New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [66]
One good place to start is along lavish East 65th Street, passing the Romanesque Temple Emanu-El; the double town house at No. 47 built for Sara Delano Roosevelt and her son, Franklin; and the acclaimed French restaurant Daniel across the street. End several blocks and a world away at the 18th-century Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden on 61st Street between 1st and York avenues.
Another good route starts at the cooperative apartments at 1040 5th Avenue, at East 85th Street, the former home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It overlooks the reservoir that now bears her name.
Heading east beyond Park Avenue, the town houses and boutiques give way to the residential high-rises of Yorkville (the one at 185 E. 85th appeared in the opening credits of the TV show The Jeffersons). Few remaining shops recall the neighborhood’s German and Hungarian immigrant past (which earned 2nd Avenue the nickname “Goulash Avenue”). One delicious reminder is the 1937 food shop Schaller & Weber (1654 2nd Ave., at East 86th St.), where you can pick up homemade bratwurst or imported stollen, cookies, and other goodies. From here, continue east to see the official mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion, and the serene riverside Carl Schurz Park.
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TOP ATTRACTIONS
Fodor’s Choice | Gracie Mansion.
The official mayor’s residence, Gracie Mansion was built in 1799 by shipping merchant Archibald Gracie, with an enlargement in 1966. Tours of the highly impressive interior—which must be scheduled in advance and take place under limited hours—take you through its history and colorful rooms furnished over centuries and packed with American objets d’art.
Nine mayors have lived here since it became the official residence in 1942, but New York City’s current mayor, Michael Bloomberg, broke with tradition; he chose to stay in his own 79th Street town house. He does use it, however, for meetings and functions. | Carl Schurz Park, East End Ave. opposite 88th St., Upper East Side | 10028 | 212/570–4751 | $7 | 45-min guided tours by advance reservation only; Wed. 10–2 | Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
WORTH NOTING
Carl Schurz Park.
Facing the East River, this park, named for a German immigrant who was a prominent newspaper editor in the 19th century, is so tranquil you’d never guess you’re directly above FDR Drive. Walk along the promenade, where you can take in views of the river and the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse across the way. To the north are Randall’s and Wards islands and newly renamed RFK Bridge (aka the Triborough Bridge)—as well as the more immediate sight of locals pushing strollers, riding bikes, or exercising their dogs.
If you’re visiting with kids, there’s a very worthwhile playground at the 84th Street end with climbing equipment, swings, and other diversions for toddlers and older children. If you enter the park at its 86th Street entrance or you’re exiting there, you’ll find yourself approaching the grounds of a Federal-style wood-frame house that belies the grandeur of its name—Gracie Mansion. TIP If you exit the park at 86th Street, cross East End Avenue for a stroll through Henderson Place, a miniature historic district of 24 connected Queen Anne–style houses in a dead end. The small redbrick houses, built in 1881 “for persons of moderate means,” have turrets marking the corner of each block and symmetrical roof gables, pediments, parapets, chimneys, and dormer windows. | Carl Schurz Park spans East End Ave. to the East River, E. 84th to E. 90th Sts., Upper East Side | www.carlschurzparknyc.org | Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
Mount Vernon Hotel Museum and Garden.
Built in 1799, this former carriage house (i.e., stable) became a day hotel (a sort of country club) in 1826. Now restored and owned by the Colonial Dames of America, it provides a glimpse of the days when the city ended at 14th Street and this area was a country escape for New Yorkers. The 45-minute tour passes through the eight rooms that display furniture and artifacts of the