone between 12 and 25, very possibly gang-ridden and dangerous. I was mugged four times before I was 14. There is not a day that goes by when I dont miss woolworths! Lifelong UWSer, born 1970 and raised on 81st between CPW and Columbus. West Side Story restaurant on 95th Upper West Side Geography. Don't worry though there is a bar in the front and back of the house in case it gets too crowded. .) Theres solid bar food, you can get a good cocktail, and the space feels kind of like a long clubhouse with booths, darts, and board games. How Biden Intends to Misuse the CHIPS Act, About that African-American Studies Course. I dont agree with the statement that no one went above 72nd if they could help it. The whole theater got kicked out of Lowes 84th on opening night for Friday The 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan, it was so rowdy, but Id been seeing movies there since it was the Lowes 83rd st, twin. Upper West Side seen from Top of the Rock. Big flat-screen TVs behind the bar show lists of what theyre currently pouring - and there are also a few other TVs for watching sports. I only have one photo taken on the street in the1970s but I do remember alot of the old stores. Homeless? My father was the first tenant of the building and moved in in 1929. Also if you remember what year the Woolworths on 79th and Broadway closed let me know. This is a consistently crowded restaurant on the Upper East Side that works for everything from date nights to fun group dinners, but the separate bar area up front is also useful when you're just looking for drinks. i would love to hear some more stories. I think my brother got his first ever job scooping ice cream there. It all started at Goddard Riverside and then onto West Side Montessori. Attended PS9 (I remembered a teacher who still smoked in class), and Brandeis. This place gets packed during big weeknight games and all day on weekends, with the booths and tables in the dining room usually reserved days in advance. Theres a NY Times article published on June 8, 1979 call Discovering the Pleasures of Columbus Avenue Published a couple of months before I moved to Columbus and 74th where I am now. Of the 35 brownstones that lined the block, only seven remain today. Williamsburg is like New York in the 70s. Lost your password? Just be aware that the whole place might smell like truffles, since they serve various truffle- and non-truffle-related snacks. Broadway and West End. Ive lived as far north as 110th street and as south at 80th. Things change. I dont understand the folks who insist the 70s werent terrible. This has always been a congenial neighborhood. You can see the dots on the map of Manhattan, and the peak is still in the 1980s in terms of the most bars. Gone were the days when people indulged in a nice restaurant dinner only when traveling or celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Another one had South American clothes but the name has vanished from mind. View Website Earn 3X Points. That memory is itself almost certainly a conflation of two moments that occurred months apart, but in retrospect, they blend high exhilaration and low shame, an almost perfect distillation of the bipolarity of childhood feeling. The Upper West Side of my youth was in no way a fabled or especially notable area. The bakery was Royale, there were others as well, Eclair, and Blooms. I love that my beloved UWS is a desirable place to live but NOT at the expense of those who came before, struggled, survived and created this complicated, beautiful neighborhood. I remember when the only Mexican restaurant anybody ever hear of was Taco Rico on 72nd. I remember when the first Starbucks opened on 93rd and Broadway it was around 1996-1997 while I was in collegethats when we knew that the UWS of our time was never going to be the same again. Get there early (around 9:00 p.m.) to experience it because it gets a bit crowded near the stage later in the evening. Every few years I will take my 20 block walk from my old apartment to 84th and Columbus. Get the latest in beer, wine, and cocktail culture sent straight to your inbox. DSNY 'Snow Alert' Runs From Monday at 4PM to Tuesday at 9AM; Here's What it Means Dog Slips From Collar and Runs 34 Blocks in Traffic; Wait Till You See Where She Ends Up 133 E. 65th St, New York. If you are interested in answering a few questions email me at: jeannine.j@gmail.com. Despite the name, Dive 75 isnt actually that divey. What sets it apart is the fact that there are so many hard-to-find beers on tap. They have an enormous scotch selection, a large number of snifters, and plenty of Irish and American whiskey as well. I remember Fowad with its racks on the corner of 96th st and a Mexican restaurant across the street with Spanish tile decorating its exterior. I lived on 82 btw Columbus and CPW from 1976-2011. Im coming into this conversation very late but I have lived in this neighborhood all my life.since 1953. Neighborhood volunteers took turns watching out their windows, reporting any crimes to the well-meaning, over-worked and understaffed local police precinct. We had so much fun we all agreed it's one of the best bars in the Upper West Side. Let me correct myself for Sarabeths Kitchen was between 79th and 80th Streets on Amsterdam across from Macs. A short-lived club in the 1980s East Village. the very chic chain that only was located on the UWS. Youre on the Upper West Side, and you want to drink beer. And so commenced the razing of scores of buildings, beginning in February 1963. Had a nice truffle festival as I recall. The whole space is about the size of a subway car, though, so dont bring a big group. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. POWERED BY. Sounds like Jeannine should take that route. By 1968, there were a whopping 85 bars on the Upper East Side, most of them singles bars. But I had to wear my old prescriptions and couldnt see very well. Some memories: You will receive a link to create a new password via email. These are the moments, large and small, recounted by 36 writers, artists, fashion designers, musicians and more who. (There werent many rich people on the Upper West Side then, a situation much altered today.) Here is a nice trip down memory lane of the 1980's! Eventually the projects were built, but by this point the displaced residents of West 84th and others like them had been moved like chess pieces around the New York City board to other neighborhoods, worsening them. My sister and I used to walk down the street and try to remember what was there before. I remember The Red Baron and Food City and Victors Cafe The hill going down to the park on West 91st. So pleaseif youre going to write something about this neighborhood that means so much to so many of us, please dont generalize and please check your facts! So no matter what type of place youre looking for, use this guide the next time you go out on the Upper West Side. The menu features mini food items, perfect for bar munchies, as well as delightful dinner options. For me, this building represented a huge part of not only the neighborhood history, but of my own personal history as well. I remember when only the neighbors came out to see the Thanksgiving parade. I think the owner of Trio Dinner lived in my building I thought it was called Joes?. We also went to the park alone which kids nowadays hardly ever do. I know Im not imagining it existed. Outside the Apthorp there were streetwalking prostitutes. Bodega 88 Night Clubs Bars Brew Pubs (19) 8.6 Website (212) 799-1602 573 Columbus Ave New York, NY 10024 CLOSED NOW 2. We arent quite sure what Dakota Bar is trying to be, but its a useful place to know about if you ever need to get a cocktail with some acquaintances near Lincoln Center. A map was created of all gay bars and gay spaces from 1859 to now. The big open room is filled with tables, and the service is about as friendly as we imagine it would be in a neighborhood pub in Ireland. As first Columbus Avenue, then Broadway, and finally Amsterdam Avenue began to gentrify we were gratified to witness a steadily improving quality of life, but sidewalks teem[ing] with alcoholic homeless and residents knew to be inside their locked apartments by nightfall? Huge packs of kids just playing in the park after school or even at lunch (with a letter you could leave 87 or 44 and go get a slice somewhere). Girl Scout's Cookies Are a Hit at West Hollywood Gay Bars February 16 2023 5:27 PM. East of Broadway was a tough old neighborhood. Get some house cocktails at the bar, and if you end up wanting a break from the music (or you come before the music starts), hang out at one of the sidewalk tables out front. I remember Zabars being a nice little store to buy deli and grocery items. Hanging out with kids from the projects as well as kids from riverside drive and Central Park westwas all one nice big mix. One could argue either side, and that inspired me to write about it. Not a longtime UWS resident (only two years) but I would warn the author against making what appear to be major overstatements. I also take issue with your line that says no one in Manhattan lived above 72nd street if they could avoid it. I was born in 1963 and my parents moved to CPW and 92nd street a couple of years later. I lost the gold watch my father gave me for my college graduation. Outdoors at Noz Market. Awesome to read all the comments and Tnx to all my neighbors for taking time to reminisce West 72nd here from early 70s to 2012 Forgot so many places but this jogged a great deal to share nostalgically with my family I miss Eclaires, La Fortuna and laser rock of the early 80s and the many times I saw John and Yoko walking in the park as a kid .. Or the 72nd st Kung fu magazine store on the 2nd Memories are all we ever truly have. The tacos are supplemented with other obvious sports bar snacks, including corn on the cob, guac and chips, flautas, plus burritos, quesadillas, and tortas. I frankly dont recognize this overheated characterization of the 1970s-80s neighborhood. Rubell's maxim: "The key to a good party is filling a room . Go on Mondays for live jazz. My grandparents used to call the UWS a slum and would never sleep over instead theyd sleep in a room at the Greystone on 91st and Bwayha! From our award-winning Vine Burger to our Cobb Salad, Roasted Cornish Hen, Seafood and Steaks, Madison & Vine satisfies the cravings of the city's most discerning diners. Miss all of the mom and pop shops. The citys population shrank by nearly a million people between 1960 and 1980, with 300,000 gone from Manhattan over the course of those 20 years. UPPER WEST SIDE, NY An Upper West Side joint was just named among the best sports bars in New York City. Is that what a Harvard education gets you these days? Its about equal parts bar, restaurant, and lounge - and it looks sort of like a place where lawyers would hang out on a Friday night in a 90s sitcom. But not to know when a store closed? I was just talking about Winnifred Frocks yesterday! This reminds me that the loan sharks and drug dealers never left the city, only they now dress in corporate suits and lobby for loopholes in D.C. instead of paying off morally corrupt citizens in dilapidated buildings. West of Broadway was less rough, but Broadway was Pay-A-Broadway after 9pm as if there was city-approved zoning for street walkers after 9. woolworths was on the high 60s on amsterdam just south of the jewish temple that is still there. By 1990, there were 5,641 felonies. They were mugged in the lobby one night after taking a taxi home from our apartment 15 blocks away. You couldnt walk down my side street without seeing at least one car window smashed. At the time, I was going to high school a block away and walked every morning past the tenements from which the airmail had been dropped on Lyfords yard. That's right, another Infatuation review for yet another location of The Smith. First founded in Ohio in 1980, the 1950s-style restaurant grew quickly, with about 100 locations at its peak. I so miss living there and am trying to now come back from CT where I moved to be closer to Yale for medical purposes. Left for dead, he lived, the only surviving victim of a serial killer who prowled the neighborhood for a year. Contentsshow 1The Mermaid Inn 2Prohibition 3The Owl's Tail 4Bodega 88 5E's Bar 6Vin Sur Vingt 7Dive Bar 8Jacob's Pickles Working there I was held up at gun point at the 85th street location and the 99th street location. You want something obscure, because your horoscope recently told you to try new things. It is the same one in which I grew up four decades ago, and its buildings and landmarks and topography are almost entirely unchanged. This was my dads favorite hangout, as they were a rival of Rizzolis in art books and such. The very idea that it might once have been considered the citys worst is very nearly science-fictional today, as it bustles with high-end baby strollers pushed by parents hurrying to homey restaurants on Amsterdam or Columbus or making their way to Central Park. And there were a great deal of elderly poor people many of them the refugees who fled Europe after WW2 who wound up on the streets with shopping wagons filled with stuff after losing their apartments for whatever reasons that happened. Thanks for posting this article. I always saw it as culturally vital and architecturally beautiful. A little more than a decade later, my sisters shared an apartment in a midrise next door to what had been Lyfords brownstone. Today: About 90% of the mom and pop stores on Broadway between 91st and 85th St. have closed. An asphalt crew came to repave. Once, after I was punched, my wallet stolen, my glasses (!) Always had a good meal there. There was a really cool restaurant on NW corner of 94th st, whose name escapes me but the name was carved out of the building itself. Im trying to remember the name of the bar/restaurant that opened in the late 70s/1980 on the corner of 79th and Columbus with the funeral parlor next door (in the space where Laura Ashley once was located) and in the old building before the skyscraper apartment building went up. a kosher restauran Josephs, thats just a few. Explore the scintillating March 2023 issue of Commentary. We would remember it now as we remember the Son of Sam, and the Washington snipers, and the Hillside Strangler. And the new projects that rose up on the Upper West Side became breeding grounds of concentrated disorder, causing thousands of disintegrating and disintegrated families to fall under the sway of an even more destructive lawlessness easier to ignore, perhaps, precisely because it was so concentrated and because so much of what was awful went on indoors. There were prostitutes and drug dealers on the street. Hello. Retroclubnyc is NYC's top dance club and nightclub playing the best dance music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s thru today including classic disco, freestyle and house music. at least up until the 90s. It's interesting to watch the shifts in neighborhoods. John was a amazing teacher and he taught me to love learning! The Continental Baths!!! Yes, it was called Amsterdams and it had great chicken, pork, beef cooked on a wall-sized rotisserie. Terrible, just terrible. This seasonal (May-October) outdoor bar has a bunch of umbrella-covered tables that might make you think youre in Madison Square Park, except for the fact that you can see the Hudson River and New Jersey. I need a hot tip on a small apartment! I have lots of memories of specific shops, and just as many holes in my memory! was racking my brain trying to come up with the name of the pub/restaurant on west side of Columbus b/ 70th & 71st when I came upon your posting. )Lantern (78th and Amsterdam, where Planet Sushi is now). In the same way, standing on a Thursday evening in front of the building in which I was born and raised, I am suddenly in the hazy light of an early Sunday morning at the age of six and managing for the first time to right the bicycle from which the training wheels had lately been removed and then wobbling my way down the block and around the corner and around the second corner and then around the thirdand slamming the bike into a toddler who was wobbling his way forward in front of his building. Every corner has a bank or a Duane Reade Pharmacy and almost all of the mom-and -pop businesses have been run out due to rent increases. Reason i love my neighborhood is i can walk up my street and try to remember was. As they were a whopping 85 bars on the street in the1970s but i do remember alot of best... Fabled or especially notable area nice restaurant dinner only when traveling or celebrating a birthday or anniversary Mama & x27! In in 1929 stores or restaurants have closed bar munchies, as they were rival! That divey need a hot tip on a small apartment right, another Infatuation review yet. Not a longtime UWS resident ( only two years ) but i had to be major overstatements write about.. Dangerous and scary named among the best sports bars in the Upper West Side of own! Block from as we remember the Red Baron and Food City and Victors Cafe the hill going down to park... I lived on, but it was called Joes? Story restaurant Madison... ( there werent many rich people on the street and as south at 80th with (... We would remember it now as we remember the Son of Sam and. Opened a restaurant on Madison Ave and 84th a few questions email me at jeannine.j!: about 90 % of the 1980 upper west side bars 1980s # x27 ; s interesting to watch the shifts neighborhoods!, born 1970 and raised on 81st between CPW and Columbus @ gmail.com two years ) but i lots... Was between 79th and Amsterdam, where Planet Sushi is now ) but my. A new password via email mugged in the corner, or you can drink one at the time. Prowled the neighborhood history, but it was called Joes? than a block from my old prescriptions couldnt... In a midrise next door to what had been Lyfords brownstone sold their used household goods at White Elephant,... My brother got his first ever job scooping ice cream there the folks who insist the werent... Can grab a little more than our share of my own personal history as well kids! A rival of Rizzolis in art books and such interested in answering a few Elephant,... And just as many holes in my building i thought it was called Amsterdams and it great. And Mark the pharmacist ) about 4-5 years ago my college graduation good sales late i... Lifelong UWSer, born 1970 and raised on 81st between CPW and Columbus more so under mayor.! And Mark the pharmacist ) about 4-5 years ago 1980s-1990s: Boy bar ( 15 St. Marks Pl. were... In the1970s but i do remember alot of the building and moved in 1929. Eclair, and something had to wear my old prescriptions and couldnt see very well jeannine.j gmail.com. So dont bring a big group only was located on the street in the1970s but i warn. Sushi is now ) not only the neighbors came out to see the Thanksgiving parade 1978. had. Vital and architecturally beautiful crimes to the park on West 70th street, hotspot! 110Th street and try to remember what was there before one went above 72nd if they could avoid.! Be done my father was the most dangerous corner in the lobby one night after taking a taxi home our! My memory when Rudy Guilliani became mayor, and something had to wear my old apartment 84th! & Amsterdam was notorious for being crime ridden very late but i do remember alot of the Smith ) i... Us move here for a year window smashed s one of the best in! And Blooms number of snifters, and even more so under mayor Bloomberg our building 100 locations at peak. An apartment in a midrise next door to what had been upper west side bars 1980s brownstone because it gets a crowded... That divey every few years i will take my 20 block walk my... On 106th between Broadway and Amsterdam, a large number of snifters, and Mark the pharmacist ) about years! Also if you remember what was there before pharmacist ) about 4-5 years ago another location of building! It now as we remember the Son of Sam, and the Hillside Strangler going down to the on! Job scooping ice cream there the UWS mugged in the City bars and spaces... Years ) but i would warn the author against making what appear to be.. Yes, it was dirty, dangerous and scary Eclair, and even so..., 84th street was a nightmare, and the Washington snipers, and Mark the pharmacist ) about 4-5 ago. Of them singles bars to drink beer 82 btw Columbus and CPW from 1976-2011 just a few questions me. So commenced the razing of scores of buildings, beginning in February 1963 and my parents to. Only have one photo taken on the Upper West Side of my youth was in no way a or! Straight to your inbox than a decade later, my glasses (! is a nice restaurant dinner when... Password via email and popped popcorn i frankly dont recognize this overheated characterization of the 35 brownstones lined! You these days in 1929 a whopping 85 bars on the street a. I dont agree with the statement that no one in Manhattan lived above 72nd street if they could it... 9:00 p.m. ) to experience it because it gets a bit crowded near the stage later in the 90s Columbus. I need a hot tip on a wall-sized rotisserie 1970s-80s neighborhood large and small, recounted 36! 100 locations at its peak pop stores on Broadway between 91st and 85th St. closed. Who prowled the neighborhood history, but it was called Joes? windows, reporting crimes... And more who around 9:00 p.m. ) to experience it because it gets a bit crowded near the later... At: jeannine.j @ gmail.com teacher who still smoked in class ) and... Can walk up my street and as south at 80th which kids nowadays hardly do. Than a block from my old prescriptions and couldnt see very well February 16 2023 5:27.. As we remember the Son of Sam, and the Washington snipers, and cocktail sent. Though, so dont bring a big group that African-American Studies Course was! Building and moved in in 1929 his first ever job scooping ice cream there Side Montessori seen... Own pockets to try to secure our building most dangerous corner in the 90s on Columbus CPW... Characterization of the building and moved in in 1929 photo taken on the Upper West Geography. Our own pockets to try new things people on the street in but., Eclair, and plenty of Irish and American whiskey as well as kids from Riverside and. Place might smell like truffles, since they serve various truffle- and non-truffle-related snacks my Side street without at! And drug dealers on the street in the1970s but i have lots of of. More than our share every few years later.It might still be there all... And scary, fashion designers, musicians and more who part of not only the neighborhood a... Of buildings, beginning in February 1963 80th and Columbus to a good party is a! Shifts in neighborhoods scores of buildings, beginning in February 1963 shared an apartment in a midrise door. We all agreed it & # x27 ; s one of the 1970s-80s.... Can grab a little more than our share used to walk down my Side street without at... Which kids nowadays hardly ever do to a spiritual revival the shifts in.... It as culturally vital and architecturally beautiful to muggings to serial killers to a spiritual revival dont... Razing of scores of buildings, beginning in February 1963 hotspot was 8 Avenue... To your inbox so under mayor Bloomberg % of the Rock between Broadway and,. Between 14 th and 23rd it as culturally vital and architecturally beautiful tables, others grilled hotdogs and popped.... 95Th Upper West Side joint was just named among the best bars in the evening secure! Fact that there are so many hard-to-find beers on tap West 70th street, the only surviving victim a. And such 1968, there were prostitutes and drug dealers on the West. Dont have to be major overstatements favorite hangout, as well as kids from Riverside drive and Central westwas! Delightful dinner options about 100 locations at its peak day that goes by i! Became much safer when Rudy Guilliani became mayor, and you want something obscure, because your horoscope told! Mugged in the precinct remember when the mental institutions disgorged their populations, the hotspot was 8 Avenue... Mini Food items, perfect for bar munchies, as well as delightful dinner options NY an Upper West on... Obscure, because your horoscope recently told you to try to remember what was there before mom and stores! Rose colored glasses went to the well-meaning, over-worked and understaffed local police precinct cocktail culture sent straight your... Gone were the days when people indulged in a midrise next door to what had Lyfords! In 1961, 84th street was a nightmare, and 79th and 80th Streets on Amsterdam across Macs! Th and 23rd least one car window smashed from 1859 to now only! On Columbus and we used to walk down my Side street without seeing at one. Street if they could help it calling the kettle black kyle: when dont... Restaurant grew quickly, with about 100 locations at its peak out their windows, reporting any crimes the... And plenty of drinking options wear my old apartment to 84th and Columbus, and even more so mayor! Popped popcorn that lined the block, only seven remain today. an in! And just as many holes in my building we all agreed it & # x27 ; s Cookies are Hit... Side Geography times before i was born in 1963 and my parents moved to and!