The West Side Story - Manhattan’s West Side

City Walks

Mar 4

The American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West was established in 1869.

Manhattan’s West Side

I thought it would be a cool idea to look at the West Side of Manhattan as one post to show the diversity of the Big Apple’s West Side.

Here is what caught my eye. I hope you enjoy!

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Parking sign with graffiti - Midtown

A replica of a vintage train car for outdoor seating at the Roaring 20’s inspired Dolly Varden restaurant - Hell’s Kitchen

Minerva and the Bell Ringers sculptures and clock, in Herald Square, is a monument to James Gordon Bennett, who founded the New York Herald. Created by Antonio Jean Charles, the bell ringers go through the motion to ring the bell on the hour, but do not actually strike it.

Architect William Burnet Tuthill designed Carnegie Hall for philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. - Columbus Circle

Art Deco-style doors on the Helen Mills Event Space and Theater - Garment District

Moving public chalk art on Fashion Institute of Technology - Chelsea

Fire escapes - Hell’s Kitchen

Food cart near Madison Square Garden - Chelsea

New entrance to Penn Station - Chelsea

The old 21 Club (now closed) - Midtown

The Vessel in Hudson Yards - Midtown

Macy’s Flower Show - Herald Square

The Equestrian Statue of Theodore Roosevelt is a 1939 bronze sculpture by James Earle Fraser that was on the grounds of the American Museum of Natural History but has recently been removed. - Upper West Side

Turreted building - Upper West Side

Romanesque-style townhouse - Upper West Side

A remnant of the past is squeezed in. - Upper West Side

Alley way leading to Pomander Walk - Upper West Side

The 1903 Issac L. Rice mansion at 89th Street - Upper West Side

Decorative building entrance - Upper West Side

Joan of Arc sculpture by Anna Vaughn Hyatt in Riverside Park - Upper West Side

Architectural details - West Side

This statue originally stood outside a Hiroshima temple 1.5 miles from the center of the atomic blast, and now proudly stands in front of the Buddhist Church on Riverside Drive. - Upper West Side

Architectural detail - Upper West Side

Welcoming entrance - Upper West Side

Moynihan Train Hall uses the former main post office building as an extension of Penn Station. - Chelsea

Classy building entrance - Upper West Side

Entrance to Colosseum on Riverside Drive and 116th Street - Morningside Heights

Looking up at the Colosseum - Morningside Heights

Mural message at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine - Morningside Heights

Citibikes in the snow - Union Square

Columbia University - Morningside Campus

Elegant entry - Upper West Side

Townhomes - Upper West Side

Store window between dressings - Midtown

The classical domed Grant’s Tomb is the final resting place for President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia. - Morningside Heights

Subway entrance on Broadway - Upper West Side

The 35-room Schinasi’s Mansion on Riverside Drive was built in 1907 for Morris Schinasi. Schinasi patented the cigarette-rolling machine and with his brother they produced ready-made cigarettes with Turkish tobacco under the brand name “Natural”. - Upper West Side

Built in 1902, the opulent Beaux-Arts brick and limestone mansion at 337 Riverside Drive, once owned by actress Julia Marlowe, had passed through several owners before eventually becoming a rooming house. Today we see the mansion converted back to a one-family home, with not much change to the exterior appearance. - West Side

Riverside Church on Riverside Drive was conceived by John D. Rockefeller. - Morningside Heights

Classic row houses - Upper West Side

Sunset at Pier 95 Hudson River Park - Midtown

The Oculus, a unique architectural landmark, is a shopping mall and transportation hub designed by Santiago Calatrava. - Downtown

One World Trade was designed by David Childs and opened in 2014 and has the same name as the North Tower that was destroyed on 9/11/2001. One World Observatory on the 102nd floor, with floor to ceiling windows, was opened in 2015. - Downtown

The flagship Macy’s building was completed in 1902 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. - Herald Square

A reminder of the past still illuminated - Times Square

The Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum - Midtown

The fortress-like Dakota building is regarded as New York City’s first luxury apartment building, built in 1884, and designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh. - Central Park West

View from the Highline - Chelsea

West Side sunset - Downtown

View from the piers - Midtown

Sylvan Terrace is a walk back in time with a cobblestone street, lined with charmingly restored wooden townhouses, built in 1882. - Washington Heights

Dave’s is a Boutique not a butcher shop. - Meatpacking District

The Terrace view of buildings and Central Park - Midtown

Rockefeller Center consists of 19 buildings on 22 acres that goes from 48th to 51st Street. John D. Rockefeller leased the land from Columbia University and commissioned the original 14 Art Deco-style buildings, completed in 1939. - Midtown

The location of the New York Times Tower is how the area got it’s name, and the first New Years ball drop was done here in 1904. - Times Square

Roxy Delicatessen - Theater District

The colorful three-dimensional statue of Neptune on a ship, is above the building entrance to the former Audubon Theater and Ballroom, now called the Shabazz Center. - Washington Heights

The former Audubon Theater and Ballroom, now called the Shabazz Center, designed by Thomas W. Lamb, was the site of the assassination of Malcolm X. - Washington Heights

The old-fashioned Ace Hotel Marquee, 20 West 29th Street - Chelsea

The Ed Sullivan Theater with Late Show marquee -Midtown

The statue of Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden, in front of the Port Authority, was sculpted by Larry Nowlan, and presented by the People of TV Land. - Midtown

Here is one of the lovable characters of “Life Underground”, a permanent display created by sculptor Tom Otterness for the 14th Street Station of A, C, E and L lines. - Chelsea

The 28th Street Subway entrance - Chelsea

Phantom of the Opera marquee - Theater District

Here are three of the five pieces that make up Five Conversations by Lubaina Himid on the High Line -the unique elevated Park built on unused New York Central Railroad’s West Side Line. - Chelsea

Souvenir shopping - Downtown

A legendary nightspot in the 20’s and 30’s, Cotton Club, featured African American entertainers of the era including Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole, to name a few. - Harlem

Street art - Harlem

The Senton Hotel, designed by Renwick, Aspinwall & Co, was originally called the Hilmont Hotel when it was built in 1891, and it is the oldest surviving hotel in the neighborhood. - Garment District

“The Sun - it shines for all “ - The Sun Clock and Thermometer at 280 Broadway - Tribeca

F.W. Woolworth commissioned Cass Gilbert to design a building at 233 Broadway, which would later be called the Cathedral of Commerce. In 1913, the building resembling European Gothic cathedrals, was the tallest building until the Chrysler Building took the title in 1929. - Tribeca

Pictured here are jet skiers, with the Statue of Liberty in the background, as seen from the deck of the Staten Island ferry. - Downtown

The Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park was built in 1889 out of cast iron. - Washington Heights

The West Side of Manhattan has been home to many notable people including: Jerry Seinfeld, Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Amy Schumer, Howard Stern, Giorgio Armani, Yoko Ono & John Lennon, Sting, Anne Hathaway, Donna Karan, Kevin Bacon, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon, Steven Spielberg, and Antonio Banderas, Beyoncé & Jay Z, Meryl Streep, Billy Crystal, Gweneth Paltrow and Jon Stewart.

What you should know:

There are no real borders to each neighborhood.
Walking is a great way to get around; traffic is usually crazy.
Sidewalks are usually busy places; go off to the side when stopping.
Be aware of bicycles, motor bikes, and other motorized means of transportation that do not adhere to traffic signals.
There is a large amount of free public art, so enjoy it!