The Upper West Side Guide
It’s more than strollers and Zabar’s. Here’s where to find the neighborhood’s real character, from pre-theater cocktails to the city's most essential appetizing counter.
Neighborhood
Upper West Side.
Classical Music in NYC: 16 Ways to Go on a Budget
Hear world class music for less. Our guide covers free tickets at the Met Opera, $20 seats at Carnegie Hall, and free concerts at Juilliard and Trinity Church.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2026: Route, Best Viewing Spots and Balloon Inflation
Everything you need to know about navigating the 100th anniversary of New York City's biggest parade, from where to stand to where to thaw out.
Things to Do in NYC This Weekend: October 2 to October 4
The Strokes hit Queens, the New York Film Festival takes over Lincoln Center, and fall festivals arrive across the boroughs.
The Best Afternoon Tea in NYC
Fourteen afternoon teas in New York, from the Plaza's Palm Court and the Baccarat's crystal salon to a Japanese tea at the Waldorf and a $60 pot in the West Village, with prices, booking windows and the 2026 holiday teas.
The Best Breakfast Spots in NYC
Sixteen places to eat a real weekday breakfast in New York, from a 1925 soda fountain and a 24-hour Williamsburg diner to Chinatown roast pork buns and mangú in Washington Heights.
The Best Cookies in NYC
Twenty cookies worth crossing the city for, from Levain's six-ounce chocolate chip and Red Gate's toffee cookie to black and whites on the Upper East Side and pignoli by the pound in the Bronx.
The Best Happy Hours in NYC
Fifteen happy hours worth leaving work early for, from $1.50 oysters in the West Village to $10 negronis on MacDougal and half-price wings in Williamsburg, with the days and hours for each.
Birthday Ideas in NYC for Every Budget
Private karaoke rooms, family-style tables that seat 12, a drag dinner show, a free ferry at sunset. Where to spend a birthday in New York, sorted by what it costs.
First Time in New York: What Locals Actually Tell Their Friends
Where to stay, which landmarks are worth the line, how the subway works now that it is all tap to pay, what to tip, what to skip, and a three day plan.
Things to Do in NYC in November 2026
From marathon pavement to Thanksgiving balloons, here is how to navigate the busiest and best month on the New York calendar.
Where to Eat Near Lincoln Center
Before the opera, the ballet or the Philharmonic: Tatiana in Geffen Hall, the antipasto bar across Broadway, a French room on 68th and the rooftop for after.
The Best Gluten-Free Restaurants and Bakeries in NYC
Dining out with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity does not mean sacrificing flavor in New York City.
The Best Indian Restaurants in New York City
Savor the regional diversity of Indian cuisine in New York City, from fiery coastal seafood to modern tasting menus that require booking weeks in advance.
The Best Bar Trivia Nights in NYC
Gather your smartest friends and order a pitcher at these highly competitive, reliably fun pub quizzes across the city.
The Best Antique Stores in New York City
Hunt for historical treasures, unique artifacts, and enduring furniture at the city's premier antique shops.
The Best Pottery Classes in New York City
Get your hands dirty and channel your inner artist at these welcoming ceramic studios across the five boroughs.
The Best Board Game Cafes in New York City
Where to roll the dice, pull a card, and drink a good beer while you ruin your friendships over Catan.
The Best Burlesque Shows in New York City
Step into the glittering, subversive world of New York's modern burlesque scene, where these 16 venues offer spectacular, seductive performances every week.
The Best Dog Parks and Runs in NYC
Let your furry friend off the leash at the city's top canine playgrounds. We rate the best dog runs based on space, cleanliness, and community vibes.
The Best Farmers Markets in New York City
Shop for fresh regional produce, artisanal cheeses, and baked goods directly from local purveyors at our favorite greenmarkets across the five boroughs, from Union Square to Grand Army Plaza.
The Best Holiday Markets in New York City
Get into the festive spirit and shop local at New York's famous winter villages.
The Best Jewish Delis in New York City
From mile-high pastrami on rye to perfect matzo ball soup, these classic delicatessens are true New York institutions.
The Best Omakase Menus in New York City
Treat yourself to a masterclass in sushi at the city's finest tasting counters, from the $600 blowout to the $69 weeknight steal.
The Best Oysters and Raw Bars in New York City
Where to find the city's sharpest mignonettes, deepest raw bars, and oyster happy hours that actually justify leaving your apartment.
The Best Parks in New York City
Forget the tourist-clogged lawns of Central Park. This is your guide to the green spaces where New Yorkers actually live, relax, and play.
The Best Sports Bars in New York City
From massive mega-screens to cozy neighborhood pubs, these are the top spots to catch every game, fight, and match with passionate fans.
The Best Sushi in NYC
From affordable neighborhood hand-roll counters to life-changing luxury omakase, New York has it all.
The Best Vegan Restaurants in New York City
Plant-based dining in New York has moved past the era of sad salads and dry veggie burgers.
Café des Artistes is returning to the Upper West Side, wood nymphs and all
After a seventeen-year absence, the legendary 67th Street dining room is coming back. The new owners are turning to the Sunday paper to find out what you remember about it.
The 19 Best Secret Gardens and Pocket Parks in New York City
Escape the relentless pavement by stepping into these tucked-away courtyards, community plots, and rooftop green spaces scattered across the five boroughs.
How to Score Cheap Broadway Tickets: Rush, Lottery, and TKTS
You do not have to spend a fortune to see world-class theater in New York if you know how to play the system.
Literary New York: The Landmarks Worth Visiting
From the bar where Kerouac got kicked out to the library where generations of masterpieces were written, these are the places that tell the story of the city.
New York Outdoor Concert Series: The Full Calendar
From free shows in the park to skyline sets at the Seaport, this is your guide to the summer and fall seasons at SummerStage, Celebrate Brooklyn, Lincoln Center and more.
Where to See Fall Foliage in NYC
Autumn transforms New York's green spaces into stunning canvases of red, orange, and yellow. Find the most scenic spots across all five boroughs.
The Best Bagels in New York City
Eighteen bagel shops worth the line, from century-old appetizing counters to sourdough upstarts, with exactly what to order at each one.
The Best Bakeries in New York City
Eighteen bakeries worth the line, the train ride and the sugar crash, from Greenpoint croissants and Bahraini morning buns to Bensonhurst cannoli and Bronx sfogliatelle.
The Best Comedy Clubs in New York City
From legendary Greenwich Village basements to indie stages in Brooklyn and Queens, this is your guide to the best stand-up, improv, and alternative comedy in New York.
The Best Date Night Restaurants in New York City
Eighteen rooms for every stage of the thing, from the first drink to the anniversary, with what to order, where to sit and how to get in.
The Best Flea Markets in New York City
From the essential Brooklyn lots with skyline views to curated Manhattan showcases for vintage collectors, these are the markets worth your weekend.
The Best Jazz Clubs in New York City
From the Village basements where the music was invented to Brooklyn listening rooms with a donation jar, here is where to hear live jazz in New York now.
The Best Literary Bars in New York City
From historic taverns where Dylan Thomas drank to modern bookstore bars hosting the city's sharpest reading series, here is where to drink with writers.
The Best Movie Theaters in New York City
Beyond the multiplexes, New York's independent and repertory cinemas are where the city's real film culture lives, from downtown palaces to outer-borough originals.
The Best Museums in New York City
From the big names on Fifth Avenue to the experimental spaces in Queens, this is your guide to the New York museums that are actually worth your time and money.
The 30 Best Novels About New York City
Gilded Age drawing rooms, Harlem tenements, Brooklyn stoops and a Manhattan apartment where a woman tries to sleep for a year. The city, told by the people who wrote it best.
The Best Pizza Slices in New York City
Nineteen counters across four boroughs, from the plain cheese that sets the standard to the burrata and oxtail slices worth crossing a river for.
The Best Ramen in New York City
From rich, porky tonkotsu to delicate shio, here is where to find the most satisfying bowls of ramen in the city, and how to get a seat.
The Best Record Stores in New York City
Eighteen shops worth the subway ride, from Rockefeller Center's two-level Rough Trade to a Ridgewood crate-digger's haven and a jazz specialist tucked into an eighth-floor office.
The Best Small Museums in New York City
Leave the big crowds behind for these focused, fascinating collections, from Gilded Age mansions to a 1936 subway station and the city's last single-family home.
The Best Used and Rare Bookstores in New York
These are the city's essential shops for secondhand paperbacks, rare first editions, and unexpected finds, from towering institutions to neighborhood specialists.
Free Live Music in New York City, All Year
The big summer stages, the no-cover bars that run every night of the year, and the in-stores and atriums where rising artists play for nothing. Your wallet can stay home.
Free and Pay-What-You-Wish Museum Hours in New York, Verified for 2026
The Met, MoMA, the Whitney and two dozen others can cost you nothing or close to it, if you know the right day, hour and ID to bring.
How to get free Met Opera tickets through NYC's new 'Opera for All' lottery
New York City and the Metropolitan Opera are giving away 70,000 free tickets this season. Here is exactly how to enter, what the rules are, and what to see.
Every Major New York Concert Venue, Ranked by How It Feels to See a Show There
Sound, sightlines, lines at the bar and the walk home. We ranked 25 New York concert venues from the 575-capacity perfect room to the arenas by the only measure that matters: the night itself.
Things to Do in New York in October 2026
Film festival premieres, 300 buildings unlocked for a weekend, a dog costume parade, Diwali in Times Square and the best night of the year on Sixth Avenue.
