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City Living: West 90s

By Jonathan Scheff | Special to amNewYork

March 2, 2006

The Upper West Side has long been a haven for artists, musicians and writers. But the bohemian feel of the West 90s is slowly eroding as real estate prices rise, fancy new apartment buildings go up along Broadway and young professionals continue to move in.

Walking along Broadway, the main commercial thoroughfare of the neighborhood, one gets the feeling that more gentrification is on the way. Just take a look south at the West 80s, where Broadway is lined with chain stores such as Talbot's Victoria's Secret, Ann Taylor and Barnes & Noble.

How much longer will it be before the West 90s start looking like a mall? In spite of a Petco store and numerous Starbucks outlets, the neighborhood has not yet undergone a complete reversal from its roots. There are still many local clothing stores and boutiques, and small neighborhood restaurants and bars where locals meet.

"No matter how much it changes, I still love Broadway," said Jay Pearsall, owner of the conjoined bookstores Ivy's Books and Murder Ink. He enjoys walking around the West 90s or in the parks sandwiching the neighborhood, Central Park on the east and Riverside Park on the west. "[The UWS] has a kind of light you don't have on the Upper East Side: maybe it's the height of the buildings, but there's more sunlight."

To find it:

The West 90s lies between Central Park West and Riverside Drive, from 90th to 99th streets.

To rent and buy:

The housing stock in the West 90s is similar to the rest of the Upper West Side; large pre-war apartment buildings along Broadway and West End Avenue and beautiful brownstone-lined blocks between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

Prices in the neighborhood are reflective of the overall Manhattan market, meaning they're high. One-bedroom co-ops sell for an average of $624,000; two-bedroom co-ops go for more than $1 million, said James Perez, senior vice president of Brown Harris Stevens. If looking for a rental, expect to pay about $2,600 for a one-bedroom apartment and $4,300 for a two-bedroom.

"The most exciting development on the Upper West Side outside of Columbus Circle is the Ariel condominium development at 99th Street and Broadway," Perez said. According to Perez, the complex has two towers of 39 and 32 stories, one on each side of Broadway, that are taller than most buildings in the neighborhood. The average price of a unit, when completed, will be more than $2 million. "[It's] transformational for a neighborhood which was already selling co-ops for up to $1,500 per square foot," Perez said.

Recent sales:

--30 West 90th St.; two bedrooms, 1.5 baths -- $1 million
--210 West 90th St.: 3 bedrooms -- $2.675 million
--322 Central Park West: 2 bedrooms -- $1.795 million
--250 West 94th St.: 1 bedroom -- $797,000

Neighborhood Buzz:

The biggest controversy in the neighborhood is the high-rise development at 99th Street and Broadway. The Ariel project (mentioned above) will bring luxury living to the neighborhood in the form of two facing skyscrapers whose scale is much larger than the surrounding buildings. The project was made possible, in part, by the developers' purchase of "air rights" from the neighboring St. Michael's Church. Community members rallied against the project, arguing that the buildings at 32 and 39 stories were too tall and would damage the character of the neighborhood. A building collapse at the site last July, which injured four people, fueled more opposition to the project. The drive to stop the project was unsuccessful and the building is going forward.

To Do:

The West 90s has plenty of restaurants or bars, but only one performance space, Symphony Space, that hosts entertainment for all ages, including film, music, dance, and literature (2537 Broadway at 95th, box office (212) 864-5400). South of the area, there are more movie theaters in the 80s and 60s. For recreation, the West 90s is flanked by Riverside Park on the west side and Central Park on the east. Riverside Park runs along Riverside Drive, with walkways, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, and scenic views of the Hudson River. Inside Central Park, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir lies adjacent to the neighborhood. The Guggenheim Museum is just across the park.

TO SHOP: