tuscanlifeedit

Please help me get excited about this location where we may stay for a few days before Christmas.

We have made dozens of trips to NYC, but we always stay in the East Village, except for a few times in mid town hotels and in the days when DD lived up near the Cloisters.

We always walk to the Union Square Christmas Market, and the E Village is so full of shops and restaurants. We also enjoy walking to Soho and the Mulberry Street area for Christmas shopping,eating, and food shopping.

Where in the UWS will we find a lively atmosphere with lots of window shopping and restaurants, crowds and Christmas spirit?

We don't know that area at all.

Thanks!

Gekko

The UWS is a nice residential area, but totally different than the East Village in terms of the demographics of the residents.

It's also a LARGE area, so, depending on your exact location, you might be near the Time Warner Center/Lincoln Center, or the American Museum of Natural History, or Zabar's.

Broadway, Columbus & Amsterdam have miles of great shops & restaurants.

Finally, the UWS is well-served by subways, so you can easily get downtown.

Enjoy!

isabel

There is also a Christmas market at Columbus Circle, at least as good as the one at Union Square. I think there are as many stores on the UWS as in the E Village, probably more. And the park is right there. I always stay with friends or relatives when in NY and until this past year I had some friends on the UWS who I either stayed with or they lent me their apartment when they were away. I LOVE staying there and will really miss not having that location as a place to stay from now on. Enjoy it.

GoTravel

Lots of shops, restaurant, and dining on the Upper West Side but if money were no object? The Mandarin Oriental!

nytraveler

Depends on what are you'll be in. Below Lincoln Center is definitely upscale. North of that is a mid/upscale residential area with several museums (Natural History, NY Historical Society) and an incredible number of shops and restaurants of all types. The former range from Filene's Basement to Zabar's to lots of unique boutique to mall standards (Victoria's Secret, Nine West) and 2 huge Barnes and Nobles.

Restaurants are mainly for neighborhood residents - but of every possible ethnicity. Check out menupages.com for details.

But, this is basically a family-oriented area - although very diverse - and while there are tons of restaurants and some bars you won't find much in the way of clubs.

lp_nyc

The UWS is a great place to be (I live here, and have also lived in the East Village for many years).

There is a Flea Market on Sundays on Columbus Ave (in the school yard) at 78th street. Thay also have a small farmer's market their on the same day.

One Saturdays there is a small farmer's market at 66th street. Neither of these can really compare with the size of the one in Union Square on Saturdays, but they still wonderful.

Lincoln Center puts up it's own Christmas tree..with less crowds than at Rock Center. And 67th street between Columbus and CPW has lots of pretty lights.

And don't forget Central Park. If you enter the park across from the Natural History Museum, then it's not a long walk to the UES and the Met, the Guggenheim, Cooper-Hewitt and the Whitney museums. Lots of neat (mostly high-end though) shops are one block further on Madison Ave.

And the area on 9th ave below Columbus circle is a great area for restaurants and hanging out. There are many great restaurants on the UWS, but if you are looking for slightly more 'hip' crowd, then head to Hell's Kitchen.

I'm not big on the bar scene, but the UWS has had 3 wine bars open in the last 2 years that are a nice change from the usual beer and darts places up here.

Another bonus- Jaques Torres just opened a new store this week on Amsterdam between 73 &74th (I actually got to meet him the other day when I stopped in to by a gift!). For anyone who doesn't know...he is one of the greatest chocolate makers in the world and well worth the splurge.

tuscanlifeedit

These are great suggestions; thanks. I should have been more specific about our location: we may be guests at our friend's place at 96th St, but I am not sure what avenue. We walk for hours and take the subway, so anything in the area is good.

isabel: my brother is supposed to sell his E Village place this year, and I will feel like you do about your friends' UWS apt. I will miss it so much. He has been there since forever, when it was Alphabet City and not the E Village. We've been staying there for 20 years or more and I will miss it so much.

lp_nyc: I am excited about the Lincoln Center tree. We never get close to the Rock Ctr tree, so this will be a treat. And the park: my cousin and my faux grandchildren live just across the park from our friend's place at E 95 St. I like Madison Ave Christmas shopping but it isn't quite in my spending league. But fun, anyway.

(We were Xmas window shopping on Madison one year, and Kevin Kline made eye contact with me, which made me look behind him for his wife. I love Phoebe Cates and squealed "Phoebe Cates! Oh my God, I love her!" According to DH, he and Kevin shared a moment of mutual surprise.)

nytraveler: we are much too old for clubs. I do love the East Village but I haven't been in a club for years. Last time to hear a friend's band, I think. I don't drink, so neighborhood restaurants are just fine: we don't need a bar. I will check menupages. We have a lot of favorites downtown, and maybe we will find some places we like as much as those. I do like to splurge just a little on Christmas trip, if anyone has good suggestions for a special UWS lunch.

Any funky/artsy shopping up this way?

tuscanlifeedit

One more thing: I'm just a little disheartened by the Barnes and Noble bookstores. I love the Strand bookstore and always go there. Any specialized or more interesting bookstore recommendations would be appreciated. I'm not putting down B&N; it's just not on my list for a special visit.

trippinkpj

Tuscanlifeedit- I'm curious as to where you usually stay in the East Village. Thanks!

nstevey

For a change from B&N, I like the independent bookstores in the Columbia University area.

Suki

lp nyc, my brother lives on that block of 67th Street that you said has the pretty lights, and you reminded me that it has been many years since we were up there at Christmas. Who knew there were pretty lights? I'll have to go and see. Thanks.

tuscan, have fun, and do go to the the flea market at Columbus and 78th. I've found some really cool things there.

tuscanlifeedit

Suki, thanks; I will definitely hit that Columbus Ave flea market. We love flea markets.

trippinkpj: we stay with my brother on 7th street between C and D. He has been there for over twenty years, and the apartment has grown. Sadly he wants to cash and move across the river to Jersey. So our wonderful free hangout is not going to be there in a couple of months. He hopes to sell by spring.

The place started as a one bedroom then expended to a two, and is now duplex with a roof garden and three bedrooms, two full baths. It is pretty swank. Before that, he had a place near Bowery where daughter and I always stayed when she was growing up.

So, for just about as long as I can remember, we have had free and easy access to apartments in New York. I will be so sad to lose this.

trippinkpj

Tuscanlifeedit, that sounded fantastic. Yes that would be tough to lose a place like that to stay at.