Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Upper West Side
This area did not begin to develop
until the 1870s, when the 9th
Avenue El went up, making it possible to commute to midtown. When
the Dakota, New York's first luxury apartment building, was com-
pleted in 1884, it was followed by others on Central Park West and
Broadway, while side streets were filled with handsome brownstones.
The West Side remains a desirable neighborhood with a reputation for
attracting intellectuals, and much of the city's best residential archi-
tecture. The creation of Lincoln Center in the 1950s was a great boost,
and the American Museum of Natural History is also a draw.
