New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [74]
Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre.
Since 1947, puppet theater has been entertaining pint-size New Yorkers in this 1876 traditional Swedish schoolhouse. The house was imported for the Philadelphia Exhibition and brought to Central Park soon thereafter. At this writing, the show is “Three,” which presents the tales “The Three Little Pigs,” “The Three Bears,” and “The Three Billy Goats Gruff.” | W. Park Dr. north of 79th St. Transverse, Central Park | 212/988–9093 | $6 | Shows Oct.–June, Tues.–Fri. 10:30 and noon, Sat. 1; July and Aug., Tues.–Fri. 10:30 and noon. Closed Sun., Mon., and Sept. Reservations required. | Subway: B, C to 81st St.
Tisch Children’s Zoo.
This minizoo gives kids the opportunity to pet and feed sheep, goats, rabbits, cows, and pigs. The Enchanted Forest is a surreal place filled with “acorns” the size of Saint Bernards, a climbable “spiderweb,” and hoppable “lily pads.” Other attractions include a duck pond, children’s theater, touch and sound displays, and a water-spray play area. Avoid weekends, when the zoo is packed. | Just north of Central Park Wildlife Center, Central Park | $6; price includes Wildlife Center | Apr.–Oct., weekdays 10–5, weekends 10–5:30; Nov.–Mar., daily 10–4:30 | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College.
Wollman Memorial Rink.
Its music blaring out into the tranquility of the park can be a bit of an intrusion, but you can’t deny that this rink dwarfed by billion-dollar Central Park South skyscrapers makes a great setting for a spin on the ice. You can watch skaters from the terrace. If your heart is set on a visit, be sure to check the Web site or call ahead; the rink often closes for private parties, especially during the holidays, and it often closes during the day so that the ice can be smoothed with the Zamboni. | E. Park Dr. south of 65th St. Transverse, Central Park | 212/439–6900 | www.wollmanskatingrink.com | $11 Fri.–Sun., $8.50 Mon.–Thurs. Skate rentals $4.75. Lockers $3.75, plus $6.25 refundable deposit | Nov.–Mar., Mon. and Tues. 10–2:30, Wed. and Thurs. 10–10, Fri. and Sat. 10 AM–11 PM, Sun. 10–9, weather permitting | Subway: N, R, W to 5th Ave.
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Updated by John Rambow
Residents of the Upper West Side will proudly tell you that they live in one of the last real neighborhoods in the city. That’s highly debatable, but people actually do know their neighbors in this primarily residential section of Manhattan, and away from the high-rent stretches of Broadway, some small owner-operated businesses still flourish.
The Upper West Side is one of the city’s quieter hoods, with a much slower pace than most other areas of the city. And it’s for that reason—along with a large and somewhat more affordable housing stock—that families choose to live here.
On weekends, stroller-pushing parents cram sidewalks along the wide avenues, shuttling their kids to soccer practice and birthday parties. Shoppers jam gourmet food emporiums such as Zabar’s and Fairway, and other specialty stores along Broadway and Columbus Avenue.
Side streets are tree-lined, with high stoops leading up to stately brownstones straight out of Woody Allen films. The area has traditionally had a sizeable Jewish community, and so on the Sabbath large families can be seen walking to and from one of the Upper West Side’s many synagogues. And everyone, no matter the season or time of day, enjoys Central Park and Riverside Park, two of the neighborhood’s communal backyards.
The Upper West Side also has its share of cultural institutions, from the stunning buildings that sit on the 16-acre Lincoln Center complex, to the impressive collection at the New-York Historical Society to Columbus Circle’s Museum of Art and Design to the much-loved American Museum of Natural History.
Most people think the area north of 106th Street and south of 125th Street on the West Side is just an extension of the Upper West Side.